Review: Gotham Season 3 Episode 14, The Gentle Art of Making Enemies [SPOILERS]

OVERVIEW
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AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOWS

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1. Penguin's death

Ok, I'm still kinda processing this, and I'm still angry, so you know, maybe take all this with a grain of salt...but geez! I can't believe they did this. I can't believe it.

Still, suddenly everything makes sense, and it's so freaking sloppy. That's the only word for it. Sloppy. I can't believe Penguin -- my dear, sweet Penguin -- had to die in this sloppy, sloppy plot. He deserved so much better.

On the one hand, if you pretend Season 3 is the only season of Gotham, it's actually pretty good, this character arc of Penguin's. On the other hand, Season 3 is not the only season!

See, this whole "learning to love" character arc would have been great if Penguin didn't already know how to love. We know Penguin is capable of sacrificing himself for a loved one because, in Season 2 when his mother was kidnapped, he told Galavan, "Then kill me, but let [my mother] go."

Granted, you could make the case that the stakes were higher this time because Penguin was also in danger of being tortured, not just killed. But still, Penguin's actions don't have as much significance here as the writers would have you believe.

But now I understand why they acted like Oswald didn't know how to comfort a grieving Ed. The episode after Oswald killed Isabella, Gotham portrayed Oswald as well-meaning, but completely stupid in the affairs of the heart and completely unable to feel Ed's pain and completely without remorse for causing Ed pain.

Let's compare with Season 1, shall we?

When Maroni told Gertrude that her son was a psycho, and Gertrude was shaken to her core, did Penguin take a selfie with her and expect her to feel better? No. He made her a pot of tea and actually tried to comfort her. And when he lied to her and broke her heart, did he tell her that she barely knew Maroni and she shouldn't linger on his words? No. Penguin cried even harder than his mother cried.

Penguin is capable of love and compassion and empathy. We've known it since Season 1.

But if that were showcased in Season 3a, it wouldn't have had the same impact when Penguin "learned" to love in this episode, would it?

So many other things finally make sense too.

Like the fact that it took all of two seconds for Barbara to transform from the heartbroken, obsessive crazy ex-girlfriend she's always been into the all-business, girl-power usurper she is now.

Clearly, the writers just needed someone to take over from Penguin after they killed him.

(I loved the heartbroken, obsessive crazy ex-girlfriend, by the way. Like it or not, some people are that way in real life, and Gotham has enough girl-power characters in their roster that they can afford to give the heartbroken, obsessive crazies someone to identify with.)

Also, Isabella's existence. It makes sense now.

There was no reason for her to exist, no explanation for all the coincidences she embodied.

Well, guess what? Shockingly, she really was just a super obvious, convenient, sloppy plot device for the writers to get the ball rolling on Penguin's death.

All of these characters -- Isabella, Barbara, Tabatha, Butch Oswald, even Nygma -- were just plot devices. The perfect examples of "characters serving the plot" instead of "plot serving the characters."

Speaking of Nygma, I don't know how the writers thought there wouldn't be backlash towards that character, especially since, like I said, he was very much a slave to the plot in this episode and basically killed Penguin just because.

Speaking of plot, it made no sense. I hate it when writers think that, just because a twist is juicy, the audience will forgive the fact that it doesn't make sense. We saw Barbara and Tabatha promise to kill Nygma when no one was around to hear them. We saw it, Gotham. Don't act like that never happened. Don't act like Tabatha's revenge plot was just a ruse engineered by Nygma. I'm not stupid. Don't treat me like I'm stupid, goddammit.

I've never felt like Gotham was treating me like I was stupid before, and that's one of the reasons I loved it. But lately, I've gotten distinctly manipulative vibes from the people behind Gotham.

For instance, I tweeted my sadness after Oswald killed Isabella, and Gotham tweeted back at me with the penguin and question mark emojis. I took that as a "don't stop believing" sign, like Nygmobblepot would still happen. Clearly, I completely missed the point of that tweet or they were intentionally misleading me. As another -- more concrete example -- of misleading information, the Gotham folks have been saying for a long time that Jerome is not the Joker when he clearly always has been.

Speaking of Jerome, the fact that he came back just as Penguin was on his way out?

CONVENIENT TIMING, GOTHAM!

I can just hear the conversation behind the scenes:

Writer 1: "We can't think of anything new to do with Penguin."

Writer 2: "Let's just kill him off at the same time as we bring back Jerome. Any Penguin fans we lose we'll gain back twofold in Joker fans."

Writer 1: "Brilliant!"

I mean, come on! One fan favorite returns just as another one leaves? Nothing fishy there. They clearly don't think I'm a disposable Penguin fan.

>:(

And I know Penguin will probably just come back to life as soon as the writers think of something to do with him, but that could take a very long time. Jerome has been dead for a season and a half. I don't know if I'm willing to wait that long for Penguin's return.

And if, by some happy miracle, Penguin is not dead. I will happily eat my words. All of my words, I'll eat, happily. Especially since Gotham has some genuinely good non-Penguin elements.

But as I discovered in Season 2, when Penguin was absent for only one episode and I stopped watching for weeks afterward, Penguin is the only thing that keeps me coming back to this series week after week. The show is actually a bit of a chore to watch without Penguin.

I'm really sad because Gotham is the only show I watch these days, and without Penguin, I don't look forward to it. And all I ever really look forward to in life is eating, sleeping, and watching TV.

Ok, now I do have some not-so-horrible comments about this Penguin plot.

Dying at your most heroic is probably the best way to go in a show like Gotham. So the fact that Penguin died reaffirming his best self -- even if we'd already seen his best self and it wasn't at all the surprise the writers wanted it to be that Penguin was capable of love -- makes me almost want him to stay dead. For his sake.

The writers will just butcher him when he comes back. They'll stick him back on this boring merry-go-round he's been on for so long, where he finds love, loses it, finds it, loses it. But for my sake, I want him back, because he gives me something to look forward to every week.

I liked that Nygma seemed to be projecting onto Penguin when he said that Penguin would sacrifice anyone to save his own skin and Penguin was incapable of love. Those statements are far more true of Nygma, and I think that that fact should be explored.

But it probably won't be, because the perfect chance for it to be explored came and went in this episode.

I was just confused by Penguin's interaction with Tabatha this episode. She bragged about killing his mom, he said he would kill Tabatha, she said nuh-uh...what was the point of it? What were the writers trying to say? It doesn't explain why Penguin indeed hasn't killed Tabatha yet. It doesn't...add anything...to anything...Did I miss something?

It was, I'll admit, nice to hear Penguin admit out loud that he wouldn't have killed Isabella if he really, truly, purely loved Ed. It was also nice to hear Penguin tell Ed that he would have killed Isabella eventually anyway 'cause we all know it's true.




Deep breaths.




Moving on...

MEDIUMS

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1. Jerome/Bruce/Gordon storyline

I've said before that Gotham is great at setting up high-intensity, action-packed finales. And it's still true here. I liked that Bruce knew to appeal to Jerome's showmanship to buy more time. I liked Bruce's facial expressions and overall reaction to the horror's of Jerome's circus, because it was truly horrifying. I really bought the peril the characters were in from start to finish, from the chaos in the GCPD to the horrors in the circus.

For a moment, it almost sounded like Alfred was admitting to the fact that it's random to draw the line at killing. "You need to have rules to stick to, no matter what the reason for the rules," is almost exactly what he said. But it's not what he said, and the randomness of the "no killing" rule still hasn't been explained.

HIGHS

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None.

RATINGS

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General: 5/10

Compared-To-All-The-Content-I've-Ever-Loved: 3/10

Review: Gotham Season 3 Episode 13, Smile Like You Mean It [SPOILERS]

OVERVIEW
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Jerome's return, Lee's fabulous fierceness, and the difference between Oswald and Edward.

LOWS

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None.

MEDIUMS

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1. Jerome

So, I guess Jerome didn't come back to life at the end of Season 2. I mean, fine, whatever. We only heard and saw him in the horde of monsters coming out of the bus.

It baffles me to no end that the writers on Gotham are so inconsistent in...well, consistency. I mean, just two episodes ago, we saw the culmination of an extremely well-executed twist -- Mad Hatter infecting Mario with the Tetch virus. I mean, all the seeds were sewn for that, right from S3E3 and on. Because the groundwork was laid so well, it was one of the best twists I've seen on TV.

Clearly, the Gotham writers are capable of meticulously planning a half season, and yet it was only a half season that separated Jerome's appearance at the end of Season 2 from this 3-episode arc. (Well, I guess, this 3-episode arc is actually part of Season 3a. Go figure.)

I just don't get it.

But, ok. I honestly don't care THAT much. I do think it would have made a lot more sense if Strange had been the one to bring Jerome back, but from what I'm seeing online, most fans liked the way Jerome officially did come back.

In my (very subjective) opinion, Jerome has only one real purpose, and that is to keep fans happy and boost ratings. I never clamored for his return. I'm still pretty much indifferent after this episode.

