The much-anticipated Gotham TV series made its debut on FOX last night and for the most part, it hit the ground running. It didn’t take long for this latest interpretation of the Batman mythology to showcase the who’s who of that world. Warning, spoilers ahead…
The opening shows a young Selena Kyle, the future Catwoman, doing what she always does best, steal. Not too long after she fades into an alleyway, we are shown Bruce Wayne and his parents Martha and Thomas as they walk through that same alley after seeing a movie.
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| Selena Kyle aka Catwoman |
What happens next, alters the course of everyone directly and indirectly involved. In what has become about as iconic a scene as any you will ever find in the history of comics, a distraught Bruce kneels besides the slain bodies of his parents who were just gunned down during a botched robbery. Selena also witnesses the crime. She’ll later as you’ll see, become fairly obsessed with young Bruce. A foreshadowing of what will be?
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| Gordon and Bullock arrive at the scene. |
As we cut to the Gotham Police Department, will get our first look at Detective Jim Gordon (Benjamin McKenzie) and his seasoned partner Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue) as they are dispatched to the crime scene involving the Wayne’s. Gordon meets Bruce and assures him (much to Bullock’s objection because of its high profile victims) that he will find out who was responsible for his parents murder. Arriving at the scene to bring Bruce home was Alfred Pennyworth (Sean Pertwee). Now cue the opening credits. Whew… that was a lot in a very short time frame.
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| A partnership born out of tragedy! |
As the rest of the episode moves along, one introduction after another follows. I think perhaps a little too many introductions. DC characters like Renee Montoya, Crispus Allen, Edward Nigma aka The Riddler, who happens to work at the police department and Ivy Pepper (my biggest pet peeve about Gotham because Poison Ivy’s name is Pamela Isley. But I’ll endure.), are all worked into the storyline. While some of these represent what is “good” about Gotham, the others, which include a new face and a familiar one, represent the “bad” of Gotham.
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| Fish Mooney |
A new character named Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith), a power hungry mobster who wants to make her own mark in Gotham through the use of intimidation and then there’s her lackey, the Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor). She’s interesting enough to hold my attention. Whether or not she’s there for the long haul is up in the air. What I do know is the Penguin was the most compelling of all the villains. I look forward to seeing what’s in store for his character given the fact that he should be dead by the hands of Gordon as a means of showing crime boss Falcone that he’s a willing follower like Bullock. I am sure there will be repercussions for this.
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| Gordon and Oswald Cobblepot aka The Penguin |
Like any comic book story, the origin aspect is what springboards its readers or in this case, its viewers into this vast world of good versus evil. Gotham’s first episode was a good starting point and it has the potential to add to the Batman mythology in a very good and exciting way.
One final thought, it has always been understood that Alfred was not only Bruce’s conscience but also represents a father like figure. My initial feelings after this premiere episode is that I think Jim Gordon will be that he will be that father figure. We shall see. Until next time…
May the Dork be with you,
JPB
The Dork Knight
