Director: TJ Scott
Writer: Ben Edlund
Cast: Ben McKenzie, Donal Logue, David Mazouz, Robin Lord Taylor, Sean Pertwee, Jada Pinkett Smith, Camren Bicondova, Cory Michael Smith, Zabryna Guevara, Makenzie Leigh, David Zayas and John Doman.
Synopsis: When a killer begins targeting the first born of Gotham’s elite, Bullock is forced to confront traumatic memories from a nearly identical case he worked in the past. Also, Gordon is confronted by past decisions that have come back to haunt him.
Verdict:
So, last weeks Gotham didn’t exactly hit the mark with it’s half-hearted attempt to introduce some of the more fantastical elements of the DC universe to it’s world of colourful television characters. The obviously Arrow-inspired storyline involved a super-strength inducing drug, that essentially acted as a prototype formula to the famous ‘venom’ frequently utilised by Bane in the comics. It’s safe to say that this narrative sidestep was slightly under-written, and left more than a few things to be desired by the conclusion of ‘Viper’.
However, this weeks ‘Spirit Of The Goat’ has finally dedicated some much-needed screen time to expand upon Donal Logue’s horribly two-dimensional Harvey Bullock. It is also clearly evident that this weeks writer has previously worked on the CW’s successful Supernatural, as Ben Edlund brings his experienced skill and style to the table with episode six’s deep and multi-levelled story (which contains more than a few nods to his previous employer). Ever since Gordon and Bullock set off on their dangerous adventures around the corrupt and gritty Gotham City in the shows pilot, Logue’s character has been portrayed as the generic (yet incredibly well-acted) binary opposition to McKenzie’s young detective. Now, in the freshman drama’s sixth episode we are beginning to get a much clearer picture of the events that transformed Bullock into the man we witness every week alongside Gordon and rest of the GCPD.
As it turns out, a flashback sequence taking us ten years into the past has confirmed the suspicion that Bullock did in fact originate as a character not dissimilar to Gordon. The fact that Logue’s gruff and hardened detective began his career as an optimistic boyscout in the same vein as his current partner, is a brilliant way of shaping his backstory to the audience in a believable and effective manner. Of course (in typical cop drama fashion), the terrifying villain of the week carries deep connections to the case that converted Bullock from honest do-gooder to corrupt criminal detective. While the theme of a serial killer taking on the mantle of horrifying goat god is visually striking and unusual, it does appear to be intentionally written as a device to layer Bullock slightly more (which is by no means a bad thing).
Cory Michael Smith’s future Riddler Edward Nigma also makes his presence felt this episode, with a substantially larger role than his previous appearances. However, although Smith’s character will do-doubt make a hair crawlingly creepy antagonist, I feel that the foreshadowing is lacking quite a bit of subtlety in terms of his foreshadowed fate (cough cough…question mark on coffee mug). Now, we just have this season’s central villain to worry about, as Gordon’s secret is now seemingly public knowledge. I am of course referring to the incredibly overused Penguin, who has taken huge chunks of narrative time and effort from the writers for weeks now. With Gordon’s white lie about letting the Penguin live now known to the entire GCPD, there are surely substantial consequences in store for both Gordon, Bullock and anyone else standing in between the mob and our favourite detectives.
Overall, a brilliantly character-driven episode which (thankfully) chooses its focal points wisely, and finally manages to balance its large canvas in a creatively sensible way…although the pacing is still a little bit off. It will also be intriguing to witness the inevitable unravelling of the Gotham Police Department, with the Penguins surprise appearance bound to expose its multiple levels of corruption sooner rather than later. Eagle eyed fans will also notice a conspicuously-hidden nod to the CW’s Arrow with a green neon Q quickly glanced amongst the city skyline, which will undoubtedly raise questions of a connection among the two DC television shows. Which would be a fantastic way of expanding the universe for both shows (and not to mention The Flash)…
[usr=3] Gotham airs on Channel 5 every Monday night at 9pm. Check out their official website here.