I personally wouldn't mind if he died again, but I'm hoping he doesn't die because I know he's the only reason a lot of fans watch Gotham, and the only reason Gotham keeps airing is because a lot of fans watch it, and I want Gotham to keep airing.

As for Cameron Monaghan's performance, it was good. He did a great job of getting emotions across with just his voice and body language. However, I do think his performance would have benefited from more actual face time. Sometimes, I thought his vocal performance was just little too close to Heath Ledger's Joker and I lost sight of what makes Jerome unique.

In Season 2, for instance, he had this great scene where he stared Commissioner Essen down while machine guns went off in the background, and Jerome's eyes did this really fantastic blinking thing...You know what I'm talking about, right? It was great. I'd like to see more of that kind of acting from him.

Also, I didn't love the way he interacted with Lee. It seemed a little too adult and a little too menacing and creepy. Has he always been that menacing and creepy? I guess so, now that I think about it. He was pretty creepy hitting on Essen and Barbara.

On that note, he clearly has a thing for older women. That fact, by the way, opens up the potential for Harley Quinn to be an older woman, as she would be if she was a therapist working at Arkham.

I honestly find age gap relationships to be completely fascinating, and if the younger person in the relationship turned out to be the abusive one...well, that adds a whole new dark twist on it. (I'm not saying age gap relationships are necessarily dark and twisted. I know they're not, and healthy age gap romances are the hottest ones, IMHO. Just, too easily, age gap relationships can be abusive.)

It feels weird to say all that because I know Jerome is only supposed to be around 18/19 years old. However, he clearly doesn't see himself as young because, as I said, he had a very age inappropriate interaction with Lee. And that bugged me because another thing that makes Jerome different from other Jokers is that Jerome is young.

I remember his Season 2 conversations sounding a bit young and awkward, even when he was hitting on Barbara. Now, if he's going to act like he's 40 anyway, what's the point of him being 18/19? (I kind of have the same problem with Bruce, though, so I guess if either Batman or Joker is going to act like his grown up self, they both should.)

That ending, though. That was terrifying. I recently had a power outage in my apartment and, remembering an episode of Monk where a killer created power outages in order to sneak up on people, I grabbed a shovel and kept it close at hand until the power came back on...That was in the safety of my own home in a super safe neighborhood. Just imagine how scared the citizens of Gotham must be, with the crazy cult members who were making trouble before the lights even went out and before they even saw Jerome.

2. Dwight/The Cult

I see now why they didn't want Jeri to be the cult leader for this 3-episode arc. Dwight is not supposed to be charismatic. He's supposed to be a little bit disposable, because he dies.

More importantly, however, I still have some problems with the fact that he was able to bring people back to life. This episode solved some of my problems with it because it highlighted the fact that Dwight had a large and diverse cult following to help him with funding and staffing and avoiding detection by the police.

On the other hand, I had a reason I was ok with Gotham characters coming back to life in Season 2, and that reason was that it looked like it would be extremely difficult to bring people back to life because you'd need expensive equipment and a mind as brilliant as Strange's.

Well, now it seems that anyone who worked at Indian Hill can cobble together the right equipment and figure it out.

Basically, then, death means nothing now, and I hate that.

3. Selina, Maria, Bruce

So, Selina's mom did turn out to be a con artist. And Selina was right to be mad at her and at Bruce. I would like a better understanding of what was going on in Bruce's mind when he decided to lie to Selina. Obviously, a lie is just as damaging to a person's trust whether it's done for monetary purposes or not. The reasons behind it make no real difference. Is it just me or is Batman really random? He draws these arbitrary lines at killing people and at lying if it's for the purpose of getting money.

HIGHS

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1. Lee

In this episode, Lee continues her aggressive streak, and I continue to dig it. I still think she might have the Tetch virus, but regardless, I love her fierce side. I love how she tried to trick Jerome into shooting himself, and I love that she ain't taking no shit from Gordon. Who is he to suspend her from work? What makes him think he knows what's best for her? Huh? Huh? I love it. :)

I am confused, though, about her threat to tell the commissioner that he and Harvey were beating a suspect. Last I heard, the commissioner was Essen and she died. So who is it now? Did I miss something?

Anyway, until now, Lee was always a pretty vanilla character. I liked her, but I didn't love her. I'm starting to love her now.

2. Gabe

Good old Gabe, trying to warn Oswald. Listen to him, Oswald! (In Oswald's defense, he's going through hell at the moment, reliving his mother's kidnapping with Ed being "kidnapped.")

3. Penguin

Poor Oswald. At the start of this episode, Oswald's down in the dirt, still reeling from seeing his father's "ghost," and all Oswald does is ask for Ed. I bet you at this point Oswald is as dependent on Ed for emotional support as for strategical support.

And the frenzy Oswald went into when Ed was "kidnapped!" It was so like Oswald's reaction to his mother's real kidnapping back in the day that, well...it's given me a whole new perspective.

As tragic as it is and as much as I wish Nygmobblepot hadn't gotten to this point, I see now why Ed wasn't a good match for Penguin; I'm getting hit for the first time with the pain of Penguin's unrequited love; and I care about this "war" storyline now.

I was just waiting for this war to be over with, actually hoping that the writing would be sloppy and Penguin would get over it as soon as it was over.

But now I'm seeing it being done correctly, and though I have serious problems with how Gotham got here and where it's going (in circles), I can't help but want to support this Nygmobblepot War storyline now. Just because it's being done correctly.

It's taken Gotham a while to get back to doing this, but this episode showcases the purported strengths and weaknesses of Nygma and Penguin. Nygma is showing his talent for reading and manipulating people, and Penguin is showing his talent for sensing what's going on in the crime world and he's showing his #1 weakness: love.

This sounds super corny, but the reason I've always loved Penguin is that Penguin is the kind of person who lives and dies by love. This episode made me believe again in that particular characteristic of Penguin. It made me believe Oswald could actually maybe die from the pain of his love for Nygma, once he finds out about Nygma's betrayal.

Yes, Nygma's betrayal. I know he's only doing it because Oswald betrayed him first. (I mean, if you don't count the time Nygma threw Oswald out on the street because Oswald's niceness was freaking Nygma out.) But this episode just solidified what I've always felt.

Oswald deserves this betrayal. I've said it before. Technically, Oswald is so horrible a human being that he deserves every bad thing that's ever happened to him. But technically, Nygma is so horrible a human being that he deserves every bad thing that's ever happened to him, including Isabella's death.

The difference between Oswald and Nygma is the strength of their love for their loved ones.

I mean, yeah, Nygma was hurt when Isabella died, but Nygma will carry on and be fine. In many ways, he already is. Not so with Penguin. Penguin is still hurting from his first great loss: the death of his mother. And Nygma's betrayal will damage Penguin as much as Gertrude's death did.

The difference between Oswald and Nygma is that Oswald genuinely didn't expect Isabella's death to hurt Nygma as much as it did, while Nygma clearly knows that his betrayal will destroy Oswald completely, both emotionally and (Nygma hopes) physically.

This time next year, Penguin will still be hurting from Nygma's betrayal. This time next year, both Penguin and Nygma will still be alive. This time next year, Penguin will be the King of Gotham again, but he'll never kill Nygma because Oswald will never forget the love he had for Nygma, not enough to kill Nygma anyway.

The difference between Oswald and Nygma is that Nygma has murdered/attempted to murder his loved ones and Oswald hasn't.

Nygma killed Kristen. He tried to kill Gordon. He's trying to kill Oswald. These are all people he expressed profound feelings for. But those feelings don't go as far with Nygma as they do with Oswald, who clearly didn't kill his mother or father.

Obviously, there are other differences. For instance, Nygma is more cerebral, and Oswald is more emotional. And that's closely related to everything else I've said I guess. But anyway, there are a million little differences between the two. The difference that makes a difference to me, though, is their capacity for love.

Oswald loves Ed more than Ed could ever love anyone.

And that's why I'm 100% on Oswald's side now, his faults be damned.

I liked this episode because it reminded me why I'm Team Oswald. I love Oswald because it's rare to find a character who cares as much as I do, who takes as long to heal as I do. I appreciate stories that serve the fundamental purpose of helping the audience feel less alone.

I also appreciate the fact that I have no idea how this Nygmobblepot War is going to end. I mean, obviously, both Oswald and Nygma will live. However, as with most narratives, it's not a question of "if" but a matter of "how." How will both Oswald and Nygma get out of this alive? Seems like a "two contenders enter, one contender leaves" situation. Soooo, how will it all work out? My curiosity is definitely piqued.

RATINGS

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General: 7/10

Compared-To-All-The-Content-I've-Ever-Loved: 7/10

Review: Gotham Season 3 Episode 12, Ghosts [SPOILERS]

OVERVIEW
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Was a I disappointed? Yes. Was I entertained? Also, yes. 

LOWS

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None.

MEDIUMS

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1. Evil(?) Lee

Lee was uncharacteristically unreasonable this episode, but only for a while. And I kinda liked it.

