Gotham Season One: Best and Worst

Just like with Arrow and The Flash here is a list of the highlights for Gotham.

Best

Gordon and Bullock: These two made one great team and I really like seeing them together solving the recent crime of the week. I like their banter, arguments, their different points of view on everything and I liked how they grow to trust one another over the course of the season.

Villain and Hero origins: It is great seeing a live action and different take on the origins of some of Batman's heroes and villains. Every week I eagerly await this show because I just want to see which villain or hero is next to be seen.

Alfred: Sean Pertwee has always been such a great actor and the perfect choice to play the younger, no nonsense Alfred who kicks some serious ass!
 
Penguin: The best young version of a Batman villain in Gotham; a highlight in every episode and a scene stealer!

Bruce and Selina: Another great team in Gotham, these two are just so great together. I like how they learn from one another because they are from different social classes and I enjoy the episodes when they partner up.

The Red Hood episode: One my favourite episodes of the season; the Red Hood Gang was really funny, I liked the Alfred subplot and I found it interesting that they treated the Red Hood itself as some kind of cursed item.

Great action moments: The fighting and shootouts have all been entertaining to watch, I'm glad they don't hold back on the violence too much.

The corrupt GCPD: It was always good throughout this season seeing Gordon stand up to the other cops, especially against Loeb towards the end of the season.

The original Ogre villain: The Ogre really worked as a villain; he had a great backstory, methods of killing (we didn't see any real bondage lol) and he was developed really well. Shame he was killed off at the end.

The Goat episode/Bullock Flashback: Bullock is one of my favourite characters and I liked that the episode focused on him. I also really liked the Flashback at the beginning because you can really see the difference between him then and now.

Gordon and Leslie: This relationship was a 1000 times better than when Gordon was with Barbara because there was no chemistry there. With these two however it worked so well and they come off as a far more convincing couple than Barbara ever did. You know I wouldn't be surprised if this was only supposed to be temporary but got so popular they kept them together because I have read many opinions on this and they want Barbara out of here!

Nygma's decent into madness: I know for the beginning of the season he was a side character who was also comic relief but near the end when he killed you can really see him taking the first step to a villain. I hope he actually becomes the Riddler during season two and maybe Kringle will join him as a Harley Quinn kind of companion.


Worst

Fish: Everyone knows I hate Fish because she was an original character that just did not work in Gotham. Jada Pinkett Smith is just a terrible actress, Fish herself is really stupid in the things she did and I hated that the series had to try and fit her into every plot. The few episodes near the end that didn't feature her proved that the show did not need her at all, I am glad she was killed off and I hope she never comes back.

Barbara: Now on to Barbara who is as stupid as Fish and I hated everything she did; from her forced lesbian subplot, drinking, drugs and I always got the feeling she blamed Gordon for everything even though it is all her fault. I know her faults is her crucible to move past but I said this about Arrow's Thea and Laurel and I am saying it now; I have no sympathy or care much for a character who goes through drinking and drugs as a crucible. It is a waste of time and the character (mostly women for some reason) act like complete bitches. Then of course Barbara killed her parents and tired to kill Leslie and I honestly don't know if they can bring her back from this so I hope she is gone forever like Fish.  

Montoya: The character who started Barbara on the path of ruin; she was incredibly annoying whenever she was on screen and I just hated that she kept going after Gordon in the beginning. I am just really glad that she was barely in the season so I hope the writers decided to drop her character.

The death of Maroni and the departure of Falcone: Two awesome characters and mob bosses whose exit from the show left something to be desired. First off I really liked Maroni because like Penguin he was a bit of a scene stealer whenever he was on screen but no he freaking had to be killed off by Fish at the end just because he said a few wrong words to her. Then there is Falcone that I think the show portrayed him as weaker as he should be; he is supposed to be the big boss of Gotham yet characters (like Fish) seem to one up him and then he just leaves at the end.

Butch and Dent were underused: Two great characters who should have had more screen time because Dent is one of my favourite Batman characters and Butch was way more interesting than Fish.

Selina in the finale: She is one of my favourite characters but the way she was in the finale was just plain annoying and it was thanks to bloody Fish! The gave her a stupid look and made her act too differently and it was probably all so they can portray Fish as this great leader.

Fish ruined the Dollmaker subplot: Colm Feore is one of my favourite actors and I was glad when he was cast as the Dollmaker, buy why oh why did his plot have to be a part of Fish's! He was really built up in the second episode but most of the time Fish hogged all the screen time doing her stupid mutiny with the prisoners which was just so boring.

There you have it a list of the best and worst of Gotham season one in my opinion. I probably missed a lot buy these are the ones that just really stood out as I was writing this list.

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;





http://screencapped.net/   

Gotham Season One: All Happy Families Are Alike

 

 

Gordon, Bullock and the GCPD work to stop the gang war between Falcone and Maroni however Fish returns to town to take it all.

