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

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

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

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

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

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

MEDIUMS

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

None.

HIGHS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

None

HIGHS

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

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

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

General: 7/10

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

Review: Gotham Season 3 Episode 2, Burn the Witch [SPOILERS]

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

Overall, there wasn't much to this episode. It was plot-centered episode, with little character exploration, and the plot wasn't even terribly exciting. Sorry to say.

LOWS

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

1. Gordon/Vale
This episode, Gordon and Vale engaged in the most annoying kind of romance: the kind where they both do nothing but annoy each other, and I guess we're supposed to interpret that as sexual/romantic tension because, all of a sudden, they're sucking face full force. And of course, just as Gordon starts to move on, Lee returns -- which is a cliche that wouldn't annoy me so much if I hadn't just spent the whole episode being annoyed by Gordon and Vale's annoying romance that is also a cliche.

2. No idea where the season is headed
This episode seemed to wrap up several story-lines, but it did nothing to indicate where this season is headed overall.

I mean, all but one of Fish's minions are imprisoned or dead, and Fish herself is gone -- probably for a while, until Strange can fix her. And Penguin is done hunting her. Gordon seems to be moving on from Lee with Valerie Vale. Lee ended her absence. Bruce even met with the secret council and agreed to stop investigating them.

Where do we go from here though?

At this time, there's no conflict or goal large enough to take up a whole season. Neither Poison Ivy nor Bruce's doppelganger NOR Fish seems like big enough a threat to be the season's main villain. What's more, this is isn't even the third episode of the season, so I guess the writers have given up on having even that much structure. (Last season, they had a lot of 3-episode arcs, which weren't ideal, but I was ok with them.)

It's a bit of a mess. TV shows are supposed to have structure. I have no idea where this season is going.

MEDIUMS

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

1. Penguin
I could understand why Penguin would hesitate to kill Fish after what she said. She expressed a sort of parental pride in him, and we all know how much Penguin needed his real parents and how they were ripped away from him. Not to mention Fish and Penguin go way back, back before everything went to crap for Penguin. So I can absolutely see why he might be overcome with emotion at her explanation.

HOWEVER, to just let her go and tell her to never come back, as if he actually expected she might never come back?

Of course, she's going to come back. Her whole plan is to take over Gotham, as always. She's just found a different way to do it now, rather than be a crime boss.

Why is Penguin the King of Gotham again? He seems to lack the insight and trickery he had in the first season.

Also, I'm definitely noticing that Penguin lacks the warmth he had in earlier seasons. Whether that was a conscious decision on the part of the actor and writers, I do not know. But it does make sense, unfortunately, after all he's been through. And even more unfortunately, it makes him less likable. 

HIGHS

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

1. Barbara

Barbara is the star of the episode, for the second episode in a row. I just really enjoy watching her be sassy and creepy and a little bit crazy.

RATINGS

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

General: 6/10

Compared-To-All-The-Content-I've-Ever-Loved: 4/10

Review: Gotham Season 3 Episode 1, Better to Reign in Hell... [SPOILERS]

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

I love Gotham and very much want it to succeed, but I have to be honest and say that I was a little disappointed in this episode. 

I recently became aware that Gotham receives a lot of hate. I think such hate is completely unwarranted, since so far, Gotham has been an incredible show. Not just a great comic book show. Just objectively a great show.

Gotham is complete with a solid plot, great character moments, great character development, great performances, great visuals, great musical scores, and interesting philosophical points. Nonetheless, people hate on it a lot more than people hate on some other shows, shows that I think showcase some severely inconsistent characters and plots. 

Character consistency is extremely important to me. (Plot consistency too, but not as much.) And the character inconsistencies in this episode makes me wonder if the Gotham writers have halfway given up...but are halfway still trying...but have halfway given up. 

Glass half full/empty/who knows? 

It is true that Gotham's ratings have been steadily decreasing, in spite of the great writing. So, hey, if I were the Gotham writers, I might halfway give up too. And the saddest thing is that their ratings might go up now. Viewers seem to prefer inconsistent characters and plots. 

Oh, well. We original Gotham lovers will always have the first two seasons. And this awesome picture.

Gordon holding a snow globe of the rest of the characters
Source: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CrM-iF_UEAAaUxS.png

As you might guess, most of today's items will be located in the MEDIUMS section, since it seems the Gotham writers are halfway trying, halfway not.

