August Cartwright’s return to Gotham has led to him using Scarecrow’s fear toxin on his son, Mouse. Meanwhile, Mary’s in on the secret, but Kate and Luke aren’t aware of that on Batwoman season 1, episode 15.

On Batwoman season 1, episode 15, fans are treated to more flashbacks of Alice’s past with the Cartwrights, as the story takes a turn and another Cartwright family member is introduced. I say this every time, but this is truly my favorite episode of the season thus far.

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We had a chance to watch the episode early, and have put together a few teases about what’s to come! As always, if those aren’t your cup of tea, scroll down to read our spoiler-free review of this wonderful, traumatic episode. This is one that changes everything. Plus, read our exclusive interview with Rachel Skarsten (Alice) about what’s to come!

‘Batwoman’ season 1, episode 15 screener secrets

Kate and Alice’s mother

For the first time all season, Kate and Alice’s mother, or at least the memory of her, plays an important role in the story on Batwoman season 1, episode 15. While I can’t divulge details, I will say that there’s a wonderful speech given to Kate and Beth about what defines someone’s character by their mother before the car ride that changed their entire lives.

Mary and Luke

While not the primary focus of Batwoman season 1, episode 15, Mary and Luke are working together to try to find Beth’s killer, following a lead that Mary helps discover. And while there are still a few undertones to suggest this relationship could be going in a romantic direction, Mary’s more distracted and trying to learn more about Kate being Batwoman (without, of course, just coming out and saying it).

Mary’s not really being patient, but instead of dropping hints to Kate; she’s dropping hints and making passive aggressive comments to Luke. Mary shines in this episode for being exactly who she is (which is why we all adore her).

Kate and Jacob

As the description for Batwoman season 1, episode 15 (below) reveals, Kate learns some of Alice’s past directly from the man who caused her life to take such a dark turn, which really takes a toll on her. But Kate brings her father in on it too, so he can also learn what happened to his other daughter. It’s safe to say that Dougray Scott’s screaming voice is stuck in my mind forever.

This is a very brutal episode for these two because not only do they learn terrible information about what happened to Alice, the girls’ mother is also brought into the situation.

The official description for Batwoman season 1, episode 15, released by The CW, reads:

More of Alice’s dark past is uncovered when Cartwright shares a twisted story with Kate while Jacob goes searching for his wayward daughter. Mary and Luke follow a lead on Beth’s killer.

Cartwright’s mother on ‘Batwoman’ season 1, episode 15

More flashbacks on Batwoman season 1, episode 15 about Alice’s time (11 years) in captivity introduce a new member of the worst family in the Arrow-verse: Cartwright’s mother, AKA the Queen of Hearts.

If you thought Alice’s time with Cartwright was terrible, you truly haven’t seen anything yet. The worst psychological damage inflicted on Alice was delivered by Cartwright’s mother, whose motivation for doing so is going to make you want to put your head through a wall.

The episode involves fear toxin, and Alice is hooked up to it (as seen in the trailer below), which causes someone to deal with their greatest fear… Cartwright’s mother is Alice’s, if that gives you any indication of just how horrible these flashbacks are. (But my favorite Alice moment thus far comes from one of these flashbacks… it’s a spectacular moment.)

Watching the flashbacks really caused me to think of Alice differently, just like with every flashback episode so far. Though this is the most impactful episode yet, in my opinion.

‘Batwoman’ season 1, episode 15 spoiler-free review

Honestly, Batwoman season 1, episode 15 is definitely the most shocking episode of the series so far (and one of the most surprising of all of the Arrow-verse shows). It’s also one of the strongest episodes of the series, which also feels like a routine thing so far. Every episode is a step up from the last, and it’s inspiring to see how wonderfully this story is being handled.

Once again, Rachel Skarsten gives such a beautifully tragic, devastating, and numbing performance as Alice (in the present day and, for the first time, in flashbacks of Alice’s later years of captivity). Her performance is so raw that you have to actively remind yourself it’s just a TV show… that’s how good she is.

This episode is so wonderfully written (by Natalie Abrams), and really brings the darkness to Gotham that we’ve been waiting for / getting teased about. Everything is about to change for our characters and in this world, and it’s incredibly exciting to gear up for the future. You cannot miss this episode! There are several huge moments for our characters, which are going to be what influences the change for the rest of the season/series.

Interview with Rachel Skarsten

Hypable: Alice was my favorite villain in the Arrow-verse, after episode two, and now she is one of my favorite characters. do you feel more or less pressure now that we’re a little over halfway through the season?

Rachel Skarsten: Wow. Thank you. That means a lot to me. Thank you very much for saying that. That’s really sweet.

In some ways I feel less pressure because much like the audience, I’ve gotten to know Alice through all the episodes and as I read more about her. Because, ultimately, she’s that creation from the comics, but also Caroline’s imagination.

