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.

No "Laugh" For GOTHAM

Article originally published as GOTHAM Review "The Last Laugh" on Seat42F.

GOTHAM: Gordon (Benjamin McKenzie) in “Rise of the Villains: The Last Laugh” episode of GOTHAM airing Monday, Oct. 5 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2015 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Nicole Rivelli/FOX.

On this week’s GOTHAM, who has “The Last Laugh?” Well, no one yet, though we can say for certain a few people that do not. With the city getting darker and more dangerous by the minute, a hero steps up to save the day, but it’s not the person that the public thinks it is.

The hero is Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz). Still just a kid, he shows remarkable bravery when Alfred’s (Sean Pertwee) life is on the line. In past installments, Bruce cowers while Alfred protects him. In “The Laugh Laugh,” Bruce does allow Alfred to be the one to act, but he puts himself in the line of fire in order to give Alfred the opportunity to save everyone else. It may still be awhile before he’s Batman, but Bruce is strongly heading in that direction.

The citizens of Gotham, however, are likely to believe that Theo Galavan (James Frain) is the hero they’ve been waiting for, with Bruce overlooked as he almost always will be. That’s because no one knows that Theo sets himself up to rescue the hostages, and is pulling the strings of the villain, too. I’m not sure what Theo’s game is yet, but he’s playing it beautifully, fooling everyone that matters.

Barbara (Erin Richards) has certainly noticed. I do not know if she’s telling Lee (Morena Baccarin) the truth when she says she’ll soon be back with Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie), but Barbara has to extract herself from a love triangle before she’s free for anyone else. At the start of “The Last Laugh,” she seems to be with Tabitha (Jessica Lucas), but after Theo’s big play, she switches which sibling she’s cozying up to. Is Barbara attracted to evil power? Or is she just enjoying herself and caught up in the moment?

Speaking of attraction, there is a great scene this week in which Alfred hits on Lee. I expected her to speak up and warn him off, but instead, she seems to enjoy the attention, at least to a point. But the fact that this flirtation gets Jim to mark his territory and results in a fun interchange where Alfred accuses Bruce of knowing Lee was taken makes the moment well worth it.

The only scene better than that is the one in which Harvey (Donal Logue) threatens Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor). Harvey is Jim’s friend, we know that, but I don’t think we’ve ever seen him act quite as selfless as he does here. Clearly, Jim has rubbed off on Harvey even more than appears obvious. That might be because Jim has been blurring the lines between good and bad himself, tossing people out windows to find Jerome, giving Harvey the clue that Jim might be tough enough to win after all. Whatever the reason, though, it’s nice to see the loyalty of the veteran detective.

The biggest thing to happen this week, though, is the death of Jerome (Cameron Monaghan). Both in the moment and upon reflection after, this seems a mistake. Sure, it allows for some fun puns and references in the dialogue of several players, but Jerome was such a great potential joker, it’s a shame to lose him! He resembles the legendary Batman villain enough that I’d taken to calling him The Joker in past reviews. To see him snuffed out so quickly is sad. The explanation the episode gives, that his behavior will spawn copycats, one of whom will actually be The Joker, feels cheap. I usually applaud the twists GOTHAM brings to the Batman legacy, but GOTHAM will be hard pressed to find a Joker as good as Monaghan. And if the one they do bring in ends up being inferior, it won’t be acceptable.

Still, even with the death of Jerome, “The Laugh Laugh” is a great, action-packed, enjoyable hour of television. There are plenty of things to keep fans engaged, and the performances continue to only get better. I look forward very much to what the series has in store next.

GOTHAM airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

Don't "Knock" GOTHAM

Article originally published as GOTHAM Review Knock, Knock on Seat42F.

GOTHAM: (L-R) Gordon (Benjamin McKenzie) and Captain Essen (Zabryna Guevara) in the Rise of the Villains: “Knock, Knock” episode of GOTHAM ©2015 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Nicole Rivelli/FOX.

 

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.

GOTHAM's Gordon is "Damned"

Article originally published as GOTHAM Season 2 Premiere Preview on Seat42F.

GOTHAM: Gordon (Benjamin McKenzie) in the “Damned if You Do,… ” Season Two premiere of GOTHAM airing Monday, Sept. 21 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2015 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Nicole Rivelli/FOX

FOX’s GOTHAM is back! I just watched the first episode, “Damned If You Do…,” and I have to say, I’m really pumped about the new season. Since you may be reading this prior to the hour airing, I’m going to do my absolute best to tease without outright spoiling, but take it from me, this sophomore premiere is great!

First, when last we leave Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie), he is reeling from a showdown with a bunch of villains and the turning of his ex, Barbara (Erin Richards), into a murderer. “Damned If You Do…” picks up about a month later, and things have only gotten worse for Gordon. Bullock (Donal Logue) is no longer with the force and Commissioner Loeb (Peter Scolari) is fully back in power. It’s not a good place for Gordon to be, and if he wants to restore a status quo or find a better life for himself, Jim is going to have to go to The Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor) for help. We all know what a bad idea that is.

GOTHAM toys a bit with the line between good and bad in its first season; Bullock, especially, straddles the gray. But never is Jim stepping so precariously as he is in the season premiere. I doubt this will be the last time. The Batman franchise has always thrived in the darkness, with heroes willing to put their morals on hold for the greater good. It makes for rich character material, and “Damned If You Do…” has some of the best in the show so far, and I’m not just talking about Jim here.

