They have a lot of characters, and they’re going to remind you of them.
The show is an hour old, and we’ve already been introduced to Catwoman, Bruce Wayne, Jim Gordon, Harvey Bullock, Edward Nigma, Alfred Pennyworth, (played remarkably well by Sean Pertwee), Oswald Cobblepot (namedropped as Penguin in the least subtle fashion ever) and potentially The Joker.
Obviously that is the point of the show, to implement Gotham’s most famous villains, but they really liked to throw it in your face a lot. Some were more subtle than others, with The Riddler being referred to as “Ed” at the start of a conversation, before the final word being “Nigma.” However, his getup is a huge giveaway so that basically negates the attempted delicacy surrounding his future.
Also, Cobblepot is referred to as “Penguin” and carries an umbrella. Doesn’t get much more in your face than that!
They’re not messing with the mythos. Not yet, anyway.
The most important of Bruce Wayne’s childhood is the murder of his parents, Thomas and Martha, an event which he blamed himself for (not unjustifiably either) and was a major cause in his motivations to become more than a man. And despite the fact that he won’t actually be Batman during the course of Gotham, it was still a fairly important part of his life that was done and dusted in the opening three minutes. Or at least, the murder was; the case is still lingering and will likely play a big part of the rest of the season.
Jim Gordon is the complete package
Wow. Seriously, mindblowing. From looking like the lovechild of Matt Damon and Russell Crowe to being insanely cool under pressure, Detective Gordon is brilliant. Played wonderfully by the ruggedly handsome Ben McKenzie, who you may remember from The OC, Gordon is the man on the scene to comfort Bruce and also to apprehend a particularly difficult criminal, before a shocking display of police brutality. But then, that’s Gotham City.
Carmine Falcone is legitimately terrifying
The last person to portray crime boss Falcone was Tom Wilkinson in Batman Begins. Sporting a questionable accent and some dodgy dialogue, he was never very menacing. Now throw him out of your minds, and let John Doman enter. Despite only being onscreen for a minute, his presence was phenomenal and the revelation that he basically owns the entire city was marvellously handled. Others want to move in to steal his territory? Let’s see them try.
It was actually surprisingly good!
All things considered, it was a great start. A show set in the universe of Batman, but not actually featuring the Caped Crusader? You could almost feel the skepticism coursing through the veins of the internet when it was announced, but it didn’t take long for the show to come into its own and it has so much potential. The morals of Gordon will continue to be tested, and if it’s anything like its fellow DC counterparts (Arrow, Smallville), it will blow everything else out of the water.