But I think in some ways I feel more pressure, because people have sort of come to love her. And so now in episodes going forward, I think, is she going too far? I think that’s one of the reasons I really like [Batwoman season 1, episode 15] because it dives so deeply into her trauma, which I think makes her so redeemable, and [explores] her sense of humor. So probably a little bit of both.

Have you been able to kind of settle down and feel comfortable in this role, even though Alice changes so much in between episodes?

I don’t know what this says about me, but I think I felt quite comfortable in Alice’s skin from the beginning. There was just something about her that I really loved playing. I think as an actor she, she provides sort of this giant spectrum of possibility, from episode to episode — even from scene to scene or line to line — of being able to play the intense dramatic aspect of her.

And then also getting to do science, the lighter side of Alice, and the sort of crazy, fun things that she does. So, I think, of course as you go on as an actor and you continue to play a character, you get more and more comfortable with what you do. I think actually that can sort of sometimes be a negative because you stopped finding new and inventive ways to do things. But yeah, I kind of felt [comfortable] from the beginning.

For the first time we’re meeting Cartwright’s mother. What do you think fans need to know about her before the new episode?

Debra [Mooney], who played her, is just the most wonderful person. She’s so the opposite of [Mabel Cartwright]. I mean, she’s a force to be reckoned with, so in that way they’re similar, but she just such a lovely, lovely human being. But, much like John who plays Cartwright, it was quite miraculous to watch both of their transitions, from laughing with them in between takes and then the director yells action and they become very scary. I mean, it really didn’t require [a lot of] acting on my behalf. I was quite terrified of them when we were rolling.

I think there was a lot of speculation, even among the cast, [of] who was going to play this character because we’ve talked so much about her, and referenced her, and that sort of thing. She’s such a big part of Alice’s story. I don’t think that they could have chosen anyone more perfect than Debra.

From the trailer we see that Alice gets hooked up to the fear toxin. How would you say that impacts Alice and for those who don’t know, what does the fear toxin do?

So the fear toxin, I was very excited about because of course, as a fan of the entire Batman mythos, of course it’s from Scarecrow and what he uses on his victims. Essentially, it produces hallucinations and flashbacks to one’s past and manifests sort of your greatest fears in front of you. For Alice, I don’t think her greatest fear centers on one thing. There are fears from her past, but also fears for her future, and the things that she very much wants but is afraid of losing or never having.

She gets dosed bad; [it] is a rollercoaster ride for her. But I think it’s quite interesting because it really magnifies for the audience — and it did for me — her vulnerabilities and her sadnesses and all of these things. I will say it was probably the most challenging episode that I’ve done yet in the show though, because emotionally it was a lot. What you see on the screen as an hour, and less than that because obviously there are other characters and doing their thing, but for us it’s four days of just kind of staying in that mentally tormented state. So it was challenging, but in a good way. I really liked it.

For the first time, we’re seeing the later end of Alice in Cartwright’s captivity. How did you go about approaching Alice after being broken down for so many years vs. how you approach her now?

It’s interesting because I’ve had the opportunity to play so many incarnations of this character in such a short period of time on this show. I played present day Alice, I’ve played what would have been Beth. I’ve now played Alice at two different ages in the past, in this episode. I think the thing is, when you think about yourself, at the core, you’re always the same person. You are who you are, and of course things that happen to you more do in different ways or send you in different directions.

But she is still the same person. She’s Beth Kane. So I started from that point. I think Alice now has sort of taken her power back, for better or for worse. So there is a strength there. And also, [she had this] break with reality as well. Whereas Beth back then had been tormented [for years], and I think you sort of see the break that really occur, in this episode, where that moment of transformation from any remnant of Beth really just becomes entirely Alice. And then sort of where she takes her power back as well.

Over the last two episodes, Cartwright’s been trying to get Mouse to turn against Alice. What can you tease about where that relationship between Mouse and Alice is headed?

That relationship is complex in ways, but also so simplistic. Sam [Littlefield] and I have talked so much about how in ways when one has a trauma, you’re frozen in that moment in time. There are parts of you that stay frozen in that moment. So we approach that relationship, and have going forward, as a very childlike one.

The dynamic between them, in many ways, is very pure and raw. But I think we see, for Mouse, a conflict that comes up of wanting to be heard by Alice more than he is. Because, I can tell quite recently now as we’re filming, Mouse [has] very much been under Alice and sort of follows all her commands and does what she wants. I think he is now kind of coming into his own and wants his voice to be heard as well. And, at the same time, being endlessly loyal to Alice. There is a conflict that is going to arise in that relationship.

The remainder of our interview with Rachel Skarsten will be published in our post-episode review on Sunday! You don’t want to miss what she has to say about this game-changing episode!

Batwoman season 1, episode 15 airs Sunday, March 15 at 8 p.m. ET on The CW!