'Gotham' Season 2 Episode 10 'Son Of Gotham' Review

Non Spoiler Review- Another great episode for this season which just gets better each episode. This episode primarily focuses on Bruce and allowed for huge progressions of his character. I really enjoyed this episode which was filled to the brim with great moments and I can't wait for the midseason finale next week.

*******There will be Spoilers from this point on*******

Highlights of the episode

1. Bruce Wayne goes to great lengths to learn the truth- Bruce made significant strives towards becoming the Dark Knight this episode when he and Selina fake kidnaping Silver and Bruce by hiring Knife to help in learning the name of the Wayne's murderer. I really liked seeing Bruce go to these lengths in manipulating people in order to extract information, which is a skill he will use when he becomes the Batman. Also this strengthens his relationship and trust in Selina so that was very refreshing as things were a little awkward between them the past few episodes. 

2. Gordon vs. Galavan- At the end of the episode Galavan is released when the former mayor James gives his testimony and lies saying he was not kidnapped by Galavan. I'm convinced that Theo was further pulling the strings or James is still scared of Galavan because he knows what he is capable of. Gordon is infuriated by this and punches Galavan and is dragged out by some other police officers who are revealed to be working for Galavan. Gordon is knocked out by the cops and awakens to being tied up in front of Galavan who tells Jim everything and has Jim untied and allows him to attempt to fight him where he shows that he is indeed a trained killer where he quickly disposes of Gordon and leaves him to go kill Bruce Wayne. I liked this conflict between the two of them throughout the episode and I especially liked when Penguin married on the scene and asks Jim where Galavan is and Jim is unable to answer because he is clearly out of it and falls unconscious. The promo for next weeks episode shows that Jim, the GCPD, and Penguin will be teaming up to take down Galavan and I'm very excited to see that next week.

3. Alfred out to protect Bruce- Another little part of the episode I enjoyed was Alfred once again proving his dedication to Bruce as he begins to search for him since he is unaware of Bruce's operation. I liked that he suspected Tabatha Galavan immediately and searched the Galavan's apartment first and thought the fight between him and Tabatha was great and really high energy. I'm curious to see what will happen to Alfred since he ended up in the back of that garbage truck. 

4. Gordon seeks info on the Order of St. Dumas- This highlight feeds into the conflict between Gordon and Galavan as Gordon is looking for more dirt on Galavan and investigates the Order of St. Dumas. I liked how Gordon was able to connect the dots in his investigation between the Ordr of St. Dumas and everything that has occurred since Galavan arrived and how their agendas corresponded. I'm very interested to learn more about the Order of St. Dumas but I presume the mid season finale will wrap up that arc for the season.

5. Penguin staying with Riddler- One small tidbit I found hilarious was when Penguin called Nygma at work asking where the mustard was in Nygma's fridge and I thought the moment helped for some very good comic relief that helped alleviate the tension of the episode. 

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'Gotham' Season 2 Episode 8 'Tonight's the Night' Review

Non Spoiler Review- 'Gotham' continues it's steady increase in quality from episode which it has experienced throughout this season. This episode is among the great episode this season and focuses on Barbara and Jim, and I came to the realization of how much of a greater character Barbara has become as she went from a normal whiney girlfriend to a psychopath. I actually quite enjoyed the focus on these characters and certainly liked that Barbara finally got something to do since she's sat round doing nothing for a majority of this season on the sidelines aside from a few of the early episodes this season. Overall, I certainly enjoyed the episode and can't wait for next week's which looks to feature a teacup between Penguin and Riddler. 

*******There will be Spoilers from this point on*******

Highlights of the episode

1. Barbara and Jim's mind games- The most interesting aspect of the episode for me was seeing Jim and Barbara constantly play each other throughout the episode. I really liked that one side never held the upper hand for long. Jim was able to retrieve information about Galavan when Barbara tells Jim that they were holding Mayor James in a stash house and I was genuinely surprised that this wasn't some kind of trap. Meanwhile, Barbara retrieves more personal information from Jim as she learns he certainly still cares for her despite his relationship with Lee Thompkins. 

2. Theo's offer to Bruce- Another interesting element of the episode was Theo Galavan's push to convince Bruce to sign over Wayne Enterprises to him making a compelling reason as to why it would help Gotham City but where he really hooks Bruce by promising him details on his parent's killers in exchange for Wayne Enterprises. I really liked how conflicted Bruce was about this decision as he knows that he can't fix the corruption within his company any time soon and also probably won't ever have another chance to get the information. I wasn't too surprised that Bruce decided not to sign over the company but I was shocked it happened at the very last second.

3. Jim has a case to arrest Galavan- It was very satisfying to see Jim finally arrest and put Theo's plans to a halt when he arrests Theo Galavan over the charge of abducting Mayor James. I don't think this is the last we will see of Theo as a villain as he is quite resourceful and I won't be too surprised to see him escape since he seems to be the big villain this season. Now that Jim has arrested the one person that may have knowledge of the Wayne murder, I wonder how that will affect Bruce's perception of Jim Gordon similarly to how Selina a few episodes ago lost trust in cops. This could maybe be a progression that helps him develop the idea behind becoming Batman.

