Batwoman Season 2, Episode 8 recap: All these tangled webs

In Batwoman Season 2 Episode 8, “Survived Much Worse”, we see the parallels between Ryan Wilder and Alice. They’re two people on opposite sides but connected by Kate.

While Ryan is inspired by Kate and her Batwoman, Alice only feels vengeance and the desire to kill the sister she once loved for locking her in Arkham. If you think you know where The CW show is going this episode, you have no idea.

Alice’s desire to kill Kate is Safiyah’s fault—her mindwipe took the goodness in Alice away, leaving nothing but anger and rage, as was revealed in the previous episode. With Alice now on Coryana, presenting a dead body masquerading as Ocean, she is one step closer to completing her goal.

Team-Batwoman have to get to Coryana as soon as possible to save Kate. Because if Alice gets her sister, Kate is as good as dead.

Batwoman Season 2 Episode 8 – To Coryana!

Ryan finds a medical combo on YouTube to keep her going while the kryptonite poisoning edges closer to killing her. Mary is less than thrilled at this revelation in Batwoman Season 2 Episode 8.

Meanwhile, Luke gives the data from the tracker Ryan placed on Alice to Sophie. He needs Sophie and Jacob’s help with Alice. Of course, this data is a dead giveaway that he’s actually working with Batwoman.

But whatever Sophie wants to know about Batwoman’s identity has to take a backseat. Luke tells Sophie that Batwoman is dying and that gives Sophie a renewed goal. While Jacob and Sophie head to Coryana, Sophie tells her boss that they need to get the Desert Rose. Unfortunately, they get nabbed by Safiyah’s goons first. How is this woman always a step ahead of everyone?

Despite Mary’s cautions against the adrenaline boost that Ryan wants to take, Jacob and Sophie’s kidnapping throws their timeline out the window. Team-Batwoman needs to get to Coryana now.

There’s only one way to get to an uncharted island—stowing Ryan away on a cargo plane and leaping out of it. This is Luke’s terrible plan but it’s also the only one that works. Poor Batwoman. Also, shoutout to the writers for the shark repellent joke—every Batbelt needs one!

Batwoman may not have shark repellent, but she does have EMPs that she activates before landing. The EMP shorts out the cuffs on Jacob and Sophie, much to the shock of Tatiana who was keeping watch. She’d been sharing Safiyah’s plans for them. Sophie had been brought to Coryana to join Safiyah’s army; Jacob was to watch one daughter kill the other. Eww, Safiyah.

Batwoman Season 2 Episode 8 – What Alice Wants

Safiyah’s scary, but not because she’s handy with a sword. It’s because she can get in people’s heads—literally. Safiyah isn’t bothered that Alice did successfully kill her brother, Ocean. Instead, she takes the opportunity to psychoanalyse Alice over her brother’s dead body in Batwoman Season 2 Episode 8.

Does Alice want to kill Kate because Kate is more beloved? More importantly, what will Alice do once Kate is dead, and Alice is still hated?

This important conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Batwoman. The EMP unfortunately, also shorted out Batwoman’s communication with her team—her weakened state meant she was no match for Coryana’s defense guards.

But Batwoman finally gets one over Alice—she tells Safiyah that the dead Ocean on her table isn’t the real one. Alice’s fabulous plan is undone in seconds. Oops!

Safiyah has a strange sense of humour—she puts Batwoman and Alice in the same cell. And you know what, it’s actually the right call. These two need to talk it out. And Alice is in for yet another dose of analysis.

Batwoman realises that Alice doesn’t want to kill Kate at all—she just wants her sister back. We knew it! And Batwoman may be close to death but she’s still alert. She heard Alice during their last fight—Batwoman knows that Alice is as much a victim as Ryan’s mother was. What a realisation for Alice!

Safiyah is cruel, but fair—well, as much as a baddie can be. She wants to thank Batwoman for revealing Alice’s deception—in return, Safiyah can give Batwoman one thing she wants.

Batwoman obviously wants the Desert Rose to cure herself. But she also wants to save Kate. No can do. It’s one or the other. Batwoman chooses the rose, leaving Kate for Alice. Is that smile on Alice’s face because she’s going to get her sister? Or is it because she’s finally going to be able to kill her?

