Batwoman premiered in 2019 as a spinoff of the Arrowverse, and it was meant to fill a gap left by the cancellation of Gotham. The show follows Kate Kane, a wealthy heiress who becomes the city’s vigilante after her father dies. It ran for three seasons and ended in 2021.
The premise is simple: a rich woman dresses up as a bat and fights crime. The execution is less so. Batwoman is a show about a rich woman dressing up as a bat and fighting crime, and the execution has never quite matched the promise of that idea.
Trailer, via DC.
The Costume Problem
The show’s biggest hurdle is visual. The cowl is a helmet, the cape is a flowing black drape, and the boots are tall and pointed. The costume is a problem because it looks cheap and unfinished. In a show about a vigilante, the costume is the point. When it fails, everything else suffers. A superhero’s costume is the first thing viewers see, and a cheap-looking one can make every scene feel unfinished.
The Father Figure
The show’s best performances come from the people around Kate. Her adoptive father, played by Dougray Scott, anchors the early episodes. His scenes carry weight because the actor commits fully to the role. He makes the show’s quieter, character-driven moments work.
The Villain Weakness
The villains are a mixed bag. The show tries to build a rogues gallery, but most of them are forgettable. The season finale introduces a new villain who is more interesting, but the payoff feels rushed. Even when the show gets a good villain, the resolution doesn’t match the build-up.
The Action
The action scenes are the show’s strongest moments. The stunts are practical and the choreography is sharp. But the show leans too heavily on slow-motion shots and wide-angle lenses. The result is a show that looks like it is trying to be a blockbuster, but lacks the budget to pull it off. The action scenes are well-choreographed, but the slow-motion and wide-angle shots make the show look like it’s trying to be something it isn’t.
The Writing
The dialogue is often stiff. The show tries to balance family drama with superhero action, but the tone shifts feel abrupt. One minute Kate is brooding over her past, the next she is cracking a joke about a villain’s plan. The script rarely knows when to stop. The show tries to juggle two different tones, but the result is a script that can’t decide which one to use.
The Third Season
The third season is a step up. The show finally finds its footing, with stronger villains and tighter plotting. But the momentum stalls in the back half, and the finale leaves some threads unresolved. After two uneven seasons, the third season finally starts to gel, but it doesn’t hold that momentum.
Comparing Seasons
| Season | Tone | Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uneven | Strong cast | Poor costume design |
| 2 | Improved | Better villains | Flat character arcs |
| 3 | Confident | Tighter pacing | Unresolved threads |
The Schedule
The show aired weekly on The CW, with each season running for about 22 episodes. The final episode aired in October 2021.
| Season | Episodes | Runtime per Episode | Premiere Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | ~42 minutes | October 2019 |
| 2 | 22 | ~42 minutes | October 2020 |
| 3 | 22 | ~42 minutes | October 2021 |
The Verdict
Batwoman had promise. The show had a strong cast, a good premise, and some decent action. But the costume, the writing, and the tone kept dragging it down. The show never quite became the superhero drama it wanted to be.
It is a show that is easy to watch and hard to recommend. Fans of the genre will find moments to enjoy. Everyone else will find themselves tuning out.
