Batwoman TV Series has Recast Kate Kane

[Celgress]

PS I'm not saying I blame them (if I'm right). If it was me I'd do the same thing given how things currently stand to regain some lapsed viewers.

[Bat-Meal]

Here is an interesting read. It explains why I contend this was not the original plan -

“To be honest with you, I did consider the ‘soap opera version’ [of recasting] for a hot minute, because selfishly we already had a couple episodes written, and transition-wise it would be seamless,” she told Plec. “But upon further reflection — and I think [Arrowverse EP] Greg [Berlanti] helped me make this call — he’s like, ‘I think we should just reboot Batwoman as a different character.'”

In addition to paying “respect to everything that Ruby [Rose] put into the Kate Kane character” during Season 1, Dries said, “it also helps the audience, because we’re not asking them to address ‘the elephant in the room'” by accepting a new face as the same person."

What a load of ****.

https://tvline.com/2020/06/06/why-ba...cter-season-2/

And this is why I'm finding the production dramas SO entertaining! I wanna see what they do next to piss off their own fanbase! They've upset the Kate fans of course, but how soon until they find a way to upset their newly gained Ryan fans? If anyone can do it, the CW can!

Also, what's the bet they brought Kate back to make her a villain.

Didn't know she was hurt that badly. That is horrible.
It's a wonder Ruby Rose said she would come back if asked before they announced the new Kate.

Oh yeah, and apparently she delayed going to see the doctor. So the whole time she was shooting an (not very good IMHO) action film (between the Batwoman Pilot and the second ep) she could have become paralyzed at any moment.



The explanation vid, I won't post the surgery one, but it's easy to find.

[Coco Loco]

I think they did this story on Days of Our Lives. The final twist would be to have Ruby Rose return to the show to play someone other than Kate Kane. Pretty sure Stefano is behind all this mess.

[Celgress]

I think they did this story on Days of Our Lives. The final twist would be to have Ruby Rose return to the show to play someone other than Kate Kane. Pretty sure Stefano is behind all this mess.

As am I, especially if he can't be behind it all logically speaking.

Love the reference BTW.

[Bat-Meal]

Also reminds me of a mess done with a videogame franchise where they did something vaguely like this - only not nearly as badly!

Firstly, when they replaced the original lead, it was in a spin-off, not a direct sequel. So a new lead was fine, if disappointing for some. Secondly the original lead was still playable in the sequel, although had less screen-time of course, but she even mentored the new lead for a short time. Where things went bad was when she got killed off. Plus, going back to the original game her future adventures and legacy kept getting referenced, so killing her off directly contradicted a lot of the story in the original game.

Next game in the spin-off, in regards to fans missing the original lead, was where things became a wreck. Our spin-off lead was still there, that's fine, she's a great character, and this was a sequel to the spin-off - no problems there. But the devs seemingly realized they'd made a mistake in killing-off most fan's favourite character...so they...reincarnated her.

It was a fantasy game about magic and stuff so okay, not too bad, but there was an entire segment where we played as a baby, and then another one as a little child. IMHO those segments were pointless and added nothing other than hammering-in that reborn original lead was regaining some of her memories from her former life.

Fast forward to the end of the game, and we haven't played as this character since the last childhood segment many many hours ago, and suddenly she appears in a cutscene as a teenager and Deus Ex Machina...plus we get told she has been doing all this cool stuff offscreen, and will continue to do so because reasons, I suppose. Then the Devs said they planned to make another game so we could actually see and play all this cool stuff, and you know, finish the original character's story like was foreshadowed in the first game - but it never happened. The game overall was mostly good though.

Point being, I don't know - at least Kate didn't come back as a baby? Or who knows, maybe that would have been more amusing.

[Zorkel567]

I'm skeptical it was "part of the plan", not that it matters to me either way. I'm done with the show unless Kate becomes the one and only Batwoman once more, this is the only thing that will bring me back as a viewer.

Edit

Here is an interesting read. It explains why I contend this was not the original plan -

“To be honest with you, I did consider the ‘soap opera version’ [of recasting] for a hot minute, because selfishly we already had a couple episodes written, and transition-wise it would be seamless,” she told Plec. “But upon further reflection — and I think [Arrowverse EP] Greg [Berlanti] helped me make this call — he’s like, ‘I think we should just reboot Batwoman as a different character.'”

In addition to paying “respect to everything that Ruby [Rose] put into the Kate Kane character” during Season 1, Dries said, “it also helps the audience, because we’re not asking them to address ‘the elephant in the room'” by accepting a new face as the same person."

What a load of ****.

https://tvline.com/2020/06/06/why-ba...cter-season-2/

https://twitter.com/carolinedries/st...-gays-trope%2F

And this is from four days later, where the showrunner stated they would not be killing Kate off, and that her disappearance would be a major mystery for Season 2. So if they're not killing Kate off, and her disappearance was planned to be a major storyline, it's always been likely she would appear again to give the story closure.

I've been thinking this was the likely direction from the premiere, when Kate disappeared without a body, and the characters began searching for her. It also helps when they literally introduced the concept of giving characters new faces last season, with Hush taking on Bruce's face, and one of the two main villains for the season being Black Mask with his False Face Society.

It feels to me like this was always the plan, they just didn't want to spoil anything or give away where the story was going.

[Bat-Meal]

Called it! She's going to be a villain, too obvious.
I don't even watch the show, though I did seek-out any S2 Kate Kane clips - not much for the new actress to do yet though.



