Monday, November 10, 2014

Gotham Episode 8 Review



A question, what happens when the show writers of Gotham decided to introduce one of Batman's biggest Rogues and have Bruce Wayne start attending school, all in the same episode? The answer, a smorgasbord of intense scenes of cop drama dialogue for Jim and Harvey, while Bruce struggles with that awkward first day of school, made all the more awkward by being the "new kid" whose parents were murdered right in front of him.

Tonight, we are introduced to the Gotham-verse version of infamous criminal kingpin Black Mask. Richard (not Roman) Sionis (played by Todd Stashwick), shown here as head of a large financial firm, who has candidates jockeying for job openings fight in a deadly gladiatorial game. Sionis's fixation with masks is still prevalent as in the comics, but now, with a leaning towards the culture of ancient warrior cast Japan. Even in conversation with Gordon smacks of the comics, talking about the mask representing a certain depth in everyone, and what they mean symbolically to the warriors who wore them.

As for Bruce, well let's just say that the first day of school didn't go any better for him then it would for anyone else. He meets classmate Tommy Elliot (future comics villain Hush) who takes great delight in asking him personal questions about his parents death and making sport of his mother. Alfred's response to Tommy's bullying is to take Bruce to the Elliot home, giving him his father's watch for the boy to use as a knuckle duster, then rewards the boy with a pizza dinner for taking a stand against the bully. While this may seem out of character for the normally polite and genteel Englishman, but perfectly in step for the slightly more London East End version of Alfred that the show is portraying.

And of course, what episode of Gotham wouldn't be complete without some screen time for Penguin AND for the young Selina Kyle. Penguin's more of a secondary character this episode, dealing with the animosity Fish Mooney is aiming his way for his betraying her back in episode one. Selina, well her moment is even less then Penguin's, a few second scene of two Gotham beat cops catching her in the act of robbing a very posh clothing store of furs and wraps. Hey, a girl's gotta shop right?

As with last week's episode, tonight keeps raising the bar (to my mind) for what the show is setting out to do. Its purpose, to in its own way, reintroduce the may myriad elements of the Batman universe, before Batman, before all the madness and mayhem that will follow. In all fairness and honesty, the show is accomplishing its goal in spades. Each new episode brings more elements of the Batman universe to bear, all setting the stage for the larger show, that of the Batman's war on crime.

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