Article originally published as GOTHAM Review Knock, Knock on Seat42F.
As
good as GOTHAM’s sophomore premiere is, the second installment, “Knock,
Knock,” is even better. Gordon (Ben McKenzie) attempts to get Bullock
(Donal Logue) to come back to work, but his former partner resists the
force, happy at home with his fiancé, Scottie (Maria Thayer). Meanwhile,
Bruce (David Mazouz) and Alfred (Sean Pertwee) clash in a big way, and
Galavan (James Frain) coaches his crew, though will he be able to
control them for long?
“Knock, Knock” is the episode in which
The Joker breaks out in a big, big way. While it’s true that the moniker
has yet to be uttered, there is no mistaking whom Jerome Valeska
(Cameron Monaghan, Shameless) is as he gives a chilling, insane
performance. Jerome is the villain who surprises, and the one who is
hard to predict and understand. His slaughter at the police headquarters
is maybe the darkest thing GOTHAM has done thus far, and it sets him up
to be the most dangerous personality in a city choked with dangerous
personalities, the first to truly give The Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor) a
run for his money. I think if Galavan tries to continue to control
Jerome, Galavan will not be long for GOTHAM.
I am disappointed to see so many
officers get up off the floor at the end of “Knock, Knock.” It is plenty
clear that Jerome and his men are not taking prisoners, and while I’ll
forgive them for missing Leslie (Morena Baccarin), who hid, and Nygma
(Cory Michael Smith), who heroically saved Ms. Kringle (Chelsea Spack),
it doesn’t seem like they are leaving many alive at the time of the
assault. I can’t help but wonder if the network required the shot of
officers standing up to make the whole thing seem less violent for a
broadcast network airing. It takes away from the brutality of the attack
a bit. But that’s really the only weak spot in an otherwise outstanding
episode.
Of course, Jerome’s actions prompt
Bullock to return to work, which is super necessary. Essen’s (Zabryna
Guevara) death is tragic, but it is also meaningful. We know Gordon and
the police force have to be losing the struggle before Batman eventually
shows up on scene, and “Knock, Knock” is the first big victory we see
for the baddies. By losing Essen, the good side will galvanize and the
war should begin to become all-out in the near future.
Speaking of Batman, I still can’t
believe GOTHAM won’t show the caped crusader. It is true that Bruce is
very young, but he already has Alfred training him and Lucius Fox (Chris
Chalk) helping him set up the Batcave. We are in early stages of a
superhero here, and I think we need a teenage Batman to enter and join
the fight by season three or four. He can train with Ra’s over summer
hiatus, no?
I am incredibly surprised at how far
Barbara (Erin Richards) has fallen. Hanging around with villains is one
thing, but “Knock, Knock” finds her taking an active, willing role in
their nefarious deeds. She lures Gordon out of the precinct, allows him
to be beaten up, then jumps on his chest and kisses him. She’s not only
evil, she also seems crazy. This means that when she claims to ‘not be
sick,’ she could very be wrong, and there’s still a chance that, with
proper counseling, she could come back to him. But right now, that seems
a far-off prospect.
GOTHAM has a lot of personalities to
juggle, and the more they add, the less time the others get. Yet, the
way “Knock, Knock” manages to serve Essen, Gordon, Bullock, Nygma,
Bruce, Alfred, Barbara, and Jerome all so well proves how the writers
have become quite adept at balancing everyone. With so much packed into a
single episode, the possibilities open in the twenty episodes left this
year are many, not to mention the multiple years this show should get
in the future. With smart pacing and expertly woven complex webs, GOTHAM
has the potential to be around for a long time, and deserves to be if
it can keep up what it’s already doing.
GOTHAM airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.
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