After killing Cartwright and trapping Alice in Arkham Asylum, the aftermath of her actions is getting to Kate on Batwoman season 1, episode 17… but that must wait when an old Batman foe seemingly returns to Gotham.

I say it all the time, but let me just say it again: This show gets better and better with every passing episode. Honestly, I feel sorry for anyone who hasn’t stuck around for this incredible start to Kate Kane’s journey as Batwoman and the astonishing season of television we’ve been lucky enough to watch.

Batwoman season 1, episode 17, is no different. We had a chance to watch this episode early and it is fantastic, and every cast member really gets a chance to shine as every main character has some sort of role on this unusually fun (albeit dark and dramatic) episode.

We’ve put together a few teases about what’s to come! If those aren’t your thing, scroll down to read our spoiler-free review!

‘Batwoman’ season 1, episode 17 screener secrets

Repressed feelings

Kate, Luke, and Mary all really struggle with their emotions on Batwoman season 1, episode 17. In fact, their repressed emotions drive their stories forward, and for once, definitely not in the way I think anyone is expecting.

After killing Cartwright and tricking Alice, Kate is really only struggling with one of those issues… spoiler alert, it’s not Alice.

Kate appears fairly certain in her course of action with Alice, which is a bit disappointing (but there’s a lot more going on, so it could manifest later on). However, Kate’s still really struggling with killing Cartwright, causing her to leave Gotham unprotected for a week.

However, an old Batman foe changes things, and Kate has to figure out what she’s going to do.

Luke, meanwhile, has a lot of repressed anger (rightfully so) that he’s struggling to manage with, like what happened to his father, especially as the falsely-accused murderer was killed right in front of him on the previous episode. Certain events lead to things getting heated, and Luke’s character is tested more than ever before…

Mary, likewise, is a little angry and resentful about how Kate has excluded her from this major part of her life.

It especially hits her when Batwoman abandons Gotham and Mary is stuck stitching up Batwoman wannabes that are trying to take matters into their own hands, and avoid the chaos that occurred when Batman ditched the city.

Nicole Kang gives one of her best performances of the show on Batwoman season 1, episode 17. Additionally, Mary’s heroism is proven when she has to step up. This episode is a game-changer for Mary.

Alice in Arkham

Let’s just say, what we see on Batwoman season 1, episode 17, is not at all what I expected. That is, aside from the first minute of the episode, which is brutal and quite hard to watch. But, once again, Rachel Skarsten gives an incredible and heartbreaking performance, which has just become a given with each passing episode.

Aside from that, Alice is determined to come out of Arkham on top. So, naturally, she’s using her cleverness and wit to determine a course of action, which is unexpectedly exactly what Alice would do and what she’s so gifted at.

However, leaving Alice in this facility with people who have actually crossed the line from sanity to insanity (especially Mouse) maybe wasn’t Kate’s smartest idea…

Sophie and Julia

As we saw on the previous episode, Sophie and Julie continue to work together on Batwoman season 1, episode 17, to figure out who is corrupt in the Crows and help orchestrate Lucius Fox’s murder.

While this investigation doesn’t get too much focus, there are two major results of the events of their investigation.

Including one that seems to indicate change in Sophie and Julia’s own relationship, which should be interesting to see if there’s follow through over the next two episodes and into the future of the show.

Of course, for those wondering which of these two ladies Kate spends the most time with, that would be Julia. However, Kate’s a little more preoccupied with Luke and the villain at-large in Gotham.

‘Batwoman’ season 1, episode 17 spoiler-free review

As I said before, Batwoman season 1, episode 17, continues the series’ streak of getting better with every passing episode.

Though I really missed the Kane sister dynamic, there was a bit of focus on the relationship between Mary and Kate that more than made up for it. Also, it’s wonderful to finally get to see more of Luke, and Camrus Johnson truly shines on this episode.

This episode was directed beautifully by The CW’s former Vampire Diaries star Paul Wesley, who really managed to capture the emotion of every scene and balance it with the stress of the various situations the characters had to deal with (which were unusually stressful, considering various bombs were going off in Gotham).

Lastly, though Batman is just this mysterious figure on Batwoman, there’s something quite surprising revealed during this episode that, like in the pilot episode, changes the way Kate thinks of Bruce. And while I enjoyed it, there may be some backlash from others…

All in all, this is an episode that you do not want to miss. There’s something for everyone, and it really makes me excited to see the other two episodes after such a long wait for this one and also very sad that the episode count had to be cut due to COVID-19.

Batwoman season 1, episode 17 airs Sunday, April 26 at 8 p.m. ET on The CW! One of only three season 1 episodes left!