by Cookie N Screen
Gotham Season One Finale.
Wow, I’ve never heard a phrase that has given me such undeniable relief as I have. Especially with the word, “finale.” After all, Gotham has been a show filled with lacklustre disappointing plots, with the writers throwing Batman canon at us like monkeys throwing faeces and it smacked us in the face with a strong whiff of shit. The series revolved around the same concept peddled out repeatedly as though audiences were too dumb to notice that they were not only ripping off every crime drama and the original comic but they were spinning around like children in the garden going “ooo Batman” at every turn. So yes, instead of wasting my Monday evenings preparing my brain to not fall into a Gotham induced coma because of how utterly tedious the show was, we get a bit of a break until series two.
Gotham Season One Finale.
Wow, I’ve never heard a phrase that has given me such undeniable relief as I have. Especially with the word, “finale.” After all, Gotham has been a show filled with lacklustre disappointing plots, with the writers throwing Batman canon at us like monkeys throwing faeces and it smacked us in the face with a strong whiff of shit. The series revolved around the same concept peddled out repeatedly as though audiences were too dumb to notice that they were not only ripping off every crime drama and the original comic but they were spinning around like children in the garden going “ooo Batman” at every turn. So yes, instead of wasting my Monday evenings preparing my brain to not fall into a Gotham induced coma because of how utterly tedious the show was, we get a bit of a break until series two.
The mob war between Falcone and Maroni comes to its heated conclusion which is made worse by the re-arrival of Fish (on boat, in the fog, in the only way she knows how - dramatically). With Cobblepot sent to kill Falcone, who has been hospitalised in a kerfuffle, the leadership of the crime city is up for grabs. Barbara is still suffering from her dealings with Ogre and Jim’s affair whilst Bruce is on the hunt for his father’s secrets.
The disappointing thing about this finale is that it’s good. It might even possibly be great. So why did they not use that same energy throughout a rather dull series? What All Happy Families Are Alike did was give some kind of resolution to the series pacing a lot of punches that left us, admittedly, wanting more. The two female led shocks, Fish and Barbara, actually worked better than any of the male escapades we have seen on the screen. Fish’s eventual dominance, a role played well by Jada Pinkett-Smith but with haphazard writing that we couldn’t realise this until now, is a stunning somewhat conclusion to the gang war-land that had our hearts somewhat racing.
Added to this was Barbara’s misdeeds - a character development we didn’t see coming against her previous shallow character - and Gotham struck the right tone, leaving a somewhat tenuous promise for the future. Which is surprising, the writers could easily leave her in the simpering victim role as a further element for Jim Gordon to “clean up this city.” It’s nice to see this turn of events - she has been warped by Ogre and quite rightly so - she needed to explore that effect in the most demented way possible. It was possibly the most enthralling moments we’d scene on the show.
The disappointing thing about this finale is that it’s good. It might even possibly be great. So why did they not use that same energy throughout a rather dull series? What All Happy Families Are Alike did was give some kind of resolution to the series pacing a lot of punches that left us, admittedly, wanting more. The two female led shocks, Fish and Barbara, actually worked better than any of the male escapades we have seen on the screen. Fish’s eventual dominance, a role played well by Jada Pinkett-Smith but with haphazard writing that we couldn’t realise this until now, is a stunning somewhat conclusion to the gang war-land that had our hearts somewhat racing.
Added to this was Barbara’s misdeeds - a character development we didn’t see coming against her previous shallow character - and Gotham struck the right tone, leaving a somewhat tenuous promise for the future. Which is surprising, the writers could easily leave her in the simpering victim role as a further element for Jim Gordon to “clean up this city.” It’s nice to see this turn of events - she has been warped by Ogre and quite rightly so - she needed to explore that effect in the most demented way possible. It was possibly the most enthralling moments we’d scene on the show.
Yet that being said, Gotham is still a hollow venture. Comparatively to other excellent shows such as Daredevil, Arrow and The Flash, the Batman prequel series was terribly underwritten. With good actors given material that is wasted on their talent, Gotham is something that cannot continue in the same manner as it has before. It must develop its own voice whilst delicately weaving the Batman mythos underneath it. It must tremble with the corruption but not become over saturated. It must give Jim more darkness, instead of making him the pure White Knight. It needs to do everything Batman did - give us theatrics with gristle, story with soul and pain, humour with the gruesome and appease fans and newcomers alike. This is utterly possible - just look at Daredevil.
What’s funny is that, similarly to Game of Thrones, our young kids are growing rapidly and fast - with Bruce jumping in age quickly in the last few episodes. Still, if all the positive reviews of Gotham are correct, then the writers would do well to take head and carry on with the spirit of the series. As they go into season two, there is promise of focusing on The Joker and if Cameron Monaghan’s performance as Jerome aka “Obviously The Joker” is used again and developed properly, we’ll all be happier for it.
For now, it's time to take a much deserved break from Gotham.
What’s funny is that, similarly to Game of Thrones, our young kids are growing rapidly and fast - with Bruce jumping in age quickly in the last few episodes. Still, if all the positive reviews of Gotham are correct, then the writers would do well to take head and carry on with the spirit of the series. As they go into season two, there is promise of focusing on The Joker and if Cameron Monaghan’s performance as Jerome aka “Obviously The Joker” is used again and developed properly, we’ll all be happier for it.
For now, it's time to take a much deserved break from Gotham.
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