Javicia Leslie has made her Batwoman debut as Ryan Wilder, the woman poised to replace Ruby Rose’s Kate Kane…
Arrowverse fans have just met its newest leading lady. Javicia Leslie has made her debut on Batwoman as Ryan Wilder, the woman slated to take over the titular moniker from Ruby Rose’s Kate Kane. The character is fun and not at all like her predecessor. Her backstory is tragic and the only person that relates to her (so far) is Mary Hamilton (Nicole Kang).
We’re going to be answering some questions that we know a LOT of fans have been asking since Ruby’s departure was announced last year. These will correspond with want went down in the Season 2 premiere.
[CAUTION: This post contains spoilers for Batwoman Season 2 Episode 1: Whatever Happened To Kate Kane? Reader Discretion Advised]
1. What Is Kate’s Fate?
That’s the thing. We don’t know for sure whether she is dead or alive. For now, she is MIA. This episode takes place two days after the finale of Season 1. In the opening, a plane to National City goes down with Kate on board. Some of the debris ends up falling in front of Ryan’s parked van in front of the river. She finds Kane’s Batsuit in a bag.
Kate’s father and (step)sister, Jacob (Dougray Scott) and Mary aren’t giving up hope that she’s alive. The reason she was going to National City to pay Kara (Melissa Benoist) a visit and to ask how to destroy the Kryptonite she gave her during Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Jacob gets a call from the Police Commissioner who tells him that the rescue mission has become a recovery after the hand of the pilot was found the river. This upsets him as it feels like déjà vu all over again to when he lost Beth/Alice (Rachel Skarsten). Mary believes her sister is still alive and so does Julia Pennyworth (Christina Wolfe).
2. What’s The Deal With “Bruce”?
At the end of last season, Alice gives Tommy Elliott/Hush (Gabriel Mann) a new face… which happens to be his obsession; his former best friend and her cousin, Bruce Wayne (Warren Christie).
Tommy has always been jealous of Bruce and wants to be Batman. He aims to steal the Batsuit so he can become the new Bat of Gotham. He is still in cahoots with Alice.
3. Is Kate’s Identity As Batwoman Still A Secret?
Yes, Kate’s identity as Batwoman is still a secret to the public.
However, Alice, drunkenly tells her father that her sister is Batwoman. When Jacob refuses to acknowledge this fact as the truth, his evil daughter tells him to piece it together himself by saying that Bat Lady is gay and appears whenever Kate ‘disappears’.
Also, Julia finds a letter in Kate’s vault for Sophie (Meagan Tandy) which reveals to her [Sophie] that her former love was Batwoman and still loved her.
Finally, Ryan also learns that Batwoman is Kate because prior to Luke and Mary finding her, they are calling her name.
4. Is “Bruce” Uncovered To Be Tommy?
Yes, Tommy’s façade of being Bruce, doesn’t stay secret for long. Julia realises something is off when they begin talking via code about her father, Alfred who had the codename, The Eagle. If this were the real Bruce, he would’ve recognised what the moniker meant straight away.
Julia summons Luke (Camrus Johnson) and Mary and explains what she knows. She apologises to her friends because she knew how desperate they were to believe Bruce had returned to search for his cousin.
Luke than panics because he showed the fake Bruce the Batcave.
5. What Is Luke And Mary’s Reaction To Ryan Wearing The Batsuit?
Luke and Mary have similar reactions that end up differing over time. Fox’s opinion doesn’t really change because he doesn’t want someone else becoming Batwoman while Hamilton has one thought but it changed when she did research on Ryan, especially after she discovers that Wilder’s adoptive mother was killed by Alice’s gang. Catherine, her own mother was killed directly by Alice.
If anything, Luke blames himself for what happened to Kate because he was insistent that they find a way to destroy the Kryptonite. Seeing Ryan in the suit just makes it harder for him to accept that his close friend may not be coming home.
6. How Quickly Does Ryan Adapt To Kate’s Suit?
Ryan has a rough time with the suit as she activates the GPS which ultimately leads Luke, Mary, and later Tommy to her. Not to mention she sets off weapons and the night vision goggles accidentally.
7. Did Luke And/Or Mary Know About The Batmobile?
It’s assumed that Luke and Mary had no idea about the Batmobile even being in the Batcave. There’s no way Hamilton would’ve known about it. But, Fox seemed surprised so we can also assume there that he had no idea either.
Though, it was funny when Mary tells Luke to hack the Batmobile. That within itself is just comedy gold, especially since it came from her.