 

Well what the finale proved is that the character of Fish should never have been created. Besides her stupid, ugly new appearance she killed off one of Gotham's best characters, Maroni, for the stupidest reason ever; honestly she just couldn't take being called babe? After everything with Maroni he is now gone because he said the wrong things to the wrong woman, was this supposed to prove how strong and independent Fish is or something? Then there was Selina joining Fish which I just hated because she is way better than Fish but no she had to be brought down to her level for this episode. Fish just bloody ruins everything and I jumped with joy when she was finally killed off (even her awful actress said she isn't returning) but even so I am annoyed that she has been a part of season one and when I get the DVD I am skipping all her scenes! I wanted to add that I loved Penguin's moment as he shouted he was king of gotham after killing Fish, so we'll done and I definitely hope to see him as more of a boss in season two. It is because of this that I really wish Maroni was not killed off because he could have been a cool nemesis for Penguin; why? freaking why did such a great character/actor had to go like that? What p***k decided this was for the best!? Soz for going off like that but Maroni was one of the best parts of Gotham and he should have killed Fish.

 

As for everything else the action/shootouts was a major highpoint because the one in the hospital with Gordon and ones at that warehouse with all the gangs where great. I was disappointed that Falcone is now leaving because now both bosses are gone now and Falcone's reason just came out of nowhere. Other parts that I liked was Bruce searching his father's study for clues because we got a teaser for the Batcave which I am excited to see in season two plus this gave us a glimpse of Bruce's detective skills. I also liked the moment with Nygma because it showed him descending into insanity even more and Kringle finding the clue was great because in the comics The Riddler wants you to find them. Once again I hope for more scenes involving these two in the next season because I just think they work great together. Finally the other major let down besides Fish was the moments with Barbara and Leslies because they where just boring filler and in the end we found out what I already knew; Barbara is just one weak, crazy b***h. Now I really do not think she can come back from this and I really hope this is the writers way of getting rid of her character (she is has to get locked away forever for her murders) so Leslie can now completely be the main female lead.

 

Overall this wasn't the best season finale I have seen because they where let down by two character who never should have been on Gotham; Fish and Barbara. I just hope this is the end of both of them now because I hate them and their actresses, I just freaking hate them!

 

SCORE: 6/10

 

Highlights: The action/shootouts, especially Gordon's in the hospital

                   Penguin as King of Gotham/death of Fish

                   Bruce/Nygma moments

 

Let - Downs: Fish just ruins everything

                      Selina joining Fish

                      Boring filler with Barbara

                      Both big bosses of Gotham are now gone 

 

 

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;

 

 





http://screencapped.net/  

Gotham Season One: Under The Knife

"So what first?"

Gordon continues his investigation on the Ogre meanwhile Bruce takes Selina to a charity ball to steal something important and Nygma finally loses it.

This episode is a prime example that the show can move on normally without having a stupid Fish subplot just shoved in there and wasting a lot of precious screen time. Gordon still continues his investigation despite the dangers and it was cool to see him confronting the killer by making a statement on TV. I am really liking the Ogre because he has been a well developed character with an intriguing backstory; the mother issues, the killing of love ones and his plastic surgery. It has only been two episodes but he has been woven nicely into the lore of Gotham, so well done on this plot so far. Gotham is at it's best when Gordon and Bullock are working together on a case because I really enjoying watching them slowly put the pieces together, like linking the Ogre's old deformed face to the plastic surgery clinic at the beginning, it is a lot of fun to watch. Then there is Barbara becoming involved in the Ogre plot and while I still don't care or feel any sympathy for this whiny, drunken character I guess I am interested to see where this goes; will she aide the Ogre now? As for the BDSM that did come out of no where and I guess it might be little reference to Fifty Shades of Grey, at least that is what some people who commented on this episode think. Now I have never read the book or watched the film (which I have heard is so disappointing and not sexy at all) but it has been talked to death so I know the jist of it. So I wonder how far and how graphic they are going to go with this?

You know Selina when Bruce grows up he isn't going to tolerate stealing that much 

As for everything else again it is always great to see Bruce and Selina working together and I liked seeing them at the charity ball (probably a nod to The Dark Knight Rise). I also liked the talk they had about Reginald's murder because it is there mind - set as Batman and Catwoman; Batman will never kill but Catwoman will do it if she must. Then there where the scenes with Maroni, Penguin and Penguin's mom and it was cool to see Maroni taking a stab at Penguin in a way he didn't expect and probably hurt him more. Plus it was also funny seeing Penguin lose it with the delivery man and just kill him with that shard of glass lol. Speaking of murder it seems that Nygma has crossed over to the realm of insanity by killing the officer who was abusing Kringle. The whole way he reacted at the end was great because it was like he was glad but still shocked and horrified at the same time but still Nygma has been pushed around by cops throughout the season so I guess he just lost it. I hope in Season Two he becomes full on Riddler because he is a villain that doesn't have to wait Batman; he doesn't have super powers or ice guns he is someone that the police could realistically go after too.

Got a riddle for this Nygma?

Overall a great continuation on the Ogre plot and I hope it is a big arc that doesn't end any time soon.

SCORE: 9/10

Highlights: Gordon vs. Ogre/throwing Barbara into the mix
                   Bruce and Selina at the charity ball
                   Nygma killing the cop

Let - Down: Don't really care for the bondage stuff shoved in at the end because it is not like they are going to be able to show anything on an 20:00pm show lol


The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;





http://screencapped.net/    

Gotham Season One: Beasts Of Prey

"We are so screwed man"

Gordon and Bullock investigate a serial killer who calls himself the Ogre (Milo Ventimiglia) who targets young women meanwhile Fish plots her escape and Bruce and Selina confront Reginald.

