Batwoman S01 EP15 spoiler review
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Mary and Luke went on the search for Beth's killer in this episode, leading them to the abandoned car Cartwright had driven in and then left his gun behind in after shooting and killing Beth. It was great getting to see these characters interact more, and more of an involved role for Mary who I think definitely needs a chance to do more in the series.
The main piece of the episode involved Alice leaving Cartwright for Kate to interrogate along with a message to ask him about "mommy dearest." She enlisted her father to aid her in questioning the maniac, and he unloads to them the stories of when his mother came to stay with him, Mouse, and Alice when they were growing up. Dubbed, "The Red Queen," Cartwright's mother was vicious, cruel, and vile just like Cartwright himself; however, she seemed much more physically abusive by cutting Alice's hair and burning the palms of her hands. All because of her young beauty that the Red Queen envied. While this was ensuing, under the belief that Alice had been killed Mouse freaks out when Alice arrives to save him and instead traps her in the fear gas realm in his place as he makes an escape. Through her visions we get to see a very different side of Alice filled with nothing but fear even in her adult state as Alice, with the visions of the Red Queen harassing her as Cartwright's mother previously had done. One piece of the flashbacks I found quite interesting was when Alice was shown searching for the Red Queen's tea components and it shows her exploring different buildings on the plot of land, meaning she was really no longer tied up or contained in any way. She could have escaped and left at any time she wanted to; however, the oppressive environment that she had no doubt grown accustomed to must've felt like a prison that she couldn't leave even when she wasn't locked up or under constant watch. Very powerful statement on an abusive life. The big reveal of the episode came when Jacob finally found Alice thanks to Cartwright's confession (under the assumption he would be let free), and Alice told Kate over the phone that Cartwright's mother wasn't the "mommy dearest," she was referring to, and it is revealed that Cartwright's kept Alice and Kate's mother's severed head in a freezer to one day use the face of to restore the Red Queen's beauty. This lead Alice in the past to burning the Red Queen alive using her own oxygen tank, marking her first kill, as well as Kate attacking and accidentally killing Cartwright marking her first ever kill as well. Both huge moments for the characters, but possibly even bigger for Kate who had sworn off ever killing someone just as Batman had. Jacob and Alice arrive back to find Cartwright dead, and Alice tells Kate that she will help her dispose of the body.
A lot of great backstory in the episode, and by the end it seems like Alice is going to stick around for a bit to have a team up with Kate for however long their truce will last. Cartwright's death is a big one I wasn't expecting, especially not from Kate, and it will be interesting how the season will reestablish Alice as the big bad since I felt like Cartwright was taking over a little bit. Mouse is a total unknown at the moment and it remains to be seen whether he will continue to reject Alice like he had in the cellar. I'm also still curious about how Mouse and Alice eventually escaped Cartwright's confinement, and I'm sure her burning his mother alive will had big consequences from the flashback portion of the series. Hopefully there will be more exciting answers next week!
Side note: I also want to mention that while I love serialized storytelling in these shows and a progressive plot, I also love the whole villain of the week gimmick that Flash has prominently used because it brings so many fun and random villains to live action that otherwise would probably never be adapted! Batwoman has dabbled in it a few times, but I feel like this last stretch of episodes have been utilizing this method more than others with Nocturna, Duela Dent, and now the Red Queen! Even though we're nearing the end of the season, I'd love to see this trend keep up!
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