Gotham
Episode Title:
“Pilot”
Channel:
Fox
Director:
Danny Cannon
Writer:
Bruno Heller
Genre:
Crime, Drama, Thriller
Runtime:
50 min
Rated:
TV-14
Original Air Date:
September 22, 2014
Shortly
after Gotham
was announced it was revealed that Thomas and Martha Wayne would die
early in the series. I question that decision, should this series
not focus on Gotham and how it became the dark city of violence and
corruption we've come to know? I would have preferred some time to
get to know the Waynes. We've been told many times that they were
great philanthropists that were waging a losing struggle against the
underbelly of Gotham. We all know what happens to the Waynes, but no
where near as much as been shown about the work they did before their
murder. Is this to be another Batman origin story, or is it to be a
portrait of Gotham as told through the eyes of James Gordon? It
would seem that Gordon's decision to buck the system and become a
force for good would have been more poignant if he and the audience
had been shown the fight he was attempting to continue.
The
decision has been made though, and the audience must take the show as
it is, not as it might have been. The first episode of Gotham
suffers many of the pains that are common in television pilots. It
seems like many of the actors aren't quite sure at this point how
they're going to play their characters. The script does little to
help them along, often offering up corny dialogue. It was also a
little tiresome to be continuously introduced to characters that will
become the mainstays of Batman's rogues gallery. Spacing the reveals
out over several episodes would have been a better choice than to
show the audience Catwoman, Penguin, Riddler, and Poison Ivy all in
the pilot. Getting the ball rolling in the first episode is one
thing, overloading the allotted fifty minutes with constant winks to
the audience is unnecessary.
Ben
McKenzie seems to be a decent Jim Gordon. It's hard making the
decision based on this one episode, with Gary Oldman's performance
still so fresh in the viewers' minds, but hopefully he can grow into
the role over the next few episodes. I'm also a fan of the decision
to change the Alfred Pennyworth character a bit, Sean Pertwee plays
him as a sarcastic and rather foul mouthed counterpoint to the
seriousness of the show. That touch is needed somewhere and I like
the idea of it coming from a surprising source. Jada Pinkett Smith
seems like she will be a good villain, absolutely ruthless; although
at times she seemed to be affecting a southern accent and at others
it dropped away completely, it seemed out of place in the setting and
I'll be glad if she forgets it going forward.
The
city of Gotham looks great. It's constantly overcast and dingy, with
every single alley appearing to be one that you wouldn't want to walk
down alone. It has the feel of a deep, dark concrete forest;
predators lurking around every corner. Even a quiet fishing trip
isn't safe.
Conclusion:
There are a number of missteps here, though through good
storytelling their magnitude can be diminished. As the actor's grow
accustomed to their roles I hope to see them fitting into them more
naturally. The look of the show is the highest point, but so far we
haven't seen Gotham as it could be, a character unto itself that
chews up and spits out some people, while forging others into heroes,
martyrs and madmen.
Rating:
6/10
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