GOTHAM - The Complete Third Season

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: 'Gotham - The Complete Third Season' on Blogcritics.

Despite the failures of the big screen DC efforts of the past decade, there are some really good shows representing that comic company on the small screen. Gotham is a DC show that sometimes baffles me because it has some really cool elements and can be quite gripping at times, while other arcs are lackluster and plodding. Three years in, it seems like the series is pulling itself together, as I would argue that Gotham – The Complete Third Season has many of the best episodes of the show, and certainly the strongest run when taken all together due to its complexity, the cast becoming more comfortable in their roles, and writers’ ability to still surprise.

Gotham‘s third season begins with two major developments: Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) is no longer an officer with the Gotham City Police Department, and Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor) and Nygma (Cory Michael Smith) are best friends. The first of those is important because Gordon’s role with the GCPD is a vital part of his identity, and dictates the daily activities of the most central character of the ensemble. The latter makes a difference because those are two very formidable villains, Nygma more so as the season goes on and he becomes The Riddler, so they are in a position to cause much trouble indeed when their forces are combined.

These elements also echo a greater trend. The subtitle for the first past of the season is Mad City, and Gotham certainly falls under that descriptor. Penguin is elected mayor early on. The mysterious Court of Owls is seen to be pulling the strings of both sides of the law for their own purposes. Law enforcement is in chaos, unable to contend with the bad guys who seem to keep multiplying. With the metropolitan area under such pressure and conflict, what can be done to right the ship?

Well, while the villains are gaining the upper hand, there are a number of signs that things will come around, starting with the subtitle for the end of the season, Heroes Rise. Gordon, as we know he must, does go back to the GCPD. Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) inches ever closer to becoming Batman, something that seems poised to happen in season four. Lucius Fox (Chris Chalk) plays a larger role in these episodes. That tells me that, as bad as things are, there is help on its way.

Gotham is a show with an extremely large cast and a lot of subplots intertwining at once, so it would be impossible to get into everything that happens in season three in this review, even just looking at the lead characters. However, there are a few things worth mentioning about The Complete Third Season. Barbara’s (Erin Richards) growth, furthering her independence, is quite pleasing. This season brings the return of Jerome (Cameron Monaghan), Hugo Strange (BD Wong), and Carmine Falcone (John Doman), who all seem to have plenty of potential left in them. Villain Jervis Tetch (Benedict Samuel, The Walking Dead) would work better as a guest character, rather than artificially keeping him around all year. New, grown-up Ivy (Maggie Geha, Ted 2) is pretty cool, once they started to develop her character in the back half of the season. Chelsea Spack’s reprise is interesting, until she is wasted without resolution. The way Gordon and Lee (Morena Baccarin) are kept apart feels forced. Alexander Siddig (Game of Thrones, Star Trek: Deep Space 9) is pretty awesome, so I’m glad to see him show up in a neat way. It’s a mixed bag, but I’d say it’s more good than bad.

Gotham – The Complete Third Season has a pretty good batch of bonus features. There’s a featurette on the Court of Owls, and another on the new villains. Star Ben McKenzie makes his directorial debut this season, so there’s material on that. Deleted scenes are scattered across the four-disc set. The 2016 Comic Con panel is pretty useless after the season has been viewed, and given it’s on the last disc, that’s likely to be when people see it. (This is not a complaint specific to Gotham, as other recent releases have done the same thing, which does not make it better.) In summary, a decent lineup.

Gotham – The Complete Third Season is available now on blu-ray, DVD, and digital download.

GOTHAM's Villains Rise

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: 'Gotham - The Complete Second Season' on Blogcritics.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed for this blog post. The opinions I share are my own.

WB’s Gotham – The Complete Second Season, which aired on FOX last television season, has recently been released on Blu-ray, Digital, and DVD, just in time for a catch up or for a refresher before the third outing. Picking up after the events of the season one finale, the power dynamic in the city has shifted, luring new villains into the conflict, and making our heroes’ jobs even tougher.

With Fish seemingly dead (come on, this is a comic book series and we haven’t seen the body), The Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor) is the Big Bird in town, so to speak. His reign is almost immediately threatened when Theo Galavan (James Frain, The Tudors) and his sister, Tabitha (Jessica Lucas, Melrose Place (2009)), arrive. They aren’t after The Penguin, specifically, but if he stands in their way, then they won’t hesitate to fight, and are more than capable of taking the crime boss on.

These are far from the only baddies, though, in the season dubbed “Rise of the Villains.” Nygma (Cory Michael Smith) continues his compelling descent into madness, while Barbara (Erin Richards) struggles with maintaining sanity. Worse (or better, for viewers?), Dr. Hugo Strange (BD Wong, Law & Order: SVU) is now running Arkham, and he delights in experimenting with superhumans and above-average criminals along the lines of Firefly (Michelle Veintimilla, Not Cool) and Victor Fries (Nathan Darrow, House of Cards). So the city is facing no shortage of trouble.