The Penguin is having pretty much the opposite life as Jim. With Fish Mooney, Sal Maroni, and Carmine Falcone gone, he has little competition for the city. Along with Butch (Drew Powell, now a series regular) and Zsasz (Anthony Carrigan), few can stand in Oswald’s way. For now.

Who rules GOTHAM is fluid, as viewers see in the freshman run. While on top at the moment, The Penguin is far from alone in the city. Nygma (Cory Michael Smith) is still facing what he has done, and Barbara isn’t exactly a saint any more. Viewers also get to meet some of the new cast members, as Theo (James Frain, True Detective, Grimm) and Tabitha Galavan (Jessica Lucas, Gracepoint, Cult) make an entrance, Jerome (Cameron Monaghan) returns, and a few newbies pop up, including one very cartoonish, very entertaining personality that is not from the comics.

GOTHAM is a city teetering on the edge. If it seems like there are more bad guys than good, that’s because there are. A lot more. Villains keep joining the scene in every episode, and Jim can only do so much. We know Batman is years away from entering the picture, even as Bruce (David Mazouz) gets ever closer to his destiny, so things will get worse before they get better. “Damned If You Do…” shows us some of that, but I think we’re merely scratching the surface of what this season will be.

Speaking of Bruce, he’s changing, too. Part of me hopes that GOTHAM will not wait for him to reach adulthood before allowing him to don the cape. It has made other changes to the traditional lore, Barbara’s descent being one of them, and I wouldn’t mind if it takes a different approach. I know Batman is on the big screen right now, but surely the character can be shared with this very different project? Mazouz has a very original take on the role, showing the awkward, teenage years that are usually glossed right over.

Other things of note in this episode include a good moment for Essen (Zabryna Guevara), a new role for Selina (Camren Bicondova), yet another chilling scene for The Penguin, and a heart-wrenching letter that perfectly sums up some of the themes of the program, so much so that I considered quoting some of the text in the review, but chose not to for fear of spoiling something really cool.

GOTHAM is a unique show that deftly balances a great many characters. It’s impressive to see something to complex and deep on the broadcast networks, and I’m pleased it’s finding an audience. In a time where superhero stuff is everyone, this show manages to find its own niche that no one else is intruding on. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

GOTHAM begins its second year September 21^st of FOX.

Breaking In breaks back into the airwaves

FOX's Breaking In, or breaking_in, as the title is sometimes written as, seemed canceled at the end of last year, but received a last minute reprieve. Fans who were elated at the news have had to wait a long time but new episodes. But that wait is over this week, as the second season premieres with "The Contra Club."

A new secretary begins work at Contra Security. Her name is Veronica (Megan Mullally, Will & Grace, Chrildrens Hospital, Parks & Recreation), and she is annoying, creepy, and a mess. But before the staff can begin pranking her, Oz (Christian Slater) orders them not to. Getting suspicious, the employees dig a little and discover that Veronica works for a company who Oz is trying to sell Contra to. When the deal falls through, the team breaks into Veronica's employer, and fixes it. Except, now they have to work for Veronica, who isn't pleased with their shenanigans.

"The Contra Club" is very much a transition episode, so it's hard to make a judgment call about whether the return of Breaking In is successful or not. Much of this episode centers on the "mystery" of Veronica's character, which is, sadly, not a mystery at all, because of numerous previews and press releases that spoil the twist. In this, FOX kills the suspense of the premiere, and the things that should be enjoyable about the episode are ruined. This is a marketing misstep, not a creative team failure.

Breaking In thrives on the interaction between Oz's team as they pull off jobs. Due to the story structure of "The Contra Club," the job of the week is short, and doesn't allow a lot of reveling in what makes the show good. Add to this the loss of Josh (Trevor Moore), and things don't quite add up to a great example of the series. Worse yet, Melanie will only appear in some of the episodes because Odette Annable is now starring in House, and Breaking In basically drops any romantic story between her and Cameron (Bret Harrison). So that's two out of the four team members MIA most weeks, and a big plot point gone. And Dutch (Michael Rosenbaum), who isn't in every episode of season one, but is fantastic when he is present, has also been dropped. One can assume that Dutch is no longer necessary because Cameron isn't going after Melanie, and Veronica is now the antagonist, though only time will tell if she will be a good fit replacement.

Luckily, Oz and Cameron's relationship, the other major element of the series, remains solid. Cash (Alphonso McAuley) also continues in his plum comedic role. So some things that are proven positives are still present.

There is a wild card that "The Contra Club" doesn't address. The other new main character is Molly (Erin Richards, the UK's Being Human), Veronica's long-suffering minion. She gets scarce screen time in the premiere, and almost nothing about her is revealed, except that she is sorely mistreated, and allergic to cats. How she will fit into the office chemistry is still a mystery.

When a series is pulled back from death like this, networks like to retool to expand the appeal. Unfortunately, in this case, Breaking In had a great formula already, and just needed time and promotion to help it, not changes made to the plot. This new presentation may be better, or it could end up being worse.

So was "The Contra Club" a great episode? Again, hard to tell with the marketing screw up. However, it does get the characters and story set up for what will surely be a make-it-or-break-it sophomore run. Ratings are up a bit for the show, though not as high as normal for the timeslot it is filling, so it will just depend on if an audience can be built as to whether Breaking In will get a third season.

Watch Breaking In Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

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