LOWS

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

1. Tabatha and Captain Barnes

When Tabatha and Barnes both fell into comas last season, I was nervous that it was just the cliche method of getting them out of the way until the writers could think of something interesting to do with them and the comas would have no lasting consequences. 

Well, I was right. Tabatha and Barnes are right back at it now at the very start of the new season, no worse for wear, except mayyybeeee Barnes who gave a small cough after scolding Gordon and Bullock.

MEDIUMS

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

1. Penguin

Consistencies:

Penguin explains why he holds no grudge against Nygma for the way Nygma turned Penguin away when Penguin was brainwashed.

Penguin admits to struggling to make it through every day. To Nygma, Penguin says that he doesn't know how he would have made it through the last few months without Nygma, since Fish is out there plotting and Penguin is surrounded by idiots and lunatics. But none of that is new for Penguin and he got through it with ease in the first season, so that means he really isn't doing as well now without his parents' love.

Penguin is still mad at one of his mother's murderers, at least. He says he will kill Tabatha as soon as Butch gives the ok.

Inconsistencies:

If Penguin is large and in charge again and such good friends with Nygma, why can't he break Nygma out of Arkham? Falcone broke Gordon out of jail once, and  Falcone wasn't even the number one mob boss at the time.

Penguin appears as affectionate as ever to Gordon, even though Gordon left Penguin to be tortured in Gotham last season and Penguin was quite upset about it at the time.

Penguin seems as trusting as ever toward Butch, even though Butch took Fish's side (as much as he could while brainwashed) at the end of the first season. Well, Fish is back again and Butch isn't even brainwashed this time. So how can Penguin trust Butch?

Penguin spares Tabatha on Butch's behalf, even though Butch himself helped to kill Gertrude. So why does Penguin spare Butch?

2. Nygma

Consistencies:

Nygma remembers how he treated Penguin when Penguin was brainwashed, and asks why Penguin is so nice to him anyway.

Inconsistencies:

Personally, I am really not a fan of the whole smartest-person-in-history-at-such-and-such schtick.

Said schtick boring, both for me, the audience, as well as for the character himself, if he were a real person. I can only imagine the mental frustration of never finding an entertaining challenge. And I dont want to imagine it. It's frustrating to imagine.

And it always, always raises the valid question: "If you're so smart, why can't you figure a way out of the mental asylum?"

AND said shtick is inconsistent in a character who once (in Season 1) said he enjoys video games. Regular old video games that never drove any mathematicians mad or went generations unsolved in any family. 

Therefore, I was not pleased by the puzzle box scene.

3. Butch

Consistencies:

Butch is still in love with Tabatha, consistent with what we last heard from him.

Inconsistencies:

Butch is on Penguin's side instead of on Fish's side. What we last heard from Butch was that he had accepted Fish's death, but before THAT, Butch said that he loved Fish and would never hurt her. Even when he was brainwashed to hate Fish and obey Penguin, he loved Fish and disobeyed Penguin in order to save Fish. Butch isn't even brainwashed any more. Why is he not on Fish's side?

HIGHS

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

1. Music
As always, Gotham's score goes above and beyond to set the mood for each scene. In this episode, the music is especially effective when Bruce's doppelganger is on screen. The music really helped to sell the doppelganger's creepiness.

2. Barbara
"Boop." I loved Barbara's scenes this episode. I am happy her friendship with "Ozzy" continues. 

Also, I thought about it, and her transition back to evilness seemed very sudden in this episode, but when you think about the last 3 or 4 episodes she was in, it has been fairly gradual. She "helped" Gordon by kidnapping him; she went crazy channel-surfing (she was clearly in pain); she helped Penguin decorate his home with a severed head; and finally, she nearly beat a man to death (he was a bad guy). Makes sense. I have no complaints.

CONCLUSION

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

Gotham is a character-centric show, like all great shows. It never missed an opportunity to show the main characters' personalities and it made sure the main characters always acted in-character. And it continues to focus on the characters with great energy (I had fun watching this episode) but less consistency.

RATINGS

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

General: 7/10

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

Review: Gotham Season 2 Episode 22, Transference [SPOILERS]

OVERVIEW
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exciting, action-packed, and beautifully shot as ever, this episode wraps up Season 2 with a big cliffhanger.

