Gotham Knights has officially been canceled at the CW. This is by far the least surprising cancellation of the season. When the trailer was released, many immediately dismissed it as another soap opera CW show. Unfortunately, fans were ultimately right as Gotham Knights was another bubble gum soap opera coated in Batman’s lore. It’s a shame too because the premise of the series is good. What would happen if someone killed Batman?
Batman is the most notable representation of hope and justice. Gotham would be in a constant state of chaos and anarchy if a villain successfully pulled off an impressive feat. It could be a compelling murder mystery that expands the lore of Gotham and the DCEU as a whole. This being a television series, there were other plot points beyond the main narrative.
Overall though, Gotham Knights was just not a good show. It all comes back to the writing, so even if Dick Grayson or Jason Todd was at the center of the series, then it wouldn’t have made the CW show any better. However, it did tip off fans that this was just another cash cow trying to capitalize off of Batman’s lore.
It Overcasts The Shadow Of More Important DC Characters
One of the biggest issues superhero shows of this nature have is that they can’t escape the shadow of their title character. In this case, it’s Batman. It doesn’t help Joker has a daughter who mostly mirrors the clown prince of darkness. Gotham Knights needed a strong DC character that fans could easily invest in. Robin would’ve been the perfect fit.
There are so many directions the show could’ve gone with Robin at the forefront. It could’ve been Dick Grayson and the Teen Titans. Or the murderous Damian Wayne. The series could’ve tapped into his psychopathic nature and crafted something truly compelling out of his revenge story. Carrie Kelley is the Robin of this universe. She doesn’t get a chance to shine though. The story isn’t about her, so the series never truly explores her character even though she’s more interesting than the lead.
It doesn’t matter if was Jason Todd or Tim Drake, there’s some much potential in tapping into the Batman lore that it makes no sense the writers opted to create a new character. It makes the show seem cheap, by not fully using the DC lore and it comes across as a fan-made imitation.
The Problem With Turner Hayes
Perhaps the CW writer’s hands were tied because of copyright and legal reasons. There hasn’t been any confirmation on why Turner Hayes was created. If Gotham Knights is going to use the lore of Batman, they should’ve used names close to the Dark Knight. There were plenty of compelling characters to choose from. Alfred or Selina Kyle would’ve been interesting as well. Nothing against Oscar Morgan, but he just seemed like anything CW pretty boy from the network’s stereotypical list of teen dramas.
Batman dies pretty early in the first episode. We don’t get to see the dynamic between him and Hayes. Meaning, important context is missing since Hayes is also being accused of murdering Batman/Bruce Wayne. We don’t understand whether he truly loved his adopted father. Nor does there feel like there was even a genuine connection between the two. The story often falls flat because the writers skipped over a crucial part of the story that was necessary for Turner’s development.
There’s no comic book information to fall back on so Hayes is a bland shade of gray character with little depth. The supporting characters don’t fare that much better except Duela Dent, Joker’s daughter. Harvey Dent is also a solid hand in the series. Sadly, those two aren’t enough to cover for Turner’s miscast as the lead of Gotham Knights.
Gotham Knights Felt Like A Cheap Imitation Of A DC Show
There are plenty of DC references and easter eggs throughout the entire season of Gotham Knights. However, this goes back to these characters being consistently overshadowed by their infamous counterparts. The CW isn’t particularly connected to the main DCEU. So they’re allowed to get away with big plot holes such as, why isn’t the Justice League stepping in? Or why aren’t the primary villains of the DC universe taking over Gotham City? Even Fox’s Gotham series took full advantage of their DC lore.
That show was a beautiful mess. But it genuinely felt like it was truly Gotham. That famed city has a unique distinction that separates it from other comic book towns. It isn’t just about the violence in the fictional town. It’s about the characters and their villainy overall. Take away the DC references and Gotham Knights feels like another Riverdale or any of teen drama show on the network. Gotham Knights had an interesting premise. It’s all about execution however and the CW drama just couldn’t live up to the rich and colorful world of Batman.
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