Batwoman TV series 2019 ON THE CW
Three years after Batman mysteriously disappeared, Gotham is a city in despair, and it's under the watch of Jacob Kane and his military-grade Crows Private Security, which now protects the city with omnipresent firepower and militia. When the Alice in Wonderland gang targets the firm, Kane's daughter Kate returns home, deciding that if she wants to help her family and her city, she'll have to become the one thing her father loathes -- a dark knight vigilante. With the help of her stepsister Mary and the crafty Luke Fox, the son of Wayne Enterprises' tech guru Lucius Fox, Kate Kane continues the legacy of her missing cousin, Bruce Wayne. Armed with a passion for social justice and a flair for speaking her mind, Kate soars through the shadowed streets of Gotham as Batwoman.
Batwoman is an American superhero television series developed by Caroline Dries for The CW. Based on the DC Comics character of the same name, it is part of the Arrowverse continuity. The first season follows Kate Kane, the cousin of vigilante Bruce Wayne, who becomes Batwoman in his absence. Beginning with the second season, the series focuses on former convict Ryan Wilder as she protects Gotham City in the role of Batwoman.
Development on a Batwoman series began in 2018 after it was announced that Kate would appear in the Arrowverse crossover "Elseworlds". Ruby Rose was cast as Kate the same year, with Batwoman receiving a series order in 2019. Shortly after the conclusion of the first season, Rose exited the series and Javicia Leslie was cast as Ryan, an original character created to succeed Kate.
The series premiered on October 6, 2019, and its first season concluded on May 17, 2020, after 20 episodes. The second season premiered on January 17, 2021, and a third season has also been ordered.
The series follows Kate Kane overcoming her demons by becoming a vigilante and fighting crime in Gotham City.
In the first season, following the disappearance of Gotham City-based vigilante Batman, Kate discovers that her cousin Bruce Wayne was Batman and decides to follow into his footsteps by becoming her own vigilante using her prior military skills, coined "Batwoman" by the media, with the help of tech-expert and former Wayne Enterprises employee Luke Fox, and her step sister Mary Hamilton, who eventually discovers Kate is Batwoman. Meanwhile, Kate's father Jacob had formed a security firm known as the Crows during Batman's absence and has come into conflict with the Wonderland Gang, lead by the psychotic serial killer Alice all while Batwoman attempts to convince the Crows she is on their side of the war as they won't accept help from masked vigilantes. Kate deduces that Alice is her sister Beth, who was presumed dead following a car accident.
In the second season, following Kate Kane’s supposed death from a plane crash, homeless ex-con Ryan Wilder finds the batsuit from the plane wreckage and takes up the mantle of Batwoman to avenge her mother’s death. Meanwhile, Alice explores more of her past which she has mysterious connections with a man named Ocean and a mysterious enemy known as Safiyah Sohail – the latter who had Enigma erase those memories for unknown reasons; In addition, the Crows face up against a new drug dealing organization known as the False Face Society led by Black Mask. Unbeknownst to everyone, Black Mask has Kate hostage after the False Face Society raided her airplane and had Enigma brainwash her to be his daughter Circe Sionis who perished the day when Alice caused a mass-breakout at Arkham Asylum.
Ruby Rose (season 1) and Wallis Day (recurring season 2)[1] as Kate Kane / Batwoman: Bruce Wayne's maternal cousin who, armed with a passion for social justice and a flair for speaking her mind, dedicates herself to defending Gotham in Batman's absence.[2][3] Gracyn Shinyei portrays a younger Kate. She goes missing in the beginning of the second season when her plane crashes on her way back from National City due to an ambush by the False Face Society. Day has been cast to take over the role as Kate, where her different appearance will be explained as a surgical alteration.[1]
Rachel Skarsten as Beth Kane / Alice: Kate's presumed-dead twin sister and the leader of the Wonderland Gang with an ever-changing personality who sets out to erode Gotham's sense of security.[4] Ava Sleeth portrays a younger Beth.
Skarsten also portrayed an alternate version of Beth who was displaced from her native Earth during "Crisis on Infinite Earths" and appeared on Earth-Prime. This version did not get lost during the car accident. She was later killed by August Cartwright, who mistook her for Alice.
Meagan Tandy as Sophie Moore: A military academy graduate turned high-level Crows agent and Kate's estranged ex-girlfriend who serves as one of Gotham's protectors.[5]
Nicole Kang as Mary Hamilton: Kate's stepsister and a medical student/influencer-in-the-making who makes it her mission to provide aid to those living in Gotham's under-served communities.[5] She eventually discovers Kate is Batwoman and joins her.
