PILOT REVIEW: Batwoman

BATWOMAN

Starring: Ruby Rose, Rachel Skarsten, Meagan Tandy, Nicole Kang, Camrus Johnson, Elizabeth Anweis and Dougray Scott

Based on Characters Created for DC by Bob Kane with Bill Finger
Developed by Caroline Dries
Written by Caroline Dries, Directed by Marcos Siega

If you've read this blog a long time, you probably know I am not a fan of superhero shows or movies. You may also know that the Batman Universe is the exception to the rule. I have been a fan of Batman-related things since I was young and it has always defied my dislike for the superhero genre. I go see the Batman movies, I even watched more than a full season of Gotham. So, I was more interested in Batwoman than any DC show that's ever been on the CW.

I didn't ultimately stick with Gotham, but one of the things I liked most about it was its noir feel and general moodiness. Batwoman evokes some of those same feelings. The series has received a lot of attention, both positive and negative, for its feminist viewpoint and the fact that the title character is a lesbian. I don't think the show really does too much with that so if you were expecting it to have a major feminist stand, you might be disappointed and if you were anticipating being offended, I don't really see why you would be.

While I'm not a viewer of superhero shows, I know enough tropes to know that a lot are present. Most notably, Kate Kane/Batwoman (Ruby Rose) is the reluctant superhero forced into the line of duty. But Rose does a nice job in the title role and is an intriguing presence on screen. She was more enjoyable as she became more assertive during the episode and I liked her camaraderie with Luke Fox (Camrus Johnson). The antagonist (or is she?), Alice (Rachel Skarsten) was decent, but I felt like she could have been a little bit more maniacal and crazed than she was and than her makeup/style seemed to want her to be.

I thought the best moment of the pilot was when Kate discovered her cousin Bruce was Batman. That was a really great reveal of the Batman suit that made it feel very important. The worst part of the pilot was the meandering plot surrounding The Crows Security. I'm glad the episode didn't do a ton of origin stuff but I would have liked a more interesting first story especially with the connection to Kate's dad, Jacob (Dougray Scott). I just felt like they were chasing down the bad guys a little bit too much and the payoff didn't seem worth it. Maybe that's just how superhero shows are for me.

WILL I WATCH IT AGAIN?
I might check it out again but I know that realistically, it's only a matter of time before I drop this show.