The superhero craze continues with a new contender on the expanding world of TV-superhero shows. This time around we turn our gaze to the dark, crime-ridden city of DC Universe's Gotham. However, the dark knight is nowhere to be seen, but his seed are indeed sowed.
(Before reading this, make sure to watch the episode if you are even remotely interested in following the serie - there could and most likely will be spoilers ahead)
Lieutenant James Gordon(played by Ben McKenzie) , retired from his time in the military moves to Gotham to start his career as detective at Gotham City Police Department. Here he is paired with Detective Harvey Bullock(played by Donal Logue), and from the very start tensions are high between the new partners. Harvey doesn't think a nice guy like Gordon is cut out for the abys of crime that is Gotham, but soon they find themselves at the centerfront of a pivitol moment in the DC Universe - the unprovoked murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne, the parents of Bruce Wayne. This tragedy is a well-known story for most people, the catalyst for the young orphan that sets him on the path to becoming Batman. Gordon's empathy with Bruce helps him to confide in Gordon, leaving Bruce with the promise of the murder's capture.
Things seems to stick deeper, as the murder gets framed on an innocent man, and Gordon learns the hard way, that the corruption in Gotham sticks deep, even within the police department. And so, the stage is set for a thrilling hunt for the truth and a search for a seemingly nonexistent justice.
If a TV-serie doesn't capture it's audience within the first 10 minutes of the first episode, it can be hard to keep fans interested. And with a property like Gotham, with many fans of the Batman franchise and story wanting this to succeed, it had a lot to live up to. Not only does it deliver, but even within the 3 minute mark, we have already witnessed the murder of the Waynes.
Not only will Batman fans (like myself) find comfort in the series seemingly faithfulness to the source material, but also in how many characters we meet in the pilot that we instantly recognise as future members of the Batman Rogue-Gallery: the Penguin, Catwoman, Poison Ivy and the Riddler, but also the main crimeboss in Gotham Carmine Falcone.
But does this serie only cater to hardcore Batman/comic fans? Absolutely not. The scenography is breathtaking: it truly captures the essence of Gotham as a foreboding, and sinister behemoth, that conceals everything from you. This is perfectly showcased with the establishing shots of the city's skyline. And even during the day in Gotham, it still manages to seem menacing,
And when it comes to the cast, they all deliver in spades - I was blown away at how well most of the actors encapture their roles, with this being the first episode. Especially McKenzie's portrayal of Jim Gordon leaves every doubt behind, why this man will end up being the only person Batman will ever trust in the Gotham Police.
Nothing good without the bad, and the episode did have some minor flaws. First off, the scene where Gordon is handling the hostage situation at the police station seemed a bit unrealistic, but only because of the fact, that he only just inrolled in the force and just took control of the situation like that. But one could argue, that is was to showcase his abilities as the future commisioner of the force.
Another and bigger gribe is the ever-present Selina Kyle (Catwoman) who seems to be crawling about at key points of the episode, for no appearent reason. This might be explained in an upcoming episode, but for now it goes in the negatives.
I also didn't particulary care for the actor who plays Bruce Wayne's buttler Alfred Pennyworth. Alfred is supposed to be a charming british gentleman, and was also portrayed so in Christopher Nolan's 'Dark Knight' Trilogy by Michael Caine. This rendition of Alfred sounds more like an Australian than a british person, and also seems more harsh in his tone towards Bruce, rather than the camp and sarcastic charm he is known for.
Gotham leaves me hopeful for the fall with the other series starting up again, and with 15 more episode in the pipeline of Gotham, I will be more than happy to share my views with you every tuesday for a while.
Popcorntroller Out!
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