Broadcast TV Batwoman - season 2 (The CW) (1 Viewer)

[Adam Lenhardt]

Previous thread:

• Season 1

The sixth DC superhero show from Greg Berlanti when it returns sometime in 2021. After production on the first season shut down early due to the pandemic, Ruby Rose decided to leave the show. Showrunner Caroline Dries decided to have a new character take up the mantle of Batwoman rather than recast. The sudden and mysterious disappearance of Kate Kane will be one of the ongoing story threads of the second season.

New Casting:

• Javicia Leslie will star as Ryan Wilder, the title character, who is "likable, messy, a little goofy and untamed. She's also nothing like Kate Kane, the woman who wore the Batsuit before her. With no one in her life to keep her on track, Ryan spent years as a drug-runner, dodging the GCPD and masking her pain with bad habits. Today Ryan lives in her van with her plant. A girl who would steal milk for an alley cat and could also kill you with her bare hands, Ryan is the most dangerous type of fighter: highly skilled and wildly undisciplined. An out lesbian. Athletic. Raw. Passionate. Fallible. And very much not your stereotypical all-American hero." Leslie previously had a supporting role on the recently cancelled "God Friended Me". Her film credits include Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, XXX: Return of Xander Cage, John Wick: Chapter 2, Pitch Perfect 3, and The Meg.
• Shivaani Ghai will recur as Safiyah, "the fiercely protective ruler of a small community on the island of Coryana. A woman with as many enemies as aliases, she is compassionate and charismatic with both physical and psychological prowess. She is beloved by her people and will stop at nothing to protect what’s hers. No one goes unnoticed by Safiyah, specifically when it comes to those who have encountered the Desert Rose." Ghai’s previous credits include Syfy’s "Dominion," ABC’s "The Catch", and HBO’s "Five Days". On the film side, Ghai’s credits include London Has Fallen, Cleanskin and Fireflies.
• Leah Gibson will recur as Tatiana aka The Whisper, "a skilled assassin, unflappable and cold as ice in the face of danger. She is one of Safiyah’s most important henchwomen and still harbors feelings for her powerful boss." Gibson is best known for her series regular role of Inez in season 2 of "Jessica Jones" and the major recurring character of Vivienne in season 1 of "Sacred Lies." She also recently recurred on the second season of "Manifest."
• Nathan Owens will recur as Ocean, "a zen gardner and thinker with a complicated past. A loyal soldier and fighter, Ocean moves to Gotham looking for a new beginning."
• Alex Morf as Victor Zsasz, ″a charismatic, skilled hitman with high, unpredictable energy. He proudly carves tally marks onto his skin for every victim he kills." Anweis’ TV credits include appearances on “Gotham," "Mindhunter," "Manifest," and "Marvel's Daredevil."

The Batwoman costume has been redesigned to fit Leslie's shorter and curvier build (click to enlarge):


The Arrowverse crossover event this year will only be two hours, comprised of episodes of "Batwoman" and "Superman & Lois".

 

[Garysb]

SUNDAY, JANUARY 17

8-9p.m. BATWOMAN (Season 2 premiere)

 

[JackieT]

Is this supposed to be a new PC twist on Batwoman to appease certain demographics? She isn't black in the original comic is she, so why now?

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Is this supposed to be a new PC twist on Batwoman to appease certain demographics? She isn't black in the original comic is she, so why now?

Because Ruby Rose wanted off the series.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

The second season premiered last night. The show's soft-reboot with a new Batwoman worked better than I expected.

Javicia Leslie isn't a great actress, but neither was Ruby Rose. She brings something different to the show though: While Kate Kane was all sharp edges, the best defense is a good offense approach to life, Ryan Wilder is softer and more vulnerable. She made the right decisions without somebody forcing her hand. And because Alice is responsible for her adoptive mother's death, there's a personal connection between her and Alice that is different than the personal connection between Kate and Alice.

Assuming that Kate Kane did not die in the plane explosion, I hope they can get Ruby Rose back for one episode at some point to wrap up Kate's story.

I would love to see Warren Christie get to play the real Bruce Wayne at some point. Of the live action actors, he's the closest to the Bruce Wayne in my head. I am glad that they didn't drag out the storyline with Tommy Elliot impersonating Bruce, though.

 

[NeilO]

The second season premiered last night. The show's soft-reboot with a new Batwoman worked better than I expected.

...

Assuming that Kate Kane did not die in the plane explosion, I hope they can get Ruby Rose back for one episode at some point to wrap up Kate's story.

I would love to see Warren Christie get to play the real Bruce Wayne at some point. Of the live action actors, he's the closest to the Bruce Wayne in my head. I am glad that they didn't drag out the storyline with Tommy Elliot impersonating Bruce, though.

