Batwoman season 2, episode 8 review: Survived Much Worse

Heavy spoilers ahead for episode 8 of Batwoman season 2. The Bat-family “survived much worse” to find the hidden island and the flowers. The question is can they get to the garden in time.

We are eight episodes into Batwoman season 2 and a lot has happened to get here. Just in the last episode, Ryan burned bridges when still trying to fight crime despite her fragile and wobbly state. She also picked a fight with Alice after her hallucinations convinced her that’s what her dead mother wanted.

Alice has her own problems as well as loved ones to protect and avenge, which goes without saying. That means our villain has targets for her vengeance, namely Safiyah and her sister Kate, both of whom she goes after at the end of the episode.

Kate may be alive and holed up on the island of Coryana but a dying Ryan is getting worse. Although she could only have days left, nothing is more important than the mission to her and there is one hope for a cure to her poisoning in Coryana’s Desert Rose.

Never leave the Cave without it

Everything in this week’s episode, “Survived Much Worse,” happens within the first ten minutes. The setup is rapid in laying out how precarious Ryan’s situation is and in getting all of the story’s pieces to the island. Jacob Kane and Sophie Moore get abducted by Safiyah’s assassins effortlessly and taken to Coryana where Alice already is.

Ryan, with the boost of an adrenaline cocktail, decides to airdrop in to bail them out and hopefully Kate too. Luke sneaks her onto a flight with a parachute, making you wonder at first why she doesn’t take the Batwing, the Bat-boat, or even a Bat-sub, but they clear that up.

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In the Arrowverse, none of those awesome vehicles exist or just aren’t available to Kate, Luke, and company for whatever reason. They even make a joke about shark repellent in the utility belt – which never gets old, let’s be honest – while things are getting super-serious.

Ryan has an estimated day left to live and, unfortunately, her adrenaline shot is killing her faster. Counterproductive as it is, it’s the price she is willing to pay to wear the cape, save the day, and rescue Kate and her family.

At times, Ryan acts normal and healthy but her condition and newness to the hero role aren’t ignored as a device to move the episode along. When she tries to fight Safiyah’s men she is taken captive and spends most of her screentime vulnerable on the sidelines, fighting back with her wits and situational awareness.

Psycho analysis

We see a deeper side of Ryan than before and she’s not alone. They go deeper into Alice’s psyche and her reasons for wanting her sister dead – that is assuming she really wants that. She is shown to be more complex than a crazed killer with a gang and tragic past.

Some of Alice’s flaws and foibles prove ordinary and sensitive while maintaining her strength and earnestness as a character. She’s become such a force thanks to Rachel Skarsten it seems like she is turning into the main character. That’s no small thing but she could carry her own show, no doubt.

Saw that coming

Alice might get that chance too. They insert the twist that Kate – surprise, surprise – isn’t trapped on Coryana. And she’s dead, or so we’re told when Julia Pennyworth returns to share new findings.

This twist was inevitable despite the news post-show spoiling a quick reversal of course. Kate is missing and presumed dead. Evidence of her demise was always going to appear to strip away every last hope. It’s a page turned in a story to heighten the drama. Logically, they had to go there.

They may have intended to kill Kate off and be done with it. Who knows? But the action is being undone via the recasting of Bruce Wayne’s cousin. Krypton star Wallis Day will be the new Kate Kane going forward, so it looks like they have shut the door on Ruby Rose for good.

Kane isn’t expected to take the costume back from Wilder though they did broach that question this week. Ryan wonders what will happen when Kate is found before heading to Coryana, and I guess we’ll all find out soon.

What did you think of Batwoman season 2’s eighth installment? How do you think Wallis Day will do as Kate Kane? Tell all in the comments.