Seems like Loeb isn't one to simply let Gordon have his way as he set up a really subtle and elaborate trap for Gordon, playing on his need to improve to GCPD and be an example of a good cop. I have to say that it was really well done; I liked the realization Gordon had that it was a trap and challenging Loeb anyway and taking on the case despite the big risks involved. I also found the Ogre very interesting because he is an original villain for the show but has been done right, far better than Fish! His past crimes and retaliation on the families of the GCPD was woven into the story nicely and it is good that this is another serial killer since the Goat Killer that scares them. As for the Ogre himself he was pretty damn creepy; the way he uses his good looks, money and apartment to capture that poor woman who must not have seen it coming and it was interesting that this was all done in flashbacks. I'm interested in seeing the showdown between Gordon and the Ogre because if he does come after a loved one will it be Leslie or maybe Barbara if his information is not up to date. All in all I am liking the start of this Ogre arc and it was a cool way of again showing the ruthlessness of Loeb towards anyone who messes with him.

"You take me to all the best places Bruce"

As for everything else I enjoyed watching Penguin continue to be really brutal with his methods, like cutting off a guy's fingers, and that it seems he wants to kill Maroni. Since Penguin can't kill Falcone right now maybe he thinks it will be easier to kill Maroni, take over his territory and then have the power and resources to take on Falcone. We also had another team up between Bruce and Selina and as I have said before I love it when these two are together because the chemistry between the two is just great. It was funny how Selina had to show Bruce that "Shooting Gallery" meant crack den not gun shop lol. We also got to see a more brutal side to Selina who decided to kill Reginald rather than let Bruce dirty his hands; it is a shame we won't see some showdown between Alfred and Reginald now but at least this was really unexpected. Finally there was Fish's escape from the island but I just don't freaking care anymore; even if I liked the character I would just be really let down with how pointless her arc is now. The only good things about her scenes is with The Dollmaker and with Fish gone maybe he will get his own story arc without her now.

At least this guy has a cool weapons collection

Overall a really great episode that was only let down by the Fish subplot and I want to see more of the Ogre.

SCORE: 8/10

Highlights: Loeb's revenge against Gordon/The Ogre debut
                   Penguin's plan
                   Bruce and Selina team up

Let - Downs: Anything that involves Fish



The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;





http://screencapped.net/            

Gotham Season One: Everyone Has A Cobblepot

"Taste my boom stick!"

Bruce deals with the aftermath of the attack on Alfred meanwhile Gordon investigates Commissioner Loeb and Fish meets Dr Dulmacher AKA The Dollmaker (Colm Feore).

Once again Gordon has to deal with the corruption in the GCPD and I really like it every time he does because there is always something different to deal with. I liked most of the plot where Gordon has to find a cache of blackmail because it reminded me of the plot to the game Watch Dogs and I really enjoyed that story. However I was disappointed with how it ended because I would have preferred files of blackmail to Loeb's crazy daughter; I don't know to me the whole reveal was kind of lacklustre. Fortunately is only a small disappointment because throughout this plot Gordon got to have some awesome team ups starting with Dent who it is great to see again. Then there was Bullock and in my opinion he has to most depth to him because of his dark past; sure he betrayed Gordon at first but he broke under the weight of all the corruption years ago. It was in interesting to learn he and Gordon are just one of many cops to be forced to murder a gangster so they will always have a black mark in their past. Finally there was Penguin and he was back to his old sly and sadistic self this episode whether it was forcing a favour from Gordon or getting the to old people to kill each other. Him running a night club is alright but this manipulative and dangerous Penguin is who I want to see more. As for Gordon himself though he is always going to be a beacon of justice it was different to see him being a bit shadier because whatever the blackmail was he was fully prepared to blackmail Loeb and gain from it.

Use your coin Dent!

As for everything else I defiantly liked Colm Feore as the Dollmaker because firstly he is one of my favourite actors, my favourite role for him is when he was Randall in Revolution, and he had this dark humour presence whenever he was on screen as Dulmacher. What he did to his manager was pretty damn gruesome and we get an explanation to why he is collecting body parts. I really hope we get to see more of him as an antagonist because the Dollmaker in the comics is a dark character however I hope in season two he gets a storyline without Fish because again I just don't care about her plight and they just keep finding excuses not to kill her. Nygma had some small scenes with Kringle but it wasn't really that significant which was kind of the same for Bruce's scenes as well. I do like his moments with Alfred and I want him to team up with Selina but I was hoping he would already be making a start into investigating Reginald but now we have to wait until next episode. However I won't mark it down for the Nygma and Bruce scenes because we only got a few of them; they weren't what I want but they weren't bad.

Wonder if we'll see the Dollmaker slice off any faces? Those who read the comics know what I'm talking about

Overall I really enjoyed the main plot with Gordon this episode and the debut of The Dollmaker.

SCORE: 8/10

Highlights: Gordon team up with Dent and Bullock

                   Penguin's last scene at the club

                   The Dollmaker

Let - Down: The big reveal of Loeb's blackmail

                     Fish's subplot

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;





http://screencapped.net/

Gotham Season One: Welcome Back, Jim Gordon

Good cops vs. Bad cops

When a key witness in a homicide ends up dead Gordon suspects it was an inside job by the GCPD, meanwhile Penguin take's over Fish's business and Fish herself is being tortured by Falcone's men.

