Batwoman 3x5 : A Lesson From Professor Pyg review

 

            Be warned there will be *SPOILERS* involved in this review. With that being said let's get into it.

This weeks episode of Batwoman not only features the horror like villain of Professor Pyg but also a big narrative twist when it comes to Marquis Jet brother of Ryan Wilder. The episode begins as we see Sophie babysitting Alice who is still on work leave from Arkham. Batwoman soon shows up and says that Alice needs to get dressed as a dead body has been found. They soon find a dead body strung up in an empty room. Renee Montoya seems to think that the binding used to tie up the body is the whip of Catwoman. Both Batwoman and Alice later are unconvinced as it's not nearly strong enough to the whip of one Selina Kyle. We're soon back at Wayne Enterprises as Luke informs Ryan that the company is in the red for the very first time after what happened in last weeks episode. Ryan assures him that she will fix it as later she has a dinner date with her mom to discuss what just is going on and why. Mary soon enters the room and she is acting pretty strange. We learn why later but it's still very odd here. Later that night we learn that Sophie will be attending the dinner date with Ryan whom she says is her girlfriend. When they arrive they're greeted by the butler who is seen talking to a chef soon after. The chef turns out to be none other than Lazlo Valentine also known as Professor Pyg. 

Ryan and Sophie meet with Jada as they on the fly talk about their relationship. Sophie asks to use the powder room but instead going there she goes upstairs in Jada's home which is absolutely huge. She eventually finds her study and places a bug inside as Luke is heard on comms. Jada soon arrives but Sophie manages to wiggle her way out of the situation for the time being. It's now dinner time and everyone takes their seats including Marquis who shows up with a girl named Zoey. Marquis can't believe that Ryan would even meet with Jada but after Jada says that she knows all about their plan to thwart her she finishes their plan in its tracks in an instant. With dinner underway we soon meet the chef for real this time as he claims his first victim in Zoey in the bathroom. He has drugged all in attendance and we learn just why he is doing what he is doing. We also see his design and it's actually rather good, simple but very effective. As for the actor I really didn't like him to be honest, he wasn't crazy or unhinged enough but given that his whole ordeal is just a revenge plot is disappointing. It turns out that Jada who fired him from being her own chef caused his life to be turned upside down. He lost pretty much everything including his wife and family which Marquis said is not her fault. Everyone who is under the influence of some sort of drug struggle to even move but Ryan picks up a knife and stabs Lazlo in the knee knocking him to the ground. 

The episode draws to a close as everyone makes their way to a panic room that Jada had constructed in one of her upper rooms. Not long after entering we see Marquis begin to suffer some sort of attack as his pulse drops and he is left on the ground. He needs adrenaline but it is in the basement which is not good given that Lazlo is still downstairs after saying that he will burn the house down. Ryan goes it alone and makes it to the basement but she ends up getting stopped by Lazlo in the basement as she is badly fatigued and hurt from the entire ordeal. As she is taken back upstairs Lazlo ends up getting murdered in cold blood by Marquis who stabs him repeatedly until he dies. Pretty cold by Marquis here but it is explained in just a bit. We're soon at Mary's clinic and it we learn just why she is acting weird. After taking some of the Ivy plant to Renee Montoya Alice is told that Ivy's plants only wither and die when she has found a new host. So it looks like Mary is that new host and she will soon be under Ivy's full control unless something happens. An interesting narrative point that's for sure. The episode ends back with Ryan who tells Sophie that she had fun on their 'date' the tension between them is getting more and more real with each episode. Ryan says that she has to go and talk to Jada as she leaves Sophie outside of the house as paramedics and police are heavily present. Ryan enters her moms study and we learn that Marquis is not only a murderer but his entire mind has been warped thanks to none other than an encounter with The Joker many years ago. Jada tells Ryan that The Joker hijacked a bus and used his electric button shocker on Marquis which somehow transformed his brain turning him into a shell of his former self. He is more violent, more angry and nothing like his younger self. Jada asks for Ryan's help in a turn of events that feels very sudden sure but also very interesting indeed. Could Marquis be the true big bad this season? and is he the one actually behind the Black Glove Society?? I guess only time will tell. For the time being that was the episode and I did really like this one overall. It felt a lot more tense and compact. Professor Pyg while his design was good felt rather underwhelming which sucks but everything else here including the ending reveal was good. A solid episode!

★★★