Gotham: four quick thoughts
We’re two episodes into Gotham, the new Batman prequel series, and we may be on the verge of the greatest iteration of the famed (and occasionally overdone) franchise yet.
Some brief observations.
1: Robin Taylor as Oswald Cobblepot is fucking awesome. If this keeps up, he’s going to rival Heath Ledger’s Joker as the ultimate series villain.
2: Camren Bicondova can maybe evolve into the best Cat Woman ever. She’s got a look and she’s got, if you’ll forgive me, a certain catitude.
3: Fuck, this portrait of Gotham is dark by network standards. Yeah, you’re limited on the network – how much fun would this be if it were on HBO instead? – but the producers are finding ways of conveying dark and grit and cynical and corrupt within the boundaries. Clever, and compelling.
Also,
4: Is it just me, or does Erin Richards look like a younger Missy Pyle?
Last year’s clear (and maybe only) breakout dramatic network hit was Blacklist. Gotham looks like it’s going to be that good, or better.
lullaby pit 
I’m sorry, but the pilot episode was abysmal. I had to switch it off after fifteen minutes because of the ridiculous cliches, the terrible acting, and the unlikable characters.
The hardened, tired detective who is opposed to taking on the case. The young rookie looking to make a difference. The frienemy duo offering to take on the case for themselves, only for pride to get in the way. No thank you; I’ll re-watch True Detective instead.
How many times do we have to go over the same old tropes before people realize that they’re being duped. We need more original, groundbreaking writers and directors to show off their creative chops, and less hacks trying to make a quick buck.
Except that by the end of episode two it’s clear that there is some nuance developing where you weren’t expecting it.
I use words like potentially for a reason, and I also note that they’re working inside a network box. There is a limit on it, sadly, and I’d never argue there aren’t other places on TV where you can find spectacularly innovative storytelling.
Slothrox is just too jaded for this show. I don’t feel duped, I feel enriched by “Gotham”. Even when he was on a piece of brain anesthesia like “The O.C.”, Ben McKenzie gave a layered, nuanced performance. In “Gotham” he surpasses that excellent work, as well as the work he did in “Southland”. I was just thinking about this the other night, and as far as superhero entertainments go, “Gotham” is on the first-place podium I think only “The Dark Knight” occupied until now.
Batman was created by rotten places in rotten times. I’m surprised we don’t have a real one by now.
Who says we don’t, Dan? Oops, gotta go, there’s the Ba…er, phone….
Tell the commissioner I said howdy.
“Oops, gotta go, there’s the Ba…er, phone…”
I *KNEW* IT!!!
“Oops, gotta go, there’s the Ba…er, phone…”
I *KNEW* IT!!!