An episode where we had to deal with the corrupt GCPD again and have read some reviews saying that they where annoyed that it was addressing this issue once again. I on the other hand am glad the villains where cops again because I think it needs more than one episode to reform the GCPD. For one Gordon really shined again in this because you just got to really like his portrayal to be unflinching in his sense of justice, especially when it seemed the narcotics squad was untouchable. I really liked Gordon's speech at the end to his fellow officers and how they, included Essen, supported him this time. However it didn't end too well for Gordon when he wonders if getting Penguin's help was such a good idea; I hope they don't just drop this in future episodes. The other big story that was going on was with Fish but I think her torture was completely wasted since they didn't do anything, even if I liked her I would still feel this way. However once again Fish's right hand man Butch really stood out with the way he freed himself, rescued Fish and got her to safety - the guy has some real iron loyalty. It annoys me that even though Fish's actress confirms she isn't returning for season two (hopefully killed off) I bet we are still going to have to go through some big story arc with her which will waste a lot of screen time when it should be given to Butch.

"I bet you'll probably never hear from Ivy or Selina again Master Bruce"

As for everything else it is always good to see Bruce and Alfred (their absence was even explained) and even though their scenes wasn't much it was still nice to see Alfred helping Bruce once again. Hopefully they will play a large part next episode, especially since Selina says she never saw the shooting in the first place. The scenes with Penguin and his mother didn't feel really important except at the end when he her said how he out foxed Fish however I always hate how afraid he is around her. Like he said he has already proved that he is better than her because of his big plan with Falcone and the fact he predicted all her plans; I just want him to kill her already because I think it's obvious Penguin will at the end (Penguin is canon to the comics while Fish is not). Finally Nygma's moments with Kringle are still really funny and it is great how he has his own small subplot not that tried to the main story. Oh yeah and it is always great seeing Zsaz being all badass once again and I really like his helpers in the show.

"Your two seconds off, you have to follow my movements exactly!"

Overall an enjoyable episode but that was mostly because of Gordon's main story arc.

SCORE: 6/10

Highlights: Gordon vs. the narcotics squad
                   Butch again proving to be good character

Let - Downs: Fish didn't get tortured
                      Could have had more Bruce and Alfred scenes
      

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;

 

 





http://screencapped.net/                          

Gotham Season One: Rogues Gallery/What the Little Bird Told Him

"You can assign me to this nuthouse but you can't break my spirit!"

Rogues Gallery: Gordon's reassignment to Arkham Asylum gets off to a bad start when an imate is murdered so he decides to investigate it. Meanwhile Selina and Ivy seek refuge in Gordon's apartment and Cobblepot, Now officially The Penguin, tries to gains more power.

What the Little Bird Told Him: Gordon tries to get his old job back by attempting the recapture Jack Gruber AKA The Electrocutioner (Christopher Heyerdahl) meanwhile Fish makes for move against Falcone but it may not be as easy as she thought it would be.

Finally Gotham is back and it felt like it took ages! Thought I'd review these two episodes together since they where aired together as a feature length episode in the UK and they are a two parter anyway. However I am quite busy this week so I will only be able to quickly do this review in bullet points listing the good and bad moments.

You should have accepted his offer Butch

Good

Arkham Asylum: In the comics the Asylum is like a character itself and they did a really good job of  adapting it in live action. I liked the whole hopeless atmosphere they gave it and the run down and gritty look from the undermanned staff to the fact it still looks barely built. Gordon was also great as a guard there and that he never gave up and I liked the character Dr Leslie (Morena Baccarin) who I think will be a way better love interest than Barbara who they have completely ruined.

The Electrocutioner: I don't know too much about this villain besides from the Arkham Origins games but I liked him in this because it was a really creepy portrayal and it was an interesting take that there are two of them in this episode. Glad he is still alive for another day and I liked the electricity effects and it was something different for Gordon and Bullock to face.

Some good humour: Penguin and Engma continue to provide some nice comedic moments, I like that they can do that but are not classed as just comic relief characters. We also got it from Selina and Ivy when they where breaking into Gordon's apartment and I really like those two young actresses so it was great they had some scenes in these two episodes.

Strong Butch subplot: It surprised me that Fish's right hand man had a decent story and dilemma to deal with, I knew he wasn't just a background character but I didn't know he would get a really good subplot.

Strong Falcone subplot: Another great subplot was with the Don himself and it was interesting seeing him struggling with the idea on whether or not his time in Gotham has really passed, but thanks to Zsaz and Penguin he got over that. It was quite brutal how he strangled Liza to death and I loved the look of Fish's face when she realized she lost.

Hope they bring him back in future episodes

Bad

Fish: I am always going to hate Fish and nothing is going to change that, if a lot of screen time is given to her in the episode than that just automatically puts her in my let downs and drag the score down. This two parter, especially the second episode, made me realize just how stupid her plan actually was with Liza and she never would have been a good Don anyway. I mean Falcone was right; papers don't make a Don and she really thought she would have been that simple? Unfortunately I doubt she will be killed off anytime soon so will are going to suffer her a little bit longer. Just want to mention that the actress of Fish has reported saying that she won't return for Season Two. First off I'm glad the show is renewed for season two but even more glad Fish isn't returning because she was just an awful character who was the one of the two bad things in a great show. I really hope she gets killed off (she should in the finale) but even if she doesn't at least we get a season free of this annoying cow.

