First, allow me to explain my feelings towards Gotham prior to reviewing the premiere of its second season…….
If you know me, or have read my reviews, you probably know I’m a big Batman fan (Bat-Fan?). My wife is even more of a Batman nut so you’d better believe Fox’s Gotham was welcomed with open arms last year. We stuck with it through all of the normal first season ups and downs. Ultimately, I was less in favor of the series than she was. Twenty-two episodes is a lot for the freshman year of an hour long drama series. Some story lines were dragged on farrrr past their expiration date while others were glossed over in the name of adding more characters. They should have kept it to 12 or 13 to resist the urge for pointless indulgence. Although, one thing I will give Gotham credit for is perfectly casting its core lineup. The actors have enough chemistry to make you want to be some level of invested in their on screen futures.
Then there is the matter of the source material. Batman has 76 years of rich material to fall back on – adapting that for television is no small task. Which characters should be used? Which stories should be told? Answering those questions without incurring the wrath of comic fandom is an unenviable task. The creators of Gotham should not be bound by the established canon, yet, how far off the rails should they stray? These are tough questions with answers that will vary from fan to fan. My answers aren’t nearly as positive as they were in the first half of season one.
Fast forward to this week’s grand unveiling of the “Rise of the Villains”…. I wish I had nice things to say. I wish I could say that Gotham learned from its first season shortcomings to reward viewers for tuning back in. I wish Fox didn’t focus on certain popular aspects of a show while alienating other aspects (Example – Family Guy, Sleepy Hollow, etc). After the first episode I fear those wishes will not be granted.
Now time for the spoilery thoughts….
A few points:
- Jerome – I think I can declare that I hate this character. Why does he need to be in the show? If he IS supposed to be the Joker, which looks pretty damn likely, then he should not be featured in Gotham. The Joker is one of a kind with a devilish charm and demented sense of humor. I feel strongly that not everything needs to have an origin story!! His absence of an origin (discounting Alan Moore’s or Tim Burton’s takes) is part of what makes him such a terrifying foe for Batman. Batman’s origin is set in stone and the Joker is a mystery; they are two ends of a dichotomy that are destined to clash. This portrayal is way over the top. Is Gotham supposed to be a rehash of ’66 Batman or a gritty crime drama? Jerome makes it seem that way.
- Barbara Gordon – she’s the weakest character. This was overly apparent in the first season as the creators struggled to give her any hint of relevance. Why keep trying? They’ve shown that they won’t be bound by the source material so they should go ahead and get rid of her. Also – a coed criminal mental institution that allows their female inmates to wear ridiculous dresses? Not even Arkham Asylum is that messed up.
- Blue belched knockout gas? Come on….
- I’m looking forward to them spending more time with the Jim/Harvey dynamic. The two characters are perfectly portrayed. Gotham deserves the points they earn for this… god knows they need it.
- Penguin and Riddler are fantastic. Both actors are true to the character while making it their own. I wish they’d focus more on the characters that work rather than trying to bring in every Batman villain imaginable a decade before they should exist.
- Alfred Pennyworth. Who doesn’t love Alfred?
My rating of Gotham’s season two premiere is a disappointing 5 out of 10.
There’s a lot of other shows out there begging for my loyal viewership. I’ll give them two more episodes to change my mind then I might have to throw in the towel.
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Belligerent Barnes 
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