Spoilers below! Be sure to catch up with the latest episode of Batwoman before reading on.
Season 1 of Batwoman is underway and already the new Arrow-verse show is name-dropping Batman’s famous friends and foes. Last week, Vesper Fairchild referenced Robin, and wondered whether the Boy Wonder's graduation was the reason for Batman's mysterious absence in Episode 2. Now, “Down Down Down” saw the latest villain-to-be, Tommy “Hush” Elliot, directly referencing the iconic villain The Riddler, solidifying the deep reaches of Gotham City’s criminal underworld beyond Alice and her Wonderland crew.
“Down Down Down” introduced Tommy Elliot, portrayed by Revenge’s Gabriel Mann, as Bruce Wayne’s former childhood friend-turned enemy. The rich realtor was back in town to brag to Ruby Rose’s Kate Kane about buying the tallest building in Gotham City. Now that he'd become richer than Bruce, he wanted to rub it in his face by inviting him to a party celebrating his new status.
While he was disappointed Bruce didn't come to his party, Tommy’s sudden appearance was connected not only to Bruce, but to his vigilante alter ego. The big twist came when Kate realized Tommy knew Bruce was Batman. You see, Tommy was seeking revenge on the Dark Knight for saving his mother, which prevented Tommy from acquiring his mega-inheritance. Rich people problems, am I right?
The only thing left to figure out was how the realtor-turned-criminal knew of Batman’s secret identity. When it was made clear that Tommy was trying to kill Batman, Kate confronted him, which is when he revealed that he paid someone to “riddle him” the information about Batman’s identity. That’s a fairly clear reference to Edward Nygma, best known as the supervillain The Riddler.
Now, it’s unlikely that The Riddler will be making an appearance on Batwoman anytime soon, considering Paul Dano was just cast as the quizzical pun-lover for Robert Pattinson's movie. However, there’s always a possibility that Nygma and Tommy could team up together if the latter sticks around. If they both know Batman’s identity, it won’t take them long to figure who Batwoman is, especially now that Kate’s made it clear to Gothamites that her hero is, in fact, a woman.
As the new vigilante in town, Kate has a target on her back, and there's no telling what connections Tommy has in jail, which is where he could reconnect with The Riddler and/or other memorable rogues. After all, it was Kate who came to the astute conclusion that Gotham City's usual suspects were back in action because they thought Batman was. Therefore, Tommy was the primary example of the consequences inspired by Batman’s presumed return.
Another interesting possibility would be for Batwoman to team up with The Riddler herself in order to take down Tommy. “Down Down Down” was definitely set up as the latter's villainous origin story. When he escapes from prison, he’ll be wanting revenge on Batwoman as well. And if he’s as powerful as he is in the comics, Kate could very well seek the help of The Riddler to fight Tommy. Sure, it’s a bit of a stretch, but never say never. Especially when Gotham did it pretty successfully already.
These references to Batman’s rogues gallery could ultimately be nothing but fun Easter Eggs. However, as the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover approaches and the worlds of DC’s live-action universes collide, it’d be remiss for Batwoman to not take advantage of introducing well-known villains like The Riddler. They’ve already done it with Tommy Elliot, so the door is wide open.
Batwoman airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on The CW. For more of your favorite shows, be sure to check our complete guide to every new and returning show premiering through November.
