How Batwoman Wrote Off Ruby Rose After Star’s Sudden Departure

The episode title for “Batwoman’s” Season 2 premiere may have been “What Happened to Kate Kane?” — but the hour didn’t quite answer that question.

Viewers and critics alike were wondering how the CW series would address the sudden departure of star Ruby Rose, who played the titular superhero throughout the show’s first season and quit just before filming began for S2. While the network confirmed Javicia Leslie’s Ryan Wilder would take up the mantle, nobody knew how that transition would go down.

Luckily, the season premiere tackled that right from the jump.

The hour opened with Kane Kane’s plane crashing outside of Gotham City, with half the plant aircraft hitting an embankment where Ryan was living out of her fan, while the other careened into the river.

Looking for survivors, instead she found Kate’s Batsuit — taking it and running while Luke (Camrus Johnson), sister Mary (Nicole Kang), dad Jacob Kane (Dougray Scott), fake Bruce Wayne (Warren Christie) and Sophie (Meagan Tandy) all tried to find a very-much missing Kate.

No body was ever found, with authorities believing she drowned in the river and shifting their search from rescue mission to recovery. We learned the plane on which Kate was flying had a recalled engine part.

Throughout the episode, viewers also learned a bit more about Ryan’s story — including her past doing time for a crime she didn’t commit and her mother’s death at the hands of Alice’s Wonderland gang. Ryan also seemed quite at home in the suit, beating up a few evil minions and Faux Bruce with ease on her first nights on the job.

Both Sophie and Jacob also finally learned all about Kate’s secret, superhero alter-ego, while Safiyah gave Alice a note claiming responsibility for whatever happened to the real Batwoman.

It seems the mystery around Kate’s actual whereabouts will continue throughout the season. With no body, it’ll be interesting to see whether Rose shows up some point later in the season — either dead or alive — for one final appearance.

“Batwoman” airs Sundays on The CW.