Our hero remains Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie), but he is certainly racking up more allies than just Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue), which feels necessary, given what Gotham is facing. Chief among Gordon’s allies is Captain Nathaniel Barnes (Michael Chiklis, The Shield), who comes in with the goal of cleaning up the force. Bruce (David Mazouz) is making progress on his path towards becoming Batman, but he’s still a ways away from that.

And these are only a few of the characters that populate Gotham. At times, I worry both the city and the cast list is over-stuffed. But one thing you can say about such a large ensemble is that there are always plenty of plot threads going on. Gotham throws a lot at you and does it fast, burning through story, well, the way a comic book does. Usually, it works, though I think most of us with Jerome (Cameron Monaghan, Shameless) had stuck around a little longer. It isn’t as deep or as emotionally moving as the DC shows over on the CW, but it is an interesting drama done in a cool, unique style that remains enjoyable.

Speaking of the style, one of the best extras this release contains is a twenty-five minute look at the noir tone of the series. In “Gotham by Noir Light,” the crew gets nerdy in the best of ways as they discuss their influences from the films of yesteryear.

Two other interesting featurettes on the four-disc set are “Alfred: Batman’s Greatest Ally” and “Cold Hearted – The Tale of Victor Fries.” Each of these delves deeper into a specific character on the series, giving some background and insight into the approach Gotham takes on them versus other incarnations of the players in past works, a topic a many super hero shows sadly downplay.

There are a lot of other extras, too. The Comic-Con Panel is cool, but sadly shortened, as most panels are when included on home releases. Then, there are a lot of shorts, most of which are a waste of time to watch. There are little bits from different actors musing on what is coming up for their characters, as well as some teaser scenes. Numbering more than a dozen, these were probably effective advertising when released prior to the episodes, but seem extraneous here. While I do complain when shows have too few features, Gotham has enough meaty stuff that, if they drop most of these (a couple are semi-interesting), they’d be better off overall, favoring quality over quantity.

Still, overall, I’m satisfied with Gotham – The Complete Second Season, which is on sale now.

THE NORMAL HEART Beats Strong

Article first published as THE NORMAL HEART Review on Seat42F.

HBO’s THE NORMAL HEART is not only a great TV movie, one of the best the pay-cable network has made in years, and that’s a high bar, it’s also an important story that everyone should know about. This moving, frustrating, beautiful film tells the based-on-truth tale of gay rights activists in the 1980s fighting an epidemic that the government doesn’t want to acknowledge or investigate. It’s a dark chapter in our history, and only by remembering it can we try to prevent such a thing from happening again.

The picture of the gay community in New York City at the time is an interesting one, certainly something I never learned about growing up, and sex means something different to them than to most people. They fought hard for the right to love whoever they want, even if they don’t have legal protections that straight people do, and they see giving up this right as taking a step backward. Even when it becomes likely the virus is spread through sexual contact, many wonder if that’s a lie spread to tear them down. These are people who won a war but still justifiably feel persecuted, and can’t bear the thought that they might be pushed back into the past.

Because of this, they work against their own interests. As Dr. Emma Brookner (Julia Roberts, August: Osage County) pleads with them to stop screwing, many use the meetings to raise awareness as hookup spots. It’s a very slow crawl to even convince those affected that they must do something, let alone the powers in charge. If the gays won’t help themselves, what chance do they have of anyone else helping them?

The main character is Ned Weeks (Mark Ruffalo, The Avengers), an asshole writer who can’t keep his big mouth shut. He has earned the ire of many of his fellow homosexuals by complaining about how their rampant sexual activity prevents them from finding love, the one thing he desperately wants. But he also has friends, and once they begin falling ill to the mysterious “gay cancer,” he is convinced something must be done and begins a crusade to do so.

Along the way, Ned meets and falls in love with a New York Times reporter named Felix Turner (Matt Bomer, White Collar). Felix is supportive, but not part of the campaign, giving Ned a much-needed life apart from his work. As Ned’s colleagues, including good-looking, amiable Bruce Niles (Taylor Kitsch, Friday Night Lights), abrasive and inquisitive Tommy Boatwright (Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory, reprising his role from the stage production), and government employee who doesn’t want to make waves Mickey Marcus (Joe Mantello, who played Ned on Broadway), grow exhausted with Ned’s public rants, Felix is the only chance Ned has to calm down.

Which is why it probably won’t surprise you when Felix catches the disease.

THE NORMAL HEART, based on the Tony-winning play by Larry Kramer and directed by American Horror Story’s Ryan Murphy, is a very personal telling of the crisis. Through Ned, we see loved ones hurt and dying, feel the fear that overtakes him, and the desperation that he has to stop the virus. We experience his pain when his brother, Ben (Alfred Molina, Spider-Man 2), tries to help, but just can’t accept Ned as his equal. We connect with the horror and compassion, loving Ned even through his abrasiveness. Anyone not emotionally affected lacks a soul.

