BATWOMAN Rewatch Recap: (S01E12) Take Your Choice

Andrea Carter

Kate facing Luke who is holding an ipad in the show Batwoman.

Back into the gritty city of Gotham, I’m reliving another incredible episode of Batwoman with Season 1, Episode 12, “Take Your Choice.”

The episode starts with Sophie (Meagan Tandy) and Jacob (Dougray Scott) in Blackgate Penitentiary asking Dr. Campbell (Sebastian Roché) to testify for Jacob. He agrees to help if he can prove their claims of Mouse’s (Sam Littlefield) capabilities. After he leaves, Jacob gives Sophie some advice. This leads her to advising the Crows to shoot to kill when they find Alice (Rachel Skarsten). 

Across town, Luke (Camrus Johnson) and Mary (Nicole Kang) are trying to get Beth (Skarsten) out of town. Unfortunately for them, the Crows’ blockade stops them. Just as they see Beth hiding in the back, Batwoman (Ruby Rose) arrives, taking them down and allowing the pair to escape. 

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After killing a Crow agent, Alice experiences a piercing migraine. Back at Wayne Manor, Beth is experiencing the same debilitating migraine. With Mary researching, she and Beth determine the universe isn’t big enough for Alice and Beth, giving them seven hours until cell degeneration. 

While facing Beth’s mortality, Kate (Rose) vows to get her out of the city by speaking to the Crows’ new commander. Dealing with her sickness, Alice sneaks into the hospital dressed as a Crow to see Mouse. He tells her about Beth’s existence. 

Batwoman visits Sophie in the middle of a search, asking her to call off the shoot-to-kill order. Despite Batwoman’s plea and offer to take over the search, Sophie declines. While back in Blackgate, Jacob gets stabbed by Dodgson (Brendon Zub), and an unlikely ally on the inside saves him. 

Beth walking facing forward in wayne manor
Photo Credit: The CW

As time passes, Luke brainstorms a way to save Beth just as Alice enters Wayne Manor. Kate joins the awkward meeting of the two doppelgangers. The two explain to Alice how Beth’s life differs from hers because Kate saved Beth. Alice plans to fix their mortality problem by killing Beth, but Kate stops her. 

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When Alice gets away, she stumbles into Mary’s clinic and knocks her unconscious. With another visit underway, Dr. Campbell visits Mouse. He reveals himself as Mouse’s father, disguised by the same masking technology Mouse uses. He offers to forgive Mouse in exchange for Alice’s whereabouts. To his dismay, Mouse vows never to betray Alice. 

Back at Mary’s clinic, Alice draw’s Mary’s blood, hoping traces of the desert rose antidote that cured her could also cure Alice. After a scuffle, Mary bests Alice, chaining her to a bedpost and escaping with the syringe. Not to be bested, Alice calls the Crows, giving them information on Beth’s whereabouts. 

Just as Kate and Beth have a heartfelt moment, and Mary gives them hope to save her, the Crows surround Wayne Tower. In a split-second decision, Luke, Kate and Beth head to the Batcave. Still chained in Mary’s clinic, Alice hallucinates Catherine. 

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Mary meets Kate, giving her the syringe but telling her this isn’t a cure-all for both doppelgangers. This will only buy one time while the other dies. Kate faces the choice of which version of her sister lives and which version doesn’t. 

In the end, Kate gives the blood to Beth, urging Luke to take her bike and get Beth to safety. Kate spends time with Alice, informing her of her decision to save Beth instead. She spends her last moments with Alice. 

Beth and Luke standing, facing forward with shocked expressions.
Photo Credit: The CW

Just as Luke and Beth believe they’re safe, Mouse’s father takes the kill shot moments after Sophie stops herself from making the shot herself. Within seconds, Alice awakes to a sobbing Kate with ire and disbelief that her sister allowed her to die. Alice knocks Kate unconscious as the episode ends. 

This episode is always heart-wrenching as Kate has to choose between her sister and the sister she could have had. Another highlight of the episode for me was seeing Mary fight back. I love seeing her go from being a damsel in distress to fighting back to putting the syringe in Kate’s hands. Watching Sophie with the opportunity to make a kill shot but shying away and calling for backup spoke volumes about her character, and I loved that moment. This episode brought so much anguish and future turmoil to the forefront. 

Batwoman is now streaming on HBO Max.

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