Penguin's Umbrella

So finally we saw an excellent episode on this TV-series. If in the last couple weeks I've ever consider to quit watching this show, this episode entirely changed my mind.

Every thing was perfect from beginning to the end, from actor and actress to director, from writing to all the cast..most of the previous episode (except "Spirit of the Goat" which was also a good episode) was kinda predictable, but this one NOT...

I hope Gotham keep this level...

Yes. this episode deserves this rating....

My vote also 9/10..

Obviously it's only the first episode but this show is credible. The acting, the writing, the art direction, the pacing, and I could go on and on. I hope it continues this good. What a surprise, I was not excited about this show and watched the first episode because I was bored. Blew me away!

I wasn't a huge fan of "The Batman" I didn't hate it but I thought it was too long and the penguin as a character seemed out of place but in this show he is a very complex and nuanced character. He is a villain to be sure, but he is also sympathetic and complex. I don't want to spoil anything but I promise.

Not only has the show hit its stride at this point, it's been steadily ratcheting up the tension and stakes episode by episode. Things really hit a fever pitch with this episode and the execution of it all is stellar... except for one aspect that causes the whole thing to nearly fall apart.

Let's start with what works. Gordon basically taking a "well I'm dead, so I'm going down swinging" attitude is infinitely more engaging than the oddly inert righteous indignation he's been riding on for a while. It's nice to see him truly take control of the situation, even though he knows what it's likely to cost him. I'm glad that the show found the sweet spot for Bullock in all of this as well, taking a "oh why the heck not?" attitude rather than going back to the adversarial relationship he had with Gordon at the start of all of this.

The villains are also in top form, as they usually have been. The surface level of respect that the Dons have for each other even as those under their command backbite each other is well played out. Fans are treated to a fun and intimidating take on killer Victor Zasz, here played as a high level mob enforcer and hit man. When Don Falcone says "I'll send Victor," you feel the weight of that statement and when he shows up he does not disappoint (though I don't think he needed the two scantily dressed sidekicks, if I'm being honest.) As has been the case, the Penguin is an absolute delight. It hasn't been clear up to this point how much of what he's doing has been part of a master plan and how much has been merely opportunistic. While there's still elements of both, which is the bigger factor becomes clear in this episode, and it's well played and thrilling.

The problem comes with Barbara. She nearly derails the entire episode. Without getting into specifics of what happens, she has clearly fallen into the standard "hero's girlfriend" trap that has been the doom of so many films and TV shows. She's barely a character. She's a prop, she's a device, and ultimately she's a hindrance to Gordon. She holds him back from doing the kinds of things that audiences want to see him doing. Her very presence becomes a leash that I just want him to break free from. Thankfully there's a nice coda at the end that recovers the episode as a whole, but Barbara herself really isn't adding anything positive to the show at this point.

The show overall has done a pretty good job of adjusted and shedding the aspects that weren't working as well. We don't have as many shoehorned in villain cameos. The relationship between Gordon and Bullock evolved into something more engaging than where it started from. Gordon himself developed layers and isn't the generic white knight we had at the beginning. These are just a few examples of weak points that go stronger. I can only hope that Barbara can follow suit, because right now she's the last bit of dead weight still hanging on from the shaky pilot episode.

Well that's officially the first time Gotham has had back to back good episodes. I am really glad this show is gaining ground and has found a place on television. Once again the episode didn't try to do too much and stuck to what has worked so far.

Falcone and Penguin were major bright spots this week both sharing the best scenes of the night. More on the last scene later. It's interesting watching this show and wondering what types of changes they can make to surprise us hardcore Batman fans. This episode shared a few twists that were very different than the source material, but they worked.

Gordon is on the run from basically everyone, but this time it was Zsasz, played by Anthony Carrigan, who is working for Falcone. Funny how Carrigan has now been on both Gotham and Flash so far. But I would assume Zsasz would be more of a long term role. He wasn't that effective so far as the character but I do realize the difficulty of bringing that role to life rather than just in the Arkham games. Tough act to follow but it would be cool. Bullock was mad at Gordon than all of a sudden on his team for really no reason. They didn't do a good job of explaining that but really the whole back and forth has been silly all season. Bullock did have the funniest line of the night though "Do we get a last meal or smoke or just talk?".

I also didn't find the scene at the police station to be all that believable. I find it hard to believe that not a single cop would have stayed and helped Gordon considering it was just revealed he didn't kill Penguin. The last scene involving Penguin and Falcone was cool, but it didn't shock me as much as some people. But a few inconsistencies don't change the fact that it was another solid week for Gotham. They are trying there best at keeping us interested and it has worked so far.

+Falcone & Penguin

+Twists and turns keep you guessing

+Stuck to one story this week

+Bullock's line..

-..Too bad his character is so inconsistent

-Dramatic police station scene didn't make sense

8.0/10

This was the best episode so far of the series. I have watched every single episode, and this episode had me in a thrill from beginning to end. I like that the story is back in track and that it is fast paced. I want to see more episodes like this. Most of the charterers are really good and believable. I have to admit though, Penguin is the best character. The actor plays his role so well. Penguin keeps stealing the show from his amazing acting. And I hope he will continue to be an amazing character.

This was an excellent episode, nothing short of perfection. This episode was a 10/10