She's got close ties to the mafia now and she's bitter and vengeful. Understandably so. And that sounds like a promising villain origin story. But, no. It just took her a bit longer to come around than I had expected. Or maybe I just expected her to get her frustration and pain out in a more low key way.

Either way, we never really found out if she was infected or...*gasp*. That's why she was so angry this episode! She's infected with the Tetch virus because Mario's blood got on her!

...Could be. That virus keeps sneaking up on us. Who knows?

2. Penguin and Nygma's Plot

How did Penguin lower the crime rate? I actually want to know.

He's the crime lord of Gotham in addition to the mayor. Did he shut down his shadier businesses? I'd think he'd want to increase them too. I mean, I'm not at all unhappy to hear that he's apparently downsized them. That's great...but how?

Anyway, I kinda liked that bright-eyed, bushy-tailed assistant that kept stopping Penguin on his way into the office. I dunno. I just feel like she has potential. I'd like to see more of her.

Also Olga? I'd like to see more of her too. And Gabe too. Where does Gabe always disappear to?

See, Penguin has, like, no friends these days. (I don't think even Gordon counts at this point.) And that only made Nygma less likable this episode, since he has all the allies right now (Barbara, Tabatha, Butch, Clayface). So it's five against one. Just feels like they're ganging up on him super hard, you know?

But the thing I really disliked this episode was the "ghost." More specifically, it's the fact that the ghost turned out to be a "ghost." I wanted it to be a real ghost.

First of all, I love ghost stories. Secondly, I thought we were finally getting the pay off for that little throwaway Penguin line, "I've seen [ghosts]."

When your character says something like that, you have to follow up. You have to either 1)tell the audience the instance in which Penguin saw ghosts or 2)establish that it's not that uncommon for Penguin to see ghosts. And if it's not that uncommon, show it happening.

This would have been the perfect time for it to happen. It would be awesome if Elijah actually came back to warn Penguin about Nygma.

Unfortunately, Penguin's one ally turned out to be just another one of Nygma's allies.

3. Selina and her mom

Selina forgave her mom a bit too quickly. Most things in this episode happened a bit too quickly, but that's a staple of these Gotham setup episodes. I guess I didn't mind much this time because, for one thing, I want the whole Penguin/Nygma war to get over with as quickly as possible.

Now there's the question of whether Selina's mom is pulling a con, trying to get money out of Selina and Bruce. I don't know the answer. It genuinely could go either way. That's one great thing about Gotham: it can really keep you guessing, right up until the end. Even in this episode, I wasn't sure until the end if the "ghost" was part of a plot by Nygma.

One the one hand, we know that Penguin has and possibly does see ghosts, and we didn't know how Nygma could create a "ghost" of Elijah. On the other hand, we knew that Nygma's only mission in life is to make Penguin despised and, clearly, making him crazy on live television would be one way to do it.

Anyway, it's the same with Selina's mom now. On the one hand, if that guy is her partner, he probably would have just settled for the money instead of going to see Bruce. Plus, Maria risked her life to save Selina from Talon, so if she's willing to die for Selina, would Maria steal from Selina? On the other hand, Selina's mom is clearly super shifty and it's unlikely that her relationship with Selina will end happily.

4. Jim

I liked the fight/confrontation scenes with Zsasz because, well, I like Zsasz. And also because I dunno about you but I felt a real sense of danger when Zsasz threatened Jim. It didn't last long, though.

I guess it makes sense that Falcone called it off because Lee asked him to. However, it also would have made sense if he refused to call it off, and I would have preferred a multiple-episode arc with Zsasz as the main adversary. That would have been more exciting.

But I guess they have to move on to the Jerome storyline.

5. The Jerome Storyline

What is going on? Didn't we see Jerome alive at the end of Season 2? Is he dead again? Just asleep maybe? Or did Strange not reanimate Jerome? If that's the case, I feel like the Gotham writers have some real explaining to do.

It's looking like a morgue night manager named Dwight is about to achieve what Strange only achieved by accident: legit resurrection, with memory and personality firmly intact.

First of all, Strange is a genius and an established character in the Batman universe, and he had extensive equipment, staff, facilities, funding, and backing from the Court of Owls/Wayne Corporation. This guy, Dwight, has what? A dirty warehouse and "Indian Hill lackey" on his resume?

WTF?

Secondly, I thought Jeri was the leader of these Jerome fanatics. She certainly had a lot more charisma than this guy. What happened to her? I want her back.

Thirdly, during that convention of crazies watching Jerome's police station footage, I was struck with the feeling that Gotham was showing us a depiction of Jerome's real life fans.

Gotham has always been its most meta when it came to Jerome, which is fitting since Jerome has crossed over into the real world more than any other part of Gotham.

Take, for example, when Theo and Barbara discussed Jerome's death and Theo stated that Jerome was an interesting character but had limited potential, and Barbara disagreed. I could almost picture the writers of the show having that same conversation while deciding whether to kill Jerome off.

More prominently, however, Jerome has hardcore fans both within the show and within the real world.

Watching the Jerome fans watching Jerome this episode, I was suddenly like, "Is that what his real fans are like? Boy am I glad I'm not one of them." But the thing is, if I feel good that I'm not one of his fans, are his fans feeling bad that Gotham is parodying them?

Now to be honest, I loved Cameron's performance as Jerome. I thought it was nuanced and captivating and Jerome himself did have potential. I thought it would be fascinating to really delve into his feelings about his parents.

And I loved the whole idea that "nothing's more contagious than laughter." I thought it was brilliant how Jerome's virus piggy-packed on laughter. I loved the warning Gotham relayed about how laughter can infect us and how our legacies, good or bad, can live on even if the world's memory of us dies.

I thought all of that was very real world...maybe a little too real world, hmm? I mean, if Jerome's real life fans are anything like the fanatics in this episode.

So, if the writers are seeing this kind of behavior in Jerome's real life fans, I can understand why they might want to parody it within the show. I think it's kinda brilliant. I think it might open some people's eyes.

On the other hand, I'm not sure it's helpful to the show's ratings. I'm not sure it won't offend a bunch of fans. I just don't know.

But it certainly gave me something to think about. How much has Jerome's legacy bled into real life?

(On a side note, I didn't like that Jim and Harvey broke up the party when, as yet, nothing illegal had taken place. That was also a little too real life...)

HIGHS

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1. Barnes

I love Barnes. I just love him. I love him so much. More Barnes, please. He doesn't even have to do anything. I'll be content just to listen to his beautiful rants again and again.

RATINGS

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General: 7/10

Compared-To-All-The-Content-I've-Ever-Loved: 5/10

Review: Gotham Season 3 Episode 11, Beware the Green-Eyed Monster [SPOILERS]

OVERVIEW
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Well, this was definitely better than the last episode. In fact, this was a solid half-season finale with a great twist.

LOWS

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1. Nygma and Penguin

First of all...I don't think Ed understands that Ed is the only thing Penguin really loves right now, so to destroy Penguin, all Ed has to do is leave Oswald. But I suppose Ed could do worse to Oswald than that, and Ed wants to do his worst to Oswald.

And it's not like I think Penguin doesn't deserve it. Technically, Penguin is so terrible a human being that he deserves all the bad things that have ever happened to him. But still, I'm Team Penguin here.

If this is the end of Nygmobblepot, I think I'll be ok with that at this point.

Nygmobblepot has been downright exhausting. I never expected it to get this bad.

Well, ok, fine. I knew this was one way a Penguin/Nygma romance could go. I knew it could just explode, and that's one reason I didn't want it. But then I got my hopes all up that the Gotham writers would find more creative ways to add tension and drama to Penguin and Nygma's story.

So, really, this brewing "war" is doing nothing but ruining Nygma for me...and Barbara. It's ruining her for me, too....And Penguin! It's even ruining Penguin for me, ok? Geez.

If this whole Nygmobblepot thing is and has always been another way to torment Penguin and Nygma, can it just be over already?

Can. It. Just. Be over already?

It's making it hard for me to look forward to the next half-season. Is it just going to be Penguin and Nygma going through the same pain we've seen them go through before? Are they going to transform in significant ways because of it? Who knows? I don't.

All I see on the horizon is a rehash of everything we've already been through with these characters and I'm tired of it already.

On a side note, this is what you get when you don't kill your enemies Penguin! they team up against you.

2. Ladder-climbing Barbara

I don't like this version of Barbara. I guess she has to go somewhere as a character, but it just feels random and out of character for her to want to lead the crime families.

MEDIUMS

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1. Jam-packed Finale

Gotham is great at setting everything up so that we can have a jam-packed and fast-paced finale every half season. Even so, this was one of their weaker finales.

For one thing, I don't really care about the Court of Owls storyline, and that's mostly because I don't really care about Bruce and his gang. They're fun side characters, but I don't like spending this much time with them.

Also, I could have said that this episode ended on a nail-biting cliffhanger if I didn't already know that Lee will come around when she finds out that Mario was infected. They have pretty solid proof now.