Camrus Johnson as Luke Fox: A staunch Batman loyalist and son of the late Lucius Fox who keeps Wayne Tower secure in Batman's absence. After Kate becomes Batwoman, he comes to understand that Gotham needs a new hero and becomes an ally to her.[5]
Camrus Johnson also portrays his Earth-99 counterpart.
Elizabeth Anweis as Catherine Hamilton-Kane (season 1): Kate's stepmother and one of Gotham's most powerful citizens who made her fortune as a defense contractor and the CEO of Hamilton Dynamics.[6] After Alice poisoned her and Mary, Catherine chose to give Mary the antidote.
Dougray Scott as Jacob Kane: Kate and Beth's father and a former military colonel with a chip on his shoulder who commands a private security agency, the Crows, in an attempt to protect Gotham more effectively than Batman could.[7]
Javicia Leslie as Ryan Wilder / Batwoman (season 2–present): A highly skilled yet undisciplined fighter living out of her van with her plant who becomes the new Batwoman after finding the Batsuit in the wreck of the airplane bringing Kate back from National City.[8]
LaMonica Garrett also stars on "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Two" as Mar Novu / Monitor, a multiversal being who tests different Earths in the multiverse in preparation for an impending "crisis" orchestrated by his polar opposite, Mobius / Anti-Monitor.[9]
In May 2018, The CW president Mark Pedowitz and Arrow lead Stephen Amell announced at The CW's upfront presentation that Batwoman would be introduced in the Arrowverse series' 2018 crossover, "Elseworlds", which aired in December 2018, fighting alongside the other Arrowverse heroes, with Gotham City also appearing.[49][50] In July 2018, it was reported that The CW was planning to develop a series around the character, to air in 2019 if picked up. The series, said to only be a "script-development deal", was written by Caroline Dries, who would also serve as an executive producer with Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schecter, and the character's co-creator Geoff Johns. The series would be produced by Berlanti Productions and Mad Ghost Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.[2] The following month, Pedowitz noted the pilot would be completed "for mid-season".[51]
In December 2018, Dries submitted a "strong" script for a potential pilot episode, according to Nellie Andreeva of Deadline Hollywood.[52] That led to the series receiving a pilot order from The CW the next month, to be considered for a series order in the 2019–20 television season.[53][52][54] As of April 2019, the series was considered "a lock" at The CW, and reportedly had a writing staff in place.[55] On May 7, 2019, The CW ordered the show to series.[56] On October 25, 2019, the series was picked up for a full season of 22 episodes.[57] On January 7, 2020, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on January 17, 2021.[58][59] On February 3, 2021, The CW renewed the series for a third season.[60]
Casting for Kate Kane was expected to begin after the announcement of the intended series in May 2018,[61] with the intention of casting an out lesbian actress.[62] In August, Ruby Rose was cast as Kate Kane / Batwoman.[3] In late January 2019, Meagan Tandy, Camrus Johnson, and Nicole Kang were cast in the series regular roles as Sophie Moore, Luke Fox, and Mary Hamilton, respectively.[5] This was followed shortly by the casting of Rachel Skarsten as Alice,[4] Dougray Scott as Jacob Kane,[7] and Elizabeth Anweis as Catherine Hamilton-Kane.[6]
The casting of Rose as Batwoman was met by backlash on social media and received intense criticism.[63][64] DC Comics, which owns the rights to the longtime comic book superheroine Batwoman, reintroduced the character in 2006 as a lesbian of Jewish descent. Some online reactions attacked Rose for not being Jewish, while the main focus of the criticism was the assertion that the fact she identifies as gender fluid made her "not gay enough."[64] Rose left Twitter and deactivated public commenting on her Instagram account following the backlash.[63]
In May 2020, Rose announced she would be leaving the series ahead of its second season;[65] it was mutually decided between Rose, the studio, and the network for her to leave.[66][67] The producers reaffirmed their commitment to the series and finding a new actress who is part of the LGBTQ community to lead future seasons.[65] No reason was given at the time for Rose's departure.[65] Rose later called being the lead of a series "taxing" and stated her back surgery following an on-set accident in 2019 was a contributing factor in deciding to leave, saying it was "time for me to take a break to fully heal and then return" to acting. Spending time in isolation because of the COVID-19 pandemic also allowed Rose "to just think about a lot of different things and what you want to achieve in life and what you want to do," which allowed her "a great opportunity to have a dialogue about a lot of things" with the producers.[68]
