No show in the Arrow-verse ever failed after only one season prior to the 2019-2020 TV season, and now that superhero super-streak continues thanks to The CW's renewal of Batwoman. Set in Gotham (no, not that Gotham), Batwoman is the first superhero series on a broadcast network led by a gay superhero, and it's arguably the darkest and grittiest series in the Arrow-verse since Arrow. That said, the ratings haven't been stellar, and Kate Kane's future on The CW wasn't guaranteed... until now. Congrats, Batwoman! Still, not everybody is happy.
First, the good news. The CW gave an early renewal to Batwoman along with 12 other series. For fans concerned that the ratings, which haven't been strong even for a Sunday night slot, would ruin Batwoman's odds of a second season, this news undoubtedly came as a relief.
Now, fans can enjoy the second half of the season without worrying that the Season 1 finale will be the series finale, and watch the rest of the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover confident that Kate won't die. At least, she won't die and stay dead. "Crisis" already killed off one superhero, only to kinda sorta immediately bring him back.
Take a look at the big announcement, courtesy of Batwoman on Twitter:
As somebody who believes the Arrow-verse needs at least one darker and grittier show starring a non-superpowered superhero, the Batwoman renewal news coming just weeks before Arrow ends for good (with its spinoff not yet confirmed beyond a backdoor pilot) is pretty fantastic in my book.
Even if Batwoman hasn't been perfect for its first block of episodes, that doesn't exactly make it unique among the Arrow-verse series. All had growing pains in the beginning, and Legends of Tomorrow is all but unrecognizable from Season 1. Sign me up for more Batwoman!
I'm definitely not the only one. Take a look:
This person fittingly went for a gif of Ruby Rose as Kate Kane herself to celebrate the renewal. They even busted out the caps lock, so there's no doubt that this was good news for them!
Another person on social media celebrated both the renewal and the fact that those who predicted an early end for Batwoman were off the mark:
These are only a couple of the many happy reactions, but not everybody was thrilled by the renewal news. Batwoman has been hit-or-miss with viewers in its first season, and those for whom it missed didn't hesitate to vent their feelings about the confirmation that Kate Kane will be back in the cape and the cowl for at least one more season.
One of these unhappy people not only criticized Batwoman, but brought other CW series into the mix:
What would Supergirl say to something like that?! At least this person acknowledged that The CW isn't the network to expect record-breaking ratings from on the regular.
Somebody else went for something short and simple to express their feelings:
To each their own! Batwoman was never going to please everybody.
For yet another critical user on Twitter, the entire Arrow-verse (not including the ending Arrow) isn't all that great, but Batwoman is the worst of the lot:
Well, as unhappy as some people are that Kate Kane will be back for at least one more season, there's nothing they can do about its future except not watch. The Arrow-verse isn't going anywhere any time soon, although I have my doubts about how much longer The Flash will run, and none of the shows are quite as capable of reinvention as Legends of Tomorrow as an ensemble series. Still, I'm guessing Batwoman could have a long future ahead of it as part of the Arrow-verse.
How Batwoman Dropped The Arrow-verse's First Reference To Robin
Only time will tell. Batwoman herself will return to the airwaves on Tuesday, January 14 for Parts 4 and 5 of "Crisis on Infinite Earths," and the winter premiere of Batwoman airs Sunday, January 19 at 8 p.m. ET on The CW as part of the 2020 midseason premiere lineup.
