Batwoman Series Premiere Review: Pilot (Season 1 Episode 1)

It’s time for another hero’s journey to begin with Batwoman Season 1 Episode 1, “Pilot.” And with every beginning comes the Arrowverse trademark — the deaded voiceover.

It needs to die.

Yes, it’s her writing a letter to Bruce, but in the year of 2019, can we just be done with voiceovers? They are annoying. The only purpose of a voiceover is to get away with telling us about a main character instead of having us learn about them through action and actual conversations.

Unfortunately, since it is an Arrowverse staple, I fear we will be stuck with it for awhile. A girl can hope it fades away into oblivion, where it belongs.

It’s the one wrong note in what’s otherwise a pretty solid introduction. If you’re like me and have been burnt out on the Arrowverse shows as the seasons go by (current exception: Legends of Tomorrow), you go into Batwoman a little apprehensive.

However, Batwoman quickly proves that it’s worth your time.

It’s fantastic that this show is grounded, at least so far, and hopefully will stay that way; it’s one of the reasons I enjoyed the early seasons of Arrow, and it will help Batwoman stand out among all the other Arrowverse shows.

Character-wise, there are plenty of standouts.

It’s impossible not to feel for Kate and everything she’s been through. Thankfully, the mystery of why Batman didn’t save Kate’s mom and Beth is quickly answered — there’s nothing worse than a not that interesting mystery dragging on.

Kate: Trust me, this isn’t the story I expected to be telling, but you know as well as I do that stories, like the people who tell them, aren’t always what they seem.

Kate’s sarcasm and her scenes with Luke Fox make her (and him) likable. I’m already invested in Kate’s journey and her partnership with Luke. I’m sure there are plenty of more rules that she could break.

Mary is surprisingly delightful.

Her introduction at the “shutting down the batsignal” event makes her seem a little too social media-focused and vapid, but by the time she calls Kate, her personality shines through.

The fact that she feels the need to introduce herself to Kate, her step-sister of ten years, is hilarious, and it’s one of the reasons why I love her.

Mary is full of surprises. She runs an illegal clinic, has men who bring people in off the street, and she’s connected with what’s going on in Gotham.

These skills make it obvious that Kate is going to continue to lean on her a bit, and Mary will most definitely be patching Kate up time and time again. Is anyone else thinking that Mary’s going to be the first person to be filled in on Kate’s secret identity?

Alice: Sanity is so pedastrian. I want to be memorable. The kind of girl that never leaves your thoughts, so I took it upon myself to fill a crow’s trap with forgetmenots.

Then, there’s Alice.

The twist that Alice is Beth makes things a lot more intruiging, but Alice is already captivating before that tidbit is revealed. Rachel Skarsten really knows how to bring the weirdly lovable crazy out of Alice.

The Beth twist will add some complexity to Alice’s arc and Kate’s journey into becoming Batwoman. I’m looking forward to more of their interactions.

Sophie: I want to take away his power

Kate: Then take me and let Sophie go.

Alice: Oh dear, this is quite sad, actually. You poor thing. You haven’t figured it out yet. I took Sophie because she’ll actually get his attention. Your father doesn’t want you, Kate. He shipped you away, and you show up without the proper postage. I assumed you knew. But then again, you have been so busy trying to convince him to love you, my sweet, pathetic girl. Sophie is the daughter your father always wanted, not you, dear.

The one thing that bothers me is how quickly Kate figures it out, especially in the context of Bruce not being able to find Beth’s body despite searching for years and being so high tech.

Do we think that somehow he figured it out? Does Kate’s dad, Jacob, know?

What did you think of this episode of Batwoman? Is anyone else unsure of how they feel about Sophie or is that just me? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Batwoman airs Sunday at 8/7c on The CW.

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