"Jim Gordon"
Source: http://cdn-static.denofgeek.com/sites/denofgeek/files/styles/article_main_wide_image/public/2016/05/gotham_finale.jpg?itok=7THDvZLa

LOWS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Possible Lost Story Threads

Because Season 2 is now over, I feel justified in criticizing a few big-picture things about the show. Mostly, I am nervous that some story threads have been lost. I mean, what happened to Strange's plans for Penguin? What good did it do Strange to find out that Gordon actually did kill Galavan? I fear we may never know.

MEDIUMS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Penguin/Barbara/Butch Team

Okay, I've wanted Penguin and Barbara to be friends ever since they first met in Season 1.

They hit it off so well. Barbara seemed to genuinely appreciate the sympathy from Penguin regarding Jim. And sure, Penguin most likely wanted to use Barbara to get closer to Jim, but still! Penguin and Barbara do have compatible personalities. Just listen to their exchange of high-class, dainty chit chat the first time they met.

My desire for a Penguin/Barbara friendship grew stronger when Barbara remembered Penguin at their next encounter. They had only ever spoken for maybe five minutes, so he must have left an impression.

However, I honestly thought there was no chance of a Penguin/Barbara friendship after she was an accomplice (after the fact, at least) to the kidnapping of Penguin's mother.

(Barbara offered Penguin her drink, saying he needed it more than her, and then left the room just minutes before Galavan revealed that he had kidnapped Gertrude. So, Barbara definitely knew about the kidnapping. Who knows? Maybe Barbara even helped with the kidnapping.)

But after this episode, maybe there is a chance of a Penguin/Barbara friendship.

Penguin actually sought out Barbara's help in decorating his house. They utilized a severed head and everything. Doesn't that sound like the perfect bonding activity for a couple of high-class, dainty psychopaths?

Also, it gave me great satisfaction when Penguin praised Barbara both in front of Butch (who kicked Barbara out of his house, just a couple episodes ago) and on the phone. It gave me satisfaction because Barbara obviously appreciated it.

As for Butch, I think it's a fun dynamic he has with Penguin. Butch is the sidekick who rolls his eyes in disbelief at all the twisted things Penguin does. That dynamic works well, so I can see why the writers would bring it back as quickly and easily as they have.

HOWEVER, this brings me to the problems with this Penguin/Barbara/Butch posse:

Problem 1: No explanation has been given for what motivates Penguin after losing his mother AND his father, the only sources of love in his life. (Love is the only real motivator, a theme that I thought the Gotham writers were building into the story. See my previous Gotham reviews.)

So, basically, I have to assume now that Penguin has snapped back to his old self after killing Galavan and I have to assume that Penguin really does not intend to kill Butch and Tabatha. Now, our only hope is if the writers reveal in Season 3 that Penguin is really not ok. (See my Review of Unleashed for my thoughts on Penguin snapping back to his old self.)

Problem 2: No explanation has been given for why Penguin decided to exact revenge on no one else but Galavan. He did, at one point, vow to kill Tabatha and he did, at one point, send Zsasz to kill Butch. So why has he just now decided that Butch and Tabatha and Barbara are all off the hook?

I mean, maybe Penguin realizes that, usually, exacting revenge just causes more trouble. But doesn't he also realize that his reputation is at stake?

How does he expect anyone to take his threats seriously now? Remember when he tried to save himself from being tortured by Ms. Peabody by telling her that everyone who has ever crossed him has regretted it? Well, if that threat didn't work then, it certainly won't work now. I'm just saying.

Problem 3: No epic battle ever took place for kingship of Gotham's crime world. It seems that Butch has just given the crown back to Penguin. Easy as pie.

Problem 4: Lately, Penguin's role has been reduced to that of a Gotham staple who's just always there and always happens to be helpful to the good guys, because, really, that's what the fans want to see. But I want to see what's going on in his head, and that insight has been denied us for so many episodes and so many major developments now...

3. Firefly and Freeze
I loved that Firefly seems genuinely attached to Selina now, and I loved the epic battle between Freeze and Firefly. I didn't love that after the battle was over, they both seemed to just sit there, like mannequins, with nothing going on in their heads. I also didn't love that we didn't find out what happened to them at the end of the episode. I guess they were arrested? I dunno. Did they fight back? Or did they cooperate like mannequins? Once again, I dunno. Let's hope we find out early in Season 3.

HIGHS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Humor
There were a number of laugh out loud moments in this episode. I always appreciate a good laugh.