The following month, a casting notice for a new character named Ryan Wilder was revealed, indicating the series was looking to replace Kane as Batwoman.[69][70] Dries defended the decision to introduce a new character as Batwoman, asserting that the series would continue to "respect everything that Ruby put into the Kate Kane character."[71] She also revealed Kane would not be killed, and her disappearance would be a key storyline during season two.[72] Matt Webb Mitovitch at TVLine and Jill Pantozzi of io9 both felt replacing Kane as Batwoman would be a detriment to the series. Mitovitch felt it would "create more problems than it solves", saying it would take away from the established character dynamics (namely the "central" one between Kate and Alice) and the various plot threads waiting to be resolved from the end of the first season. He added: "a simple if momentarily awkward recast would have kept all established storylines and dynamics intact; Season 2 could then pick up where the solid Season 1 left off. Instead, loyal viewers will be asked to re-invest in something that is significantly new, while also possibly giving up some of the things they liked most about the show."[73] Pantozzi felt the series could have approached the casting of a new lead actor more creatively, given the series exists in "a universe of time travel, doppelgängers, and literal face-swapping". She concluded, "if they are truly doing away with the Kate character it feels like a bizarre move. Fans could much easier come to terms with a simple replacement actress, than having to go through a convoluted story of why a random lesbian has taken up the cowl so soon after Kate did. ... It seems like a lot of explaining to do when there’s a much easier option."[74] Conversely, Collider's Liz Shannon Miller felt a new character was "the right call" and "a big swing" for the series. Miller pointed to the "long-established precedent" in the comics of new characters taking over mantles from others. Like Mitovitch, Miller questioned what the new character would mean for the series' supporting cast, since their connections to Kate were "their primary reason for being a part of the show’s storyline". She also hoped "Ryan Wilder" was a placeholder name, "because the trend of naming strong female characters with traditionally male names has just gotten tired at this point".[75]
In early July 2020, Javicia Leslie was cast as Ryan Wilder, the new Batwoman.[8] Rose was supportive of Leslie's casting.[76][68]
In an interview with ComicBookMovie.com when asked if she would reprise Kate at some point, Rose said, "I would totally do it. I don't think it would serve the story because I think building the new Batwoman is more important than going back too far into Kate Kane, but of course I would." Then she added on "I've watched a couple of episodes, and I think how they're handling it is beautiful. I think it's [Ryan Wilder's] time to shine."[77]
Wallis Day was later cast as Kate Kane where it was claimed that she surgically altered her appearance.[1] Rose, commenting on an Instagram tribute to her time in the role, stated that she was "stoked" about Day's casting.[78] Production on the pilot episode began on March 4 and concluded on March 25, 2019, in Vancouver, British Columbia.[79][80] Additional filming took place in Chicago, Illinois.[81] Filming for the rest of the season began on July 4 and was set to conclude in mid-2020.[82] On March 12, 2020, Warner Bros. Television shut down production on the series due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[83] Filming for the second season began on September 3, 2020,[84] and concluded on May 10, 2021.[85] The series debuted on The CW October 6, 2019.[86] In New Zealand, the series is streamed on TVNZ’s free streaming service TVNZ OnDemand.[87] In the United Kingdom, the series is shown on E4.[88] In Canada, it is aired on Showcase.[89] Season 1 was released on DVD and Blu-ray on August 18, 2020. Special features included deleted scenes, a gag reel, highlights from DCTV's 2019 San Diego Comic-Con panels, and a behind-the-scenes featurette entitled "On the Set". The release also included a bonus disc with all five episodes of the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover event.[90]
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the series' first season holds an approval rating of 80% based on 51 reviews from critics, with an average rating of 6.87/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Though it needs more time to develop its own identity to truly soar, Batwoman's fun and stylish first season is a step in the right direction for representation and superhero shows alike."[93] On Metacritic, the first season has a weighted average score of 59 out of 100 based on reviews from 16 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[94]
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the second season has an approval rating of 88% based on 17 reviews, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The critical consensus for the season reads, "Batwoman's second season survives a soft reboot, maintaining the show's excellence while giving Javicia Leslie plenty of room to spread her wings."[95]
As a lifelong DC Comics fan (I'm talking close to four decades of reading their comics ) I have to say I am surprised by the negative reviews left by audience members ... folks pay attention to the critic reviews on rotten tomatoes (88 percent on average) as well as the audience reviews, critics are giving the show high marks for a reason. As much as I hate to say it, whether they're consciously aware of it or not I believe a lot of the negative audience reviews are from people who just can't stand what they perceive to be "political correctness."
