In another time, or on another network, Gotham Knights could have been a very successful new addition to DC TV. The new CW drama offers a fresh, CW-ized take on TV Batman, minus the bat himself, that combines the mythology people know with an alt-universe version of that mythology that most casual viewers probably don’t. The end result, based on the six episodes made available by the CW, is a show with a lot of information that needs to be dispatched quickly–including the murder of Batman–at a time when the network it’s on seems to be closing the door on DC superheroes. And that’s disappointing, because once you’re done trudging through all of the exposition, Gotham Knights is a fun ride.
In this story, Batman was murdered with the same gun used to kill his parents, and a gang of three plucky teen criminals–led by Duela (Olivia Rose Keegan), daughter of the Joker–have been framed for the crime, though they claim they were only hired to steal the gun. The money they were paid traces back to none other than Bruce Wayne’s adopted son, Turner Hayes (Oscar Morgan), who didn’t put out a hit on the dad he didn’t even know was Batman. Wayne family friend Harvey Dent (Misha Collins) has a political career that depends on catching Batman’s killer, so Turner goes underground as a fugitive with Duela and her sibling friends Harper (Fallon Smythe) and Cullen (Tyler DiChiara).
The gang are helped by hacker (and daughter of Cluemaster) Stephanie (Anna Lore) and Batman protege Carrie “Robin” Kelley (Navia Robinson). While the teens, lacking any of Batman’s money or tech, carry out various heists to try to figure out who is actually responsible, a mysterious, evil secret society called the Court of Owls operates in the shadows.