It looks like June 27 will be the end for Gotham Knights, as news came today that The CW has canceled Gotham Knights. Unless we hear news of a pickup elsewhere — which didn’t happen for other recently-canceled CW shows — we won’t be getting a Gotham Knights Season 2.
The notion that this news came during Pride Month makes this news even more tragic — Gotham Knights may have had the most diverse LGBTQ+ character roster on any broadcast network, and that was one of several things that made this show stand out to those who gave it a chance.
Yes, a Batman/Gotham show without Batman is a tough sell. Yes, the first trailer didn’t inspire confidence in some. But when the show came out, I think a lot of minds changed, as we met these characters and realized the show was…. actually really good!
Part of what worked with Gotham Knights was its very talented cast. Personally speaking, I loved that every character brought something unique as well as unique talents to the table. Having the opportunity to interview many members of this cast made the experience of the show even more fun. I mean, I got to do a video interview with Misha Collins… how cool is that? But the other cast members I’ve spoken to over the months — Tyler Dichiara, Olivia Rose Keegan, Rahart Adams, Anna Lore, and [very briefly] Oscar Morgan — were also all very cool people, as I’m sure the folks I didn’t get to talk to happened to be as well! Also, you’d better believe I’d love to talk to any of them again as well. But as I was saying… every character was potentially someone’s favorite, and I think that really worked in the show’s favor. The themes in this show, also, were identifiable, especially when you’re young and possibly dealing with a powerful legacy.
I’m disappointed for Natalie Abrams, one of the co-creators of this series and someone I’ve known for many years. She and I didn’t talk as much for a few years but Gotham Knights renewed our contact, and I was so proud of her for getting this to the screen, especially considering the aspects of her own life she brought to the show’s creation. At least there will hopefully be a Gotham Knights Blu-ray set to enjoy someday, but this show deserved so much more. Chad Fiveash and James Stotereaux — I’m sorry we didn’t get a chance to talk about this great series. You should all be proud.
Finally, again going back to the LGBTQ+ angle – I claim I’m not a shipper but how could you not root for Stephanie and Harper last week? Beyond that, I especially liked the way this series portrayed Cullen Row, one of my favorite characters of the show, and the best cop-impersonating master of disguise on the entire team.
There are still two episodes left to watch at the time of this writing. But again, thanks for reading, and thank you to the entire Gotham Knights team for a job well done. I, too, am disappointed, and hopefully this isn’t the end of the Knights’ story…. everything comes back eventually, right?
