This week, The CW finally kicked off its “Super Season” with premieres for both The Flash and Black Lightning. Had you also tuned in, then you’re already aware of how each are off to phenomenal starts. In fact, I even had the privilege of screening the former in advance of its air date, giving it five stars.
Unfortunately, though, not as many people showed up to the party this time around, despite those who did applauding the efforts witnessed on social media. Perhaps the lack of enthusiasm is due to over-saturation of the superhero genre on television or stiff competition given by the American Music Awards, but the reality of the matter is that ratings are down.
In the case of The Flash, season 5’s premiere received a 0.8 rating in adults between the ages of 18 and 49, down from the 1.1 rating posted by season 4’s premiere last fall. To be fair, that’s kind of an average score for the series, but one would think subsequent installments will draw even less viewers.
When it came to Black Lightning, the debut episode for its sophomore year scored a 0.4 in the same demographic, down from the 0.8 season 1 started out with. Not only that, but it marked a series low, something that may not bode well for the future of a show I’ve really come to love.
Right now, all we can to is continue watching and showing our support, hoping that others in the same boat do likewise. If some folks decided to check out early, it’s their loss, but this again speaks volumes about the aforementioned over-saturation. Ratings for superhero shows have been steadily declining over the course of the past few years, but instead of staying put and sticking with what works, networks keep piling on more. We’ll just have to wait and see if Batwoman will reinvigorate the genre, or if it’ll have arrived too late in the game.
The Flash and Black Lightning both air on Tuesday nights on The CW.