Sophie and Alice are taken to Safiyah, while Ryan contends with the assassin Victor Zsasz.
Tropes:
- Affably Evil:
- Zsasz is cheerful and friendly, even when trying to kill people.
- Safiyah is all warmth and charm while dealing with Alice and Sophie.
- Baddie Flattery:
- Safiyah is highly impressed at how well Sophie did against Tatiana despite her hands being bound.
- Zsasz compliments Ryan on a good kick, favorably comparing her to Batman.
- Black Comedy: Zsasz is briefly stumped while looking for somewhere to mark his latest kills on his body, quipping to his latest victims "look who's getting closer to retirement!".
- Boom, Headshot!: Zsasz murders a Hamilton Dynamics lab technician this way.
- Call-Back: Luke protesting that the Bat-suit is perfect the way it is when Ryan decides to change its look to suit her, just the same as he did when Kate redesigned it.
- Chekhov's Gun: Ryan has trouble with an extendable staff when she first confronts Zsasz. During their rematch, she extends it on purpose to knock him unconscious while he has her pinned.
- Combat Sadomasochist: Zsasz doesn't just enjoy inflicting, but also receiving pain.
- Covered in Scars: Zsasz, as per all other incarnations. Played for a bit of Black Comedy when he realizes he's running out of room, so he starts marking up his scalp.
- Crazy-Prepared: Zsasz keeps a shoulder-mounted RPG launcher under the bar in his apartment.
- Destroy the Evidence: Safiyah hires Zsasz to destroy all traces of the Desert Rose, including everyone who took the serum derived from it.
- Didn't Think This Through: Ryan, as Batwoman, arrives at Zsasz's loft in broad daylight. Needless to say, a Bat-vigilante fighting crime before dusk is rather out-of-place in Gotham; and there's a reason why vigilantes typically operate after dark since the night serves as the perfect cover for their activities so they can get around stealthily. It's small wonder why Victor Zsasz caught this new Batwoman sneaking into his apartment.
- Dramatic Ammo Depletion: After throwing too many batarangs while fighting the Snake Bite dealer, Ryan has none on hand when she confronts Zsasz. Her way of flinging them at the target, with not a single batarang returning to her, probably didn't help.
- Dramatic Irony: Just as Mary accepts that Kate is likely dead, it's revealed to the audience that Kate is alive.
- Evil Mentor: Safiyah was this to Alice at some point in the past.
- Fantastic Drug: The Crows are focusing their efforts on Snake Bite, a new drug that is laced with Scarecrow’s fear toxin. It is hinted that Black Mask is the one behind its distribution.
- Five Stages of Grief: While Luke is still stuck in Denial, Mary has moved to Acceptance, with both of them clashing over it.
- The Ghost: Safiyah claims that Kate is alive and in her custody, but Kate doesn't appear; Safiyah had her moved off of Coryana to prevent Alice from breaking her loose.
- Hyperspace Arsenal: Subverted for laughs, as Luke criticizes Ryan for overusing the batarangs, on the grounds that they only have so many because they cost a grand per batarang. This causes her to run out by the time she confronts Zsasz for the first time.Mary: They run out?!
- I'd Tell You, but Then I'd Have to Kill You: Parodied, since Zsasz is here to kill Mary anyway.Zsasz: It seems you and I have ruffled some of the same feathers. Now I have to tie up some loose ends.
Mary: Would those feathers belong to Safiyah?
Zsasz: I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you... so I'll just tell you. Yes. - I Have Your Wife: Safiyah claims to have Kate, showing off Kate's necklace as proof. If Alice wants her back, she has to do what Safiyah wants.
- Irony: Ryan's parole officer is a fan of Batwoman's vigilante work, which Ryan immediately points out.
- Loves My Alter Ego: Ryan's parole officer is a huge Batwoman fan, at the same time that she's highly critical of Ryan.
- Malevolent Masked Men: The False Face Society shows up again, and their leader, Black Mask, is alluded to.
- Man of Wealth and Taste: Despite his psychopathy, Zsasz enjoys high class restaurants and his apartment is tastefully decorated.
- Mythology Gag:
- Victor Zsasz also used an RPG in the Gotham episode "Things That Go Boom".
- Kate was investigating a painting by Jack Napier; in Batman (1989), Napier was mentioned to have an aptitude for art, and there was an extended sequence of him "improving" some artwork in a museum.
- Luke gifting Ryan a batarang as a form of acceptance is reminiscent of Dick Grayson doing the same for Kate Kane in 52.
- No, Mr. Bond, I Expect You to Dine: Instead of killing Alice, Safiyah serves her dinner.
- Noodle Incident: Zsasz confirms that he fought Batman at least once.
- Not Me This Time: Safiyah claims that she wasn't behind the plane crash and implies that she wasn't responsible for wiping out the Wonderland Gang. She does claim to have abducted Kate, though.
- Not With the Safety On, You Won't: Zsasz distracts an armed technician at Hamilton Dynamics by claiming that he left the safety on. After snatching the gun, Zsasz admits that the safety wasn't on, then demonstrates.
- Oh, Crap!: Ryan, when Zsasz whips out an RPG during their confrontation in his apartment.Ryan: Oh, hell no!
- Pretender Diss: Both the Snake Bite dealer and Zsasz mock Ryan for her obviously not being the original Batwoman.
- The Reveal:
- Safiyah did not blow up Kate's plane, but she did kidnap her.
- Before her plane was shot down, Kate was investigating a painting made by Jack Napier, alias The Joker.
- Self-Deprecation: The show makes fun of the Batsuit via Ryan when Luke claims it is perfect.Ryan: Have you seen the damn wig?
- Skewed Priorities: Rather than focus on Zsasz's murder and robbery, Ryan is more focused on learning Mary is a multi-billionaire yet "you only pay me $12.50 an hour?"
- Spear Carrier: Amy, one of Mary's employees at the clinic, is a Red Shirt variety. She's there to give a bit of detail that helps identify the commonality between Victor Zsasz's list of targets, and then be killed by him when he goes after Mary.
- There's No Kill like Overkill: Zsasz tries to dispatch Batwoman with an RPG, though given the quality of the Batsuit, the level of overkill may be justified.
- Title Drop: The episode's title appears as a newspaper headline.
- Took a Level in Kindness: Luke starts to warm up towards Ryan at the end of the episode.
- Unseen No More: Safiyah finally makes her debut.
- Villain Has a Point: During their first confrontation, Zsasz calls out Ryan for trying to fill the first Batwoman's shoes without making it her own. She takes this to heart, and by the episode's climax has redesigned the costume to more properly fit her.
- Villainous Crush: By the end of the episode, Alice believes that Safiyah has a crush on Sophie.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Safiyah's motive in keeping the Desert Rose a secret is to prevent Coryana from becoming a target of colonizers and raiders, comparing the possible invasion to the African diamond trade.
- Wham Line: Kate had been investigating a painting by "Jack Napier" before her death — who we know is this universe's Joker.
- Would Hit a Girl: Zsasz's first scene is him killing an unfaithful husband and his lover. He later kills one of Mary's employees before trying to kill Mary, and he obviously also has no problem with killing Batwoman.
