Some Spoilers Ahead
Gotham had a pretty strong hour this week. The show is still missing that special ingredient that makes it a can't wait show, but it seems to be settling down and really finding itself. The show does still have problems, but it looks to be moving onto better things now.
The show has the "monster of the week" outline with the other character stuff thrown in. It isn't my favorite episode premise, but it can be successful. This week was the best example. I found the Viper drug a nice twist on the new drug story. It is a bit inconceivable that a drug can give you super strength, but it was a nice aspect that made the drug a little harder to deal with.
One thing I love about this show is Gordon and Bullock's relationship. Obviously Bullock is a corrupt cop and Gordon is straight-laced, but it is cool to see it evolve and change every week. Gordon is finally starting to loosen up a bit, something evidenced when he and Bullock got lunch at the beginning of the episode. I want to see more of this easy-going Gordon and friendly Bullock relationship, rather then the producers throwing their differences in our faces every week.
I also like watching Maroni's growing power in the city from week to week. I missed most of last week's episode, but I could tell from what I saw that he was making a big power play last week. He continues to show his growing power, with him calling out Penguin on his lies and getting Gordon to confirm Penguin. I found this to be an interesting exchange, especially with Maroni's change in attitudes from Gordon to Penguin. Maroni is one of the most interesting character's for me in the show, and I can't wait to see more of him.
Bruce's story felt a lot more natural this week. In the past, he seemed shoe-horned in just to have him there, but this week it felt like he added something. I find it a little hard to believe that a 13 year old kid could understand all the legal mumbo-jumbo, but I let it slide because of what he was saying. The implication that maybe Wayne Enterprises had something to do with the Wayne's deaths could be an interesting twist on the Batman mythology. I also thought that the little bit at the end of the episode with Alfred helping Bruce was a sweet little scene and sign of respect from Alfred.
The one story aspect that felt completely shoe-horned in was Fish Mooney's activities. We saw what she was grooming Liza for (a lady friend for Falcone, who btw clearly had a huge effect on him), and what she was planning for Falcone. I just didn't find any of it that interesting, and it didn't feel natural. Still, if that is my biggest complaint for an episode, then it was a pretty solid episode.
Overall, Gotham seems to be figuring out that magical mixture. It still isn't great, but it is definitely improving. A lot of the annoying garbage has been toned down and weeded out. The characters are finally starting to get into a groove, and the individual stories are working much better together. Hopefully Gotham continues this uptrend in episodes to become a truly great TV show.
Gotham had a pretty strong hour this week. The show is still missing that special ingredient that makes it a can't wait show, but it seems to be settling down and really finding itself. The show does still have problems, but it looks to be moving onto better things now.
The show has the "monster of the week" outline with the other character stuff thrown in. It isn't my favorite episode premise, but it can be successful. This week was the best example. I found the Viper drug a nice twist on the new drug story. It is a bit inconceivable that a drug can give you super strength, but it was a nice aspect that made the drug a little harder to deal with.
One thing I love about this show is Gordon and Bullock's relationship. Obviously Bullock is a corrupt cop and Gordon is straight-laced, but it is cool to see it evolve and change every week. Gordon is finally starting to loosen up a bit, something evidenced when he and Bullock got lunch at the beginning of the episode. I want to see more of this easy-going Gordon and friendly Bullock relationship, rather then the producers throwing their differences in our faces every week.
I also like watching Maroni's growing power in the city from week to week. I missed most of last week's episode, but I could tell from what I saw that he was making a big power play last week. He continues to show his growing power, with him calling out Penguin on his lies and getting Gordon to confirm Penguin. I found this to be an interesting exchange, especially with Maroni's change in attitudes from Gordon to Penguin. Maroni is one of the most interesting character's for me in the show, and I can't wait to see more of him.
Bruce's story felt a lot more natural this week. In the past, he seemed shoe-horned in just to have him there, but this week it felt like he added something. I find it a little hard to believe that a 13 year old kid could understand all the legal mumbo-jumbo, but I let it slide because of what he was saying. The implication that maybe Wayne Enterprises had something to do with the Wayne's deaths could be an interesting twist on the Batman mythology. I also thought that the little bit at the end of the episode with Alfred helping Bruce was a sweet little scene and sign of respect from Alfred.
The one story aspect that felt completely shoe-horned in was Fish Mooney's activities. We saw what she was grooming Liza for (a lady friend for Falcone, who btw clearly had a huge effect on him), and what she was planning for Falcone. I just didn't find any of it that interesting, and it didn't feel natural. Still, if that is my biggest complaint for an episode, then it was a pretty solid episode.
Overall, Gotham seems to be figuring out that magical mixture. It still isn't great, but it is definitely improving. A lot of the annoying garbage has been toned down and weeded out. The characters are finally starting to get into a groove, and the individual stories are working much better together. Hopefully Gotham continues this uptrend in episodes to become a truly great TV show.
Highlights:
| The Score: 8 out of 10 Stars |