Gotham pilot episode

by Talia and Isabel

Let us start off by saying we had (still do) high hopes for this show. The fact is, we are huge Bat-freaks, and will delight in anything related to the Bat-family. We honestly didn’t know what to expect from the show, as far as the direction it was going to take, besides the fact that it was going to be based majorly around Jim Gordon...

The pilot episode starts off with a young Selena Kyle, a.k.a. Catwoman (Camren Bicondova) walking through the streets of Gotham, stealing whatever she can get her hand on. She nearly gets caught but manages to escape through a fire escape, when she witnesses the murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne (spoilers). The show the cuts to the Gotham City Police Department where a rookie Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) being his good honest self and getting slammed for it by his veteran partner, Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue). They are assigned the Wayne murder case, much to Bullock’s disdain, and at the crime scene, Gordon promises a young Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) that they’ll catch the man who did it. The show progresses with the investigation, the main suspect being Mario Pepper, Ivy Pepper’s father, who gets killed by Bullock after running away while being questioned in his house. Shortly after, they find Martha’s pearls and he is deemed the murdered. After this point, Gordon starts suspecting foul play from the GCPD. Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith) makes various appearances, accompanied by Oswald Cobblepot (Robin Taylor), whom looks nothing like a penguin. Through some further digging, Gordon later learns that Pepper was framed, and that it was a cover up that involved not only Mooney's mob, but also Carmine Falcone (John Doman) who apparently controls the mayor and the police department. After being saved from Mooney's mob, by Falcone himself, Gordon is given the choice to either prove his "loyalty" by killing Cobblepot for being a traitor, or refuse and they both get killed by Harvey. At a pier, Gordon leads Cobblepot to the edge at gunpoint, while he begs for his life, warning Gordon that there is a war coming and he could be helpful. Instead of killing him, Gordon fires a shot and pushes him off the edge telling him to never come back to Gotham. Later, Gordon goes to visit Bruce at the Wayne manor, where he sees him on the edge of the roof as if about to jump off, and later finds out he was actually learning to conquer fear (so it begins!). Gordon goes on to tell him everything he found out, and promises that he'll clean up the corrupt police department and find his parents' real killer, but Bruce must keep quiet. Bruce accepts saying "I'm glad he's still alive. I want to see him again..." (your Batman is showing). Gordon drives away from the manor and young watches Catwoman atop a nearby wall. The episode ends with Cobblepot surfacing from the river, killing an old fisherman and eating his sandwich like he just swam a marathon and needed the protein.

-Talia-

      Now, to say that it was terrible might be stretching it, but I was, still am, severely disappointed. First of all, there were a handful of unnecessary cameos, especially Ivy Pepper’s, who’s supposed to be Poison Ivy. Not only was cameo inessential, but they did the same thing that pissed me off in the Dark Knight Rises, when it’s revealed that John Blake’s name is Robin. I don't understand why they feel the need to change the names, I mean, most fans will catch on that it's who they're supposed to be, and if they don't, well, that's what Google is for. Anyhow, the show felt rushed and overcrowded. The plot failed to hook me because there was too much going on. There was no wow factor; basically it had nothing to set it apart from other crime shows (well, except the fact that it's based on Batman). It also felt as if I couldn't get a grip on many of the characters, especially Bullock and Penguin. The Riddler's cameo was so rushed and awkward that I hadn't even noticed it was him. I feel like I might need to re-watch before the next episode because many things felt out of place.

      Even so, the show did have some positives. First, the acting wasn’t bad, and I guess that could be used to its advantage. Martha and Thomas’ death was very accurate, and I think that kid Bruce did a good job at displaying his emotions, and at giving us a hint at who he will become. I adored Alfred, especially because he was having none of Bruce and Gordon's shit. I also really, really loved Gordon. Watching him, I felt like he was exactly the way Gordon would be at his age. He pulled of the cocky rookie perfectly, but never lost the humility and decency that is key for Jim Gordon, and I guess he is what’s holding my expectations for this show.

      Overall, I have hope that it will get better, many good shows have rocky starts, and hopefully this one will improve. It was kind of weird seeing these characters so young, but that’s what sets the show apart. I’m hoping for better character portrayal and better storylines, because I really want to see all of these character develop and shape into who they become in the future. I'm optimistic about it, and you should be too!

I would give it a 6/10

-Isabel-

      I’ve read through a couple of reviews, and it’s safe to say the public's opinion about the Gotham pilot is mixed. Some were easily impressed by all the relentless in-your-face, and downright obvious, villain cameos, while others recognized the flaws in both the writing and the performance. I’m in between, but mostly of the latter. I could pick at all the little things that bothered me (and maybe at some point I’ll get into some), but I’d much rather praise the show for the things it did right.

      First off, the setting of Gotham as a dark, dangerous and corrupted city was achieved, and gracefully presented through city view scenes that made you think “Damn, I do NOT want to live there…” Gotham seems lividly like a city that needs saving, which bring me to my next point, this story's hero... Jim Gordon. I liked Ben McKenzie from the start, although remembering times when I watched The O.C., made me question the decision a little... Regardless, he had that rough, and serious but decent look about him! Turns out he's a pretty great Gordon. His performance is on point even with poor dialogue, although at times his mannerisms and facial expressions were a bit exaggerated. I can definitely see this Jim Gordon kicking ass and taking names, and I'm excited! There is so much potential for character development that it's almost ridiculous... I really hope they put Jim Gordon through tough times where we see him prevail, and come out a better man and cop.

      Other actors also did pretty good performances as well! Second best for me was Alfred Pennyworth, who hardly had lines but perfectly executed the few he did. From the moment he gets out of the car in the crime scene, a shadowy figure, and says "I'm Alfred Pennyworth.", clutching young Bruce Wayne in his arms, I knew he was a good pick. I also enjoyed Cobblepot's disturbing creepiness, and Nygma's (Riddler) little cameo where you can kind of sense his mental instability just by his expressions, although having him basically talk in riddles made his identity overly obvious. Which makes me question: Could that failed comedian Mooney was watching and praising be Joker? I hope not. Additionally, every time young Bruce Wayne said ominous lines like "I'm learning to conquer fear." or "I'm glad he's still alive... I want to see him again." the Batman fangirl in me squealed. While other characters failed to interest me much at all, such as Fish Mooney and Harvey Bullock... I can easily imagine the story working without them even in it. Even young Selina Kyle, silently sitting atop high places was better than those two for me.

      From what I could gather in the episode, the series will follow Jim Gordon trying to prevent, or fight against, a gangster influenced war for territory and power in Gotham, apparently lead by Falcone, while also fixing the corruption in the police department and looking for the Wayne's real murderer. This would seem like a promising and interesting plot, and I'll definitely give it a chance and stick around to watch the next 15 episodes!

    Ideally, I'd like to see an gritty action packed series, HBO style, but we need to stay opened minded, just like with any new universe and enjoy what we get!

I give it a 5/10.


Geek Femmes Overall Score: 5.5