2. The promise of an exciting Season 3
There's apparently a Bruce clone, and I'm pretty sure I saw Jerome's red hair and heard his laugh. a lot of fans were hoping Strange would reanimate Jerome. It's nice to see that the Gotham writers are giving those fans a little something to hang on to.

3. Nygma
Nygma's always great, and Lucius Fox is always great, too. Fox is a very likable minor character, but he's especially likable in contrast to Nygma. Fox is living proof that being very smart doesn't mean you have to be insane, arrogant, or violent.

4. Music
The musical score in Gotham is always spectacular. It really sets the mood. The opening scene in this episode shows us the layers underneath Arkham, Gordon tied to a chair on one layer, and the bomb on the next layer. I mean, we all know Gordon and the others are going to get through this. They're the main characters. But the music puts you on the edge of your seat anyway.

5. Hugo Strange
"Guilt is useless. Love is our guide." It's interesting that a sociopath like Strange can be so wise. I mean, that whole creepy therapy session/interrogation with Jim Gordon offered a lot of insight into both characters. Gordon is burdened by guilt, and while Strange loves to play God, he likes to play a benevolent god sometimes.

And I agree with Strange's final thoughts on love and guilt. People say the mark of a sociopath is a lack of guilt, as if guilt would guide them to be better people. But when it comes down to it, love guides you to be a good person, not guilt. If you love others, you not only feel sorry for hurting them, but you also try to avoid hurting them in the first place, and you ALSO try to do better than just "not hurt" them. You're kind to people if you practice love.

6. I love Gotham
I've realized that some shows you love because you think those shows are GOING somewhere interesting. Often, however, they go nowhere. And then you look back on those shows and realize they were a complete waste of time because you didn't enjoy each episode for what it really was; you just thought there would come a point where you would love each episode for what it really was.

Not so with Gotham.

I love every episode for what it is. I love it for the amazing performances, the mood, the cinematography, the musical score, and the philosophical insights. Even if this series does go to crap -- which I highly doubt it will -- I will still look back on it as a decent use of my time.

I love Gotham. It's brilliant. And I'm so excited for Season 3 in just a couple weeks!

RATINGS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

General: 9/10

Compared-To-All-The-Content-I've-Ever-Loved: 8/10

Review: Gotham Season 2 Episode 21, A Legion of Horribles [SPOILERS]

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

Fish Reanimated
Source: http://hitshowstowatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/gotham_221JN_0406_hires1-1000x600.jpg

This episode set up the finale for Season 2 with exciting confrontations.

LOWS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
None.

MEDIUMS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Bridget as Firefly

I liked Bridget's creepy voice and constant theatrical declarations of her own goddess-hood. 

I also thought it was interesting that Selina clearly WOULD kill Bridget if it came down to her own life vs. Bridget's, but at the same time, she obviously really cares about Bridget and has taken great risks to save her. Also, Selina jogged Bridget's memory a bit, and Bridget decided not to kill Selina. 

I want to get excited for more Firefly and for more exploration of her relationship with Selina, but the season is already almost over. I'm just not sure how much of Firefly we will see.

2. Fish

I was excited to see Fish come back to life, but the fact that she came back with her memory intact -- that's just fabulous. And her powers! Can Fish get any cooler at this point? I mean, in terms of everything except her evilness. That's not cool of course.

I have reservations, though, because when Galavan came back, he had a brief 3-episode arc and then he was torn away from us. I hope Fish 2.0 will last longer than that.

HIGHS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Bruce Confronting Strange

I love seeing little philosophical conversations popping up in the middle of stories, especially when such conversations are relevant to the subject matter. Bruce and Strange had a conversation about the certainty of moral principles and the doubt of scientific inquiry. And finally, Strange asked Bruce whether he would prefer his father be moral or be alive. Bruce chose as probably few people would choose, but I think he chose right, and I guess that's what makes Bruce Batman.


RATINGS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

General: 8/10

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

Review: Gotham Season 2 Episode 20, Unleashed [SPOILERS]

OVERVIEW
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A very entertaining and action-packed episode in which Gordon goes after Galavan as Azrael, Nygma attempts an escape from Arkham, and we check back in with Penguin.

Penguin all dressed up
http://media.comicbook.com/2016/04/gotham-220-0034-hires1-179274.jpg

LOWS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
None.

MEDIUMS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Azrael's death

I like that at least there's a possibility that the "real" Azrael will eventually show up (he supposedly just disappeared in olden times). But I really liked Galavan as Azrael. I thought he was dark and menacing and soulless and a great villain. I'm sorry to see him go so soon.

