Welcome back to Gotham! After defeating the Black Mask, The False Face Society, and Safiyah, you’d think that the city would get some respite. But this is Gotham we’re talking about, a city that loves to go from bad to worse, and Ryan and her team have their work cut out for them. With some of Gotham’s most dangerous weapons out in the wild, it’s only a matter of time before Batman’s famous foes start to wreak havoc on the city. So don your cape, grab your sonic disruptor, and join us as we give you five thoughts on season 3, episode 1, “Mad as a Hatter.”
1. Old tools lead to new foes
The past two seasons of Batwoman focused on building larger foes throughout the seas. It seems that “Mad as a Hatter” is attempting to change the formula. Sure some episodes featured a villain of the week formula, but these were usually in building a larger narrative. This season, however, seems to be giving a chance for Batman’s colorful foes to shine, even if they aren’t necessarily the original namesake of the villain.
This week, there is a copycat Mad Hatter, a troubled young man who idolizes Alice and is surprised to discover that the vintage top hat he bought has the power to control others. Amitai Marmorstein does an excellent job making the Mad Hatter feel nuanced, a character who does some truly vile and irredeemable things but has a certain degree of sympathy for his actions. He’s a person cast off from society, presumably unable to find the help he needs. You just hope that he’s not the introduction of a season-long trend of new rogues being copycats. Mad Hatter isn’t exactly a household name, but other villains are better known. So we have old weapons in Gotham. Hopefully, some familiar names will find them.
2. Building a better Batfamily
One of the biggest complaints of the first two seasons of Batwoman was that the writers took their time bringing characters into the fold after weeks of teasing that they knew the big secret. While people love thinking of Gotham’s Dark Knights as lone wolves, many of their books feature fun team dynamics, something that “Mad as a Hatter” begins to address. Now not only do we have a core team of Ryan, Sophie, Mary, and Luke, but each member has their role on the team and an area of expertise that makes the team better.
Ryan is the leader, having fully embraced her role as Batwoman. Sophie is the team’s investigator, using her skills and connections to gather information and keep the heat off of Ryan. Mary is the new guy in the chair and brilliant medical mind, which leaves Luke as Ryan’s new tech master in the field. While there is a possibility that Batwing might screw up the gritty street-level fights of Batwoman “Mad as a Hatter” introduces the idea that Luke’s armor isn’t as overpowered as you might think. There is an implication that it might be connected to Luke feeling overwhelmed and serves as a nice inner conflict for Luke. He has the toys, but does he have the goods? We now have a solid Batfamily, and it seems like the writers are ready to give it their all!
3. The Hamilton curse continues, even as Mary tries to make her city better
Mary Hamilton continues to be a secret MVP of the Batwoman cast. Nicole Kang does a lot from episode to episode. She’s the team’s heart, the show’s comic relief, and all while dealing with the inner struggle of her trying to be a good person while confronting the fact that she witnessed her mom’s murder. In “Mad as a Hatter,” Mary is forced to live another traumatic experience, as Mad Hatter uses her graduation as an opportunity to humiliate the Hamilton family further, following in the footsteps of his idol Alice. Mary is controlled to remove the organs of her mentor in front of her classmates, all while Mad Hatter taunts the graduates of the medical school about the broken health care system.
While Mary is distraught about the things she was forced to do, again, Kang is given some pretty good material in “Mad as a Hatter,” as Mary vows to try and make the system better. She already has the experience, running a successful free clinic, now she has the degree to try and help. The Hamilton family may not have the best luck for large gatherings, but Mary will continue to work to make the people in her city safe.
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4. What does it mean to be a family?
Family has always been a significant theme in Batwoman. Whether it was Kate and Alice’s struggles as sisters, Mary trying to gain the approval of her stepfather and stepsister, or Ryan navigating the world as an orphan, these characters are driven by the desire for connection. “Mad as a Hatter” continues these themes, with Ryan struggling with information that her birth mother is still alive and Alice constructing a lie that her father cares about her and is trying to get her out. These connections mean a lot to the characters in Batwoman, but while Ryan might be interested in her mother’s identity, she found family is more important.
It will be interesting to see if the family theme is quite so dominant in this newest season. “Mad as a Hatter” does introduce Ryan’s birth mother and allows Luke to check in with his father, even if it’s just an AI, but they also seem equally interested in allowing the team to be each other’s family. Family can mean many things to different people, connection and love, pain and distance. We’re both with some families, but the most powerful ones are the ones we choose for ourselves. Ryan has found her family, but that might all change.
5. An odd couple with a new boss
Ultimately, the biggest setup of “Mad as a Hatter” is the introduction of Renee Montoya as the leader of Gotham’s Rogue’s Division, a person striving to prevent the return of these villains, copycat or otherwise. Victoria Cartegena commands a lot of power in her short time on screen, especially at the end of “Mad as a Hatter,” when she confronts Ryan and gives her an ultimatum, work with Alice to collect the remaining weapons and gadgets or be shut down. Alice was a crucial piece in stopping Mad Hatter and is now working for Montoya to earn her freedom. This is an entertaining setup, forcing an odd couple dynamic and giving a reason for Ryan and Alice to work together. Last season struggled with a way to get them in the same storyline, despite their excellent on-screen chemistry. This move might be abrupt, perhaps a little convenient, but it is also a lot of fun. At the very least, the team is getting curiouser and curiouser.
So there we have it. Ryan has a new mission and a new team member. What did you think about the episode? Sound off below, and see you next week!
