In Swoops BATWOMAN

Article first published as TV Review: BATWOMAN on Seat42F.

The CW’s Arrowverse expands again with BATWOMAN, a new drama that launched last night. The story begins when Kate Kane (Ruby Rose, Orange is the New Black) leaves an intensive training program to return to her home city of Gotham. The woman she loves has been kidnapped by a supervillain and she wants to help. Rejected by the paramilitary organization that has replaced the missing Batman in keeping the city safe, which happens to be run by Kate’s father (Dougray Scott, Hemlock Grove), Kate discovers cousin Bruce Wayne’s (not yet seen) secret and dons the cowl herself.

BATWOMAN has some major things going for it. It features the first lead lesbian superhero on television, and she’s just one member of a diverse cast. There are complex, convoluted relationships that won’t easily be worked out and some intriguing surprise twists in the pilot. It’s dark, which makes sense because the darkest contribution to the Arrowverse is Arrow itself, about to begin its final season. It’s also dark like Batman, and we’re in his setting.

The darkness also works against it, though. Arrow has always been the least fun of the group. While it is respected for kicking off the whole interconnected universe of DC Comics television, it has given way to lighter shows that have heft without being depressing. Do we really need a replacement in this category?

It’s also a bit messy. The connections between Kate and Bruce aren’t fully explained, and the show chooses to briefly mention or hint at several family relationships, rather than really exploring them. While this does keep the story moving, people who haven’t read the comics may struggle to figure out how all the characters are connected, both to Batman and to each other. For instance, while Batman fans will likely assume Luke Fox (Camrus Johnson, Unproductive) is Lucius’ son, that isn’t confirmed in episode one. It’ll probably become clear in time, but the series doesn’t take the minutes to do it right off the bat, making it less accessible.

It’s also confusing how BATWOMAN connects to Arrowverse immediately. If it’s set on Earth 1, which is a fair assumption to make since all the shows except Supergirl are, we’ve already seen Earth 1’s Batwoman. It occurred last year during the big crossover event, and she was already established as a hero. Yet, in the pilot of Batwoman, she hasn’t yet donned the costume. I’m expecting and hoping for a big time jump soon to bring her back in line with the other series before the next crossover, which will be coming soon. Otherwise, it could be really weird and off. Unfortunately, there’s no mention as to when that is actually taking place, though the fact that Batman is said to have been gone for three years indicates this may be starting just a little before her 2018 introduction.

This complaint about the timeline isn’t all bad. While jumping forward in the tale so soon after premiering could very well be awkward, I’m glad BATWOMAN took the time to explore the hero’s origin story. She’s not nearly as well known as a Superman or Spiderman, so skipping over it is not optional. The origin itself is interesting, especially the parts about her sister, and I’m glad it’s included.

The main villain in BATWOMAN seems to be Alice (Rachel Skarsten, Lost Girl), and she’s not only crazy, but has lots of cool secrets. I also like Kate’s step-sister, Mary (Nicole Kang, You), who feels anything but a stereotype.

Of course, the fact that Kate is gay is also groundbreaking and will provide important stories. One started right away is that Kate’s love interest, Sophie (Meagan Tandy, Teen Wolf), is married to a man despite Kate and Sophie’s past. There’s a military component, too, and the service’s unfriendly attitude towards homosexuals, though I don’t see BATWOMAN being as overtly political as Supergirl.

I have mixed feelings about the pilot of BATWOMAN. I’m far from ready to write it off, but I’m not fully on board yet, either. Hopefully, it will find its footing before it has to put its own stories on hold to deal with the larger universe it’s a part of.

BATWOMAN airs Sundays on the CW.

GOTHAM Still Gotham Without Batman

Article first published as GOTHAM Review on Seat42F.

FOX’s GOTHAM is one of the most anticipated new shows of the fall. Beginning with the death of Bruce Wayne’s parents, the series follows young, noble detective James Gordon as he encounters the low-lives of the troubled titular town, including many who will become Batman’s greatest foes. What’s not to like in that premise?

DC has long been lagging behind Marvel in its quest to bring the superheroes of its comics to the screen. While Marvel began with some terrific movies, and is now branching out into pretty good shows, DC mostly successfully exists these past couple of decades on the small screen. The thing that strikes me about GOTHAM right off the bat is that it is similar in tone to other properties from this comic book company, and is at least as good as peers Smallville and Arrow.

GOTHAM is highly stylized, with lots of shadows and dark colors, which fits the character of the metropolis at the moment, a city being choked by organized crime and political corruption. If there is any doubt about how grim the show will be, it is immediately erased with the very first scene. This is appropriate, though, and matches other Batman stories before it.

Whatever else GOTHAM may be, it is a Batman story. While the main character may be Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie, Southland), young, orphaned Bruce (David Mazouz, Touch) and his butler, Alfred (Sean Pertwee, Elementary), are main characters, as well. The fact that so many of Batman’s recognizable antagonists, such as Oswald Cobblepot, a.k.a. The Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor, Accepted), Edward Nygma, a.k.a. The Riddler (Cory Michael Smith, Dog Food), and a teenage Selina Kyla, a.k.a. Catwoman (Camren Bicondova, Battlefield America), are also among the stars makes it feel more like a part of that same franchise. Even a young Ivy Pepper (Clare Foley, Sinister), who will become Poison Ivy, puts in an appearance in the pilot. We may not get the Caped Crusader directly, but we’re definitely in his world.

That may make GOTHAM sound like it has a huge cast, and I’ve not even named half of the principals yet. One thing the series does well is balance all the various personalities and threads. Everyone seems connected somehow, and enough screen time is given to each to set them apart and help the audience define them. Obviously, some are more central than others for now, but the writers have done a terrific job crafting this large game board and the various pieces upon it.

Now, GOTHAM has non-traditional Batman elements. Gordon and his partner, the grizzled Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue, Vikings, Terriers), see the city from a perspective that our hero does not. They are on the ground, in the trenches, not lurking above it. They interact with others as normal people do, more or less, whereas young Bruce almost seems alien in his mannerisms, definitely the type of loner who will never fit into society quite right, though who can blame him after what he sees? Thus, perhaps Gordon is a little more relatable a protagonist, even though his courage and resolution not only set him apart from those around him, but make him a typical TV hero.

Besides Gordon’s familiarity, the other weaknesses GOTHAM faces are the dialogue and the main villain. The first half of the pilot has some extremely cringe-worthy lines, and when introducing each new face, the production hits the nail way too on the head in telegraphing who they will be known as. The primary bad guy Gordon runs up against, Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith, Hawthorne), is stylish, but lacks teeth, under the thumb of the more seemingly-reasonable Carmine Falcone (John Doman, The Wire). Both of these things feel very comic book-like, not in the best of ways, and keep the quality at a lower level than, say, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Still, overall, I enjoyed GOTHAM. There’s an intriguing story here, and it’s definitely a different take on the tale. I especially enjoyed the twist of who else, besides Bruce, witnesses the murders. By not tackling Batman head-on, GOTHAM avoids the comparisons to Christopher Nolan’s trilogy, which can only help it, and it’s good enough to rank one of the major networks to carry it, raising DC’s profile more than another CW venture will. Working out a few of the gripes mentioned above, this could quickly become a must-see adventure; it’s not too far from getting it right.

GOTHAM premieres Monday, September 22^nd on FOX.