OVERVIEW
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Everyone's a middle man, until Barnes forces individual responsibility on the city of Gotham in a glorious, badass origin story.
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| Barnes' "evil" side |
LOWS
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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.
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
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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.
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
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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.
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
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Compared-To-All-The-Content-I've-Ever-Loved: 7/10
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