4. Penguin and Riddler team up?- At the very end of the episode Edward Nygma stumbles across an injured Penguin who says he needs help. I'm curious if this will lead to a Penguin Riddler team-up next episode that has been teased recently. I'm very excited to see how the two work together although I suspect Nygma will help by lending his medical expertise to Penguin's wounds and Penguin possibly with Nygma's current predicament. 

5. Bullock figures out where Jim's being held- Throughout the episode I enjoyed seeing Bullock and Barnes at odds and it was nice to see Bullock solve their problem realizing exactly where Jim was being held proving himself to Barnes. I hope to see this dynamic further explores this season. 

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'Gotham' Season 2 Episode 7 'Mommy's Little Monster' Review

Non Spoiler Review- 'Gotham' has once again managed to prove how much the show improves week to week with a phenomenal episode. The subplots all tied together for the most part so it didn't feel as though there was too much going on as 'Gotham' has a tendency to do on occasion but rather everything fell into place naturally and once again the villains shined front and center. I'm looking forward to the remainder of this season to see just how great the show can be. 

*******There will be Spoilers from this point on*******

Highlights of the episode

1. Penguin tries to get revenge- At the beginning of the episode we learn that Butch was somewhat lying to Penguin and betrayed him to Galavan. Galavan killed Penguin's mother and attempted to kill Penguin but Penguin escaped. Watching his mother die in front of him severely devastated him and Robin Lord Taylor gave a wonderful performance. Penguin then decides he will go get revenge and I really thought his plan was well orchestrated. In particular I liked that he had his men dress up like him and all march on the party as an army to cause confusion allowing for him to intercept Theo when he tried to escape. I am very excited to see this arc carry over in the upcoming episodes.

2. Jim learns the truth about Theo Galavan-  Another crucial part of the episode was Jim learning the truth that Galavan has been orchestrating everything and realizing he has to stop him even though Galavan is now mayor. Now that Jim knows what Galavan is up to, I'm curious to see what he will do in effort to stop him. 

3. Nygma embraces his Riddler persona- A huge moment of the episode was when Edward Nygma finally embraced his second personality and the two merged to form what will become the Riddler. I'm very excited to see Nygma take steps towards becoming Riddler and hope to see his character further explored soon. 

4. Silver drives a wedge between Selina and Bruce- Silver confronts Selina and tells her to stay away from Bruce behind Bruce's back and so when Selina is concerned and tells Bruce to stay away from Silver. Bruce then asks Selina to leave so Silver successfully drove a wedge between them. It seems as though her manipulation of Bruce will soon become more crucial in Galavan's plan and I'm curious to see what his plans for Bruce are. 

5. Galavan elected mayor- This wasn't too surprising given that a majority of the other candidates were dead and he orchestrated events to make himself popular amongst Gotham. However it was interesting to see Galavan become mayor so quickly as it seems as though he just started campaigning. I can't wait to see how he incorporates his newfound power into his schemes. 

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'Gotham' Season 2 Episode 6 'By Fire' Review

Non Spoiler Review- A very good episode of 'Gotham' that has some pivotal character moments that will definitely impact them further down the season. The story was very interesting in this episodes and I liked the character development accomplished this episode. Overall, a very strong episode of 'Gotham' and I look forward to the remainder of this season that seems to be improving each episode. 

*******There will be Spoilers from this point on*******

Highlights of the episode

1. Bridgit Pike survives and will be experimented on?- At the end of the episode it is presumed that Bridgit Pike accidentally kills herself when her suit leaks gasoline and she burns herself but at the very end of the episode it is revealed she is now fireproof as the flame proof suit melted to her skin and she has been taken to Indian Hill for experimentation. I'm very curious to  learn more about Indian Hill and what they are experimenting on and if that will result in the creation of various Batman villains. 

2. Penguin is going after his mother- Penguin's plot to have Butch infiltrate Theo's group and find his mother. Butch comes back saying that Theo discovered he was a spy but he escaped and found out the location of Penguin's mother. I'm unsure if this is true or not because it could be a set up and Butch may no longer be brainwashed. I'm curious to learn if Butch is telling the truth or if he's tricking Penguin and luring him into a trap. I like that Penguin is gearing up for a war with Galavan and I'm excited to see him fight back against Galavan. 

3. Is Butch been debrainwashed?- When they discover Butch is a spy Theo leaves Tabatha with him and it's very possible that she could have broken the brainwashing implemented by Penguin but I think we'll learn what happened to him in the next episode.

4. Selina loses trust in Jim- Jim came to see Selina to ask her to help him find Bridgit and she confided in him but he wasn't able to save her and they both believe she died so Selina said she will never trust a cop again which is a progression towards her further becoming Catwoman. 

