GOTHAM Season 1 Episode 1
Episode Title: “Pilot”
Writer: Bruno Heller
Director: Danny Cannon
Earlier this year, I had a chance to watch the pilot episode of “Gotham” and I wrote an advance review which you can read here. Last night, I watched the “Gotham” pilot again for the first time since June… and I liked it a little less than I did before.
Most of the aspects that I initially enjoyed were still the strongest parts of the episode. James Gordon (Ben McKenzie) and Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue) play off of each other in a very compelling way. Director Danny Cannon gives Gotham City a life of its own and a larger scope for the show’s story. Plus, it’s Batman before Batman. We’re never going to see The Dark Knight on this series, but there’s a lot of potential in exploring Gordon’s early years as a cop in Gotham City.
The biggest problem is that “Gotham” overloads the story with future Batman villains. The only one that really pops is Oswald Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor) aka The Penguin. His attempts to advance in the criminal underworld lead him to pit the cops and the mob against each other and it ultimately backfires on him. The climax of the episode may even link Cobblepot’s fate to Gordon’s, as it seems like their parallel destinies are to rise to the top on the opposite sides of the law.
Since the “Gotham” pilot has already aired, I’m not going to hold back on the details this time. So consider this your first and only spoiler warning.
Aside from the Penguin, none of the other Batman villains needed to be here. Of the rest, Edward Nygma (Cory Michael Smith) was the least offensive as the future Riddler. Putting Nygma in the police department isn’t necessarily a bad idea. It just feels out of character. However, Selina “Catwoman” Kyle (Camren Bicondova) and Ivy “Poison Ivy” Pepper (Clare Foley) are completely forced into this story. Selina is the only witness other than Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) to see the death of his parents. And Ivy’s father (Mario Pepper?!) is the lead suspect in the Wayne murders?!
But the most egregious aspect for me was Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith), the mobster created for this show. I hated that character because Pinkett Smith is so far over-the-top with her performance that the stars of the Batman 1960s TV show would probably tell her to dial it back. The one thing about her that I found intriguing was that Fish and Harvey seemed unusually close when Gordon was watching them in the bar. However, Fish did order Harvey’s death at one point, so perhaps they aren’t actually that close.
The flaws in the writing are more readily apparent on the second viewing, as even Gordon and Harvey have a few clunky lines between them. Yet it’s Gordon’s fiancée, Barbara Kean (Erin Richards) who gets some of the worst lines of the hour when she tries to talk with Gordon about his job… and when she’s outed as a secret (and possibly former) lesbian. Renee Montoya (Victoria Cartagena) was mentored by Gordon in the comics and now she’s his romantic rival for Barbara’s heart?!
I understand the necessity of giving Barbara Keen a bigger role as one of the female leads of this series. But the writers of “Gotham” are going to have to do a lot better than that. Across the bar, the writing for all of the female characters was pretty subpar in this episode.
John Doman was a bright spot for “Gotham” as mob boss, Carmine Falcone. Doman actually gives Falcone a meaningful screen presence when he explains to Gordon exactly how Gotham City is supposed to work. Sean Pertwee was also very strong as the more aggressive, Alfred Pennyworth, the Wayne family butler who won’t take shit from Gordon or Bruce.
I was surprised by the darker turn taken by Harvey, when he pressures Gordon into murdering Cobblepot to ensure that the mob won’t kill them all. Harvey Bullock has previously been portrayed in the comics as a cop who bends the rules, but I don’t think that he’s ever been as dirty as he is here. It’s a little out of character, but I’m willing to roll with it if it leads to good stories. Of course, Gordon doesn’t actually go through with killing Cobblepot, but that will come back to bite him the second that Cobblepot resurfaces in Gotham City.
“Gotham” also strives to keep Bruce Wayne involved in the series through his relationship with Gordon. We’re already given fairly obvious hints about Bruce’s future as Batman. But it may test the patience of the audience if all we get are hints.
I still feel that “Gotham” had one of the stronger pilots of this fall’s TV season. However, I need to see more episodes to determine whether this show is going to work in the long term. For now, I’m just not sure about it.
