Batwoman's second episode doesn't do much to address the flaws and concerns of the premiere. This is still a show that dabbles in too many familiar Arrowverse and Nolanverse tropes.
That final reveal wasn't all too surprising... Her stepmother's role, however, does lend a level of intrigue to both that character and the Kane family dynamic as a whole.
So far, the dynamic between the Kane sisters feels the most genuine and balanced. Again, it has a lot to do with a symmetry that's been built into the production and scripting.
The theme of hope is a good one, especially for a city and a franchise that's often overly gloomy and gave rise to the grimdark era of superheroes on screen.
We've gone the voiceover route on basically every other Arrowverse show... So, why is Batwoman relying on these tactics? It is making the show feel a bit stale when it should be giving us a brand new, interesting superhero origin story.
Secret identities on superhero TV shows are a weird device... But we go with it, because that's how the show works, and it's fine. Except two episodes in, Batwoman is messing up the process worse than Barry Allen on The Flash, and that's saying something.
There are some other things that the show is doing well: the cinematography looks stepped up in this show, as if it has more to show off in the big city of Gotham. The opening scene of how the resources dwindled looking for Beth is a nice visual.
Coming off of its pilot, Batwoman has already improved. The odd, disjointed feeling from the first episode is gone, with strong emotional performances elevating the second outing above the premiere.
