Gotham just premiered today. I don't usually write about TV shows but I'm making an exception on this one.
Lesson for today: Don't judge a book by its premise.
I wasn't excited at all about Gotham. With Flash and Constantine premiering soon, it's hard to invest on a show that's only "pre-superhero". It's based on the Batman mythos...without Batman. Instead, it's about a supporting character - Jim Gordon. Granted, Jim's an important persona in the Batman mythos, but a show about Batman's glorified police department liaison? WHY?!
But I LOVED GOTHAM.
(I'm sorry to have judged you too soon, Gotham.) For a Batman-based show, I couldn't care less about his absence! I loved Gotham City. I loved how it was portrayed. In the comics, it's always alluded that Gotham is a corrupt city full of crooked cops, but it's never really shown in most stories (save the likes of The Long Halloween). Batman almost always solves the city's problems with his leather-clad fists.
(I'm sorry to have judged you too soon, Gotham.) For a Batman-based show, I couldn't care less about his absence! I loved Gotham City. I loved how it was portrayed. In the comics, it's always alluded that Gotham is a corrupt city full of crooked cops, but it's never really shown in most stories (save the likes of The Long Halloween). Batman almost always solves the city's problems with his leather-clad fists.
Future partners.
But Gotham finally gets it right! The corruption FEELS real and more tangible than it's ever been. In the pilot episode, we were treated with with a struggling Jim Gordon, in a city where nothing is black or white, just a chock full of gray. The good guys try to uphold (only) as much law as they can, while the bad guys follow a set of rules themselves. Even Jim Gordon is faced with the impossible decision to preserve his moral code, or succumb to the city's system of compromise. A no-win situation in a cruel city, Gotham is the hell hole we were always told it was. And I ate it all up!
Super excited to see how these characters develop.
Jim Gordon has always been support for Batman. He gives additional info on cases, he provides manpower when needed, and he guards Batman should he ever cross the line. But in Gotham, it truly felt that the city NEEDS a Jim Gordon as much (if not more so) as it needs the Bat. This city has problems too complex for a punch to fix. Only a man in the system, only Jim Gordon, can make things right...and he's got his work cut out for him.
MICMIC RATING: 9/10 (Gone batshit!)
Other notes:
- I'm glad the comic book references weren't as in your face and name-drop-y as in Agents of SHIELD's.
- Enjoyed all the "The man who would be..." moments.
- Harvey Bullock was flawed and complicated. Which made him the most interesting character in the show, I think.
- Not too warm, and not too cold. The episode felt just right.
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