2. Firefly

I was excited to see firefly back. I liked how they charred the Gotham logo for her. But I'm not sure how much her reappearance will amount to, since the season's already almost over.

3. Penguin
We see Penguin decide to go after Galavan, and Penguin's subsequent scenes are fun, but I worry.

I worry because he seems so much like his old self and so readily forgives Butch and Tabatha. At this point, Penguin's behavior could be an act or a temporary state of mind. But, it also may not be.

If it is an act or a temporary state of mind, it needs to be reasonably explained in the next episode.

Another option, I suppose, would be to explain it in the next season, since this season is almost over. I mean, Penguin seemed ok near the end of Season 2a, but was clearly not ok at the start of Season 2b, and I had no complaints about that

However, if Penguin's current behavior is not an act or a temporary state of mind...I'll be disappointed. The Gotham writers have written Penguin so well so far. Too well to have him pull a Selina Kyle now.

Selina, at the end of season one, became evil as a result of seeing Fish Mooney sail out of the mist on a boat. I couldn't understand Selina's reaction, until recently, when I saw a video of Camren Bicondova explaining that Selina saw Fish as a mother figure.

Ok, yeah. That makes sense. I remember the longing that Selina expressed when she told Bruce that her mother would eventually come back for Selina.

However, there was no indication that Selina saw Fish as a mother figure, and frankly, there needed to be. The story needs to speak for itself. It shouldn't have to be explained after the fact by actors on a panel.

I mean, I could come up with several, different explanations for why Penguin snapped back to his former self.

For example, maybe Galavan's return showed Penguin that there is always hope for his wishes to come true. A few episodes back, Penguin said that he wanted to be able to kill Galavan more than once. Impossible. And yet it happened.

I could see how, in a twisted way, this would instill a great sense of hope in Penguin. That hope could definitely fuel Penguin for some time.

The thing is I shouldn't have to come up with explanations of my own. The writers are supposed to tell you why the characters act the way they do, or at least, give you clues that allow you to figure it out with reasonable certainty.

HIGHS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Nygma and Selina

It is in this episode that Nygma decides to try and escape by himself, without his Arkham "friends", through the air vents. He had a hilarious encounter with Selina and showed us in the audience that he still has some good in him. 

Without asking for anything in return, he cautions Selina against entering Arkham because there are monsters in the basement. He does end up making a deal with her for his own benefit, but at least he cared enough to try and keep her out.

2. Barbs got kicked out of Butch's and Tabatha's place

Obviously, poor Barbara. But I think the fact that Tabatha let Butch kick out Barbara shows why Barbs didn't wake up from her coma thinking, "I need to reunite with Tabatha." She woke up thinking of Jim Gordon, Makes more and more sense all the time.

RATINGS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

General: 8/10

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

Review: Gotham Season 2 Episode 19, Azrael [SPOILERS]

OVERVIEW
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thus episode was gorgeously cinematic in terms of the visuals and action. The supernatural elements and character moments were especially gripping. I have almost nothing but glowing compliments to give about 'Azrael.'

LOWS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
None.

MEDIUMS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Penguin
Penguin had two brief scenes this episode. The first had him talking to corpses amid torn-up furniture, apparently going mad as he hung around the house with no purpose in life. A promising scene, because it showed an obviously understandable response from Penguin to all the recent losses in his life.

As I have said in nearly every review of Gotham I have written, I am so very pleased with how the Gotham writers have handled Penguin since the loss of Gertrude, his mother. It has had a lasting effect on Penguin, as it obviously should. It's notable, however, because most TV shows tend to gloss over their characters' pain and adjustment to loss. Perhaps most TV writers consider such subject matter too dull to hold an audience's attention for more than an episode or so. The Gotham writers, however, have shown that they trust their audience to be smart enough to appreciate psychologically realistic characters.

Penguin has been shown dealing with the loss of his mother in every episode he has appeared in since that loss. That's at least 12 episodes, over half a season. And he lost his father, too, and has also been dealing with that ever since. Honestly, since the loss of his mother and father, all his responses have been obviously understandable responses to pain and loss.

In Penguin's second appearance this episode, he sees Galavan on TV. "Hello, old friend," he laughs gleefully with no hint of anger. (We will have to wait until the next episode's review to see exactly what this means, but honestly -- tiny spoiler alert -- it might mean the end Penguin's obviously understandable responses, which troubles me.)

