After a slight uptick a couple of weeks ago, Batwoman continues to descend in the ratings as its second season unfolds. Sunday’s sixth episode of The CW show’s sophomore run has the dishonor of taking the crown – or should that be cowl? – as the Scarlet Knight’s latest lowest-rated episode. “Do Not Resuscitate” might’ve furthered Javicia Leslie’s new heroine Ryan Wilder’s journey towards being Gotham’s new protector, but it seems the series is leaking viewers weekly.
Last week’s outing, 2×05 “Gore On Canvas,” was initially said to be seen by 507,000 people, but the adjusted number was brought down to 493,000, making it the first episode of the show to fall below the 500,000 mark. The next installment continued the downward trend, unfortunately, with just 477,000 pairs of eyeballs catching it. As for its rating in the key 18-49 demographic, episode 6 clocked in at 0.10, a fall of 23% from the previous week’s 0.13. And remember, these are just the overnight stats, too, so the more accurate adjusted figures will likely be even lower.
The good news is that we know Batwoman is coming back for another year, as The CW renewed it for a third season last month alongside The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow – and this week – Superman & Lois. Still, reports are saying that the series might not last until season 4 if the ratings continue to slip. Viewing figures were already on a downward spiral before Ruby Rose left and it seems the attempt to revitalize things with Leslie’s casting hasn’t managed to correct that.
While reviews have been positive for season 2 so far, sadly it’s been faced with a vocal backlash online from trolls and those for some reason offended by the show’s commitment to diversity and representation. For example, it’s got a high 88% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes but just a 12% audience score. Reviewers and hardcore fans are still behind it, then, but otherwise it looks like Batwoman is struggling to keep the audience hooked.