So she's getting a Red Hood/Arkham Knight/Winter Soldier type arc - except without any personal relationship to the stories' protagonist (Ryan), but instead all of the support characters. I like Red Hood/Arkham Knight, but I'm doubtful (for obvious reasons) that these writer's can do a good version of a similar arc using Kate. Wonder what villain mantle they'll give her though?

[Celgress]

Called it! She's going to be a villain, too obvious.
I don't even watch the show, though I did seek-out any S2 Kate Kane clips - not much for the new actress to do yet though.



So she's getting a Red Hood/Arkham Knight/Winter Soldier type arc - except without any personal relationship to the stories' protagonist (Ryan), but instead all of the support characters. I like Red Hood/Arkham Knight, but I'm doubtful (for obvious reasons) that these writer's can do a good version of a similar arc using Kate. Wonder what villain mantle they'll give her though?

Yup, looks like you were right.

I'm so glad I stopped watching this show.

One of my online friends who still watches told me about Kate returning and said I should come back. I told that friend: "I'll wait a couple of episodes before I do in case they pull something screwy" I'm glad I waited. They ain't getting my viewership again until/unless they clean up their act.

[Bat-Meal]

Yup, looks like you were right.

I'm so glad I stopped watching this show.

One of my online friends who still watches told me about Kate returning and said I should come back. I told that friend: "I'll wait a couple of episodes before I do in case they pull something screwy" I'm glad I waited. They ain't getting my viewership again until/unless they clean up their act.

Lol, instead of either just recasting or dedicating fully to the new OC they were like let's have an OC but also bring Kate back - but to explain the recast let's literally take her face off!
So much for the 'new haircut' suggestions way back.

I wonder if she'll eventually become Flamebird/Hawkfire at this rate - I mean she was demoted from lead hero, is about to become a victim-villain, might as well be a sidekick next while we're at it. Although it's possible I may actually tune in to see her as Flamebird/Hawkfire.

[Digifiend]

That might make sense... in the comics, both names belong to Bette Kane, Mary's counterpart. Kate could take one codename and Mary the other.

[Celgress]

Lol, instead of either just recasting or dedicating fully to the new OC they were like let's have an OC but also bring Kate back - but to explain the recast let's literally take her face off!
So much for the 'new haircut' suggestions way back.

I wonder if she'll eventually become Flamebird/Hawkfire at this rate - I mean she was demoted from lead hero, is about to become a victim-villain, might as well be a sidekick next while we're at it. Although it's possible I may actually tune in to see her as Flamebird/Hawkfire.

The ratings dipped (yet) again to a new all-time low for the series after "Kate's" return. I'm not surprised in light of this wonderful storyline that the audience continues to flee (poor people, they were tougher than I). The big question is; how much longer can the CW spin this disaster as a success? Denial ain't just a river in Egypt folks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batwoman_(season_2)

[Caivu]

The ratings dipped (yet) again to a new all-time low for the series after "Kate's" return. I'm not surprised in light of this wonderful storyline that the audience continues to flee (poor people, they were tougher than I). The big question is; how much longer can the CW spin this disaster as a success? Denial ain't just a river in Egypt folks.

You don't think that the semifinals of March Madness airing that same Sunday might've had something to do with that drop? Every single time there's been one of these big drops, there's always been an external factor present, and this time is no different.

[Celgress]

You don't think that the semifinals of March Madness airing that same Sunday might've had something to do with that drop? Every single time there's been one of these big drops, there's always been an external factor present, and this time is no different.

There is ALWAYS an excuse for the low ratings, isn't there? It isn't the fault of the show it is the world's fault. Give me a break. This reminds me of Pro Wrestling fans be they WWE or more recently AEW fans; rather than admit their product is garbage that turns off many potential fans they always have an excuse for low ratings including season over season (or year over year) - "There was a blue moon that night, a zombie outbreak occurred, a rerun of Honey Mooners was on, Walmart had a sale on Spongebob-themed Funko Pops!"

[Caivu]

There is ALWAYS an excuse for the low ratings, isn't there? It isn't the fault of the show it is the world's fault. Give me a break.

So, are you denying that there were March Madness games being played last Sunday, and therefore it's pretty likely a good chunk of viewers watched that instead? Are you denying that a winter storm occurred on February 14th, which knocked out power or otherwise affected normal TV viewing across a fair swath of the US? Are you denying that Kobe Bryant was killed on January 26th of last year, meaning that night's episode literally didn't air on the West Coast? Because those are the things I'm talking about.

You're already making a mistake by acting like the CW's live ratings matter (how often must this point be explained?), but even by your own metric your point doesn't hold up. You don't get to go on about how important live ratings are and then not take into account external factors that adversely affect them.

[Celgress]

.....You're already making a mistake by acting like the CW's live ratings matter (how often must this point be explained?), but even by your own metric your point doesn't hold up. You don't get to go on about how important live ratings are and then not take into account external factors that adversely affect them.

Please, and you don't get to make constant excuses about "external forces". If the show was popular it wouldn't take such a huge hit regardless of what else is airing at the same time. Also, I strongly doubt the majority of Batman/Batwoman or comic book fans who would watch this show are also basketball fans thus the crossover audience I think is rather small (if it exists at all), call it a hunch on my part applying basic logic.

Edit - Okay, if "live-ratings" aren't important to the CW what metric is: DVR views, streaming views, replay views? And, where do I find this data? I suspect it is lower than it was last season it might be below the network and/or show type average as well.