Batwoman 2x8 : Survived Much Worse review

 

      Be warned there will be *SPOILERS* involved in this review. With that being said let's get into it.

Wow! that's all I can say about this weeks episode of Batwoman. What a roller coaster of emotion, pain and deceit. The episode opens with both Ryan and Alice writing a letter to Kate. We know that Ryan has been doing this since the very first episode as it was shown. As for Alice her letter is not very respectful and full of sisterly love rather dark and grim. In fact it couldn't be anymore opposite to Ryan's letter which is full of praise for Kate and how much she helped her not only in becoming Batwoman but in being able to be herself and feel accepted. As for Ryan's injury it's revealed that she is literally on the brink of death thanks to the Kryptonite poisoning with a rough estimate of 24 hours given by Mary. Speaking of Mary she catches Ryan about to self medicate on herself with adrenaline and other things. A lethal cocktail that will accelerate Ryan's demise if injected which Ryan intended to do. Later back at the bat-cave and after Luke tells Sophie about Coryana and it's location which is completely off the grid both literally and physically. This leads to Ryan going ahead and injecting herself after all much to the dismay of Maria and Luke. She's instantly given a boost of adrenaline and leaves with only one clear destination..Coryana!

All roads and this time air leads to Coryana as on the ground Alice is back in the presence of Safiyah. She's made up her part of the deal (we know she hasn't of course) at first Safiyah is open to honoring her part of the deal which is to lead Alice to her sister Kate Kane whom she apparently has prisoner. The situation simmers for a bit as Batwoman begins to make her way to the island via jumping out of a plane and skydiving to the off the grid paradise. Upon landing Batwoman sets off an EMP grenade that renders all electrical equipment on the island pretty much useless. The first thing Batwoman notices is a giant vast field of the Desert Rose a beautiful landscape of the miracle cure that she so desperately needs to get rid of the Kryptonite inside of her. Her state of awe soon turns to intensity as members of Safiyah's army surround Batwoman who attempts to fight back but it's really no use. She is soon brought before the leader of the island and Alice is still talking with Safiyah. Batwoman lets slip that the body of Ocean brought by Alice isn't in fact Ocean which leads to the reveal that Alice had placed a fake face onto the body. Much like she did to Thomas Elliot last season when he transformed into Bruce Wayne. 

The episode draws to a close as both Batwoman and Alice are placed into a jail cell together to face judgement for their crimes. Safiyah soon enters the cell stating that she will repay Batwoman for helping her with Alice's deceitfulness. In turn she has a choice however. Get the Desert Rose or take Kate Kane back to Gotham. Ryan picks the Desert Rose as her condition is only worsening by the second. Back in the main meeting area and Safiyah gives Alice a similar deal. Albeit this one is a tad more extreme. Go and see her sister Kate exact her revenge or kill Ocean in front of everyone right at that moment. Alice with a heavy heart chooses the latter stabbing Ocean in the chest. Ocean had been captured by Safiyah who upon his apparent death takes Alice deep into her dungeons to meet Kate Kane. There's a small problem however as upon entering the cell Kate is nowhere to be found rather it's empty. Alice freaks out demanding answers about her sister. Safiyah simply says that she never did have Kate Kane in her custody. It was all a ruse because as we know she did and infact still loves Alice even if that love is clouded by all kinds of emotion and craziness. So just where is Kate Kane if not on the island?? back at Wayne Enterprises both Luke and Mary are seen attempting to get back on comms to Batwoman and also Mary is looking after Ryan's plant which she entrusted to her care just incase she doesn't come back. They are interrupted by one of Safiyah's assassins who turns out to be crazy easy to take down at first but they do end up getting a little help from a returning Julia Pennyworth who kills the assassin where they stand in a pretty badass way to come back to this show. Julia however is the bearer of bad news and that is that Kate was never in fact on Coryana and didn't even survive the plane crash that we saw at the start of this season. Mary and Luke are left devastated by this revelation that truthfully came out of left field. The episode ends with further developments and they are pretty huge in terms of what happens next. Firstly there is the entire field of Desert Rose that I mentioned earlier being destroyed and burned with Safiyah looking on at her life's work being brought down in flames. Sophie catches up to Batwoman atop the field in the exact location where Batwoman had arrived earlier. The two share a pretty emotional scene as Batwoman looks set to just give up. She even says she's not going back to Gotham and would rather just go here and now. Sophie just lays next to her before getting a call from Luke as the EMP grenade has seemingly run it's course. Luke frantically explains to Sophie that he has a cure for Batwoman and that they need to get back right now. The camera then pans to Ryan's plant that she left behind for Mary to care for, it's sprouting a flower that looks exactly like the Desert Rose. Pretty convenient if you ask me! but that's not all as the episode doesn't even end there rather it ends with an even bigger reveal. We're shown the streets of Gotham. The camera points directly below a sewer hole to reveal a woman covered in bandages. This woman is badly hurt and sloppily covered in bandages but that's not the important detail here. The important detail here is that of the necklace around the woman's neck. It is the same necklace that Kate Kane used to wear. So yes this woman is actually Kate Kane. No idea how she survived but she did. This isn't Ruby Rose however as the part has been re-cast so that Wallis Day previously of the Krypton show can take up the role going forward. This was such a big reveal and will surely change the narrative going forward in a big way. As for this episode truth be told it was easily the best this season and quite possibly my favorite episode of this show thus far. It had so much going on and it flowed really, really well. With that ending reveal who knows what's going to happen next but I am heavily intrigued to find out. 

★★★★