Showrunner Caroline Dries explains why [SPOILER] was written off the show.

By Chancellor Agard
June 27, 2021 at 10:01 PM EDT

Warning: This article contains spoilers for the Batwoman season 2 finale.

Batwoman is losing another member of the Kane family.

EW has learned that original cast member Dougray Scott - who played Jacob, father to Kate Kane (Wallis Day), Mary (Nicole Kang), and Alice (Rachel Skarsten) - has left the CW superhero drama after two seasons. The actor was absent from the final two episodes of season 2, and episode 16, "Rebirth," was his final outing. That installment ended with Jacob, who disbanded the Crows and was arrested for aiding the villainous Alice, being transferred to Metropolis to await trial.

"Having Dougray Scott as Jacob Kane on Batwoman was incredibly special for all of us," showrunner Caroline Dries said in a statement. "An actor with his pedigree and reputation elevates any project, and he had great chemistry with his castmates. We loved telling Commander Kane's story for the last two seasons, and we will always leave the door open to have him return. We wish him the very best!" 

Dougray Scott as Jacob Kane on 'Batwoman'
| Credit: Bettina Strauss/The CW

When EW interviewed Dries about the finale, she said that writing Jacob off felt like the natural conclusion to the Crows story line.

"The character obviously had a really intense story line," she said, referencing Jacob's grief over the loss of his daughter and his subsequent Snakebite addiction. "The story was just lending itself of wrapping up the Crows because we took such a hard stance against police brutality this season and really used the Crows to represent the metaphor of that. For us, the story could really only end to Ryan's satisfaction [if the Crows were] shut down completely. To us, there was no version of the Crows that could exist that felt okay; that felt like a compromise."

Dries continued: "Once we kind of made that decision - and obviously Kate isn't staying on the show - this character of Jacob had sort of run its course, for better or for worse, through that story line. So it worked out that it was mutual [with Scott]. We ended up being able to really write to a good ending for Jacob, just kind of knowing in advance that's what we were going to do. I'm very pleased with how that story line worked out for him. It allowed us to give Dougray some really rich stuff toward the end."

As Dries alluded to, Jacob isn't the only Kane who departed the show this season. In the season 2 finale, Kate - who was portrayed by Day following Ruby Rose's abrupt departure last season - announced she was leaving Gotham to find her missing cousin Bruce Wayne after getting her memories back. Meanwhile, Alice ended season 2 behind bars in Arkham Asylum, taunting Batwoman 2.0, Ryan Wilder (Javicia Leslie), with the knowledge that her biological mother is actually alive.

With both Jacob and Kate gone, Alice and Mary only have each other left, which is kind of awkward since the former killed the latter's mother in season 1. (Never a dull moment in the Kane family!)

"What will be fun in season 3 is really rejuvenating this relationship between Mary and Alice," Dries said. "She is literally the last person there is for her family. Likewise for Alice, Mary is the last one there is. So they will find that they have this common thing, but they also don't care for each very much. It'll make a very fun dynamic."

The third season of Batwoman will premiere Wednesday, Oct. 13, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on the CW.

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