And yes, like pretty much all CW shows nowadays political correctness is absolutely part of the narrative... the question is, how deftly is it woven into the storyline and does it have a positive impact on the show as a whole (and yes I am fully aware there are some horrible shows out there who substitute political correctness for good writing - the first season of Doctor Who with Jodie Whittaker is a good example of this). Please believe me when I say after watching each and every Batwoman episode aired to date, I applaud how they have turned the "Black Lives Matter" topic into something that gives the show a genuine tone and depth that it arguably lacked before. And to be clear it's not ALL "Black Lives Matter" either, there's plenty of DC comic oriented material in addition to that to keep fanboys or fangirls entertained (I'm particularly enjoying watching what one could argue is the female version of the Riddler).
Ok I get it batwoman isn't a masterpiece but I think its really good and i see what they are going for I support this show batman is one of my favorite DC characters but flash and nightwing are my top 2 and I think the show is trying it's best to give us the batwoman we all know and love you have to let the characters be fleshed out first she's early in the career. I think ruby rose is doing a great job she's giving her own impression of kate and I like it. You need to know that this is a comic book show and it will show some realistic things like she train almost like bruce so it makes sense she can beat up men twice his size heck Oliver beat up a man twice his size, flash beat up a gorilla, Oliver and even king shark. Plus how do u know that the suit is armored because I know batman gets tired and can't give his full force and added something on the knuckles to make it hurt. My point is this show has potential and I don't think it tried to force anything I've seen arrow season 1and 2 multiple times and no one complains how many times Stephen amell had to be shirtless and how many girls he slept with. We know that Stephen worked his but off to pull off arrow and how many girls he had sex with. If we can see that why can we not see that batwoman kinda is doing the same thing and plus I can believe that kate can beat someone twice her size a woman would know and skinny people can be strong as heck and have a mean punch. So yes I'm defending batwoman, I'll do the same for all the cw superhero shows I defend flash,arrow,black lightning,supergirl and legends so yeah stop bagging on it and actually see where they are going with the story and she fights like how she was trained again early in her career and batman I'm sure had to do the same when he first started its human that's what makes these characters great we know we can't do better if it was our first year.
I've never really liked many CW shows because they tend to be super campy and the plots don't really make sense a lot of the time, but my friend was watching Batwoman one day while I was over, and can I say, I was hooked. Ruby Rose plays a compelling Kate Kane, and--I say this as a straight girl--damn does she look good in that batsuit! Never before has an actress made me question my sexuality so hard! ;) But its more than that because my favorite thing about Rose's portrayal of Kate Kane is that her personality is so fleshed out and consistent. Kate Kane is a woman who holds nothing back, for better or worse, and that means she doesn't hide her emotions either. Its not that she wears her heart on her sleeve but her emotions are always up there on her face for all the world to see, and her emotions are an asset that make her stronger, not weaker in any way and I love that. Kate Kane may dress more 'masculine' but for once thats just a personal style choice as it should be for both men and women. So often I feel like masculinity becomes a cage, but Kate (or moreso Rose) wears it well instead of letting it wear her. Anyways, I meant to talk about how the plot of Batwoman is more solid and interesting than what I've seen of other CW shows, but whoops, totally just ended up gushing about Kate Kane! Might just have to double check my spectrum-o-monitor now! Thanks a lot, Kane!
I like the Valley CW and what they're doing to the DC Comics TV shows. As a die hard fan of Batman and the Bat-Family, I am very pleased with Batwoman. Ruby Rose & Javicia Leslie playing the role of batwoman is a praise. I can't go for a week without watching at least two or three episodes of Batwoman. Almost everybody who live in my apartment complex watches this show and we just can't get enough of it. Me, girlfriend, and our family really excited about the next season. WB may have changed a few plots and made several differences in the storyline compared to its comic book counterpart, but the action and semi-himor is where makes show. It's also worth mentioning that the show stands out by supporting the LGBT popularity just like they did in Black Lightning, Gotham, and other DC shows that CW, WB, and DC had worked on. Despite having confusing moments in the show, that woman is still worth watching. I'm ready for the next season.
