As one hero’s journey marks the beginning of its ending, Kate Kane’s story is just only starting to come together. When I tell you how excited I am for this show, I definitely mean it.
Going into the Batwoman series premiere, I honestly expected to be disappointed. Ruby Rose’s brief performance in the Elseworlds crossover last year didn’t really leave me wanting to see more of Kate Kane. In fact, I kind of hoped the series wouldn’t move forward.
Boy, was I stupid.
Kate Kane’s journey, and this take on Gotham, seems like the best next step for the Arrow-verse as Oliver Queen and Star City leave us all. It’s different than I think most people are expecting, and it definitely feels like a DC show on The CW… take that as you will.
Room for growth
Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of room for Batwoman to grow and improve. It’s not, like, the best thing I’ve ever watched by any means. As with any pilot episode, the Batwoman series premiere feels a little awkward, slow, and the chemistry between the characters (and actors) just isn’t quite there yet.
That said, there’s a lot I was actually extremely impressed by. I’m very excited to see where the story goes, and what the writers do, with their season order. It’s clear the pilot wasn’t meant to set up too much of a story, but a few very interesting events unfold that begin the series with a jolt, rather than a bang, as most series premieres often do.
I know many fans are hesitant to tune in because of Ruby Rose and her acting abilities, but let me put you at ease: For now, at least after watching the pilot episode, I think Rose is giving everything she has to Kate Kane and it’s actually working. I include this under the above heading because like any performance, it’s just going to take time until Rose and the writers are able to nail down exactly who they want Kate to be.
It’s hard to know who exactly Kate is at this point as, after this episode, fans will have now seen two versions of her: her origin as a vigilante and the Kate that was helping in the crossover.
Some timeline confusion
Is this The Flash? I’m only joking, but it really does feel like Barry Allen messed something up here. The idea of going back to Kate’s origin as Batwoman, as the Batwoman series premiere does, is seemingly smart… but thrown off by the fact that we have already seen her in action as an established vigilante.
In reality, introducing Kate in Elseworlds just made it all a bit more confusing and throws off the timeline for Batwoman season 1, as the writers now have to write up to Elseworlds AND up to the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover, surely skipping huge periods of time to get there. How long is it going to take Kate to stop a Big Bad? Three times as long as Oliver, Barry, and Kara?
I wish they had just left Kate alone until giving her a show of her own. Not only did Elseworlds screw up the first season’s timeline, it also introduced Kate on a bad note and made a lot of people not even want to tune in. Plus, it’s probable Batwoman’s first introduction to Kara, Oliver, and Barry will be wiped away during Crisis on Infinite Earths to make her more of a player in their group.
So did it really matter? Was introducing Kate before her own show really necessary? I think not.
Final thoughts on ‘Batwoman’ season 1, episode 1
All in all, what left me the most excited after watching the Batwoman series premiere was the ending. In just the last few minutes, several twists are thrown at Kate, including one that dramatically shifts how the story will unfold as Batwoman’s rise in Gotham City is fought by Alice and the Wonderland gang.
It’s still early, but my hesitation to watch is gone. I am truly excited to see where Kate’s journey goes, and how the post-Crisis phase of the Arrow-verse will unfold. I will miss watching Oliver Queen when Arrow ends in early 2020, but I think Kate is ready to put on the vigilante shoes and do things her way for a while.
The Batwoman series premiere airs Sunday, October 6 at 8 p.m. ET. Hypable will be covering the new series throughout the season — stay tuned!