Despite being the lowest-rated and least-viewed addition to the CW network’s roster of DC shows, there are apparently still a handful of devoted fans willing to stick their necks out for Gotham Knights, according to star Misha Collins.
Let’s face it, the CW shows and the Arrowverse aren’t exactly what they used to be. Back in the day, shows like Arrow and The Flash dominated prime-time TV slots with fast-paced action and gripping drama that had never been seen on TV superhero adaptations. But as time went on, budgets were slashed, and the people with all the ideas and flair jumped ship, leaving CW’s own “DCU” as a shell of its former self. Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, and Batwoman all crashed and burned eventually — some sooner than others.
Now, only the remnants remain as the CW seems to churn out more and more bad DC content. The response to Gotham Knights has been overwhelmingly negative for the most part. It barely broke half a million viewers for the first episode of the season, and although there are still three episodes to go, it’s clear the battle has already been lost. At its lowest, the show received just over 300,000 viewers. But those viewers are obviously incredibly vocal, as well as loyal, as they’ve expressed support online as the future of Gotham Knights starts to look more and more bleak.
Misha Collins, who plays Harvey Dent, has thanked fans for their support, saying the response has been “really lovely.” The actor’s known to most as the angel, Castiel, from Supernatural, a good CW show. While speaking to ComicBook.com showered further praise on devoted fans, some supporters have even gone as far as setting up a campaign to get the second season renewed. Collins went on to speak about a possible second season and how fan reactions right now are the best shot they have of getting renewed.
“It’s been really lovely to see the fans rallying to save Gotham Knights and to find that we, actors, on the show are kind of hitching our wagons to their horses. We’re like, ‘Yeah. Save Gotham Knights, everyone. Which is, I think maybe, a little bit backwards, but it’s just how this is organically unfolded, which has been kind of cool.”
While it’s great to see that the few people who stuck with Gotham Knights seemed to really enjoy it, the harsh reality is that the ratings are the deciding factor in most cases. Though the CW is no Netflix, who’s a bit too trigger-happy at times, it looks like the writing’s already on the wall.