Birds of Prey is available now on DVD and digital. The series can be streaming on DC Universe in North America.
Synopsis
Helena’s loyalties are tested when she learns that Reese’s father, whom she is asked to protect, is the man who killed Dinah’s mother.
Review
Remember back in my review of episode five I mentioned that Al Hawke was played by two actors across his two appearances? Well it’s time to cash in your Mitch Pileggi tokens as he takes over the role from Stephen McHattie.
In the most bizarre twist in the series Al Hawke has changed faces since he was caught in the explosion which killed Dinah’s mum (guest star Lori Laughlin) back in his last appearance.
With “Nature of the Beast” he series comes back around to the idea of Helena (Ashley Scott) and Detective Reese’s (Shemar Moore) relationship. The two have been circling each other for much of the season but are clearly growing closer as time ticks away towards the finale.
The return of Hawke and learning his connection to Reese is a huge spanner-in-the-works for Helena and forces her to look at Reese from a new perspective.
The episode also, finally, provides some dramatic work for Dinah (Rachel Skarsten). She has been very much on the fringe of the story but having Hawke resurface puts her squarely in the middle of the action.
It was time the series shone a light on Dinah although she is written as a fairly petulant teenager here. As I’ve often said about Birds of Prey it is very of its time and that is incredibly evident in Dinah’s characterisation. But what is encouraging is that this episode furthered the story of her burgeoning powers.
The inevitable will-the-won’t-they or Helena and Reese preoccupies much of the narrative space in Birds of Prey but fails to set the overall narrative on fire. Where “Nature of the Beast” had the opportunity to delve in to more of New Gotham’s criminal underbelly, something which could have heavily tied this version of the city to the comics, it focusses on Dinah’s revenge and the friction it causes for Helena.
Making this kind of creative choice is undoubtedly a symptom of Birds of Prey being housed on a network aimed at the 18-35 market and I would like to think that if made now, the writers would choose a different path to tell the story.
That being said “Nature of the Beast” balances its ensemble cast well and stands as a creative turning point in the series’ writing as its plot lines begin to converge and present themselves in a more sophisticated and complex manner.
Verdict
The titular “Nature of the Beast” appears to mean that revenge and betrayal and inevitable in the superhero gig. But it’s all okay when you have Huntress in your corner!
6/10
Birds of Prey stars Ashley Scott as Helena Kyle/Huntress, Dina Meyer are Barbara Gordon/Oracle, Rachel Skarsten as Dinah Redmond, Shemar Moore as Detective Jessie Reese, Mia Sara as Dr Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn and Ian Abercombie as Alfred Pennyworth.
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