The first season was pretty straight. But from season 2 onward it has embraced constant insanity. However, it's not boring! No it is not. And despite what everyone has ever said about it, Gotham is not a grounded crime drama. Stop spreading these lies people. In fact, I often wonder why anyone...any person...any citizen of Gotham would actually choose to live in Gotham City in the show (in the setting) that airs on Fox. That Gotham is completely bananas. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that this show has "jumped the shark." By all means, it doesn't count as jumping the shark if you strap on a jetpack and never ever land.
A few things that come to mind when I watch Gotham:
1) Fuk yo Batman timeline. Yep...I really feel this in my heart.
2) To hell with what you know about Jim Gordon. He's never sunk low enough. Maybe the reason people ignore Jim's faults is that he finds a way to fix a problem he created. Sure. For the "kill everyone" virus, his solution was to capture the Mad Hatter (whose blood is key to making the cure). Once pinned down, he cuts open Tetch's neck and fills a nearby mason jar with blood and runs away. It's a sixteen ounce jar, and he wants to be sure that he's got enough so he fills it to the brim. This is all heroic stuff, right?
Want another example? Jim Gordon literally sent a gang of murderous thugs to a crowded club opening to set a crime in motion solely to give himself a chance to look good at stopping crime.
Okay, I get it. I think. Jim Gordon is a great guy. A hero people should look up to. Uh-huh.
3) Violence. This show was never a "kid version" of Batman villains. It's one of the most violent shows airing on tv right now. But the violence is so over the top, that it gets a pass because no way could people even begin to imitate it in real life. People are (on a regular basis) mowed down by bullets, thrown off high places (gravity is a mass-murderer in Gotham), and having body parts popped out or chopped off. It is very creative in its gleeful embracement of murder.
4) Jim Gordon is seriously the worst. How does he get back to being a cop over and over again? How does a man with his record ever become commissioner? I don't get it.
Gotham has nothing at all to do with the Batman in the comics. Nothing.
Andrew, if you are reading this, it's time to defend why you think this show is the best superhero show on television. Seriously.
Now I know why I don't watch the show.
ReplyDeleteWhat is it with current shows that they have to display humanity at its very worst? Everyone is a jerk just in it for himself. I guess that's what draws me to shows like Stranger Things - the main characters are decent people who look out for one another.
And if anyone wonders, yes - I did try to watch it. Thought it was terrible. Plus what's the point of a Batman series without Batman?
DeleteIt seems pretty ridiculous and now they're doing a Metropolis show online.
ReplyDeleteI hate this show but I record it every week. I never watch it right away but I never delete it until I watch it. And every time I'm amazed (and a little embarrassed) how much I enjoy what I see.
ReplyDeleteIs it the the best superhero show on TV? As crazy as it sounds it might be true. How many of the other shows have created an actual universe instead of dabbling into storylines. Most shows lose their bearings after their first year. Gotham has gotten even crazier as it has created a backstory for just about every villain in the Batman universe.
That doesn't mean I like all the individual shows or either of the show's main characters, Jim Gordon or Bruce Wayne. I've found the only way I can keep watching is to sometimes hit the fast forward button when the main protagonists annoy me too much. The villains are much more interesting. For most of the show's run I think they should change the name of the show to 'Penguin'. The portrayal of Cobblepot from lackey to boss is one of the most patient character developments I've seen in this genre. The way they treated the Riddler is almost as good which is why the relationship between the two is heartbreaking at times.
Then there's the women. This isn't Arrow where the women are just eye candy or poorly written supporting characters with no development. Consider Barbara 'Gordon'. She was horribly cliche in the first season so the writers changed course and while she has still has moments of cringe, she's become a force in her own right. Think about Selina Kyle, Leslie Thompins, Tabitha, and most recently Sofia Falcone. They aren't there for emotional support. They drive the narrative.
Then there's my favorite characters, Alfred and Butch, who both deserve better masters. Harvey Bullock would be on that list too if he wasn't paired so much with Jim Gordon. Gordon is like the black hole of fun and even the great Donal Logue can't save their scenes.
Whew! I'm exhausted just thinking about defending this show and that's probably the worst thing about Gotham. It takes itself way too seriously with a premise that's ridiculous. But I can't stop watching because I want to see where the story next.
Husband watches it, as he watches every C movie that has 1 or 0 stars. How can it still stay on? Dark, dingy, and dismal.
ReplyDeleteAnd now I know that my decision to not go anywhere near this one was the right one. Ooh, boy. So not my thing.
ReplyDeleteWell, first, I don't think it's the best super hero show on TV. I think it's the best DC show on TV because the DC shows are crap. Which is not to say that Gotham isn't crap, it's just better than the other crap. Though, honestly, if Arrow was Batman, it would be okay, since Arrow is actually Batman, at least as far as they keep using Batman villains and story lines.
ReplyDeleteAnd, actually, I have only seen through season two of Gotham, so I can't say anything beyond that point. Jim was still doing okay at the end of season two. There was that one thing, but that one thing was understandable. And had consequences.
But it sounds like post-season two, it may be a thing that I will be unable to keep watching. But I'd still rather watch it than Flash or Legends with all of the messed up time travel stuff and absolutely no rules to anything and the writers pulling characters in and out of the shows at will.
I mean, character deaths in those shows have no meaning any more, and I kind of expect one every episode at this point.
Also, I don't think of Gotham as a super hero show.
ReplyDeleteComic book, yes, but it's not about super heroes, which makes it more interesting.
At least through season two.
Oh geez. The fact you've only made it to season two explains everything. I think you should keep watching just like I have. It's a train wreck. I'd like to chat with somebody about the absolute bananas direction the series has gone.
DeleteI'll get back to it when I can. I'm still working my way through Iron Fist, though, so that I can watch Defenders. I just don't have time for a lot of TV watching.
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