Skip to main content

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.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

EPISODE GUIDES: Rhoda Season Five

On Thursdays, I go through classic series with a critical look at each season. Today I am looking at Season Five (the final season) of  Rhoda ! RHODA: SEASON FIVE 1978 13 episodes Rhoda' s final season was a truncated one as the show was cancelled in December 1978 after only 13 episodes had been produced (and only nine had aired). This feels like a continuation from season four in many ways except with the ill-advised split between Ida and Martin (more on that below). While  Rhoda  has an occasional good moment and even a couple decent episodes, it is a show that seems so wildly different from season one and not in a good way.  Rhoda  could never figure out what it fully wanted to be and only made it four and a half seasons as a result. Starring Valerie Harper as Rhoda Morgenstern  (13 episodes) Julie Kavner as Brenda Morgenstern  (13 episodes) Ray Buktenica as Benny Goodwin  (11 episodes) Kenneth McMillan as Jack Doyle  (9 episodes) Nancy Wa...

SCHEDULES OF THE PAST: 1995-1996 Thursdays

On Tuesdays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Thursdays in the 1995-96 season! ABC 8:00 8:30 9:00 10:00 Sep Charlie Grace The Monroes Various Programs Oct Murder One Nov Various Programs Dec Various Programs Thursday Night Movie Jan Feb World’s Funniest Videos Before They Were Stars! Mar Apr May NBC was the powerhouse on Thursday nights but ABC still gave it the old college try in the Fall of 1995 with a trio of new dramas that they hoped would help them cut into the Peacock's dominance. Headlining their night was Murder One , a high profile new show from Steven Bochco that received much of the network's attention before the season started. The series focused on one murder case for an entire season, whi...

DECADE IN REVIEW: The Best Comedies of the 2010s

During the month of December, I will be looking back at the decade that was the 2010s on TV. I will be sharing my favorite sitcoms, dramas, the best episodes, the best performances and the worst shows of the decade. To be eligible for this list, a show had to air the majority of its episodes in the 2010s. However, for the rankings and determination, all episodes were taken into account, including ones that may have aired before 2010. I will also preface that there are comedies that have aired this decade that I haven't watched yet so this is the best of what I have watched. To be fair, that preface is more true for dramas. There's not a ton of unwatched comedies sitting in my Netflix or Amazon watchlist. So here are my Top 10 comedies of the 2010s! Close Calls:  Master of None (Netflix) - An inconsistent but occasionally fascinating commentary on many life issues done so with innovative storytelling. The Good Place (NBC) - A show that aims high with a fascinating premis...