Barbara: The second half of the two things that is bad with the show; a completely weak and worthless character who they have ruined. I hate every scene she is in and even though it looks like it's over I have hated this forced lesbian past/relationship they gave her since the beginning (and now they had to introduce drinking and drugs to it). What bothers me the most however is that she seems to take the morale damn high ground against Gordon all the time, like she hasn't done anything wrong and that it's all his fault.

The capture of The Electrocutioner: The character was really cool, as well as his methods and breaking into the GCPD but really, he was stopped by a cup of water that was barely half full?

You don't f**k with Falcone!

Overall this was a great two parter which sees Gordon now back on the force and ends that stupid Liza plan that wasn't going anywhere.

SCORE: 8/10

Highlights: The Electrocutiner
                   Arkham Asylum/Gordon's time there/Dr Leslie
                   Strong Butch/Falcone subplots

Let - Downs: Fish
                      Barbara
                      A cup of water saves the day

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;

 

 





http://screencapped.net/          

Gotham Season One: Harvey Dent

"Want to know the nickname they have for me?"

The episode begins with Gordon arriving home with Selina and finding out Barbara has left him meanwhile an insane bomb maker Ian Hargrove (Leslie Odom, Jr.) is taken by the Russian mob while in transport. Later Gordon takes Selina to Wayne Manor and convinces Bruce to let her stay because she can identity his parent's killer, he then meets with young assistant district attorney Harvey Dent (Nicholas D'Agosto) who believes a corrupt tycoon Dick Lovecraft is behind the Wayne murders. Meanwhile at Wayne Manor Selina watches Bruce train with Alfred and elsewhere Cobblepot breaks in to Liza's apartment. Gordon and Bullock question Ian's brother who blames the Mayor and the system for not getting Ian any help however Ian is later forced to make a bomb that blows up a munitions factory and kills several guards. Bruce later tries to bond with Selina but ends up upsetting her which makes Alfred think this isn't going to work meanwhile Cobblepot visits Fish to confirm something in his own way.

"That rice boy won't last five seconds"

Nygma discovers where pieces of the bomb came from and Gordon and Bullock rush over there however in a shootout they are unable to free Ian from the Russians. Dent then later threatens Lovecraft but is unable to get a confession, even after scaring him slightly with an abrupt change in personality. It is then later revealed that the Russians are working for Fish who want to steal money from Falcone. Nygma then finds out the type of bomb the Russians stole earlier which leads the police to one of Falcone's safes however the money is then blown up by one of Fish's men who intended to kill them all. At the Wayne Manor despite a shaky start Selina and Bruce finally learn to laugh and have fun with each other which Alfred sees as a good thing for Bruce. Cobblepot then visits Liza who wants her to continue to work with Fish for now and the Mayor has decided to move all criminally insane to Arkham, which includes Ian, much to Gordon's annoyance because of it's poor conditions. The episode ends with Bruce calling Barbara however she doesn't answer because she is back to sleeping with Montoya.

All that poor money

Got the introduction to one of my favourite Batman characters; Harvey Dent AKA Twoface and I guess I will talk about him first. I think we got a really good portrayal of the young Dent here; he came off as a fast smooth - talker who as a passion for fixing Gotham just like Gordon but that part is no surprise since Dent was always the White Knight in contrast to the Dark Knight. I really liked his introduction scene where he uses his two headed coin and when he loses his temper with Lovecraft. That is slightly more in keeping with the comics because of Dent's obsession with duality and that shows with his split personality which emerges when he becomes Twoface. Him losing his temper with Lovecraft made me think that Dent's darker personality is just hidden beneath the surface so that was pretty cool. However if I am honest for a episode that is titled "Harvey Dent" we don't see as much of him as I thought, hope he becomes a more recurring cast member then.

"Okay, that was a little creepy"

What I also liked about this episode was that we finally got some interaction between Selina and Bruce and it really worked. The chemistry between the two characters was great to watch (a praise to the great acting of these young actors) and I liked how they where opposites but fitted well together. Bruce comes from the wealthy society while Selina lives in the streets so you can see how nervous Bruce is at talking to her while Selina doesn't know how to act around him. In the end they both are good for each other because Bruce ends up having a lot of fun with her, that food fight at the end was so funny, while Selina gets to care more about others since she was always alone before this. Also Alfred his as great as ever with his side comments to Selina and Bruce.

"Next time lets bring backup"

Now for everything else about this episode I did really like the bomber plot because it addresses another one of Gotham's failings and that is how it handles the mentally ill and because of that it looks like Arkham may play an important setting soon. However I didn't like that in the end Fish is behind everything against Falcone once again, honestly I just want Falcone and Cobblepot to reveal some big master plan and kill Fish already. However one thing that I really hated in this was the reveal that Barbara is sleeping with Montoya; I don't know where the writers are going with this stupid forced lesbian relationship. I can't see how Barbara (from what I read on the internet is a really hated character now after this) can redeem herself to Gordon now after this, this just makes her out to be a really weak character and I don't know how they are getting back together now. This really isn't Gordon's fault because all he done was protect her and let her in to what he is doing which is what she wanted. This also makes me hate Montoya more (who is basically a nobody in this) because even though she is a lesbian in the comics why did she have to be with Barbara in the show? What annoys me is that I bet she is going to "stand up for herself" against Gordon for their relationship and we will have some stupid love triangle. In the end is this important or good for the plot? No. Are we really supposed to care or have they made us try to care about it? No. Have the writers completely ruined Barbara's character? Yes.

