Director: Guy Ferland
Writer: Rebecca Dameron
Cast: Ben McKenzie, Donal Logue, David Mazouz, Robin Lord Taylor, Sean Pertwee, Jada Pinkett Smith, Erin Richards, Camren Bicondova, Zabryna Guevara, Makenzie Leigh, John Doman and Nicholas D’Agosto.
Synopsis: Selina leads a new friend on a perilous journey through Gotham to evade the assassins on her trail. Meanwhile, following a misstep, Gordon is reassigned to duty at Arkham Asylum.
Verdict:
Gotham may not benefit from the presence of Grant Gustin’s Flash (or any other superhero for that matter), but that does not mean that the shows first season is not speeding by at a phenomenal rate. It was well over a year ago that we first received word of a potential Batman prequel series from Fox, in a partnership with Warner Bros that would allow the former network full access to the extensive library of DC characters associated with the caped crusader. Now, here we are at the mid-season point of Gotham‘s debut season, with a slightly underwhelming (yet thoroughly entertaining) episode of the gritty crime drama.
After episode 9 of the freshman drama provided audiences with a brand new take on Harvey Dent (most recently portrayed by Aaron Eckhart in THE DARK KNIGHT), the shows Mid-Season finale once again switches its focus to a different set of characters in its large roster of comic book counterparts. Thankfully however, the decision to finally dedicate some much-needed screen time to the criminally under utilised Selina Kyle, is a welcome change of pace for a series that has slowed down dramatically in recent weeks. The episode begins with an extremely exhilarating action sequence revolving around our future Cat and Bat duo on the run from a pair of unknown assassins. This allows Sean Pertwee to fully demonstrate the true extent of his characters former military experience, with Alfred displaying some truly fantastic skills in both hand-to-hand combat and marksmanship. As a result, Gotham succeeds in presenting viewers with a vastly different and unique interpretation of Alfred, as opposed to the wise old butler unable to lift much more than a dinner tray.
Alfred’s surprisingly brilliant pairing with Harvey Bullock leads the new dynamic duo on a relentless pursuit of Bruce and Selina, in an episode that is easily stolen by the former as he seamlessly transforms from charming ladies-man to gun-toting action hero. Meanwhile, Mazouz and Bicondova provide further evidence that the two charismatic young stars deserve far more attention than they have been receiving of late (especially in the case of the latter). Although typically television and film has lowered expectations for child actors in the past, Gotham‘s two fresh-faced young stars continue to grow in strength with each week that passes. Bruce and Selina have some incredible on-screen chemistry to forward the development of their growing bond nicely, with their relationship currently being built upon through their shared status as traumatised orphans.
Jim Gordon takes a slight backseat in ‘Lovecraft’, with the episodes title character (predictably) proving to be yet another dead-end in the Wayne murder mystery. Although McKenzie’s presence as a leading man is unmistakable, the character only really shines in the story’s final moments. Having been officially threatened by the city’s repulsive and increasingly-irritating mayor, Gordon lands himself in hot water once again with his unwillingness to conform to crime and corruption. The undeniably awesome ‘kiss my ass’ uttered to the mayor (whilst echoing a young Brad Pitt in my humble opinion), resulted in the good detective’s demotion to everybody’s favourite asylum. This unfortunate development also revealed the true ‘two-faced’ nature of Dent, as he failed to assist his new friend any form in order to demonstrate his loyalty to the system. It will certainly be interesting to witness Gordon in his new position as prison warden at Arkham, with the no-nonsense, do-gooder likely to return to GCPD sooner rather than later I would assume.
Gotham has so-far had an oddly uneven start, with some slightly rocky episodes, however the majority of Jim and Harvey’s adventures in DC Comics’ infamous city have been hugely enjoyable. Although some characters have occasionally verged on pantomime-esque, the series is actually quite a bit darker than many currently on the air, which should hopefully be recognised more when the show returns this year. For a Mid-Season finale ‘Lovecraft’ isn’t the most jaw-dropping story of the series, however in terms of the character development achieved within its run-time, the episode is definitely one the best so far. Despite the lack of cliff-hangers and twists within Gotham‘s tenth outing, it is definitely a strong improvement over the past two weeks, and arguably the most engaging since the phenomenal ‘Penguin’s Umbrella’.
When the series returns next month for the first new entry of 2015, I sincerely hope that Bruno Heller and his team will focus more heavily on the higher quality elements on its first half. For example, the chemistry between Bruce and Selina would be a brilliant aspect to capitalise on, not to mention the criminally underused Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin and his ever-tightening grasp on Gotham’s criminal underworld. Gordon’s quest to rid the corrupt city of its criminal influence will also no-doubt take an interesting turn as an employee of Arkham Asylum. All in all, the first ten episodes of Gotham have built a potentially brilliant platform for the series to elevate to new heights this year, which will hopefully present a satisfying end to the shows maiden season.
[usr=4] Gotham will return to Channel 5 later this year. For more updates, check out their official website here.