Nevertheless, it was an intense cliffhanger because of Falcone's impending wrath and the possibility of Lee becoming infected.

But since it's the half-season finale, I can now complain about the fact that we never got an update on Firefly or Mr. Freeze. I mean, what the heck? All season, Selina just acted like Firefly was still "dead." And how is the police department holding Mr. Freeze. Doesn't he need like subzero temperatures to live?

These are questions we needed answers to!

2. Selina's Mom

Selina's mom showed up kind of out of nowhere, and I thought her outfit was...well, honestly a little corny. But still, I'm glad we're getting to this. It was inevitable, and it'll provide  new lens through which to explore Selina's character.

HIGHS

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1. Jim

Jim's game with Tetch was fun. I do love how Jim outsmarts villains in a believable sort of way, the sort of way that a normal person might be able to. You don't have to be a tactical mastermind to think up a rhyme, right? Also that line, "More uncomfortable than having Barnes in the cell next to you screaming 'Guilty!' at all hours of the night?" had me in stitches. I like meta humor in very, very small doses.

2. Mario and the whole Tetch twist

At first, it seemed a little out of left field, like Gotham had pulled the cheap sort of trick so many crappy shows pull these days where it's like, "Boo! Plot twist! No one cares if the seeds for it weren't properly sewn 'cause it's just so surprising, right?"

But a quick second look shows how much sense this twist makes and how properly the seeds for it were sewn.

For example, this twist clearly explains why Mario jealously punched Jim. But ALSO, it explains why Tetch didn't shoot both Lee and Vale. (I previously thought Tetch was just keeping his supervillainous word.) It explains why Tetch didn't try again to kill Vale while she was in the hospital, and perhaps why he didn't try very hard to kill her in the first place.

Anyway, in the end, this was an extremely well-done twist.

RATINGS

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

General: 8/10

Compared-To-All-The-Content-I've-Ever-Loved: 7/10

Review: Gotham Season 3 Episode 10, Time Bomb [SPOILERS]

OVERVIEW
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Frankly, this episode annoyed me from start to finish. From our lead heroes to our lead villains, no one failed to annoy me. Worst episode of Gotham in recent memory.

[WORST CRIMES DISCLAIMER: This episode shows torture.]

LOWS

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Lee. Lee and Jim.
Why is Lee associating so closely with Falcone? I know he's technically her father-in-law-to-be, but it seems dangerous and morally questionable to hang out with him just, like, in her down time with her boyfriend.

And it was totally glossed over. She never explained her behavior. Nobody asked her about it. It's just...why?

Also, I strongly -- like, really, really freaking strongly -- disapprove of the kiss between Lee and Jim. I don't think it's technically cheating to be in love with more than one person, but I do think that kissing them both/all is technically cheating, yes. Yes, that was cheating. For sure, it was. Godammit.

2. Penguin Vs. Barbara

Penguin and Barbara fighting is lame, and random. Since when does Penguin talk down to her like that? Since when does Barbara point guns at Penguin and plot to overthrow him? Lame. I thought they were friends.

...super lame. :(

3. Nygma torturing Butch and Tabatha

Ok, geez. Look, I know Butch and Tabatha are two of the least likable characters in the show. And I know Gotham has, like, this need to remind us every so often that it's a dark show. And I know it's really not that dark compared to a lot of crap on TV these days, but....ughhhh.

I keep hoping (stupidly) that we've moved beyond that and we don't have to see torture sessions once or twice a season anymore.

MEDIUMS

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Mario being infected

Well, I didn't see it coming. I guess it's a good twist.

HIGHS

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

None

RATINGS

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

General: 5/10

Compared-To-All-The-Content-I've-Ever-Loved: 1/10

Review: Gotham Season 3 Episode 9, The Executioner [SPOILERS]

OVERVIEW
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Barnes yay! Bruce, Selina, Ivy yay! Nygmobblepot...hmm

LOWS

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Nygmobblepot

I'm seriously questioning my position on Nygmobblepot.

I've been rooting for them, in spite of what Penguin did to Nygma last episode. But the saving grace there was that Penguin indicated that he was going to make it up to Nygma as best as Penguin could.

 In this episode, however -- Penguin himself admitted -- he wasn't compassionate to Nygma...at any point. I know Penguin featured Nygma in Penguin's portrait, but I mean... That would be sweet as a act of mere friendship, but it's weird and egocentric as an act of "compassion."

I mean, come on. Penguin has always had the ability to act genuinely kind and sympathetic toward a single person. That person used to be his mother, and I thought it was Nygma now.

And yes, I know Penguin seriously hurt Nygma by killing Isabella, and I have already said that that act of murder was perfectly in character for Penguin, and it was.

Unfortunately, when Penguin's own feelings are put between a rock and a hard place, he's capable of hurting people he loves. Take, for example, the moment in Season 1 when he lied to his mother even though she told him that, if he lied to her again, he'd break her heart. And he did break her heart. (And in the end, also kinda got her killed.)

But would it have killed Penguin to just, like, make Nygma some soup and throw an extra blanket on him and listen intently to him and let him be sad and let him heal? No. No, it would not have. It wouldn't have been hard at all. So why didn't Penguin just do that?

I mean, ok, on a certain level, I understand Penguin's reaction. I also find it hard to have any real sympathy for Nygma right now. I honestly doubt the depth of Nygma's love for either Isabella or Kristen, given how disrespectful he and Isabella were to Kristen's memory. I honestly think Nygma will get over Isabella fairly quickly. And thus, I honestly don't care much about his suffering.

And Penguin's rationale was that Nygma only knew Isabella for a week. Like me, Penguin felt that Nygma didn't love Isabella very deeply, and Nygma would and SHOULD get over her death quickly.

If, however, Nygma doesn't get over Isabella's death quickly, Penguin has no right to rush him. Just the opposite in fact. The longer Nygma takes to get over Isabella, the deeper his love for her must be, and the worse Penguin should feel.

Finally, I wonder if Nygma is lying about who he thinks killed isabella...he's prolly not.

MEDIUMS

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

None

HIGHS

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Barnes

Basically, Team Barnes. Team Barnes all the way. Team Barnes forever!

Why not kill the bad guys? I mean, it's not like the law is gonna mean much when Batman comes around anyway. Batman's only line in the sand is the arbitrary one of not killing. Why not kill? Unless they're gonna deputize Batman like I guess they did in the early comics.

I actually kind of wanted Barnes to be our new primary character, instead of Jim. I know that doesn't really work with the format of the show, and it actually works better to add Barnes to the roster of sympathetic villains than to follow him as the hero. So, it's all good.


2. Bruce, Selina, Ivy

Bruce, Selina, and Ivy were a fun and funny posse. Ivy's lines, in particular, had me laughing out loud, and her delivery and facial expressions matched those of her younger self enough that I could believe that was actually her grown up. 

RATINGS

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

General: 7/10

Compared-To-All-The-Content-I've-Ever-Loved: 6/10

Review: Gotham Season 3 Episode 8, Blood Rush [SPOILERS]

OVERVIEW
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Everyone's a middle man, until Barnes forces individual responsibility on the city of Gotham in a glorious, badass origin story.

Barnes' "evil" side

LOWS

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Face off
Ok, isn't it a little much to cut off people's faces before killing them? Isn't it a little much to cut off people's faces when there are other ways to get a new face?

I mean, I get the point of it, story-wise. It's the kind of horrible, awful crime that would make you want to literally rip the bad guys' heads off (which Barnes does). And I know that Gotham has been a pretty dark show right from the start, but...I just really didn't like the face cutting off stuff, ok? Sue me.

MEDIUMS

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Nygma
At first, I thought Gotham was very efficiently answering all the questions I laid out in my previous post.

When Nygma hallucinates Kristen, she says "Face it, you're a killer." And I thought that was an answer to my question of why Nygma killed Kristen.

He's just a killer. Ok, then. We're covering a lot of ground already. We might actually get to all the questions on my list! Woo!

But the conclusion of this episode negates the proposition that Nygma killed Kristen simply because he's a killer. So we end up with no answers whatsoever.

Nygma didn't kill Kristen for looking like Kristen. There was never any indication that that was the reason. Hence, so what if he didn't kill Isabella for looking like Kristen?

(Maybe if Isabella had genuinely threatened to get Nygma thrown in jail and he let her live, that would mean something.)

However, I do think it would have been better if he had strangled Isabella, because that would force him to answer my questions more quickly than he likely will now. (I still think we're gonna get answers to some of my questions...eventually...sometime in the series.)

Isabella was willing to go pretty far into moral gray zones and risk her life, and it made her seem like a real contender for Nygma's heart. And I wondered for a split second, "Do I like this pairing?" But no.

When Nygma told her to keep the glasses on, it was so close to necrophilia and so disrespectful to Kristen's memory that I lost a fair amount of respect for both Nygma and Isabella.

What's more, Nygma showed very little sympathy or remorse toward his mind-Kristen, so once again, he didn't really deal with the actual murder of an actual person.