This show had a rocky start however season 2 has been nothing short of amazing. I loved Kate Kane’s Batwoman and as much as I will miss Ruby Rose’s portrayal I love Javicia Leslie’s portrayal infinitely more. The emotional depth of Ryan Wilder is compelling and the writing has improved drastically. As I always say it’s not always a bad actor/actress most of the time it’s a bad writer. This proved to be the case with Batwoman, the first season was good but it could have been better. This season is packed with emotion and tons of amazing character dynamics. If I could I would personally fund this production to have either the same budget as Superman & Lois if not a bigger budget. This show receives so much hate from other Arrowverse fans because unlike Supergirl this show challenges your ideology and makes a person think outside their own experiences and put themselves in another person shoes. Yes I will admit that Ruby’s Batwoman saying the suit won’t be perfect until it fits a woman was cringe however if you look past that then you get a really good story about the treatment of POC, LGBTQA+, Foster Kids, and women being considered less than a man. This show is a gem and it may not be appreciated now but in time it will be just like Birds Of Prey(The Occult Classic TV show) loved but never to be seen again. Batwoman is a 10/10 in my book, I would recommend.
I don’t care what other fans say about this show, they’ve been giving it a bad review only because they want it to go their way. This show is here to stay and this picks up the mantle where team arrow left off. A lot of you need to understand that its not easy making a show like this one including the other superhero shows before it and I’m not just saying the stunts, choreography, SFX, but the writing and directing are just a difficult because they have to brain storm how they want it go. You have to remember that Ruby Rose got hurt real bad doing her stunt work on the show and injury almost resulted into her going paralyzed do to a herniated disc that almost severed her spinal cord and I’m glad she still walking today. Even though the style is a little different, they’re still staying true to the characters that came from the comics with a little bit more creativity to it. I like that they made a new Batwoman of their own making and Javicia Leslie is doing a great job at it and I’m pretty sure I heard they’re bringing in another bat to join the team maybe not now but soon and if they decide to keep the current Kate Kane around to pickup the mantle, don’t be so negative about it and support what will happen next because you’ll never what could. As they say don’t judge a book by its cover and believe some worse shows in the past, this is not one of them.
Here’s the deal. A lot of folks hate the show - some for good reason others for misguided ones. When you dive into the world of the DCCW it’s not a shot for shot adaptation of the comic books nor does it pretend to be. It has its own story, character interpretations, and universe that it works in. And I’m surprised so many comic book fans do not understand that. With over 80 years of content and thousands of interpretations of a character we find the ones we like, and, for the most part, we accept all if it’s forms. However, more people bash these shows for it not being Batman and not being how it is on the page. I see it as just another installment of the comics, but in a different format.
The universe that they’ve set out is one that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It can be cheesy and over dramatic and that is the charm of the DCCW. It has emotional depth. It more often deals with the person underneath the mask than their super persona. They take really interesting storylines, tweak them, and then take them to new places.
Batwoman is no exception. I admit, the episodes leading up to the Crisis on Infinite Earth’s 5 episode crossover, feel slow and like something is missing. I wasn’t a fan of Alice, the main antagonist introduced. And we never get a window into her backstory much like we did with Oliver Queen and his time on Lian Yu.
However, post Crisis the show has kicked into high gear. Almost like they were killing time but still wanted to make sure she was included in saving the multiverse. During that event she interacts with Bruce Wayne of a different Earth and touches on her new relationship with Supergirl. This is when the focus shifts. After those episodes, we see more of how Kate Kane is trying to figure out who she is and why she has to put on the suit. And that’s what was missing initially.
The other consistent complaint I see about the show is that it’s pushing a social justice agenda.
In fact, I see it in reference to the DCCW as a whole. The problem with that argument is at their core, that’s what comic books have always done. Between all the punching and brooding on rooftops it is a form of art that consistently shows a reflection of our society at that point in time. And for a character who is literally fighting for justice - that’s not a bad thing nor is it something that should be ignored.
If you dislike the DCCW, you’re not going to like the show. Arrow launched this universe and dealt heavily with tons of Batman characters, themes, and storylines. People hated it because it wasn’t Batman. I loved it because it was Batman - it was just through the prism of a different character - The Green Arrow. Now that it’s series has ended, Batwoman is starting to fill that void.
It’s taking those elements of a vigilante trying to save their city and letting a new contender put on the cowl. There has been so much Batman content in such a short amount of time that, if this show doesn’t work for you, you can find it elsewhere. For me, as a huge Batman fan both in comic books and on screen, I am so happy to find something new like this show.
Sure, it needs a little time to gain its footing, like every other DCCW show has, but it’s getting there quickly. It’s improving and developing Kate Kane’s character in each new episode. And despite having a shorter season due to the virus plaguing our world right now, I hope it lasts for many many more seasons.
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