HIGHS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Galavan as Azrael
The supernatural aspects of the show were front and center this episode, with the return of Galavan from the dead, and him finding his identity in a story of saints and demons and resurrectected knights. I much prefer Galavan as Azrael. The overly calm attitude that made Galavan boring made Azrael interesting, after he did calm down, that is. And somehow, Galavan's voice sounded so much more badass coming from behind a metal mask. I am really liking Azrael.

2. Nygma
Oh, Nygma.

In just this episode, the audience gets half a dozen new reasons to love Nygma.

For those of us who would secretly like him to be our hero (in spite of everything he's done), he plays the role of a hero to some extent in this episode.

Near the start of the episode, he (very entertainingly) mediates a conflict between some of the lesser minds of the asylum. On more than one occasion, he protects them from getting hurt or from hurting each other. (Take, for example, even the brief moment wherein he fly-swatted one inmate as that inmate reached out to strangle another inmate). He does a better job of being a therapist to the inmates than Professor Strange does, as Nygma himself points out. "Everyone has a story," says Nygma, "and they just need to be listened." What an understanding and empathetic thing to say.

HOWEVER, at the same time, Nygma fulfills the desires of those of us in the audience who want him to be a crazy evil genius.

At the same time as he is 'mediating,' he is manipulating the inmates of Arkham. He says so himself. As he protects them, he earns their loyalty and builds a little group of followers. There is certainly much he can accomplish on his own. At one point, he rather casually escapes the rec room, like he could have done it all along. However,  using his new friends, he's able to do much more than that, and he discovers Strange's secret experiments.

Of course, he's terrified by those experiments and decides to escape alone without his "friends."

The thing is it's still easy to believe that his kindness toward the other inmates was more than manipulation. Slight spoiler alert -- the next episode has Nygma trying to help someone, this time, obviously not expecting anything in return. That's a testament to...well, something!

Nygma is a great balance of good and bad, and he's complicated enough to be interpreted in slightly varied ways.

3. Barbara
Poor Barbara just doesn't fit in, even with her evil friends (as opposed to her righteous acquaintances). Butch thinks she's scary, and Tabatha just doesn't really understand Barbara. I mean, Barbara is clearly in a lot of pain, as she flips hurriedly through TV channels. In a frenzy. With no clear goal except to distract herself from whatever it is she can't stop thinking about anyway.

If you ask me, the fact that she didn't even notice when Butch took the remote away shows that she is desperately trying and failing to forget about something very unhappy. That very unhappy thing is most likely her situation with Jim and her overall loneliness. But all Tabatha can say is, "Relax." Not helpful, if you ask me.

4. Strange's Collection of Books
King Arthur, Shakespeare, Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass...Strange's evil laugh as he held those books in his hands. Can you say exciting? =)

5. Beautiful Visuals
The red and black Gothic theme, the large scope, the cinematic action scenes -- wonderful!

6. Azrael's Effect on Batman
I thought it was interesting that Bruce was clearly affected by seeing Azrael jump around all Batman-like with his cape and everything. I don't know much about Azrael, but I seem to recall that he takes over as Batman in the comics for a while, so maybe that's part of what this episode was alluding to. For me, it was just neat to realize that that's probably what Batman will look like if he ever shows up in this series, and to think that apparently Bruce took inspiration from a villain.

7. Captain Barnes's Ideas about the Moral Compass
Barnes once again brought up his philosophy that the law is the line you don't cross. It was more thought-provoking this time because Gordon was much more resistant to such a philosophy, having seen for himself how the law can fail.

I agree the law is no concrete indicator of where to draw the line, but then you have to ask where DO you draw the line? Gordon said that HE decides that. Of course, if everyone said that, it would be chaos. So, it is interesting to see how this same conversation is different between Gordon and Barnes this time, and it is interesting to ponder where this conversation will go next.

RATINGS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

General: 9/10

Compared-To-All-The-Content-I've-Ever-Loved: 8/10

Review: Gotham Season 2 Episode 18, Pinewood [SPOILERS]

OVERVIEW
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This was a good episode, but, due to the absence of Penguin, it was not as captivating an episode as the average Gotham episode. At least, not in my opinion. Let's go through the lows, mediums, highs of the episode.

