Batwoman: Here’s How Kate Gets Her Costume in “Down Down Down”

Since returning to Gotham in the Batwoman series premiere, Kate Kane has been suiting up in her cousin Bruce Wayne’s Batman suit, heading out into the night to deal with Red Alice, recently revealed to be none other than her believed-dead twin, Beth. But Kate isn’t Batman. She’s becoming a hero in her own right, and that means getting her own suit and her own heroic identity. In tonight’s “Down Down Down” we see Kate finally get her Batwoman costume — and here’s how it happens.

Spoilers for tonight’s episode of Batwoman, “Down Down Down”, below.

From the moment Kate first suited up in a slightly modified version of the Batsuit in the series premiere, the people of Gotham have been — to quote Alice in tonight’s episode — “horny for Batman”. The citizens believe that their hero has returned to them. Now, this is something that Kate and Luke know is not true, but the public has hope. Villains also have their own twisted form of hope as well. Believing Batman to be back draws Tommy Elliot back, as well as leads him to steal a weapon capable of piercing the Batsuit and killing Batman — or whoever is wearing it.

Kate feels some guilt about this situation, specifically that her suiting up to help Gotham has actually put it at greater risk because people think Batman is back. Luke suggests that she should suit up again to confront Tommy, but Kate declines. She goes as herself and learns that Tommy really does plan to kill Batman/Bruce — and knows his identity. Not only that, he further endangers people by blowing up the cables to three elevators in his building and says that if Batman doesn’t show up, he’ll blow the other cables and cause the people in the elevators to fall to their deaths.

Batman isn’t coming back, though. Luke tried calling Bruce after the weapons vault was infiltrated and he didn’t respond. Kate decides then that if Batman isn’t coming, she’ll suit up herself — but not in Bruce’s suit. Luke repairs the Batsuit, makes a few alterations — including a new red Bat symbol on the chest and perhaps the best feature of all, the iconic bright red Batwoman wig. Kate suits up as that to take on Tommy and then, later, to stand watch over the city of Gotham. After the city sights her and people realize that this isn’t the Batman after all, Vesper Fairchild calls her a “bombshell” and starts to speculate what they should call this new protector of the city — and, listening to the broadcast, Sophie has her own suggestion: Batwoman.

Batwoman airs Sundays at 8/7c on The CW.