Since her introduction to the Arrowverse, Ryan Wilder (Javicia Leslie) has opened The CW’s Batwoman to new opportunities, taking the show in a completely different direction. She’s a character that offers more to those around her than the leads of the majority of the other Arrowverse projects, which Batwoman never fails to prioritize. Despite her story being partially held back by Kate’s disappearance and the mystery surrounding that, which enveloped the characters and overtook a significant portion of Ryan’s inaugural season, Ryan Wilder has stood tall as the new Crimson Knight. And, she’s done things that Kate Kane (Ruby Rose and Wallis Day) never could and/or would if she were still calling the shots.
The Changes on Batwoman
One particular aspect of Batwoman that has changed for the better with Ryan’s introduction is the character dynamics. Kate was really the thing holding the show together, but the writers managed to shift things and make supporting characters more dependent on each other as they gradually built relationships with Ryan. The relationship with Ryan and Alice (Rachel Skarsten), the series’ primary antagonist, was the biggest question mark for viewers when it was announced Ryan was taking over as the series’ protagonist. Given that Alice is Kate’s twin, it was unimaginable to think how this could possibly challenge the beautifully complicated relationship between the Kane sisters. Somehow, they managed, and it’s really changed the show.
The dynamic is even more complex now between Batwoman and Alice. Ryan has no qualms about stopping Alice, which is something that held Kate back repeatedly. Likewise, Alice has no hesitation when it comes to Ryan getting in her way. The tension is much higher, and their actions far more unpredictable. Every interaction is provoking in some way, as there’s very little these women won’t do or say to each other.
On a similar note, Ryan’s relationships with Luke, Mary, and Sophie have really helped all of the characters shine. They were relatively unexplored characters outside of their relationships with Kate, but Ryan’s introduction allowed them each to grow. They all had to get to know one another (and try to like each other) without the glue that bonded them together before. Real friendships and partnerships blossomed, which likely never would have been the case with Kate around given Mary and Sophie’s long-standing relationships with her.
Honestly, the only aspect that hasn’t been improved by Ryan’s initiation as Batwoman is the Kane family, which was barely tied together by Kate. Given this, the show has successfully reworked itself and, while Alice remains a cornerstone of the Batwoman experience, the Kane family is no longer the center of importance. Instead, the show is leaning into the found family trope, which is something more beloved by fans, even for Mary as a member of the Kane family herself.
What Ryan Wilder Has Added to the Arrowverse
Batwoman Season 1 felt like just another superhero show on The CW. Was it enjoyable? Yes. It did shine in some very particular areas, but ultimately was in the shadow of its predecessors and rather immediately felt like the other shows that we’ve been watching for years. Kate Kane’s journey as a hero checked all of the boxes, offering little more except decent representation to the overarching Arrowverse in the grand scheme of things.
This changed when Ryan Wilder became the vigilante. Coming from a life of bouncing around the foster care system after her mother supposedly died while giving birth to her (after the Season 2 finale, it’s questionable if this is the truth), Ryan has seen the darkest parts of Gotham. She’s been with the people that are continuously screwed over and overlooked by the heroes, the ones left to pick up the pieces on their own while the heroes only protect those who are better off (financially, at least).
Over the years, the other major Arrowverse shows have each had their primary choice of villains: Arrow had Oliver Queen stopping rich people that were destroying his city, The Flash has Barry and company chasing after metahumans, and Supergirl has the Super Friends stopping aliens from evaporating National City. But, until recently with Supergirl Season 6, Episode 12, these TV shows have never taken the time to focus on those in their cities that do not have the same luxuries. The closest would have to be Arrow, but Oliver’s mission was never really to protect the citizens being exploited; it was solely to stop the villains exploiting the citizens, the people he could relate to as someone from a life of privilege.
While Ryan is still stopping a mix of villains, her intention as a hero is building Gotham back to be a safer, kinder place, one where those who are currently growing up like she did have a chance to thrive and make a new life for themselves. It’s a side of superheroism that hasn’t been focused on in quite this way in the major Arrowverse shows (though Black Lightning definitely had their own way of tackling it).
Ryan’s backstory and intention as a hero make her more relatable to the people watching, too. Very few people can relate to Oliver Queen’s life of luxury (where he started), nor could they relate to Kate Kane the billionaire. The appeal of Ryan Wilder from the start was that she’s a person who has been screwed over by the powers that be, and she’s stepping up to make a difference. Given what’s going on in the real world, Ryan’s passion for social justice and the many issues accompanying that feel genuinely heartfelt… something that often feels forced on the other major Arrowverse shows (excluding the recent Supergirl episode, “Blind Spots,” co-written by star Azie Tesfai). We’re seeing glimpses into the justice system and the incredible injustices that are perpetrated, like Ryan being falsely accused and imprisoned for drugs that weren’t hers.
All-around, Ryan has improved the stories that the show is telling, the characters, and has separated the show from any other like it. It’s easy to root for Ryan as a hero, to understand where she’s coming from, and to see her mission come to life. Ryan’s a hero for everyone. She’s a grounded, empathetic, and funny character with a real mission that is actively coming to fruition (mostly) on-screen to give back to her community and actually change Gotham from the dank, depressing hole it has always been, something neither Kate Kane nor Bruce Wayne have done. She’s there to help those that other heroes do not see as easily with the privilege they’ve always had, opening up new opportunities and giving the show a chance to really be in a superhero league of its own.
While other heroes have their own sad backstories, they’re usually so fixated on those that the life of a superhero is their reprieve from their trauma. Something that separates Ryan is she genuinely wants to be a hero. She’s open to finding creative solutions to stop villains and actually clean up her city, which alone separates her from the other major heroes. Simply put, there is no other character like Ryan Wilder.
Batwoman Season 3 premieres on Wednesday, October 13 at 9 p.m. ET on The CW. The first two seasons are streaming on HBO Max.