LOWS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Penguin
This episode suffered from a severe lack of Penguin. A complete lack of Penguin, actually. Combine that fact with the fact that the promo for Episode 19 showed no signs of Penguin either AND the fact that I was finishing up my classes and graduating college, and you have the explanation for why I didn't finish up Season 2 of Gotham until quite recently.

(Now, having finished Season 2, I do recognize that Penguin's lack of screen time in the last few episodes allowed other characters more screen time. And I did really love seeing more of Nygma, for example. But the simple truth is that Penguin is still the main draw for me when it comes to this show.)


MEDIUMS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Freeze
Freeze was back, and I was glad to see that he had changed drastically as a result of his wife's death and his own near-death. I was glad to see that he was angry. That makes sense. He was only in the episode for a couple of minutes, though, and so, we didn't get much of an insight into what he's really going through.

2. Karen Jennings
First off, I liked Karen for the fact that she, with her awesome crocodile hand, helped edge the show into the supernatural realm it sprang neck deep into at the end of the episode when Strange brought Galavan back from the dead.

I love me a good helping of the supernatural.

However, I feel like Karen was supposed to be -- and genuinely could have been -- this really awesome female version of the type of badass, lives-alone-in-the-woods, tragic-past, heart-of-gold character we all love.

But something about her just didn't click. I don't know if it was the dialogue or the actress they chose for the part (even though she did a fine job, nothing against her, sorry) or what, but it felt like a major missed opportunity.

I feel like, if she had clicked as that type of character we all love so much, we, the audience, would have been much more heartbroken by her death and Bruce's intense reaction over losing her would have been more poignant.


HIGHS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Barbara
I like how well Barbara manipulated "The Lady." Barbara really did have all the answers. And as a viewer, I never really thought that Barbara wanted to team up with The Lady and kill Gordon, but if I were The Lady, I totally would have believed it.

This episode used Barbara and her journey to bring up an interesting paradox -- no one is an island, and yet, at many of the most crucial points in our lives, we all HAVE to be islands.

I mean, when Gordon told poor Barbara that, if she wanted to be a good person, that was entirely her responsibility and he couldn't help her at all? Half of me said, "Well, how can you expect her to be a good person with no support from anyone?"

The other half, however, said, "You know what? You're absolutely right, Gordon. To be a good person, the desire to be good has to come from inside yourself." If Barbara wants to be a good person, she has to do it because it's the right thing to do, and not simply to please Jim. If she does it simply to please Jim, it won't last. It can't.

And it made me realize the answer to a question I had been pondering. Remember how Penguin couldn't change and be a good person, and I was like, "Why not? What are the Gotham writers trying to show by having Penguin and Barbara return to a state of innocence only to relapse?"

The answer was so obvious that I completely missed it: the desire to be good was simply not an authentic desire of Penguin's. It was a product of his environment (if you can call Strange's horrible experiments an "environment"), and it was dependent on his environment. Placed in a murderous environment, of course Penguin relapsed into his murderous ways.

Barbara gave me a lot of food for thought this episode. I still don't see how she can be a good person without any support, and yet, I see why she has to be.

2. Gordon
I liked that Gordon didn't appreciate what Barbara had done. I liked that he didn't feel "gratitude" just because she'd gotten him the information he wanted. After all, she accomplished her task by kidnapping Gordon and threatening him with a electric...zapper thing.

The emotional damage from something like that doesn't just go away because it "turned out alright in the end," although the narcissists and manipulators of the world would have you believe otherwise.

This is what I love about Gotham. It's a smart enough show to consistently express the fundamental truth that emotional damage is the only real damage you can do a person.

3. Timeless Atmosphere
Another thing I love about Gotham is the timeless atmosphere of the show. I know that this atmosphere was purposefully created in the show by combining elements from several different eras. Cell phones from the early 2000s, computers from the 80s, architecture from the Middle Ages, etc.

When I binge-watched the first season of Gotham last Fall, I KNEW that it was a current show, barely more than a year old, but I FELT like it was an old classic from the 80's or 90's. It was in fact jarring to start watching the show weekly, as new episodes were released, because it forced me to acknowledge the fact that... well, it's not an old classic from the 80's or 90's.

Now that I've gotten used to watching it weekly, however, it's just like it was last Fall. I KNOW it's a current show, but it's so hard to remember that as I'm in the midst of watching any particular episode. It feels so much like a timeless classic, and I love that about it. =)


RATINGS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
General: 7.5/10

Compared-to-All-the-Content-I've-Ever-Loved: 7