So, instead of answering the question of why Nygma fell in love with Kristen, this episode made me think he never loved Kristen at all. Which would have been an ok conclusion to present IF it had been properly built up to and explored.

As it was, however, I lost a lot of sympathy for Nygma since his whole origin story seems a lot less twisted and harsh now.

I thought he was dealing with the repercussions of murdering someone he loved. I thought it was driving him crazy every day. I thought if he realized that he possibly never even loved Kristen, he would plunge even deeper into insanity.

But it all seems rather simple and shallow now. His love for Kristen seems simple and shallow. And therefore, his love for Isabella seems simple and shallow too.

And it makes me think that maybe Nygma deserves to lose Isabella. It's not such a terrible fate anyway, since he probably didn't love her very deeply and he'll probably be over her soon. Plus, Nygma's done some pretty awful things (like killing Kristen and framing Jim). If Nygma wasn't in horrible mental anguish the whole time, I can't feel sorry for him.

2. Penguin
It just seems like killing Isabella is the most predictably thing Penguin could have done. I totally understand why he did it, and it's totally in character, especially after Isabella challenged him like that.

But I was hoping for more. A little growth in Penguin. A little surprise for the audience. A little ingenuity in the plan to win Nygma's heart.

That said, I don't see this as a definite end to their relationship.

Don't get me wrong. Nygma will definitely find out. But there are several ways Penguin and Nygma's relationship could still go forward. It's the job of the writers to put roadblocks in the character's way, to make it difficult, to make it interesting.

Right now, I feel like the Gotham writers are like Jervis Tetch in Follow the White Rabbit. They're laughing at our impatience and our lack of sense for stagecraft, like Jervis laughed when Jim demanded Lee and Vale instead of this random journalist and freaking doctor.

Well, I DO appreciate the stagecraft...I'm just struggling right now because the happy feelings from Anything for You were so fleeting. I miss it so much. Happier times. Happier times.

But how could Penguin and Nygma go on after this? Well, it's possible that Nygma will realize the parallel between what Penguin did to Isabella and what Nygma did to Tom Doherty. Maybe Nygma and Penguin are more alike that Nygma and Isabella were.

Especially if it turns out Isabella had foul intentions for Nymga, which is still possible. I mean she says she knew to dye her hair red from looking at newspapers, but newspapers are usually black and white. And like I said last time, Isabella is just a little to miraculous to be real, don't you think? I dunno. Guess we'll have to see.

HIGHS

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Captain Barnes
You know when Barbara was talking to Lee about Jim? Barbs was all like, "It's hot to be so close to so much darkness and light in someone who's always at war with himself."

And I'm like, "Yeah, Barbara, I totally get what you're saying. But forget Jim! Have you met Barnes lately?"

It was so satisfying to see Barnes dish out justice like that. I know he was super conflicted about it, but that's what made it so relatable. Barnes has a strong desire to punish the bad but also a strong desire to be good himself, and he can't do both.

At the end, he realizes that most of Gotham is complicit in the heinous crimes committed within city borders. Even that girl he saved from getting her face cut off. She (probably) got paid off. And Barnes is tired of all the excuses. "I'm just the guy who disposes of the bodies." "I just hire criminals to change my face." "I just provide new faces to meet the demand."

Barnes is ready to just murder everyone. And I love it!

I feel you, Barnes. I feel you.

RATINGS

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

General: 8/10

Compared-To-All-The-Content-I've-Ever-Loved: 7/10

Review: Gotham Season 3 Episode 7, Red Queen [SPOILERS]

OVERVIEW
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gotham defers exploring Nygma's brain, while Gordon explores his own brain with Barbara as his guide. Wheee!

Elevator Operator Barbara with Jim Gordon in Jim Gordon's Mind Elevator
Source: http://i2.wp.com/tvrecappersdelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Gotham-Jim-Gordons-Trip.jpg

LOWS

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

None.

MEDIUMS

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Nygma
I'm disappointed with what we didn't get to explore with Nygma. We didn't get to explore Nygma's psyche right off the bat because Isabella wasn't a figment his brain created. However, I cheated and watched the promo for next episode before writing this review, so I know there's definitely hope for next episode.

I HAD wanted to see Nygma deal with his murder of Kristen. I mean, the first time he "dealt" with it...he didn't really deal with it. His mind just sort of...broke. That made perfect sense, too. I would also go insane, if I killed someone I loved. How could anyone's brain deal with that?

But the more time passes, the more distance Nygma puts between himself and the murder, the more you'd expect it to creep up on him and demand to be looked at again, more objectively. This expectation is especially valid if Nygma can bring himself to love someone new. It's especially, ESPECIALLY valid if Nygma can bring himself to love someone new who looks like Kristen.

In this episode, Nygma seems to have come to terms with his murder of Kristen as "an accident." But it's more complicated than that.

It all started when Nygma murdered Tom Doherty because Tom was abusing Kristen. Actually, it all started when Nygma fell in love with Kristen. But I mean... immediately before Nygma killed Kristen, he revealed to her that he killed Tom.

She wasn't grateful or relieved. She was horrified. She tried to run, saying that she was going to tell the police.

And her fear was justified. I'd have run away in terror, too, if it turned out my boyfriend was a murderer. I personally wouldn't have said I was going to the police though, Kristen, because 1) it's stupid to say that and 2) I would probably have actually felt a bit of gratitude. Also, I wouldn't have continued dating Tom after he abused me, so Nygma wouldn't have had to kill Tom in the first place. Anyway, sorry. I don't mean to victim-blame. I reiterate that Kristen's reaction to Nygma was understandable.

In fact, it was Nygma's reaction to Kristen that had me going "What?" Actually, it still has me going "What?" But that's part of the brilliance of it. I doubt Nygma has any more of a clue why he did what he did than I do.

Yeah, he was trying to explain himself to her, but why was he so desperate to speak his piece that his grip on her was tight enough to strangle her in mere seconds?

Was he desperate to be understood by her? Was he desperate to keep her from leaving him? Was he desperate to save his own skin from the police?

And I say again: it wouldn't have happened if Nygma hadn't killed Tom.

So should Nygma have interfered in Kristen's life and murdered Tom? And why did Nygma fall in love with Kristen in the first place if she was never that nice to him and had nothing in common with him? Was Kristen right to be afraid of Nygma after he told her about Tom since Nygma DID end up killing her?

If Nygma had known he was dangerous to Kristen, would he still have dated her? Should Nygma have known he was dangerous to Kristen? Did Nygma know he was dangerous to Kristen? Was Nygma a bad person? Even before his Riddler personality took over?

These are the questions Nygma should be asking himself, and most of all, he should be asking himself how to keep himself from killing anyone else he loves. Is he a danger to everyone, no matter how good, kind, sane, and in love he is?

Fingers crossed we'll get to see Nygma explore these questions in the next episode.

2. Isabella
I know it's weird to say this about a show that features zombie supervillains and such but my suspension of disbelief is being tested. I mean, Isabella looks exactly like Kristen, speaks in riddles, showed up right before Penguin could express his love to Nygma, and she isn't a figment of Nygma's imagination?

Well, then there needs to be some other explanation for such a huge set of coincidences. I'd even take the "secret twin" explanation at this point. We'll see what happens next episode. If no explanation comes, I fear I may never accept the miraculous existence of Isabella.

On the other hand, Isabella is working quite well as an obstacle for Penguin and Nygma's relationship. A little TOO well. I'm really sad and frustrated for Penguin at this point. To think this is what I wanted: for there to be some conflict that keeps Penguin and Nygma from turning into a fairy tale couple.

Thankfully, I already see how Nygm and Isabella could fall apart. She's already a bit creepy, saying that Ed is the Anthony to her Cleopatra, the Romeo to her Juliet, the Othello to her Desdemona. As Nygma said, all those characters died. If I didn't know any better -- and I don't -- I'd think Isabella kind of LIKES the fact that Nygma is a murderer. It excites her. She wants some tragic, death-destined romance and she wants Nygma to fit a certain mold of character. Not a good sign.

3. Vale
Ok, I feel really mean for what I said about Vale's actress last time (even though I stand by it), so I'll say she did alright this episode. She was smart enough to realize that Gordon was trying to save Lee, self-respecting enough to break up with him, and like I predicted, she lost her hope in him because of the incident. Very sad.

4. Tetch's Scheme
A little anticlimactic, the way his scheme ended. (No one got poisoned, and Gordon didn't get to bring Tetch down.) I know that's probably the point, though, and it's actually a good twist that Captain Barnes will be the real threat to Gotham, rather than Tetch with Alice's blood.

It's just that the writers are going to have to really come through with Barnes, making his story more fascinating than the story that would have played out if Tetch had successfully poisoned the heads of Gotham.

HIGHS

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Penguin 

I like that he seemed genuinely upset to have to get in the way of love, since he mentions it twice, first to Nygma and then to Catherine/Katherine, whom he had no reason to lie to. I'm glad he DID get in the way of love though. See, that's one of things that I love about Penguin: he's always been the character you could do crazy things vicariously through.

