The CW’s Batwoman earned solid ratings in its premiere episode, besting even the season 5 premiere of fellow Arrowverse alum, Supergirl. Played by Ruby Rose, the character of Kate Kane made her debut in last year’s Elseworlds crossover. Already established as the new Caped Crusader, Batwoman came to the aid of Arrow’s Oliver Queen and The Flash’s Barry Allen after they were affected by Scarecrow’s fear toxin. Melissa Benoist, meanwhile, debuted as Kara Danvers back in 2015. Though Supergirl began life on CBS, the show jumped networks ahead of its second season. There it has remained ever since, existing more centrally within the connected DC/CW universe.
Both shows returned earlier this week. With Rose returning to the role despite undergoing emergency neck surgery, Batwoman moved back in time somewhat in order to fully explore Kate Kane’s origins. In the midst of traveling the world and training to join her father’s private security company, Kate was called back to Gotham City when a former love had been abducted. Upon discovering the secrets of her cousin Bruce Wayne, Kate opted to take matters into her own hands against the emerging threat of Alice and assumed the bat mantle in Bruce’s prolonged absence. Supergirl, meanwhile, picked up a month after the events of the season 4 finale. The episode saw Kara having to deal with antagonizing forces in every aspect of her life - with CatCo gaining a new owner and J’onn J’onzz’s seemingly forgotten brother terrorizing the city. All while remaining blissfully unaware of best friend Lena Luthor’s plans for revenge having learned of Kara’s deception and dual identities.
According to Variety, Batwoman opened in solid fashion, with a 0.5 rating and 1.8 million live viewers. That puts it way above other new pilots that recently debuted on The CW - including the Roswell, New Mexico reboot and the latest spin-off from the world of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals titled Legacies. The show also beat out Supergirl, which premiered to a 0.4 rating and 1.3 million viewers - both of which serve as an uptick in viewership compared to season 4. Though Batwoman’s rating inevitably paled compared to offerings on other networks, such as The Simpsons and various sporting events, it remains no less an auspicious start for the new hero on the block.
In terms of reviews, Batwoman’s were largely favorable. The reception was slightly less so from certain members of the public, with a concerted effort to tank the show’s scores on IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes already in action. Despite that, many have praised the potential the show has already demonstrated. Such belief in the show will no doubt only grow as it continues to find its footing and introduces popular comic book villains like Hush. Supergirl, meanwhile, will also no doubt continue to soar, with season 5 set to see the introduction of Atlantean characters. The latter will be played by Mitch Pileggi (The X-Files) and Cara Buono (Stranger Things).
It remains to be seen whether the viewership will be retained across the rest of the season. Still, Batwoman’s success will no doubt be celebrated by fans. Equally, it would likely be something that Supergirl - as a character and as a show - would celebrate rather than lament. The pair established themselves as firm allies in the last crossover. And with Supergirl reportedly set to make an appearance on Batwoman season 1, that partnership will only be solidified. They will both also join forces with the rest of the Arrowverse for the highly anticipated Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover.
More: Supergirl Has The Most To Lose In Crisis On Infinite Earths
Batwoman season 2 and Supergirl season 5 both continue October 13 on The CW.
Source: Variety
