This week on Batwoman, Alice finally gets some answers on her missing memories with Ocean and Coryana. Sophie and Commander Kane search for the map stolen in the previous episode, and Ryan’s wound intensifies. Read on to find out what happened in “It’s Best You Stop Digging.”
The episode opens with Ryan screaming in agony; the kryptonite wound is as worse as it has ever been. Mary and Luke watch helplessly, unable to do much for Ryan besides not outwardly panic. The kryptonite soon enters Ryan brain, dragging her into an intense hallucination where she kills Alice.
Sophie and Commander Kane discuss Aaron and the map from the previous episode, bringing up Aaron’s doctor, Ethan Rogers. They know that Aaron and Dr. Rogers were part of off the grid medical experiments involving Catherine and Hamilton Dynamics. They piece together that the doctors were trying to recreate the Desert Rose serum and need to find the map.
Alice and Tatiana meet in Alice’s tunnel of choice to show proof that Ocean is dead, and Alice later knocks Tatiana unconscious, handcuffing her. When Tatiana wakes up, Alice demands to know about the erased memories. Tatiana begins to explain, leading into a flashback of Coryana. In it, Alice has been found and captured. Tatiana explains that Alice fighting of another group of men impressed Safiyah, who was inspired by Alice’s captivity when she was kidnapped years prior. Back in the present, Alice instead needs answers about her history with Ocean. She learns that Safiyah used Ocean as a means of teaching Alice discipline in order to gain her loyalty, but Alice had other ideas.
After things have slightly mellowed down, Luke and Mary try to sort out their options, which they don’t have many of. Ryan is dying and they need the Desert Rose. Mary suggests that when Kane goes to Coryana to bring Kate home, he can bring back the flower, too. Luke, however, is skeptical that Kane will even make it. Meanwhile, Ryan wakes up and uses Luke and Mary’s distraction from her to make her great escape.
Back with Tatiana and Alice, Tatiana then reveals that Ocean and Safiyah became sparring partners, prompting another flashback corresponding with the new information. As the two spar, Ocean explains to Alice her problem and that she couldn’t expect her family to live in grief for a decade over her disappearance and presumed death. Stunned, Alice doesn’t say much response, but it’s clear she only missed her family, even if her logic was a little twisted.
Batwoman speeds through Gotham in the batmobile. As she does, she gets a hallucination of Cora, her mom, in the passenger seat, which leads into a more vivid one of Ryan and Cora enjoying themselves as Ryan combs Cora’s hair. The memory turns sour, though, when blood spreads through Cora’s hair. Ryan panics, but Cora is unphased. Meanwhile, Luke and Mary try to get Batwoman’s attention and figure out where she’s heading. Mary soon realizes she’s heading to Angelique’s.
Batwoman stands on Angelique’s fire escape, and she’s not looking so great. Everything she says to Angelique has her confused as to why Batwoman knows so much, but thankfully (or maybe not so thankfully), she doesn’t figure out it’s Ryan under the mask. Batwoman wants information on Ocean, but instead of offering much help, Angelique knocks Batwoman off the fire escape and sends her crashing on top of a parked car. Now unconscious, she falls back into the hallucination, this time with Alice and the Wonderland Gang in place of Cora. Again, Ryan stabs Alice to avenge Cora. Luke and Mary show up and get Ryan back to the batcave. Mary injects her with a concoction that will hopefully counteract the hallucinations. She sends Luke to get supplies while she tends to Ryan. Later when Ryan wakes up, Mary fills her in on how they found her. Ryan is ready to go back out, much to Mary’s dismay, who wants Ryan to rest first.
Tatiana moves from Ocean to Safiyah, leading Alice to believe that Safiyah erased her memories because she was upset that Alice developed feelings for someone Safiyah considered a brother, but Tatiana explains it’s because Safiyah had feelings for Alice. In past Coryana, Safiyah shares information about the Desert Rose with Alice – how it can be deadly but is also a cure all. She tells the story of how the flower came to be, demonstrating for Alice how a woman’s essence (blood) enriches the soil and causes the flower to bloom. Tatiana states that this is how Safiyah showed her love to Alice, and because Alice later proved to be a threat, Tatiana wants to take her down.
Sophie and Kane arrive at Garnick Industries, where Doctor Rogers and co.’s offices are. While they search, Kane brings up Mary’s clinic, upset to learn that Sophie already knew. He defends his decision to shut the clinic down, not wanting Mary to end up like Catherine. They arrive at a conference room full of doctors to find the walls spattered with blood and the doctors dead. They move on to Rogers’ office to find the map. Kane spots the tube that housed it, but when he opens it, only ashes come out, along with a note that says, “it’s best you stop digging.”
Past Alice and Ocean share a quiet moment together, a nice reprieve from their sparring. Alice admits that the reason she was so angry about the search for her stopping is because Kate did find her, but Alice remained silent for Kate’s protection. Ocean pulls out Desert Rose stems he stole. He shares his plan with Alice: he’s going to leave the island and care for the Desert Rose so that people benefit from its healing properties and he can make money. He wants Alice to go with him. The two kiss and watching from afar is an angry Tatiana.
Back with Mary and Ryan, Mary receives a text from Sophie about the map being gone. Mary finds Ryan searching for where Ocean could be, and again pushes her to lie down. Ryan works out Ocean’s location, but Mary tries to discourage her, claiming she doesn’t want it to lead Ryan to kill Alice. Ryan, however, wants justice not only for Cora, but for Catherine, and Mary should understand that. Mary caves and points out where she put the keys to the batmobile.
Caught, Alice and Ocean kneel before Safiyah, who’s clearly hurt and betrayed by the pair. After yelling at them, Safiyah then tells Tatiana to go find Enigma, a hypnotist who’s going to make Alice and Ocean forget about each other and the love between them. While they wait, Safiyah speaks directly to Alice. Safiyah tells Alice that she’s sending her home, and when she returns to Gotham, she’s going to become the woman full of anger who seeks revenge (aka, Alice’s villain origin story). In the present, Tatiana continues from the flashback, emphasizing how Safiyah took away Alice’s chance at a different (and maybe better) life with Ocean. In turn, Alice hands over the keys to the handcuffs. She leaves to go see Ocean and share her newfound information. Ocean heads out after telling Alice he’s leaving Gotham, and the two say goodbye, Alice looking forlorn, though she won’t admit it.
With Ryan gone, Mary goes into full panic mode and Luke returns, demanding to know where Ryan went; she’s found Alice. As Batwoman, Ryan questions whether Alice knows who she is, removing the mask and reminding Alice about Cora. The two begin to fight, but Ryan’s wound prevents her from fighting with full force. Eventually, she traps Alice in a chokehold, ready to finally end her. However, she begins to hesitate when a hallucination of Cora appears, saying that this is not the Ryan she raised. Ryan releases Alice and lets her go.
A little later, Luke asks about Alice. Ryan reveals she didn’t kill Alice and that she let her escape. Luke is upset, but Ryan explains; she placed a tracker in Alice’s boot. She’s going to let Alice go to Coryana for Kate and the Desert Rose, and all they need to do is follow her.
Batwoman airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT on The CW, available the next day on The CW app and cwtv.com. Find our previous recaps and the rest of our coverage here.
