Gotham, now with two Season 4 episodes that have aired, is starting to concern me a little. I still find it to be a largely entertaining and exciting show, but a lot of what happened in the Season 4 premiere and now “The Fear Reaper” seem ripped straight from another Batman story I know. As I mentioned in my previous review, I am a huge fan of The Dark Knight trilogy, but I don’t want it to be a TV series. Unfortunately, that’s exactly where several of the stories seem to be headed.
The “rock climbing” scene with Lucius Fox, while entertaining, gave the distinct impression of a Batman Begins rip-off. I’m not sold on the idea of Bruce becoming Batman so soon, but I’m open to it. Of course, I’m less open to it when they do it in a way that’s already been done. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what Bruce’s story has become, and it’s not the only one that appears to be more or less ripped off from Batman Begins, specifically. The Scarecrow wreaking havoc in Gotham City is also eerily similar to the plot from the movie. There was little difference in both the way that Scarecrow conducted himself and the method he used to terrorize people, only his targets were different (There’s also Ra’s Al Ghul being included in this season, but he wasn’t in this episode so I’ll give that one a rest).
All of that said, Gotham still has plenty of reasons to give me hope. Gordon and Bullock’s differing approaches to stop the Penguin and his crime licenses, Gordon’s being teaming up with Falcone, is by far their most interesting arc. It’s a friendly reminder that Gordon is supposed to be the center of this drama series, and causes some incredible friction between the two friends. Of course, I’m never going to reject having Harvey as the lovable, cynical Captain. Bringing Falcone back into the fold seems only right for Gotham, as capturing that magic between Gordon and Falcone that Season One did so well. The mafia/cop drama from Season One is something I’d like to have back.
Here are a few other thoughts:
- Victor Zsasz has spent the last two episodes being an absolute delight. Hilarious and dangerous. “Hot damn! It’s like Christmas!”
- I don’t know that I understand what exactly Barbara is trying to accomplish. She doesn’t seem as evil or twisted as she used to be. Perhaps the electric shock reset her brain, and is trying to create a family for those who have none. But it certainly isn’t clear after one episode and I’m not sure how I feel about it. But, Erin Richards is phenomenal so I’m definitely going to give her the benefit of the doubt.
- Is Tabitha’s rejection going to create Poison Ivy? Sure seems that way.
Overall, I’m still on the fence about Season 4. There’s a lot of potential here for some wonderful stories, but is it too early for Batman? If it’s not too early for Batman, is it too similar to the Christopher Nolan films? I suppose only time will tell. For now, I’m still in, and this is still a fun show.
What did you guys think? Did you enjoy the episode? Let us know!
Gotham airs Thursdays at 8pm EDT on FOX
Follow Us