Remember that time he attacked a guy who booed his mom? That's the kind of thing real people know better than to do, because it usually only upsets the loved ones we think we are defending. (Nygma knows it. Just look at the thanks he got for killing his girlfriend's abusive ex who she was terrified of, lol.)

Penguin's mom didn't seem to mind though. That's why I miss the duo of Penguin and his mother, and it might also be why Penguin doesn't know any better than to try and drive Isabella away. He thought that he was a better match for Nygma and that Isabella would be "a disaster." Real people know that driving Isabella away would hurt Nygma and likely hurt Penguin and Nygma's relationship. So we wouldn't do it, if we were Penguin. But we wish we could, so we love watching Penguin do it.

In other news, Hugo Strange apparently actually had plans for Penguin! Strange worked for the Council, and in this episode, the Council revealed that they have a purpose in mind for Penguin. So, that's probably what Strange meant when he said he had plans for Penguin. I must say this is a fulfilling twist, especially since I gave up on Strange's "plan" for Penguin ever being relevant.

I wonder if Penguin will discover the existence of the council, realize he's not actually the King of Gotham, and start scheming to get to the top. Scheming, ladder-climbing Penguin was my favorite part of Season 1. I love that side of Penguin. I'd love to see it again.

2. Bruce & Selina
I'm glad Bruce didn't just let Selina get away with being so late. He wasn't so desperate to be with her that he would sweep his own feelings under the rug, and his relationship with her will be healthier because of it. I mean, I guess I know their relationship won't last, or it'll be on-again off-again, from what I know of the characters. Whatever, though. If it were to last, it would be better off because of Bruce's self-respect.

3. Jim Gordon
I like that Barbara wasn't just one of the stops on the ride. She was in the elevator on the journey with Jim. I mean, Barbara's been around since Season 1 Episode 1, and like I said a couple reviews ago, Jim and Barbara have a lot in common. For instance, they both cut off their engagements and came back to their exes too late and let it kill their spirits.

Also, disturbingly, they have similar tendencies toward violence, as seen when Jim tried to force Barbara to open the elevator doors and she came back at him with a broken glass. Jim may want Lee more than he wants Barbara, but he relates to Barbara more.

I like that Penguin appeared during Jim's first stop on the elevator, which also featured a war zone and Bruce. It seemed like Jim was going back to his roots. Not only did Gordon used to be a soldier, but also, just like Barbara, Penguin and Bruce have been around since Gordon first arrived in Gotham. And Penguin has actually been on Jim's side of the "war" the whole time.

I'm glad that Jim found his way back and rejoined the police, but I did think the stops on the elevator could have been explored further. They all seemed a bit rushed, but I understand there's only so much time in an episode.

Now, prepare for the "dead relative is still alive" twist. Even when you find your way back, Jim, there'll be something new to lead you astray. I think it's once you get used to that fact that you'll get yer sea-legs.

RATINGS

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

General: 8/10

Compared-To-All-The-Content-I've-Ever-Loved: 7/10

Review: Gotham Season 3 Episode 6, Follow the White Rabbit [SPOILERS]

OVERVIEW
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gotham was great again this week, wasn't it? Yes, it was. :)  Mad Hatter's SUPERvillainy, Penguin's feelings, and Nygma's psyche, oh my! Featuring appearances from classic moral dilemmas like the trolley problem!

The White Rabbit/Messenger for The Mad Hatter
Source:http://cnema.me/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Gotham-Season-3-Episode-6.jpg

LOWS

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

None.

MEDIUMS

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Jim Gordon
I thought Gordon's scene where he kept hanging up the phone was hilarious. I'm glad he kept a bit of humor when faced with the horrible sorts of choices good people hope to never be faced with. I like that Gordon tried refusing to play Jervis's game and that Gordon tried changing the game by getting under Jervis's skin. Unfortunately, it didn't work either time, but I'm glad he tried.

What bugs me, though, is why not tell Bullock? Bullock seems like he, of all people, would be fine with not telling Captain Barnes and just going in alone with Gordon. And I didn't have time to think about it until Bullock asked the question himself. And Gordon simply answered with, "I couldn't." ...Why even bring it up if you have no good explanation, Gotham?

Also, Gordon picked Lee to save Lee, right? I sure hope so. I just feel his bond with Lee is stronger than with Vale.

2. Lee and Vale
I can understand that the lock-picking scene was there to show that Lee and Vale didn't just wait around helplessly, but if Vale knew how to pick locks, why didn't Vale pick the locks? Seems like it would have gone a lot faster that way.

Also, I hate to say it, but the actress who plays Vale is just not great. I mean, it was distractingly bad when Vale and Lee were seated across from each other and you could see Lee being visibly scared, as anyone would be, while Vale barely reacted to anything. Maybe it's part of Vale's character and she's fearless or something, but it didn't come off that way.

Now, I personally believe that Gordon picked Lee to save Lee. But even if that's true and Lee knew it, Lee's reaction at the end showed that, understandably, she can't exactly appreciate what Gordon did for her. Not while Vale's in surgery and on the verge of death anyway.

That not even Lee can be happy to be alive is heartbreaking. But understandable of course. And it shows you that just because you save more people doesn't necessarily mean you put more happiness into the world. It's especially true, if the person you threw under the bus survives (as Vale likely will, in my opinion) and has lost their trust and hope in you.

Nobody wins. It's all very sad.

HIGHS

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Penguin & Nygma

Ok, I'm on board the Nygmobblepot bandwagon. :)

If you remember from my last review, my two chief worries about Nygmobblepot were that 1) it would make the show seem too sunny if a full-on romance blossomed between Penguin and Nygma and 2) Nygma was still hung up on Kristen.

Well, Gotham has addressed both of those issues, at once, perfectly.

See, the heart of story is conflict, and I couldn't see any serious way conflict could ensue if Penguin and/or Nygma fell in love. They're a good match for each other.

But ok, granted, I didn't try hard to find ways there could be a battle within and/or FOR Penguin and Nygma's relationship. I didn't try hard because 1) I didn't want Penguin's heart to be broken again, and 2) I didn't want Gotham to start running around in circles with Penguin again.

Last season, I felt like that's what the Gotham writers were doing: having Penguin just go through heartbreak again and again with no purpose. How happy I was when I realized that (probably) there was a purpose to all that suffering. It brought Penguin to Nygma. I think we'd all like to believe that our suffering has a purpose, and it feels great to experience a confirmation of that hope, even if it's vicariously through our favorite characters.

So, why am I ok with the conflict the writers did cook up for Penguin and Nygma? Because, if I'm right (which, admittedly, is a sizable 'if'), "Isabella" is just a figment of Nygma's imagination, created to help him deal with his feelings for Kristen, whom Nygma is obviously still in love with even though he murdered her.

Why would this hallucination pop up at this exact moment in Nygma's life? Well, quite possibly, Nygma is having trouble processing his feelings for Penguin in light of the fact that Nygma murdered the last person he was in love with.

Oooooooh!

It's all so juicy and psychological! I can't wait to see Nygma's mind explored more deeply than ever!

If I'm right about Isabella, it could mean that Nygma will have to get rid of her by working through his feelings and THEN he and Penguin can be together. I would be fine with that, since that's how a lot of love stories go. You know, there's the initial conflict and then a peaceful relationship that is simply back burnered until something interesting can continue to evolve it. I mean, seeing as the Gotham writers have already found a way to add conflict without breaking Penguin and Nygma apart completely, I trust they can do it in the future.

Alternatively, if I'm right about Isabella, it could mean that Nygma will never be able to get rid of her, and she will always pop up when he's getting close to Penguin, and Penguin/Nygma will never officially happen. I would also be ok with that, since then Penguin and Nygma will be back to being friends and they're actually pretty happy that way. Also, I'm very enamored with the idea of Nygma being forever in love with someone he murdered, like a ghost that haunts him.

If I'm wrong about Isabella, then...I dunno. How is it possible that there's a real woman who looks just like Kristen and also randomly spouts riddles? I guess we'll find out, if I'm wrong about Isabella.

Also, Penguin was just so freaking cute this episode. And just so relatable. I'd be totally in love with Nygma, too, after what Nygma did last episode. And I'd be filled with such hope that I would make speeches at breakfast about choosing courage over cowardice, too. I love Penguin! He's definitely regained a lot of his warmth in this episode.

2. Mad Hatter
Ok, Mad Hatter. Wow. I mean, he's still as scary and hate-able as he was in his previous episodes, but now he's super-hate-able because he's a supervillain!

To quote Megamind, the difference between a villain and a supervillain is "presentation!"

And Jervis Tetch's presentation is on point.

He doesn't just go around killing people anymore. He murders with panache. He builds up to a grand finale. He keeps his villainous word, cross his heart and hope to die.

He holds all the cards this episode, and what does he choose to do with that power? Put on a good show!

I felt like I was watching one of the classic cartoon supervillains in living color and with actual death happening.

