Gotham, Metropolis, Central City and Star City. All of these places from the DC Universe have one thing in common: they are dependent on the superheroes that protect them. But what happens when one of those superheroes disappears? After Batman’s disappearance, Gotham City is in shambles, gang rule permeates the city, a private security firm has taken over policing and the citizens are afraid to go outside. Out of this hopeless landscape steps Kate Kane (Ruby Rose), also known as Batwoman, cousin to Batman and new protector of Gotham. The pilot of new superhero show “Batwoman” promises an action-packed first season and exceptional LGBT inclusion, but it also lacks a clarity in the plot that will hopefully be improved upon in further episodes.

Immediately, the audience is drawn into the conflict of Gotham city when a villain named Alice (Rachel Skarsten), a creepy parody of Alice in Wonderland, kidnaps Sophie Moore (Meagan Tandy), a member of the security group the Crows, who also happens to be Kate Kane’s ex-girlfriend. Kate herself is in the middle of training to become a member of the Crows, when she gets the call about Sophie and runs back to Gotham to find her. In an epic action sequence, Kate rushes into Alice’s lair, only to get kidnapped herself.

Surrounding the storyline in the present are flashbacks to Kate’s past, detailing how her sister and mother were killed in a car accident and how Batman was unable to save them. Unfortunately, the flashbacks are far too sporadic for it to make much sense until the very last scene. While the feeling of everything coming together at the end is satisfying, it does not quite make up for the confusion it causes the viewers in the first part of the episode.

Despite the plot confusion, the show’s lead actress Ruby Rose shines, portraying the first lesbian superhero as a leading television role. Rose, a part of the LGBT community herself, highlights the struggles of Kate Kane’s experience at military school under a “don’t ask don’t tell” policy and the emotional repercussions of that policy. While other shows of the same franchise have had LGBT side characters, “Batwoman” stands out for its unapologetically gay leading role. Rose’s accurate, beautiful and human protrayal of a lesbian heroine will serve as a role model to both young girls and LGBT youth for years to come. 

Overall, the pilot episode of “Batwoman” shows great promise for the rest of the season. While the plot of the first episode was a bit confusing, it could very easily be clarified in future episodes and the intense action and mystery is sure to keep the audience on its toes. Finally, Batwoman will go down in history as the television’s first lesbian superhero and Ruby Rose’s award winning performance of Kate Kane and Batwoman stands out as unique and truly human. Although one episode is not very indicative of a whole season, the show promises to be epic and will hopefully continue for many seasons to come.