With Fox moving Gotham to Thursdays and the first episode of Season 4 locked and loaded, the trailer and early reviews are exposing the direction of Bruce Wayne as he slowly begins to emotionally and psychologically morph into the future Batman. He seems to be both frustrated and naïve with his leaning towards moving from playboy to crime fighter.
The prototype suit has attracted much attention, but it is the cowl that has generated the most controversy. Viewers who don’t think the cowl is that big of a deal argue that their critics have yet to adjust to the fact that Gotham and Batman are both in a very different universe from the traditional Batman. The bugaboo for the critics is that at this point Bruce Wayne has no formal training in the martial arts, so the move is too fast. Moderates are not too concerned about the transition, maintaining that as long as the show is well written and produced there should be no big problem with it. It seems the changes will not only affect the characters, but the viewers as well.
At least one person has pointed out that the creation of the suit needs to complement the character who is playing the role. We are not talking full body armor here, so the physique of actor David Mazouz, who turned 16 in February, has to be taken into consideration along with the expected body type of an average 16 year old. This is a creative challenge for the writers and producers. Besides, with Bruce yet to have undergone any physical training at this point, what should we expect of his body type?
The whole prequel idea is something that will take getting used to. It seems the writers are content to take things slowly and give the viewers a granular view of the development of Bruce Wayne into Batman. Whether season 4 will keep the viewers interest at the suggested pace of the trailer will only be known later. But really, what is the point of a prequel with a comic book, TV, and movie character that has been remade and made over so many times over the last 50 years if you can’t take things slow? If you are going to move through the development years fast, what will be left when you hit the end of the road? Will Gotham end up being just another rehashed Batman series and fall back on the standard movie theme formula?
There are more questions than answers at this point, and you can be sure that the first episode of season 4 scheduled to pop up on Thursday, September 21st will be watched intensely to see where the direction of the show is headed. From the trailer, Alfred will play an important role in challenging the untrained playboy Bruce to get real and seriously consider what he is getting himself into. Will the challenge result with a rift between Alfred and Bruce or will Alfred back off and the writers will evolve his personality into one of resigned acceptance? Season 4 starts in a couple of weeks, so tune in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pp3ITy5a7Hk
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“The bugaboo for the critics is that at this point Bruce Wayne has no formal training in the martial arts, so the move is too fast.” Really? Alfred taught him boxing, Cat taught him streetfighting, and the leader of the owls “prepared” him further! What series are these “critics” watching?