That poor married couple! I was terrified for them when they got kidnapped. Not to make light of it at all, but the shots of them standing on the ledge were beautiful, just like all of Gotham. The visuals and music always work together beautifully to create the atmosphere.

Also, I think it was pretty brilliant how each choice Jervis had Gordon make was closer in character to the final choice.

1. The newlyweds vs. the child
A symbol of love vs. a symbol of innocence. It seems to represent Lee vs. Vale in several ways. Gordon and Lee's relationship is older and they used to be engaged. Gordon and Vale's relationship is young. As Jervis says near the end, Lee still has love for Gordon while Vale still has hope for Gordon because she doesn't know who he really is yet (says Jervis), and that is innocence in a way.

The newlyweds vs. the child choice also ties into Gordon's psyche too, since like Jervis said, the last time Gordon saw a woman in a wedding dress, it was Barbara and she was trying to kill him. Additionally, Gordon and Lee recently lost a newborn child. And, who knows? Maybe it was some subconscious association that swayed Gordon's choice.

Or maybe he just doesn't like climbing stairs. Haha. Sorry. I'm not trying to be funny. That was actually a serious suggestion.

2. The doctor vs. the journalist
This choice obviously represents Lee and Vale's roles in society and really drove home the point that Gordon could lose both Lee and Vale if he didn't choose one. ALTHOUGH, the first choice drove home the point that Gordon wouldn't feel good choosing just one, and the second choice drove home that he wouldn't feel good making no choice. Summarily, then, the first two choices drove home how you just can't win in situations like this. You're going to feel like utter crap either way.

This choice also took it up a notch by asking Gordon to more actively harm one of the people by shooting one of them, which is closer to what he had to do in the end: naming one person to die (though that might be half a notch down from this).

3. Lee vs. Vale
And this is where Jervis was at his most supervillainous. But I say that not because he shot one woman. Ironically, I say it because he actually left one woman unharmed. Most modern villains would have shot both, unless there was some strong contrived motive for leaving one alive. But Jervis isn't just a villain. He's a supervillain. He plays by the rules that he set, arbitrary as they may be.

Furthermore, the fact is that, in the end, it may have led to more suffering for Gordon this way and thus better served Jervis's main goal. Suffering is inherent in life, not necessarily in death, see? More life actually equals more suffering. More life actually equals more of a lot of things. It's simply impossible to say whether it will end up being worse or better for Gordon that one woman was left alive.

Yes, Jervis is turning out to be just as great and terrible a supervillain as I expected.

3. Barbara
I'm glad this episode showed Barbara doing more as a villain than being super fun. She actually poses a real threat to Gordon because of what she knows. If she feels so inclined, she could get him or someone he loves hurt, and she did.

Also, how sad is it that she told Jervis that Gordon is in love with her and Jervis didn't buy it at all? LOL. Maybe Gordon is totally over her now.

I laugh, but poor Barbara. Poor crazy Barbara.

4. Classic Moral Dilemmas in a Cinematic Style

I know that, before seeing this episode, plenty of people probably already knew of the thought experiment where you can either kill one person and save five people or do nothing and let the five die.

But I think it's a great service to society to present such classic moral dilemmas in a vivid story with realistic characters we empathize with. It's different when you feel like you're actually experiencing it.

It's easy to make your choice when you're not really seeing it happen. It's easy to say, "It's better to save more people." It's easy to say, "It's better not to push a person in front of a train."

But when you're actually in it, doesn't it feel gross for Gordon to choose to do nothing and let two people die rather than shooting just one? Doesn't it feel gross for Gordon to say, "Kill Lee"? Doesn't it feel gross when Lee declines to talk about it with Gordon?

It can and should make the viewer question whether either choice is objectively better.

RATINGS

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General: 9/10

Compared-To-All-The-Content-I've-Ever-Loved: 9/10

Review: Gotham Season 3 Episode 5, Anything for You [SPOILERS]

OVERVIEW
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The best ever!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry, but I loved this episode so much. I've thought and thought about it, and you know what? I'm gonna give it a 10 out of 10.

I know, in the future, my feelings for it will probably cool a little and I'll see more of the flaws in this episode, but right now, I just don't really care about those flaws. I don't care that the structure of this season is all over the place.

I mean, we had those first two episodes with Fish, and then a two-episode story arc with Mad Hatter, and now this pretty much self-contained episode. It's all over the place, but I don't care.

This episode gave me a high I still haven't come down from. Seriously. It's given me a flavor of lasting happiness that I didn't know I missed.

Penguin and Nygma
Source: http://cdn-static.denofgeek.com/sites/denofgeek/files/styles/main_wide/public/gotham-305_scn1_jn0668_hires1.jpg?itok=KIzBcxtV

LOWS

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Let's just say none, even though, technically, I could count the flaw I listed in the Overview, but nah.

MEDIUMS

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None.

HIGHS

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So many...

1. Penguin
I can't tell you how satisfying it is for me to see Penguin to find someone to fill that original hole left in his heart by his mother. I feel like I've been on this whole journey with Penguin, from his mother's death (which literally left me sad for two weeks) to his father's death (which did not leave me sad for long, but definitely increased Penguin's and my own despair) to now: Penguin's mayorship and Nygma.

So, now, I feel like -- and I don't even care how stupid this sounds -- a hole has been filled in my heart just as it has been filled in Penguin's heart.

God, it's good to live vicariously through your favorite characters sometimes.

This! This is how it's done, folks! Good shows work for it, wait for it, earn it, and leave their audience with a better high than shows that give their characters everything right away.

And as I said in my review for S3E4, it seemed like Penguin was settling for shallower and shallower love, first that of his father and now that of the public. How glad I am that that is not the case.

He wasn't settling for anything. At the start of this episode, he makes it clear that he realizes that mayorship was merely a professional goal, of sorts, and he still needs real love, "someone to share it with."

Even better, now he's found someone who would do "anything for you."

I'm so happy!

I also really appreciate that Penguin and Nygma did NOT kiss at the end. I thought they were going to for a second, and then I thought, "Oh, please, no." And thank goodness it didn't happen.

As things are, the viewer can decide for his or herself whether Penguin/Nygma is a romance or a bromance. I prefer to think 'bromance' because I think a romance would just be too much. Too much goodness. This isn't a fairytale or a hit television mockumentary wherein Penguin and Nygma would get married and adopt a Vietnamese daughter and good times would ensue, accompanied by simple lessons in parenting and relationships. (I love Modern Family, honestly. I joke out of love.) This is Gotham.

Also, I like to think that Nygma is still and will always be in love with Kristen Kringle, because he's crazy like that...crazy romantic, lol. And he's simply a good friend, like he used to be to Gordon. Now, he's that friend to Penguin. I hope.

I'm so happy, btw! Did I mention?

I mean, okay, I know there's still a chance that Nygma really is just using Penguin, but I find that unlikely. Gotham is really good about not pulling crap out of left field. And it really would be out of left field if Nygma turned on Penguin after Nygma passed up the opportunity to smile evilly when he hugged Penguin. That would have been the time to show us that Nygma has ulterior motives.

I'm so happy!!!

2. Nygma
The suspense was real. I genuinely had no idea what was going to happen next when Nygma set his plan in motion. On the one hand, Nygma has been shown to be an extremely manipulative person and I could definitely see him having a problem with playing second fiddle. But on the other hand, I could see how he might simply be trying to expose Butch.

Butch was a problem for Penguin this episode, just as I predicted (more or less). I mean, it doesn't take much to predict that, after everything Butch has already done to Penguin. After all, Butch got Penguin's mother killed in the first place.

(And yes, I know Penguin has done a lot of horrible stuff to Butch too, and I'm glad the writers had Butch bring that up, to be fair. But I'm team Penguin here.)

And while I was in suspense of Nygma this episode, my heart sank as Butch initially refused to kill Penguin. Are the writers trying to say that Butch really is the more trustworthy of the two?

The competition between Butch and Nygma started out as charming. I imagine it was particularly captivating for people who like both Nygma AND Butch, but I was team Nygma from the start. Nygma's never done anything that bad to Penguin and, therefore, Penguin SHOULD trust Nygma more than Butch. "Don't drag common sense through the mud please, Gotham writers," I thought.

And they didn't!

And I'm so happy!

And that's one of the many wonderful things about Gotham. It's full of common sense: common sense love, common sense friendship, common sense ideals. Of course the more trustworthy friend is the one who didn't help kill your mother. Of course the truer love would risk life and limb to show you the truth rather than to pull one over on you.

So good!

Also, I'm glad to see the writers have given Nygma a way to do something interesting outside of Arkham, since he's allowed in the forensics lab of the GCPD.

3. Bruce and Selina
Maybe I was wrong about what made Five a good match for Selina. Maybe it's just that Bruce and Selina look older now, so their romance is simply less awkward. I mean, 'cause Bruce and Selina were so cute this episode. I'm totally rooting for them now.