When was the last time we've all had a nice food fight

Overall this was a good episode but we didn't see as much of Dent as I would have liked and I hated the ending.

SCORE: 7/10

Highlights: Harvey Dent
                   Selina and Bruce
                   The plot with the bomber was good

Let - Downs: Dent was underused and Cobblepot was in this episode as well
                      Fish behind everything.....again
                      The stupid Barbara and Montoya relationship

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;

 

 





http://screencapped.net/  

 

Gotham Season One: The Mask

Possible Black Mask cousin ?

The episode begins with two masked men in suits fighting each other in an abandoned office which ends with one being killed by the other while someone watches on camera. The body of the defeated is later found washed up and is investigated by Nygma, Gordon and Bullock who finds a severed thumb in the man's mouth. Cobblepot later meets with Fish to go over the terms of peace between Falcone and Maroni however Fish stabs Cobblepot in the hand which his mother notices when he visits her. Meanwhile Bruce is being sent back to school by Alfred who thinks it is best for him however Bruce is unsure, at the GCPD Bullock is disgusted by the cowardice of the police force to which Essen agrees. Gordon and Bullock later talk to a black market doctor who had a patient with severed thumb and gives them a business card the man dropped however Gordon then arrests the doctor which angers several other officers because they have deals with him.

"If you've got another riddle for this, then I swear to God....."

Gordon goes home and find that Barbara is still shaken about being kidnapped by Zsasz but he assures her everything is alright. In the morning Nygma performs an autopsy on the body while Bruce is again at school and is bullied by Tommy Elliot (Cole Vallis) however he seems to be doing alright with the girls! Liza visits Fish who wants her to steal important documents from Falcone after knocking him out meanwhile Gordon and Bullock go to Sionis Investments and immediately become suspicious because of the amount of injures the employees have. They then question Richard Sionis (Todd Stashwick) and Gordon suspects he is behind the murder but is unable to get anything out of him however they do arrest an employee with a severed thumb. Elsewhere Cobblepot brings in one of Fish's men and has him beaten for information while Bruce is beaten by Tommy which angers Alfred when he finds out.

"My maths teacher gave me a B.....lets beat him up next!"

After questioning the man with the severed thumb Gordon and Bullock find out potential employees must fight to gain a position which sometimes ends in death and Nygma has found out that similar murders have happened before. Gordon and Bullock later split up to investigate Sionis's properties to find out where they could be staging the fights however Gordon is knocked out by Sionis. Bruce then beats up Tommy after Alfred gives him his father's watch to wrap round his fist and Gordon wakes up in an abandoned office surrounded by three masked men who have to kill him for employment. Luckily Bullock manages to round up some of the other officers to save Gordon before he can be killed by Sionis, Gordon thanks Bullock for this but says he will never stop fighting corruption. Cobblepot later finds out that someone close to Falcone is working for Fish while Lisa wants out of her job but Fish convinces her to continue by spinning some BS story. The episode ends with Barbara leaving Gordon, Bruce asking Alfred to teach him to fight and Selina once again arrested by police and asking Gordon for help.

Great fight

What an episode! last one we had the arrival of Zsasz this time we have a possible reference to one of my favourite Batman villains; Black Mask. Obviously the real Black Mask wasn't in this because he has a skull mask, his name is Roman Sionis not Richard and Richard died at the end in any case. However this makes me hopeful for the real Black Mask to appear soon as maybe a relative of Richard, shame that Todd Stashwick wasn't the real Black Mask because he was really good. I liked his mask and his obsession with killing and power and the cool fight he had with Gordon using a sword. His method of hiring new staff was really interesting and maybe it is another nod at the bad economy in Gotham but anyway those fights where really cool and I laughed when Gordon said "oh crap" when Richard put 1 million on his life.

Hopefully soon Fish the Penguin's going to kill you

However if Richard Sionis really is a relative of a comic book character we at least got the introduction of a real comic book character; Tommy Elliot. I have thought for ages that Tommy would be a great addition to the younger cast because in the comics he is a childhood friend of Bruce who becomes one of his most dangerous foes. It was a good take how they made Tommy in to a bully in this and I really hope that Tommy isn't just a one time character and we see more of him. Also he was part of a good subplot for Bruce this episode; of him learning to stand up for himself and wanting to learn how to fight. Again Alfred just continues to impress me when he encouraged Bruce to beat Tommy's face in with a watch.

"I was never going to stay away for long"

Other things I liked in this was Bullock being more and more of a good guy with backing up Gordon at the end and getting the other officers to help. He was damn right; the cops in the GCPD are cowards and Gordon is a constant reminder of their cowardice because he is an honest one. I did like how all the cops did the right thing in the end and I hope that is just the start of them being good officers. Lastly Nygma is really assuming in this because it again shows how he really doesn't care much if people die because their deaths are more curiosities to him then anything else.

