Batwoman boss, stars tease Ryan's 'freaking epic' trip to Coryana
All roads lead to Coryana in this Sunday's Batwoman. Not only is that where Kate Kane is supposedly being held captive, but it's also home of the Desert Rose, which is the only thing that can cure Ryan's (Javicia Leslie) deadly Kryptonite poisoning.
On the upside, everyone with a vested interest in the island — Ryan, Luke (Camrus Johnson), Mary (Nicole Kang), Jacob (Dougray Scott), and Sophie (Meagan Tandy) — finally knows where it is because Batwoman put a tracker on Alice (Rachel Skarsten) in last week's episode. Unfortunately, getting there is less than half the battle. Both procuring the Desert Rose and saving Kate prove to be way more difficult than anyone expects in Sunday's episode, titled "Survived Much Worse," which was written like a midseason finale and thus is a game-changing hour for the second season.
"There's a lot at stake on Coryana," showrunner Caroline Dries tells EW. "For Ryan, who's sick, she can't go and realizes, 'I need to put my trust in two Crows [Jacob and Sophie].' As you [saw] at the beginning of the season, she does not trust the Crows, nor should see. So, it's really, really hard for the Bat team to look at the top of episode 8 and think this trip is going to go off without a hitch. Of course, it totally doesn't, and it will be full of surprises, a lot of drama, some tears, and a big twist at the end."
The CW Javicia Leslie on 'Batwoman'
As the exclusive clip from episode 8 above reveals, Ryan will actually end up going to Coryana herself, which is risky because she's on death's door and there's no guarantee that she'll survive. For her part, Leslie was thrilled about her character's trip to Safiyah's (Shivaani Ghai) heavily guarded island because it gives the audience a chance to see Ryan, a fairly grounded character, in a different context.
"There's so much going on in 208, and it's so much fun," says Leslie. "I think watching this girl next door go into this world of mystery and magic [is] super cool. It's super fun, it's juicy, and she's going as Batwoman, so it's just freaking epic. She's kicking some ass, she's taking names, but she's still weak because she's still affected by the Kryptonite in the whole mission of Coryana. Not only to save Kate, but to get her Desert Rose so that she can save herself, and man, it's tricky. It is an episode you do not want to miss."
Obviously, you can't visit Coryana without crossing paths with the Queen. In other words, Ryan will definitely meet Safiyah.
"I was kind of racking my brain around thinking, What would Safiyah's point of view be on Batwoman?" says Dries. "We dramatized Safiyah and say of her reputation that she's a fair person. So when she meets Batwoman, she really doesn't have a bone to pick with Batwoman. So yes, no outsiders are allowed on her island and Batwoman is dealt with in that regard, but Batwoman presents some really, really, really valuable information to Safiyah, and Safiyah is like, 'You know what? Thank you for that. I appreciate it. I owe you one.' And she ultimately gives Batwoman this choice that's more or less a Sophie's Choice of 'What's Batwoman going to do?' I think Ryan's decision surprises everyone, including Safiyah, and is a really interesting character beat on the show."
Katie Yu/The CW Rachel Skarsten and Shivaani Ghai on 'Batwoman'
Let's not forget that as of last week's installment, Alice is also bound for Coryana, but for less virtuous reasons: She plans on handing Ocean's (fake) corpse over to Safiyah in exchange for her sister, whom she plans on killing.
"Alice going back to Coryana is not good for anyone on Coryana," Skarsten teases. "Something happens there which cannot be undone and will change the trajectory of that island and Safiyah's life forever. And I think the moral of the story is don't mess with Alice."
Even though Mary and Luke don't get to make the trip to Coryana, they'll still see their fair share of action back in Gotham City. "Mary does kick some ass, and I'm always proud of her for that," says Kang. "It's so funny. I love her and Luke's team-ups. Some of my favorite moments of the season come in episode 8, as dramatic as it is. I'm really excited for them to take on the challenges themselves without Ryan."
About episode 8 as a whole, Kang adds: "It's dangerous. It is epic. It is hilarious."
Batwoman airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on the CW. Be sure to subscribe to EW's YouTube channel so you won't miss new On Set episodes, dropping every Monday morning after the latest Batwoman episode.
(Video courtesy of the CW)
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