The sprawling cast, which also includes Jonathan Groff (Looking), Denis O’Hare (True Blood), Corey Stoll (House of Cards), Stephen Spinella (Milk), BD Wong (Law & Order: SVU), Finn Wittrock (Masters of Sex), Adam B. Shapiro, Danielle Ferland, and more, shows us many different individuals, and how each copes in a different way with the events. Some have small roles, but Murphy deftly lets the actors shine through, each conveying a lot in a limited amount of time, showing us many varying individuals. Not everyone agrees, but the variety of opinions and personalities are why THE NORMAL HEART feels so authentic.

I do think the opening of THE NORMAL HEART may hurt the film’s impact, immediately turning off conservatives by the open displays of gay love and promiscuity. These are the people who most need to watch, to begin to see the humanity and suffering they’ve ignored or ignorantly been disgusted by. But it also succeeds in dropping us into a world and mood that is merely the starting point of the story, giving the script a foundation to start from before it turns dark. Stick with the movie for ten minutes, and you’ll start to have your eyes opened.

THE NORMAL HEART is a moving masterpiece, a triumph for HBO and all involved, and one that will not soon be forgotten by any who witness it. 

If you missed last night’s premiere, please make sure to catch a rerun, as the network should be playing it often for some time to come.

Awake premieres tonight

NBC's new drama Awake premieres tonight, though the "Pilot" has been widely available online, so many have seen it already. The main character in Awake is Michael Britten (Jason Isaacs, Case Histories, the Harry Potter films), who is involved in a car accident with his family. He now lives in two separate realities. In one, he is a widower father to son Rex (Dylan Minnette, Saving Grace, Men of a Certain Age). In the other, Rex is dead, but Michael's wife, Hannah (Laura Allen, Terriers, Dirt), lives on. As two therapists try to help Michael navigate which world is real, his lives in both diverge further.

It is a shame that Awake does not begin with Michael first realizing the dual reality. The car wreck is shown, yes, but the real story of the episode begins sometime later, with Michael returning to work. By now, Michael is already set in the way he handles both versions of his life, using a colored rubber band on his wrist to tell them apart. Viewers miss that initial shock where Michael tries to figure out what is happening, and instead, pick up with him already settled with his lot. A wasted chance for great drama, to be sure.

Michael has no desire to know which world is real. Why would he? Accepting that one is a dream would cost him either his son or his wife, both of whom he loves dearly. As such, Michael decides to keep going on as is, with no motivation to be "cured" of whatever it is that is affecting him in this manner.

This is not good news to his therapists. Dr. Lee (BD Wong, Law & Order: SVU, Oz) is argumentative, trying to convince Michael that his reality is the real one. The other, Dr. Evans (Cherry Jones, 24, Signs), has a much gentler touch, but acts like she can disprove the alternate version, too. All this does is confuse Michael, and upset him, as he fears losing one of his worlds.

Despite the very well constructed "Pilot," it's hard to see where Awake will go from here. Will Michael become unhinged, as he seems to be doing in a disturbing scene with a knife? Will Drs. Evans and Lee do their best every week to convince Michael that they are in the real world, and Michael will keep resisting? With the therapists listed as main characters, there must be some movement in this story. However, if either one gets a serious edge, it risks unraveling the entire premise, and a permanent deadlock will be very difficult to keep interesting.

More likely, Awake is a standard crime procedural that tries to disguise itself as something more with a unique idea. In both versions of his life, Michael is a detective. In the "Pilot," he works on two different cases, one in each reality, with two different partners. But the clues from each case inform on the other, and so, somehow, he manages to figure both out much quicker than his colleagues. This interconnection is done in such a way that viewers will find it impossible to tell which one is just the dream, keeping folks guessing where the originate from.

There is also a possible romantic plot in the world where Rex lives, with tennis coach Tara (Michaela McManus, The Vampire Diaries, Law & Order: SVU) clearly interested in Michael. Of course, this is a non-starter, because Michael believes he is still married. A devoted husband, there is just no way that he will go for two relationships at once. More likely, this plot is simply a device that will force Michael to tell Rex about the other life. Hopefully Rex will handle the information a little better than Hannah does, which again, is told instead of shown, since it happens before the action of the "Pilot" begins.

The acting in Awake is fantastic, of course. With a slate of veterans, led by the terrific Isaacs, it has to be. Aside from those mentioned above, The Practice's Steve Harris plays Michael's long-time partner, while in the second universe, Michael works with rookie Efrem Vega (Wilmer Valderrama, That '70s Show, Handy Manny). Both fit nicely, the latter, surprisingly so. But will these great performers want to stick around when the material grows stale, which seems a likely prospect, sooner rather than later?

Great "Pilot," Awake. Now prove you can do something with it, because the early signs are not good. Awake airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.

MORE: If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Article first published as TV Review: Awake - "Pilot" on Blogcritics.