It seems as if we are moving in the wrong direction. Think what you will of Jerome but at least he was fun to watch. This week Gotham had the fun sucked out of it by a consistency roller coaster. Not to mention the tonal problems that Gotham has had since day one. Gordon got a new boss, Alfred struck a minor and endangered another, Nigma got lucky with Kringle, and Penguin started a War with the GCPD under duress.
Lets start with the good, its always nice to see Penguin, like a lighthouse off the coast of a foggy beach Penguin has always been Gotham’s most interesting and best-performed character in a sea of Christopher Nolan and Tim Burton production mash ups. Robin Lord-Taylor did great again this week as he met with Mr. Galavant and was offered in on his big plan to rebuild the rubble that is Gotham City. And Rightly so Penguin said no. Because he’s a different sort of criminal. He’s not Jerome; he wants to create greatness from the scraps that the city throws away. But before he was able to walk out Theo had other ideas leading him to reveal that he is holding Penguins mom prisoner. In what looks like that room from the matrix were God lived – I don’t remember those movies. – So this led penguin on a murder spree that was at best confusing.
Can’t Look away from that beautiful bald head.
Sure I understand Penguin now on board and willing to do Galavant’s bidding. But why on earth would HE commit the murder! Doesn’t he have people for that? I mean for god sakes he sent Zsasz on the next assassination so why not kill two birds with one stone, literately. Because eventually and obviously the police were led right to him. And then there was the murder itself. Penguin pulls a knife and the Mayor to say “I am a mother!” in terror, and then he proceeds to stab her in the throat spraying blood against the glass multiple times. That scene is on many levels horrific but so much more over the top in terms of what this show is normal. Sure Penguin is desperate but he shouldn’t be taking joy in this or fact doing it himself. Let Butch do it or something.
Galavant had his hands in plenty of pots this week. And one was Bruce Wayne’s. And he introduced Bruce and us to Silver St. Cloud. An often paramour to older Bruce Wayne from the comics.
The woman with a heart of gold that is more often than not surrounded by evil. She gave nothing really to the episode as a whole. She looked beautiful but ultimately didn’t say anything of important. In fact, the camera hung on her a lot but I assume she will be used as a pawn in an upcoming episode for Bruce. When you talk about Bruce on this show, its hard not to also mention Alfred and usually their relationship is a strong spot for this show but today was a rough one for Alf. He first slapped Selina and told her to stay away from Bruce. And then he left Bruce Alone with Theo Galavant the big bad of the year and also just a stranger.
Getting shot at? no problem i’ll just continue my speech.
Galavant’s ultimate plan is pretty similar to an Evil Bruce Wayne’s plan. He wants to rebuild Gotham. But Mr. Galavant is going about it on a much more dastardly and ruthless level. He is also having a three-way relationship with Barbara and his sister it seems, so things are looking up. But that also Brings up that fact that he has ‘Big Plans’ for her. So in the mean time she just makes out with people. It’s really disappointing to see Barbara just not used at all. Erin Richards was so crazy and good in the Premier I wonder why we don’t get to see more of her. I’d certainly take more of her than this weird Riddler Romance with the most clueless Secretary – I think? – In the world.
But the big shake up at the GCPD was seeing Michael Chiklis storm in their and take no prisoners. He wants to clean up Gotham and is being very loud about that fact. That’s what gives Gordon his ‘Strike Force’ a group of young ‘don’t know any better’ cadets willing to take a bullet for this dump. And surprisingly they won! Or at least they beat Zsasz into submission then he ran away. That’s about as much a victory as Gotham City will ever get. Chiklis was good in his first ep firing a few corrupt cops, but overall he wasn’t able to save this episode.
The longer this goes on, the more I think we will just have to accept that Gotham has no idea what it wants to do or say on a constant basis. This show is a lot like Butch this week. We find out he’s bipolar as if that explains his manic and poorly written character. It worked with Barbara writers, but you can’t just explain away a shitty character by saying he or she has a mental illness. The Cons outweigh the Pros this week as Gotham Still struggles to understand the world it has created.
