The episode title for Batwoman's season 2 premiere indicates it will address Kate Kane's disappearance. The CW show will undergo a major change this season following star Ruby Rose's departure. Rose was the Arrowverse's original Batwoman before shocking viewers with news of her exit earlier this year. The show made the decision to create an entirely new leading character, Ryan Wilder, who will eventually step into Kate's shoes as Batwoman. Javicia Leslie will play Ryan, who promises to be a very different sort of hero from Kate. Leslie's casting was widely praised, with even Rose expressing her excitement.
Almost immediately after Rose's announcement, viewers worried Kate would be killed off the show. Luckily, showrunner Caroline Dries promptly assuaged their concerns, citing the "Bury Your Gays" trope and reassuring fans it wouldn't happen on Batwoman. At the time, she also called Kate's disappearance one of season 2's mysteries, showing the character won't be forgotten. More recently, Dries said the Kate component of the season will be "shocking, awesome, and amazing."
Now, it seems Batwoman will address Kate's disappearance immediately. The CW recently revealed the titles of the first five episodes of season 2. The premiere is titled "Whatever Happened to Kate Kane?," giving Rose's character a direct shoutout. The following four episodes in season 2 will be "Prior Criminal History," "Bat Girl Magic!," "Fair Skin, Blue Eyes," and "Gore on Canvas."
Though it was already known season 2 would address Kate's departure, the overt reference to her in the title proves it will play a major role. The use of the word "whatever" instead of "what" is also interesting. It suggests Kate has been gone awhile, which is probably the best time to start season 2. Setting it a few months after her disappearance will give the characters time to process, making them more open to the idea of a new Batwoman. Luckily, viewers have already had quite a bit of time to digest the character swap.
The other episode titles are a little harder to decipher. "Bat Girl Magic!" is a play on "Black Girl Magic" and could mean Ryan suits up for the first time in that episode. "Fair Skin, Blue Eyes" could be a reference to Kate's sister, Alice, whose role on the series will be deeply affected by Kate's disappearance. "Prior Criminal History" and "Gore on Canvas" don't relate to anything specific, so it will be interesting to see what those episodes are about when Batwoman season 2 premieres in January.
Source: The CW