I thought it was a great start to the season and the new Batwoman. I was very glad they closed off the Tommy Elliot as Bruce plot.

I was also glad that we now have a new purpose for Alice. It should make that more interesting.

The various reveals of Kate as Batwoman also worked well for me.

The kryptonite poisoning is a logical way for her to seek Luke's help and them to give her the suit back.

I also hope Ruby Rose can appear in an episode down the line. Maybe Safiyah actually has Kate locked up somewhere. That is the mystery of the season.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

"Batwoman" Renewed for Season 3

THE CW GIVES EARLY RENEWALS TO 12 CURRENT SERIES FOR NEXT SEASON

Network Picks Up “All American,” “Batwoman,” “Charmed,” “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow,” “Dynasty,” “The Flash,”
“In The Dark,” “Legacies,” “Nancy Drew,” “Riverdale,” “Roswell, New Mexico” and “Walker” For the 2021-2022
Season

The CW Orders Additional Episodes of the Current Seasons of
“Walker” and “Superman & Lois” ​

February 3, 2021 (Burbank, CA) —The CW Network today renewed 12 of its current scripted series for the 2021-2022 season, including its new breakout hit WALKER, it was announced today by Mark Pedowitz, Chairman and CEO, The CW Network. Additionally, The CW is ordering 5 additional episodes for this season of WALKER, bringing its total episode count for 2020-2021 to 18, and 2 additional episodes of SUPERMAN & LOIS, bringing its total episode count for 2020-2021 to 15.

“Though we’re just a few weeks into the new season, we wanted to get a strategic head start on next season with these early renewals, which allows our production teams to start laying out story arcs and hiring staff, and at the same time, continues to provide us with a strong, stable schedule to build on for next season,” said Pedowitz. “As The CW’s 2020-2021 season kicks into high gear, we are thrilled creatively with the direction of our first new shows out of the gate, WALKER and SUPERMAN & LOIS, that we wanted to order the additional episodes to complete their first seasons, and we are particularly pleased with the huge success of the launch of WALKER, which debuted as our most watched series premiere in 5 years.”

The current series being ordered for the 2021-2022 season include a second season of WALKER, which recently scored The CW’s most watched series premiere in 5 years, as well as ALL AMERICAN (Season 4), BATWOMAN (Season 3), CHARMED (Season 4), DC’S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW (Season 7), DYNASTY (Season 5), THE FLASH (Season 8), IN THE DARK (Season 4), LEGACIES (Season 4), NANCY DREW (Season 3), RIVERDALE (Season 6) and ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO (Season 4). Specific premiere dates for each series will be announced at a later time.

Art is available online at http://www.cwtvpr.com, as well as the latest releases,
biographies and other relevant press information for all The CW’s programs

Media Contacts:

Paul Hewitt, 818/977-6171
[email protected]

Nate Kirtman, 818/977-5993
[email protected]

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I thought this was a really satisfying mid-season finale. The solution to Batwoman's incurable disease was really clever, with seeds planted all the way back in the second season premiere.

And the resolution with Safiyah was satisfying as well; her schemes to torment so many people for her petty revenge cost her the thing she valued most in the world. Alice was a so-so villain, but she's a very fun anti-hero.

With regard to that final beat:

Spoiler

Wallis Day is playing the recast Kate Kane; the difference in appearance will be explained by the severe burns she endured when the plane blew up.

Day is younger and taller than Ruby Rose, but otherwise they look quite similar:

 

[Sean Bryan]

I thought this was a really satisfying mid-season finale. The solution to Batwoman's incurable disease was really clever, with seeds planted all the way back in the second season premiere.

And the resolution with Safiyah was satisfying as well; her schemes to torment so many people for her petty revenge cost her the thing she valued most in the world. Alice was a so-so villain, but she's a very fun anti-hero.

With regard to that final beat:

Spoiler

Wallis Day is playing the recast Kate Kane; the difference in appearance will be explained by the severe burns she endured when the plane blew up.

Day is younger and taller than Ruby Rose, but otherwise they look quite similar:
View attachment 93004

I must have missed something.

Spoiler

I saw a headline about the recast for Kate, so when I watched the episode tonight I was waiting for the reveal, but it never happened other than the news of Kate being dead. Then I thought maybe there would be a surprise at the very end of the episode. Again nothing. So what‘s the deal? What did I miss?

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I must have missed something.

Spoiler

I saw a headline about the recast for Kate, so when I watched the episode tonight I was waiting for the reveal, but it never happened other than the news of Kate being dead. Then I thought maybe there would be a surprise at the very end of the episode. Again nothing. So what‘s the deal? What did I miss?