At least it's less painful than an interview

Now for what I didn't like and it one again involves my two least characters; Barbara and Fish. I know I mentioned that Barbara was good last episode, well she completely ruined it in this one by walking out on Gordon. Overall she has become a really weak character with no interesting subplots in this series, kind of hope she has walked out for good now since she has already done it twice. Then there is Fish and I just absolutely hate her; Liza is right she really has no reason to get more power since she already has everything. She tired to explain it with that story but that was a load of BS anyway; I just hate her plans, her character and basically everything about her. Also I have had just enough of her injuring Cobblepot and getting away with it, she just deserves to be killed off.

Guess who Tommy becomes

Overall the majority of this episode was really strong and I seriously hope that we get a real Black Mask soon and Tommy has more roles in future episodes. Oh yeah I am finally up to date with the UK releases of Gotham and The Flash, so now that I only have to do one review of those shows a week I'll start reviewing Arrow and more anime.

SCORE: 8/10

Highlights: Richard Sionis's fights and possible connection to Black Mask
                   Tommy Elliot and Bruce and Alfred's subplot with him
                   Bullock and Nygma  had some great moments too

Let - Downs: Fish and her stupid plan
                      Barbara with a weak subplot

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;

 

 





http://screencapped.net/   

Gotham Season One: Penguin's Umbrella

The episode begins with Fish finding out that Cobblepot is still alive and ordering her men to get Gordon, meanwhile at GCPD Gordon is punched by Bullock for letting Cobblepot live and refuses to help him against Falcone. He then goes to his apartment and knocks out two of Fish's men who held Barbara hostage and then makes sure she got on the next bus out of Gotham. Fish then expresses her displeasure at Falcone for Cobblepot still being alive and Gordon's betrayal but Falcone says he will let Victor Zsasz (Anthony Carrigan) handle Gordon. Zsasz later arrives at the GCPD with two hitwomen and the other cops abandon Gordon, a shootout follows; Gordon is injured but is rescued by Montoya and Crispus however Zsasz then kills another cop and marks the kill on his body.

"Time for my debut"

While Gordon gets treated for his wounds at a university Fish visits Maroni to convince him to hand Cobblepot over but is unsuccessful. In retaliation one of Fish's men block one of Maroni's shipments however Cobblepot says he knows how to hit back at Falcone, Gordon later visits Bruce to say sorry that he could die before finding his parent's murderer. Cobblepot later leads Maroni's men on a raid at one of Falcone's places (also killing one of Fish's allies) and then kills one of Maroni's men who never liked him much. Falcone and Maroni then meet and agree to stop the fighting and Falcone even allows Maroni to keep Cobblepot, Gordon is then preparing to arrest the Mayor and Falcone and Bullock even arrives to help.

Honestly why does Fish have to be there

Gordon and Bullock apprehend the Mayor and then goes to Falcone's manor to arrest him however Falcone reveals that Zsasz has kidnapped Barbara. Bullock thinks he is lying but it turns out to be true but then, surprising everyone, Falcone allows the three of them to live believing Gordon will one day realize that he is right. The next day Cobblepot meets with Falcone who says everything has went as planned. In a Flashback it is revealed that on the day Cobblepot was to be shot by Gordon, he and Falcone made a plan for him to be a spy in Maroni's family after Cobblepot revealed Fish is making moves against him.

"It would be cool if I had a gun in this umbrella"

Finally we have Cobblepot's master plan revealed, I just knew it was something more than siding with Maroni, and that he is working with Falcone all along. It was all really clever and shows just how smart Cobblepot is with people; how he knew Gordon would most likely let him live, the best ways to earn Maroni's trust and bribing Maroni's men to kill to one who hated him. I guess everyone saying that Falcone is getting weak has just been proven wrong since the reason he always acts so calm is because of his plan with Cobblepot. I hope that since Falcone is actually aware that Fish is plotting against him all along that he and Cobblepot will take her out soon. Speaking of Fish she was alright that past few episodes but this one really just made me hate her again. I don't know why she thinks she should be the next Don because in my opinion she just acts like a damn child with her outbursts and she isn't as smart as she thinks either when showing how eager she was to get Cobblepot. Plus her stupid voice and expressions are back during the part when she threatened Cobblepot; I really hope that they kill her off soon and that Cobblepot beats the hell out of her or stabs her a lot.

"If we are going to die I'm getting laid first"

However the best part of the episode was the arrival of Victor Zsasz and the shootout that followed. Zsasz's introduction was by far the strongest out of all the comic characters and I am really liking the casting as well. Anthony Carrigan nailed the creepiness of Zsasz and he really, really looks like a younger version of him and I am glad they kept his habit of tallying his kills on his body. The shootout between him and Gordon was awesome too because it was so intense and he had Gordon on the ropes. I definitely want to see more of Zsasz in the series and his two hitwomen sidekicks as well, those two where a pretty cool addition.

Wow, there was a time Zsasz only killed twenty - eight people?

Other quick mentions is that I am glad Montoya and Crispus have sided with Gordon and if they keep this up they could become alright characters. I also liked Gordon's determination in this to seek justice even though the odds are against him and the cops abandoned him (kind of shows how cowardly the police are in Gotham) and I'm glad that Bullock joined him; like I said I am sure that Gordon has grown on him. Barbara is getting to become a good character now because even though she was used against Gordon by Falcone I will say it was brave of her to try and pled with him however I just hope they just stay away now from the Barbara/Montoya because that was just stupid. The moments when Falcone said he had Barbara was done well because I honestly thought he was bluffing until he showed her. Despite kidnapping Barbara I keep hoping that Gordon will soon see that Falcone is the lesser evil in Gotham because unlike Fish and Maroni he honestly seems to care more for peace, order and business.

