After a strong start, Batwoman season 1 lost viewers precipitously across its run. With the show effectively being rebooted for its sophomore season, with Javicia Leslie donning the cape and cowl following Ruby Rose’s shock exit, it was hoped that this may draw a fresh supply of eyes to the Arrowverse series. Unfortunately, though, the ratings for the recent premiere, which aired on The CW this past weekend, are now in and they failed to soar above the Gotham skyline.
Episode 2×01 “What Happened to Kate Kane?” was only watched by 663,000 viewers, giving it a 0.1 rating on the night. This is a drop from the average amount of viewers for season 1, which was around 995,000, and also a lower number than those who caught the last finale, which raked in 740,000.
Overall, this means the opener sits as the third least-viewed episode of Batwoman to date. In number two is 1×18 “If You Believe in Me, I’ll Believe in You,” which received 640,000, while 1×17 “A Narrow Escape” takes the bottom spot with just 630,000 viewers.
While this isn’t a great sign, it doesn’t spell doom for the show by any means. For one thing, the low number could be an anomaly due to the competition it was facing on the night – Tampa Bay were playing against New Orleans in the NFC Divisional Playoff game at the same time on Sunday. When the football seasons ends, it’s possible that the series will see a certain upturn in its ratings.
Having said that, there’s a real sense that the Arrowverse’s heyday is winding down at this point, what with Supergirl and Black Lightning ending following their next seasons. Recasting the lead was always going to be a risky move for Batwoman, and while fans are reacting positively to Leslie’s first episode, it seems that general audiences just weren’t that bothered.