There was a stinger at the very end of the episode, after Julia told the rest of the Bat Team about the body parts matching Kate's DNA. In the sewer underneath a barbershop, Kate was sloped against the wall, most of her face covered in burn bandages. But then the camera panned down and she was wearing the ruby necklace that bonded the two sisters.

 

[Sean Bryan]

There was a stinger at the very end of the episode, after Julia told the rest of the Bat Team about the body parts matching Kate's DNA. In the sewer underneath a barbershop, Kate was sloped against the wall, most of her face covered in burn bandages. But then the camera panned down and she was wearing the ruby necklace that bonded the two sisters.

That’s what I missed, the significance of the necklace. Saw that scene and never made the connection. Thanks.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

First with Black Mask as the season's big bad, then the one off appearance of Victor Zsasz, and now with the introduction of Stephanie Brown, the show is starting to make more use of the main Batman roster of characters.

 

[jayembee]

CW has released upcoming finale dates. Batwoman's finale will be June 27. That should make it 18 episodes in toto for the season.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Solid ending to the second season, with a number of seeds planted for the third season.

I kind of wish Wallis Day had been cast as Kate Kane from the beginning. She wouldn't have been as big of a "get" as Ruby Rose, but she probably would have stuck around, she's a better actress, and she more closely resembles Rachel Skarsten.

On the other hand, I think I like Ryan Wilder better as Batwoman. Kate Kane is a six-foot-tall white woman who grew up in one of Gotham's richest families, with the elite education and experiences that entails. Not exactly an underdog. Ryan had to claw her away up out of the gutter, and that makes her both better attuned to the needs of the city and less arrogant.

They gave Kate Kane a worthy enough write out in the finale, though; what happened to Bruce Wayne and Batman has been one of this series's lingering background mysteries, and it's nice to see it being tackled head on, even if most of that journey is offscreen. It also sounds like Wallis Day's version of Kate Kane is going to pop up on "Supergirl" during the final run of episodes.

 

[David Weicker]

While I agree with your assessment of smaller woman-of-color Batwoman vs a tall white privileged Batwoman, the current Bat-team is one of the stupidest teams ever. Not in concept, but in pure lack of intelligence. I was rooting for the villains several times because the heroes were just too dumb to deserve to come out on top. The penultimate episode was a prime example with the way they interacted with Circe/Kate. It was beyond face-palm stupid.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

While I agree with your assessment of smaller woman-of-color Batwoman vs a tall white privileged Batwoman, the current Bat-team is one of the stupidest teams ever. Not in concept, but in pure lack of intelligence. I was rooting for the villains several times because the heroes were just too dumb to deserve to come out on top. The penultimate episode was a prime example with the way they interacted with Circe/Kate. It was beyond face-palm stupid.

This is a criticism that applies to most of the super teams on the Arrowverse shows, particularly in later seasons. "Supergirl" is the most egregious, I think.

The only show that's mostly avoided it this season is "Superman & Lois".

 

[jayembee]

This is a criticism that applies to most of the super teams on the Arrowverse shows, particularly in later seasons. "Supergirl" is the most egregious, I think.

The only show that's mostly avoided it this season is "Superman & Lois".

But then, S&L is still in its first season. Almost all of the Arrowverse shows started out strong, and stayed fairly strong for the first couple (at least) seasons before starting to sink. The most notable exception has been Legends of Tomorrow, which was pretty "meh" the first two seasons, and the show didn't really break out of that until they decided to embrace goofiness toward the end of the third. And Black Lightning, which was pretty even-keeled throughout, though I think even it wasn't as strong in the last season as in the earlier ones.

I used to have this idea about TV shows where I would say that most of them have a half-life of two seasons. There have been a number of series in the past 20 years or so that broke that theory, but the Arrowverse shows seem to have re-embraced it. I'm loving Superman & Lois right now, but I'm afraid that it will also start fading in quality as time marches on.

 

[Sam Favate]

There used to be a theory that the middle seasons of a show were always the best, since the first year or two was used to find it’s legs and the last year or two were when it fell apart.
I don’t think that’s true anymore with the advent of streaming shows and seasons with 10 or fewer episodes.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

There used to be a theory that the middle seasons of a show were always the best, since the first year or two was used to find it’s legs and the last year or two were when it fell apart.
I don’t think that’s true anymore with the advent of streaming shows and seasons with 10 or fewer episodes.

Networks used to give shows time to find their footing before canceling them. Nowadays, you pretty much need to come out of the gate strong or you're done.