Batwoman made several bold choices in “How Queer Everything Is Today,” especially in the wake of Crisis on Infinite Earths. And while the episode for the most part was a fun and lighthearted ride, it also contained several deeply impactful moments about acceptance and representation.

First, it seemed like the story hadn’t changed much in the wake of the multiversal apocalypse. Instead, the hour was character-focused: specifically on Kate’s (Ruby Rose) struggle with her own identity and Mary’s (Nicole Kang) campaign to find Jacob (Dougray Scott) innocent of murder. But at the last possible minute, the show pulled a fast one with Alice (Rachel Skarsten) and the fact that there is now a second Beth running around with no dark past! What in the world(s) happened?

Secondly, Batwoman tackled the importance of Kate’s sexuality head on with the help of a particularly memorable “villain” of the week plot. The story started off on a comedic note, with Batwoman’s big train save derailed (har har) by a local cop saving her. It was the event that launched a thousand shippers, as Vesper Fairchild leads the pack of online fans in a crusade to unite them. And Luke (Camrus Johnson) wants to take full advantage of that event, advising Kate to lean into the rumors to distance her alter ego from herself.

It’s ironic that the person who stops her from following through with such a solid plan is the hacker who took over the subway in the first place. After threatening to reveal all of Gotham’s secrets and doxxing the mayor, the hacker wound being a bitter teenage girl whose ex-girlfriend forcibly outed her to her parents. She may not be impressed by Batwoman, but she is a big fan of Kate Kane, whose status as an out and proud near-celebrity inspires her that it can in fact get better.

In order to save her hacker friend’s life, Kate reveals herself as Batwoman and earns a save from Parker herself. The result was Batwoman coming out through a Catco interview with Kara Danvers herself, which felt like both a fabulous Easter egg and a really monumental moment for both Kate and girls like Parker everywhere. If there was any fly in the ointment of the storyline, it was really that Alice’s plan seemed ludicrous. She’s obviously got a few screws loose, but she’s always had a method to her madness.

The idea that Kate would be grateful for her father’s arrest and stepmother’s death is beyond comprehension, but perhaps she could be forgiven for twisting all of her sister’s motivations given her own twisted nature. However, it makes no sense for her to assume that Kate would join the tea for three party with Alice and Mouse just because her role as Batwoman was sent into the spotlight. But Skarsten and Rose make the complex connection between the two characters compelling enough to ignore such questions.

The other major plot of the night was Mary and her inner emotional turmoil, which once again showed off Kang’s impressive acting skills. She comes up against nothing but rejection in her quest to reveal her stepfather as innocent, except for when it comes to Sophie’s (Meagan Tandy) loyalty and support. She’d also have Kate’s, but that relationship was on hold due to the understandable resentment after Catherine’s death. Thankfully, the rift between the Hamilton-Kane sisters doesn’t last, and they’re tearfully embracing by the episode’s end.

“How Queer Everything Is Today” ends with a million questions about Beth’s existence, but it will be remembered just as much for combining some of the most joyful moments of Batwoman‘s (thus far short) history with some of its most emotional.