HomeTelevisionMonthly Pop 5: TV Shows

Monthly Pop 5: TV Shows

Dan Cohen – Gotham

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There have been three episodes in the past month for Gotham since it came back from break – one mediocre, and two fantastic. Even the episode that was only fair at least paid off the following week, and that’s just one of the reasons why I love this show. It pays off plotlines, and moves stories quickly. When you look at a show like Lost or Heroes (both of which I enjoyed), it suffered from a crap load of “filler episodes,” because the show had to fill in an upwards of 20+ episodes. It wasn’t until Lost was able to do less than 20 episodes per season did it really ramp up again. Gotham is on a 20+ track, and so far, I haven’t gotten that “filler” vibe. Maybe it doesn’t always progress the main storylines such as the murder of Bruce Wayne’s (David Mazouz) parents, but it always manages to develop the characters.

Photo Credit: Justin Stephens/FOX
Photo Credit: Justin Stephens/FOX

The first season has yet to conclude, but the show is already rich with great characters. You could say this was easier for them to achieve because they had decades worth of Batman mythology, but I would argue that makes it tougher. Not only do they have to capture the spirit of these characters, but there has to be a unique spin on them as well, otherwise, what’s the point of the show? Robin Lord Taylor’s Oswald Cobblepot may be the best interpretation of the character I’ve ever seen. The Penguin is getting his due, and he’s not even the Penguin yet! Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) and Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue) is already a relationship I’m invested in, and even though Edward Nygma (Cory Michael Smith) started out rough, he’s becoming a real favorite of mine. One element I did not expect to like was the inclusion of Bruce Wayne and Alfred (Sean Pertwee), but they have been a real nice surprise, in particular Pertwee’s performance. It’s a version in live action we haven’t seen before – bad ass Alfred. The show has also done a great job of creating new characters such as Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith), who is someone I can easily envision as a Batman villain. Her last couple episodes in particular have been excellent.

That leads me to the acting on the show. Aside from a couple bad eggs, the performances have been top notch, and I love how fully committed everyone is to the roles. Pinkett Smith has really balanced a fine line between crazy, and never going too camp. Logue is hilarious, but when he has to get serious, the man is game. I can’t say enough good things about McKenzie, who has really anchored the show nicely. Mazouz has convinced me he could grow up to be Batman, which is why I hope this show lasts for a long time. I’d love to see that development. Even the biggest naysayer will admit that Taylor has already established himself as an iconic figure when it comes to Oswald.

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Speaking of the naysayers, I want to touch on this briefly. If you don’t like the show, you don’t like the show. I’m as big a Batman fan as they come, but I feel like the majority of complaints have come from the online blogger crowd who follow these characters closely. I’m totally convinced if this show didn’t have all the Batman baggage, everyone could appreciate it for what it is, but because Batman holds so many opinions, and everyone feels they own a piece of him, people are going to whine and moan about whatever. Too bad for them the show is getting strong ratings, and hitting with a mainstream audience that doesn’t follow this stuff religiously.

This month has been great in blending the mob element between Fish and Falcone (John Doman), while still giving the audience the Batman-isms, such as Oswald and Nygma. I can’t wait to see where these guys go in the coming weeks, and hopefully years to come.

To read our weekly reviews of Gotham plus interviews with series stars Ben McKenzie, Donal Logue, Robin Lord Taylor, Sean Pertwee and Erin Richards, click here.

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Pop-Break Staff
Pop-Break Staffhttps://thepopbreak.com
Founded in September 2009, The Pop Break is a digital pop culture magazine that covers film, music, television, video games, books and comics books and professional wrestling.
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