Director: TJ Scott
Writer: Ken Woodruff
Cast: Ben McKenzie, Donal Logue, David Mazouz, Robin Lord Taylor, Sean Pertwee, Jada Pinkett Smith, Camren Bicondova, Erin Richards, Cory Michael Smith, Zabryna Guevara, David Zayas.
Synopsis: As a contentious city council vote on the future of the Arkham district approaches, politicians on both sides are in danger. Gordon and Bullock must race to protect the council before chaos breaks out.
Verdict:
Gotham‘s last weekly helping of gory crime drama…left a lot to be desired. Aside from the episodes tantalising cliff-hanger ending, ‘The Balloonman’ was essentially a filler story that struggled to decide what to do with its large cast of colourful characters. However, this weeks ‘Arkham’ is much more focused and actually manages to establish some potentially brilliant springboards for the rest of this season. Following on from the ending of ‘The Balloonman’, we are left with an ominously grinning Oswald Cobblepot on Jim Gordon’s doorstep (much to the confusion of his bisexual girlfriend Barbara). This episode continues to make the audience aware that (if they didn’t already know), The Penguin is most certainly this season’s primary antagonist. This is made clear by the fact that Robin Lord Taylor’s scheming villain is given a large portion of the episodes attention and screen time. In fact, the only character that receives more time in the limelight is our leading man Mr McKenzie, which (although unexpected) is probably fitting for Gotham‘s central hero and villain.
The on-going relationship between Gordon and The Penguin is actually beginning to resemble the dynamic traditionally presented between Batman and The Joker, which is perhaps what the show is intending to mirror for it’s future Dark Knight. Speaking of Gordon, it seems that McKenzie’s strengths as an actor continue to grow and grow every week. The former O.C. and Southland star is starting to echo a young Brad Pitt in his presence and emotional range, which undoubtedly helps keep Gotham afloat. Any individuals who were naively still in doubt about McKenzie’s ability to bear the weight of such a large show, should hang their heads in shame.
Following on from my much-needed rant last week regarding Jada Pinkett Smith’s Fish Mooney, the actress has managed to surprise me quite a bit in ‘Arkham’. Taking on a much more serious and less theatrical role, Smith delivers some intense dialogue in this episode whilst recruiting a brand protégé of sorts. Fish Mooney is clearly anticipating the war Cobblebot continuously speaks of, and has begun to train a new assistant as a contingency plan. Mooney’s hiring process was incredibly interesting and erotic, with each candidate being tasked with singing and seducing the intimidating crime boss, before fighting the final contestant for the position. This was an intense set of sequences that introduced a potentially brilliant character (and successor?) in the process. Stunning and ferociously feisty guest star Makenzie Leigh provided a great performance Liza, and I am thoroughly excited to see her relationship with Mooney develop over the coming episodes. Which reminds me, another thought that plagued my head relentlessly was that Leigh would arguably suit the role of a future Catwoman better than Camren Bicondova (who is absent this week)…what a shame.
On a side note, this storyline once again shows that Gotham‘s writers are certainly not afraid to explore homosexual plot points, as Barbara’s slightly promiscuous past also begins to unravel to a very shocked Gordon. Arguably the most engaging storyline of ‘Arkham’ is the episodes title premise of the asylum itself. The politics surrounding the iconic location is a fantastic way to foreshadow one of Batman’s most famous locations in both comics and film. I have no doubt that the due-to-be-reopened asylum will become a prominent location for the upcoming adventures of Jim Gordon, with it likely to fill up sooner rather than later I would imagine. Bruce and Alfred are limited to a small portion of Akham’s screen time, and their roles are probably the least interesting part of the episode. However, Gordon is doing a great job of shaping Gotham City’s future protector with his wise words of wisdom (memorably spoken by the extremely talented McKenzie).
Overall, Bruno Heller is establishing a fine image of the crime-ridden world Gotham inhabits, with its mob bosses and gangsters starting to resemble characters that wouldn’t look out of place in a Martin Scorsese film. Also, one has to wonder how fast the shows writers are planning on bringing the Penguin to power, because he is progressing awfully quickly…Mob restaurant manager already?.
[usr=4] Gotham airs on Channel 5 every Monday night at 9pm. Check out their official website here.