Yeah the Penguin rules these streets!

Last thing to mention is that something that annoyed me (besides Fish) is that there is going to be no big mob war anytime soon. There was quite the build up to it for ages now but Falcone and Maroni seemed to have made peace and Gordon has now backed off. Gordon obviously isn't going to stop but I don't think he is going to try anything like this drastic for a while and Falcone isn't going to go to war when he has a mole with Maroni.

Overall this was a great episode and a real standout with the great arrival of another comic villain and that Cobblepot and Falcone seem to be playing everyone.

SCORE: 8/10

Highlights: Reveal of Cobblepot and Falcone working together
                   Victor Zsasz
                   Some great shootouts

Let - Downs: Fish
                      Seems to be no gang war now after so much build up

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;

 

 





http://screencapped.net/   

Gotham Season One: Spirit of the Goat

The episode actually starts off with a Flashback ten years ago and a younger Bullock and his partner Detective Dix (Dan Hedaya) have tracked down a man who calls himself "Spirit of the Goat" and has been abducting and killing the first born children of Gotham's wealthiest. Bullock refuses to wait for backup; he manages to kill Randall Milkie who was the Goat but Dix is seriously injured. In the present Bullock and Nygma, Gordon is busy patching things up with Barbara, are investigating a scene of a murdered girl killed in the exact same way as the Goat killings. Meanwhile Montoya and Crispus question a dock worker who says he saw Gordon shoot Cobblepot. Later Gordon and Bullock talk to the girl's parents and family doctor while Nygma tries to get the files on the old Goat killings and creeps out the file clerk Kristen "Kris" Kringle.

"Come on we've got lives to save!"

Cobblepot decides to visit his mother for the first time since arriving back in Gotham and Alfred tries to warn Bruce to leave Gotham for a while since he could be a target. At the murdered girl's autopsy they find a penny stitched in the back of the victim's neck which Bullock can't believe it because that detail was never revealed to the public. Gordon and Bullock then visit a paraplegic Dix at a medical facility who tells them he always believed the Goat killings is a conspiracy, Bullock refuses to believe that and thinks they just have a copycat. The Goat then abducts another girl but Gordon and Bullock find him in time, after learning which maintenance company had access to both victim's houses, and they manage to subdue Raymond Earl the new Goat. However while Earl is locked in the interrogation room Bullock notices something strange about him.

Finally got a villain wearing a mask

The next day Gordon is arrested by Montoya and Crispus for the murder of Cobblepot meanwhile Bullock talks to the family doctor of the murder girl. Turns out she is also a hypnotist and has been hypnotising people in to being the Goat and killing children, believing the wealthiest of Gotham needs to pay. A short fight breaks out between Bollock and her latest hypnotised victim but Bollock manages to knock him out and shoot the doctor and arrest her. At the GCPD, Montoya and Crispus prepare to arrest Bullock as well but Cobblepot then walks in which causes Bullock to lash out at Gordon.

"I sure know how to make an entrance"

I got to tell you the Flashback at the beginning of this episode could have given this a perfect score alone because we finally got some back story on Bullock and what he was really like before. I was so surprised with how much he was like Gordon; rushing in to the crime to save someone and ignoring the rule about 'no heroes'. He was just as passionate about the job as Gordon is and I think because of that he must feel that Gordon is right now because of how many times he has backed him up and kept him around. I really think the Flashback was so well done and I am glad that this episode was mostly about Bullock as well because it showed another side of him with how much he cared about the case and how he pays for Dix's medical treatment.

Great shot Bullock!

The Goat was also a great villain in this because we finally got a masked villain and the hypnotism was a good twist as well. They kind of make you think that there is some kind of supernatural element going on with the Goat, like the killers where actually possessed by a spirit that passed between them. The reasons behind the doctor wanting to kill children kind of reminds me of the recent Batman films because it addresses the issues of class structure in Gotham and how much the poor hate the wealthy.

"This rich kid should really lock his windows"

Since this episode was mainly about the Goat killings we didn't get much else but I did like that Nygma got more of a spotlight as well and I found it funny how he kept creeping Kris out. I don't know if anything will happen between them but I hope something does because I liked the interaction between them. Montoya and Crispus where of course annoying as ever, I just hate their damn arrogance and the way they kept going after Gordon and Bullock. Again I especially hate that b***h Montoya because once again she talked with Barbara but I could care less about their past, it was a bad move for the writers to do that. Lucky Cobblepot showed up at the end so hopefully now the subplot of Montoya and Crispus going after Gordon and Bullock is over. Speaking of Cobblepot he got a pretty creepy bathtub scene with his mother and Selina actually snuck in to Wayne Manor and spied on a sleeping Bruce, to bad they didn't get any interaction.

Yeah now that's very subtle

Overall this was a solid episode because it centred mainly around Bullock who got a great Flashback and more character development.

SCORE: 8/10

Highlights: Bullock centred episode (great flashback)
                   Great villain
                   More time with Nygma and funny scenes with Kris

Let - Downs: Crispus and Montoya are as annoying as ever

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;

 

 





http://screencapped.net/