Batwoman Season 2 Episode 8 – Fate of the Batwoman

Safiyah is no fool. She’s not going to hand her greatest bargaining chip over so easily. She’s got one more task for Alice before she brings Kate out in Batwoman Season 2 Episode 8. Safiyah’s already found the real Ocean, and now she wants Alice to kill him.

Though Ocean makes a compelling argument—the best punishment for Kate is leaving her to rot on Coryana—Batwoman’s talk with Alice has got through to her. Alice doesn’t want to kill her sister anymore. And to get Kate back, she’s ready to sacrifice Ocean.

But Alice is in for a shock. Safiyah lied to her; she doesn’t have Kate. She never did. Safiyah was playing the long game to get what she wanted, which was to tear Alice and Ocean apart forever. With Alice in tears, Safiyah’s guards attempt to eject her from the island.

Meanwhile, back in Gotham, Luke and Mary almost meet Kate’s imminent fate—at the hands of one of Safiyah’s minions. They manage to knock her out, but it takes Julia Pennyworth’s sudden return to take the goon out for good. Finally, they’re safe.

But Julia isn’t here with good news. Kate did die in that plane crash—her body wasn’t recovered but they found parts that matched her DNA. Alice isn’t going to see her sister again and I am going to need a minute to recover.

Interestingly, Safiyah didn’t bring down Kate’s plane. She only used Kate’s crash to get back at Alice and Ocean. What a horribly mean thing to do.

But Safiyah isn’t done yet. The blade Alice used to kill Ocean was laced with Desert Rose—it brings him back when she pulls it out of him. Safiyah used this exercise to show Ocean that Alice didn’t love him, to earn his loyalty.

On the other hand, Tatiana, who is in love with Safiyah, doesn’t fare as well. She hated Alice and Safiyah’s love for the Gothamite, so she made Alice believe that Safiyah had killed Kate. Safiyah had worked hard to forget Alice but Tatiana brought her back.

For that, Tatiana will need to pay. Safiyah stabs Tatiana with the same knife—and plans to leave it in there. For now. Hoo boy, Safiyah is scary.

Alice gets some revenge though—she sets fire to the Desert Rose garden so Safiyah is left with as little as Alice. Oh Alice, Ryan needed one to survive! We’re going to have two dead Batwomen now.

Jacob and Sophie had found a plane that would take them off Coryana. But Sophie still needed to find Kate. Instead, she finds Batwoman close to death. Batwoman tells her that Kate is in fact dead (Tatiana told her so), and Sophie, though distraught, stays with the new Batwoman so she doesn’t die alone.

Back in Gotham, Mary makes a surprising discovery. The plant that Angelique had gifted Ryan—and that Ryan left in Mary’s care in the event of her death—came into contact with the blood of Safiyah’s goon during the fight. Blood makes the Desert Rose bloom and that’s exactly what Mary sees on the now battered plant.

Luke makes a call to Sophie immediately—since the EMP on Coryana has expired. Sophie needs to get Batwoman back to Gotham, because they now have a chance to save her. Can Batwoman make it?

While all this is happening, in an underground tunnel somewhere in Gotham, a person lies asleep with a mask over their face. Around their neck is the red stone necklace that Kate used to wear!

Final Thoughts – Batwoman Season 2 Episode 8 Packs in a Ton

Wow, a lot happened in Batwoman Season 2 Episode 8! Safiyah’s plans are like wheels within wheels within wheels. She really doesn’t like disloyalty, does she?

Alice finally coming to terms with her feelings for her sister was a relief to see. I hate seeing twins fight—being a twin myself—so that was a great turn of events. Kate’s actual status though is something I’m in two minds about.

I don’t want Kate to be dead, so I’m relieved to learn that the person at the end of the episode is her, but will be played by a new actor. On the other hand, she looks badly hurt, which is awful. Kate was our Batwoman in Season 1 and I want her to be okay. It’s been hard enough seeing Ryan deal with the kryptonite poisoning.

Batwoman Season 2 Episode 8 was chockful of twists and turns but those emotional beats really threw me for a loop. I just want to see these great characters happy. Make it happen, CW!

What did you think of the Batwoman Season 2 Episode 8? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Batwoman Season 2 is airing weekly on The CW.