Batwoman is officially into uncharted territory, as the hit The CW series began its second season in epic fashion on Sunday night. Following the exit of Ruby Rose’s Kate Kane in the summer of last year, Batwoman will now see an entirely new character take on the iconic mantle, in the form of Javicia Leslie‘s Ryan Wilder. With the Season 2 premiere, “What Happened to Kate Kane?”, fans got to see what Ryan’s origin story will entail — and now we have our first look at where the story will go next. The CW has released a preview for “Prior Criminal History”, the second episode of Batwoman‘s second season, which you can check out below.
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The episode will see Ryan Wilder’s evolution as Batwoman set to continue, albeit in some unexpected circumstances. After briefly donning the Batsuit multiple times throughout the season premiere – mainly in hopes of getting revenge on Alice (Rachel Skarsten) and the Wonderland Gang, who were responsible for the death of her adopted mother – Ryan will continue to grapple with what being Batwoman means for the larger Gotham City.
“She’s head-first at everything,” Leslie told reporters during a recent virtual press conference. “And I actually love that about her. I love how messy that can come across, because she has to find a way to hone it. She has to find a way to focus. But I think that that’s what makes her so special. She’s very authentic, she’s very raw, [and] she’s very grounded in her beliefs. Really, it’s going to take root. It’s going to take Mary to show her like there’s a bigger picture. And sometimes that bigger picture will not involve getting justice for your mother. That’s the journey that she has to go on, to be able to forgive, or maybe she doesn’t.”
In addition, the episode is expected to showcase more of the rivalry between Alice and Safiyah (Shivani Ghai), who recently escalated things by insinuating that she was behind Kate Kane’s disappearance.
“For Alice, Safiyah Is one character that she is truly and genuinely terrified by. And someone who is, for all intents and purposes, probably an even bigger evil villain than Alice,” Skarsten told ComicBook.com during an interview last year. “So I think that’s going to be interesting as well, because she will, in essence, be the big bad of the season. So for me, as an actor, it’s kind of fun, because it changes Alice’s position in a way. I’m really looking forward to doing that, and getting to work with that different dynamic.”
You can check out the synopsis for “Prior Criminal History” below!
“DOWNRIGHT BATTY – After her quick spin in the Batgear, Ryan Wilder (Javicia Leslie) is back to facing the daily challenges of life as herself. Meanwhile, Alice (Rachel Skarsten) has a new, devious plan to get the attention of both Gotham and Safiyah (guest star Shivaani Ghai). With Kate still missing and the city in an uprising, Luke (Camrus Johnson) and Mary (Nicole Kang) are desperate to find a stand in. In a pinch, Ryan dons the suit again and comes face-to-face with Alice for the first time. Back at Crows Headquarters, Sophie and Commander Kane try to uncover who may have had a vendetta against Kate. Carl Seaton directed the episode written by James Stoteraux and Chad Fiveash.”
Batwoman airs Sundays at 8/7c on The CW. “Prior Criminal History” will air on January 24th.
