Last year, Batwoman (Ruby Rose) was introduced during the CW’s annual crossover event. While superhero shows have seemed like a no brainer for networks, the CW especially, Batwoman is still a risk and is something that has never been done before. Supergirl paved the way for a female superhero to lead a television show, but Batwoman is including another population, the LGBTQ community. For the first time, a gay female superhero is the lead in a prime time TV show. 

It’s safe to say that I have been rooting for Batwoman and think Ruby Rose as Kate Kane is perfect casting. Now that female superheroes have been gaining popularity, I just want more. One thing I love about Batwoman is that she’s not as well known by the masses. We get to learn about her story without necessarily knowing what’s going to happen. But if there is something that is more well known, it’s Batwoman’s iconic red hair and red logo on her batsuit, and the CW absolutely nailed the look. Of course, this is an origin story, so give her a little bit of time until Kate Kane dons the full get up. After all, she has to figure out who she wants to be back in Gotham. 

In the pilot episode, Kate Kane returns to Gotham and reunites with her father, step-mother, step-sister, and former girlfriend. A new villain, Alice, is terrorizing Gotham, and the mysterious disappearance of Batman has left Gotham vulnerable. Although I actually loved the little bit that we got of Superman on Supergirl, I hope that Batwoman sticks with leaving Batman in the dark. Batwoman is a breath of fresh air in the superhero lineup, and I’m anxious to see how the story develops over the freshman season. 

The premiere begins Kate Kane’s journey to becoming Batwoman. This means that the episode actually takes place before the CW’s crossover from last season. Batwoman is confirmed to appear in this year’s Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover, but it’s unclear how time will move in Gotham. Thankfully, this is all a bit premature, and the pilot left no room to fret about the future, other than to leave fans ready for more. One thing is for sure, Ruby Rose is captivating, and fans are sure to fall in love with Kate Kane and Batwoman. 

https://youtu.be/vrIiPcv4_iY

Joey’s Thoughts 

I’ve been a fan of the casting of Ruby Rose since she was announced as Batwoman. Ruby Rose commands your attention when she is on stage like no other female or male actor out there. She’s not so much in your face as she is real. She’s not overly dramatized as she is clearly in tune with the trials of her personal life and that really translates on screen. Ruby Rose portrays these emotions as well as being sincere, emotional, driven and bad ass as Kate Kane in Batwoman. 

CW often gets a rap of being campy and on the nose, and surprisingly, they did stray slightly from that in the pilot episode for Batwoman. The show feels closer to Arrow than its other CW counter parts, but it is clearly less brooding and dire than the green hood. Explaining away a titular character simply as just vanishing is always a tough hill to climb, but I think Batwoman, Ruby Rose, and its surrounding cast is up to the task. The other aspect that strays far away from a lot of the CW ilk lies in the lead character’s ability when donning the mask. Let’s get this clear, while there will surely be troubles and challenges for Kate Kane, she is a character that is already well-rounded and far more capable than most new superheroes. The action sequences are also surprisingly grounded. I think this aspect is helped by having few characters involved this early, and no over-the-top gadgets being used… yet.

Equally, as CW shows have a campy reputation, they are also one of the best at “pushing boundaries” of what America has long classified as that status quo. As much as we should be far FAR past it, large swaths of America still lie on the side of making life harder in every aspect for LGBTQ people; however, Batwoman tackles Kate Kane’s love interest directly and early on with a flashback of Kate and her girlfriend multiple times. It’s powerful and fitting.

It may be hard to see where Batwoman is heading after the twist ending of the pilot, but I am more than happy to sit back and enjoy the ride. 

Batwoman premieres on Sunday October 6th, 2019 on the CW.