4. Barbara, Zsasz, Lucius Fox

These actors are freaking superb, and all three characters were fantastic comic relief this episode.

I loved how much Barbara loved the party because I was loving it just as much.

I'm glad to see Zsasz back after a long absence, and I was happy to see him helping Nygma protect Penguin because I've always shipped Zsasz and Penguin as friends too.

I loved Lucius's conversation with Nygma and how Lucius is not a man of violence but is also not above insinuating that he laced the hand sanitizer dispenser with poison.

5. Musical Score
Amazing, as always, especially in the opening scene where Penguin commenced his mayorship to the backdrop of an upbeat version of his theme.

6. Just overall the way the pieces fell
I have been lenient on Gotham for having Penguin forgive Butch so easily because I could see that it was a way of keeping both Butch and Tabatha alive, but honestly, there should be better ways to keep certain characters alive than by compromising another character's consistency.

And behold, isn't this a much better way? Having Butch on the run and Tabatha protecting him? I think so.

Also, this episode was actually a good breather. Now, I'm ready for what will come next with Bruce's doppelganger and the Mad Hatter. 

RATINGS

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General: 10/10

Compared-To-All-The-Content-I've-Ever-Loved: 10/10

Review: Gotham Season 3 Episode 4, New Day Rising [SPOILERS]

[WORST CRIMES DISCLAIMER: This episode vaguely references possible incestuous abuse.]

OVERVIEW
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High-energy episode, in which everyone has "flair," but especially Barbara, Five, and Selina. Had some unfortunate problems too, like the emerging two-episode story arc pattern and Penguin's refusal to fire Butch.

Edward Nygma in his new suit
Source: http://static2.hypable.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Gotham-season-3-episode-4-3.jpg

LOWS

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1. Alice and Jervis's Story
I once again thought that the show went a little too dark with Alice's story. Wouldn't it have been bad enough that her brother wanted to control her and/or use her to infect people? Why add incestuous feelings and possible rape? Poor, poor Alice.

On the bright side, that element of Alice's story was presented more responsibly than it could have been. I mean, similar stories have presented mind-control rape in a rather more... romantic light. (*cough*Jessica Jones*cough*) I can't see Alice-Jervis ships taking off the way Jessica-Kilgrave ships took off.

2. Two Episode Arcs?
Ok, so it seems Mad Hatter's story arc is over for now. But he was only introduced one episode ago. Which means he had a two-episode arc. Actually, come to think of it, Fish had a two-episode story arc in the first two episodes of this season. So, does that mean Gotham is switching from three-episode arcs to two-episode arcs now?

I don't like the sound of that. Two-episode arcs are awkward (three-parters are more natural: beginning, middle, end, you know?) and less satisfying than longer arcs. But more importantly, if Gotham continues on this trajectory, I project that by the start of Season 3b, Gotham will land smack dab in the heart of episodic territory: one-episode arcs. And the episodic-ness of Season 1 was my one big complaint about it. I don't want to see it go back to that.

MEDIUMS

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1. Penguin
I like that they finally came out and said what I've always felt was Penguin's driving force: love. However, it seems Penguin keeps settling for shallower and shallower love. I mean, the writers did a wonderful job of showing the bond between Peguin and his mother. It hit me hard when Gertrude died. Not so much when Elijah, Penguin's father died, though, because the bond between him and Penguin was given little to no time to grow and solidify in the mind of the audience.

Now, Penguin is experiencing the love of the public for the first time, and I can see how that would be a mood-booster for Penguin. But it's so abundantly obvious to me that the public's love is a shallow love, as shallow as it gets, and it won't last long.

So I hope the writers are intentionally having Penguin settle for shallower and shallower love and it's not just lack of effort on their part to grow the love. Grow the love, man... lol, I hope that doesn't sound creepy. You know what I mean, right?

Also, Penguin is supposed to be "three steps ahead," isn't he? But he keeps making all these rookie mistakes, like pissing off Butch and then keeping him on the payroll. Seems like something similar happened last season, and it turned out very, very badly for Penguin. (See the episode "Mommy's Little Monster" for further info.) When will he learn?

2. Gordon
So, in this episode Gordon does some soul-searching, and it becomes clear that he resented Lee for moving on so quickly. And it's understandable that he would hold some resentment, but it's also hypocritical. Not only did Gordon sleep with Valerie Vale, but he also moved on pretty quickly from Barbara back in Season 1. And he moved on with Lee. So, I'm glad that he seems to be getting over his resentment of Lee, but I'm also hoping this leads him to be more understanding of Barbara.

I mean, he and Barbara have a lot in common now. They both broke off their engagements, walked in on their former fiancee making out with someone else, walked away and let it change them for the worse. Okay, yeah, Barbara changed for the worse a lot MORE, but not until she was traumatized by further violence.

HIGHS

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1. "Bruce" and Selina
I've never shipped Bruce and Selina much, and I didn't get how anyone thought they had chemistry. But I see how they could now, since I felt like Five and Selina were pretty adorable together. I have a feeling Bruce is going to become increasingly like his doppelganger in terms of his fighting skills and emotional brokenness and loneliness, and it was those qualities that made the doppelganger a good fit for Selina. So, I see now how Bruce and Selina could be a match.

Hey, maybe even it will turn out that, in this Batman universe, Bruce is Bruce Wayne and Five is Batman!

Haha! Just kidding, I'm sure that would piss off a lot of fans. (But I think it would be a pretty cool twist.)

2. Barbara

Barbara's just a bucket of fun. Also, I'm theorizing right now that Barbara really does get more and more evil the longer she stays awake and that she never sleeps well and that another coma would put her right back to... normal... I guess. It's just a theory.

RATINGS

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General: 8/10

Compared-To-All-The-Content-I've-Ever-Loved: 7/10

Review: Gotham Season 3 Episode 3, Look Into My Eyes [SPOILERS]

[WORST CRIMES DISCLAIMER: This episode shows attempted rape.]

OVERVIEW
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Ok, I can see the season taking shape now, and there's definitely hope for this season. I see a promising main villain and distinct story directions for Penguin, Gordon, and Bruce.

Penguin leaning out a window, in a penguin-like way
Source: http://blogs-images.forbes.com/erikkain/files/2016/10/Gotham-S3E3-3-1200x800.jpg?width=960

LOWS

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1. Alice's First Scene
I'm sorry, but I think it's ridiculous that she apologized to the guy who was sexually assaulting her. She didn't even poison him by choice. So, presumably, her apology showed how good and kind she is, but I just don't see it that way. I see it as ridiculous, and I don't know why such a dark scene was necessary just to show Alice's "power."

MEDIUMS

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None

HIGHS

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1. Opening scene
Pretty funny, if you ask me.

2. Barbara

Once again, really fun. Loved her hypnosis scene and the idea of a Barbara/Mad Hatter team up.

3. Mad Hatter
You thought he was going to be a wacky villain with a hypnosis gimmick? Nope. Commits a brutal double murder in his second scene. And he doesn't bat an eyelash. Pretty chilling. Also, for character development, we have the obviously complex relationship with his sister, Alice. Mad Hatter will make a great villain for the next two to eight episodes, depending on whether we've got a 3-episode story arc or a half-season arc ahead of us.

4. Penguin
I think it's safe to say, at this point, that Penguin pulled a "Selina Kyle" at the end of last season. (For untold reasons, he snapped out of his depression and was ready to live again. It was like Selina's sudden turn to the dark side at the end of Season 1, in that it was for untold reasons. That is, the writers may have had reasons, but they didn't show us those reasons, which is unsatisfactory writing, in my opinion.)

HOWEVER, at least, he spent a much more realistic amount of time grieving than most TV characters. And if I have to accept that Penguin is back in the game for untold reasons, at least the writing for Penguin seems to be on the upswing. I have hope.

In this episode, he has a purpose (mayorship) that should last a while and give his character direction. He proves to be "three steps ahead" in the restaurant scene. And I thought it was adorable how he popped out of his car window; You could just picture him as an actual penguin.

5. Gordon
I like how the writers were able to bring Gordon into the Mad Hatter plot, since Alice was an Indian Hill escapee and Gordon is a famous escapee-catcher. I like that Gordon showed concern for Ivy Pepper when Selina told him Ivy was missing. I liked that he was disgusted with The Narrows bar owner for implying that he would kill Alice. It showed that Gordon still cares a little bit.

I also liked the scene on the roof with Gordon about to jump. It showed that Gordon is a lot worse for wear than I would have guessed.

6. Nygma

The scene of his release was hilarious, and I don't know where his character is going this season, but I have hope now that we'll find out and that Gotham is not, in fact, just aimlessly meandering.

7. Bruce's Doppelganger/'5'/'Five'/IDK
He's creepy enough, and I can see how his character gives Bruce new direction. (Bruce wants to investigate why his doppelganger was created, and the answer will no doubt cause Bruce to once again take up the fight against the Council). So, I look forward to seeing more of Five.

RATINGS

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General: 7/10

Compared-To-All-The-Content-I've-Ever-Loved: 6/10