5. Nygma kills Kristen- A big progression for Edward Nygma was a moment that will progress his evolution to becoming the Riddler when he kills Kristen. He tells her the truth that he killed her ex boyfriend and she freaks out as everything that she was concerned about Nygma was right and as she's leaving says he will go to prison, etc. Nygma seizes her and accidentally chokes her to death. This was  avery sad moment as he accidentally killed the person he cared most about. I'm curious to see how he will cover this up given the lengths he went to previously. 

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'Gotham' Season 2 Episode 5 'Scarification' Review

Non Spoiler Review- Another great episode of 'Gotham'.The episodes this season tend to just get better and better each week with an emphasis on the villains on the show who are each a very compelling and integral part of the show. I enjoyed the episode and am certainly looking forward to the rest of the season's episodes. 

*******There will be Spoilers from this point on*******

Highlights of the episode

1. Galavan's grand scheme- By the end of the episode we learn Theo's ancestors were cast out by the Waynes and their contribution to Gotham was erased from history. We also now know that his plan is to seek revenge by hurting the Wayne name and presumably kill Bruce Wayne. It's an interesting plot line that I'm excited to see play out and learn more about Theo's plans.

2. Penguin cuts off Butch's hand- One surprise which came as a result of my next highlight was when Penguin cuts off Butch's hand to convince Galavant he is so paranoid and send Butch to infiltrate Galavan's organization and save his mother. I liked the Penguin's insight that this will gain Theo's sympathy since his ancestor's hand was cut off by the Waynes and I'm looking forward to see the two play moves against each other. 

3. Penguin's paranoia- The strike force infiltrates one of Penguin's major operations and shuts it down cutting off a big resource to him and then they target the weapons black market aiming to target another resource. This worries Penguin as on top of being forced to obey Galavant he now is potentially being betrayed by someone so he becomes increasingly paranoid throughout the episode leading to him going to the extreme as to cut off Butch's hand in asking Butch to infiltrate Galavan. 

4. Firefly- I enjoyed the twist on a DC villain Firefly in this episode as they swapped the gender and made the show's version female. I enjoyed the twist as it was something different for the show rather than taking the route of showing the villain's parent or the villain at a much younger age as they've previously done for Black Mask and Scarecrow. 

5. Theo wants endorsement- In order for Theo to enact his scheme he must become mayor and so in order to gain more support he requests Gordon's endorsement to which Gordon agrees in exchange for assistance in helping shut down the criminal operations which are ironically being currently run by Galavan. I'm curious to see Gordon's response when he learns of Galavan's true intentions.

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'Gotham' Season 2 Episode 3 'The Last Laugh' Review

Non Spoiler Review- A great episode of 'Gotham' that has the best performance from Jerome yet! The story was very interesting and the episode was incredibly well acted by the entire cast! I'm very interested to see how the show will continue from this point but I'm very excited. 

*******There will be Spoilers from this point on*******

Highlights of the episode

1. Jerome's death- This was completely unexpected because of how heavily the show teased him possibly becoming the Joker but unfortunately Jerome was killed by Theo. I was very disappointed because Jerome was the most compelling and interesting villain on the show. 

2. Jerome's legacy- A great concept that had been somewhat teased is that the Joker may be inspired by someone else. It seems as though Jerome's antics have inspired many. I can't wait to see what kind of lunatics will show up in the coming episodes and how many will be inspired by Jerome. 

3. Bullock confronts Penguin- A very well acted scene was one scene between Harvey Bullock and Penguin that I really enjoyed. It was the only scene Penguin was in this episode but it was one of my favorites. I also liked how Bullock has proven he's loyal to Jim by telling Penguin he'll have to go after both of them. 

4. Theo's plan- Theo has orchestrated a plan to unleash villains upon Gotham so he could arrive on the scene and appear to be the hero for Gotham. I'm curious to see his larger plan and what he intends to do once he gets what he desires. 

5. Jim's determination- In this episode Jim gives a very motivational speech to his fellow police officers and works restlessly to seize Jerome and avenge the dead Commissioner Espen. 

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'Gotham' Season 2 Episode 2 'Knock, Knock' Review

Non Spoiler Review- This episode featured Jerome and his group of Maniax wreak havoc across Gotham. It was interesting to see them unleash their insanity upon 'Gotham'. I think this is the most graphic episode of the show so far so if you dislike intense violence I'd recommend not watching this episode or fast forwarding through it as it gets very intense. Overall, it was a great episode that really highlighted a few of the villains and gave them time to shine. I really hope the villains continue to be as prominent as they currently are as the season continues. 

*******There will be Spoilers from this point on*******

Highlights of the episode 

1. Jerome kills the Commissioner- This episode really featured Jerome and showed us how dangerous Jerome is. It really let Jerome loose and he killed several people. He and the Maniax seem to be headed towards reaching havoc across Gotham. 

2. "I'm the leader"- This scene was brilliant and incredibly well acted and written. I hope to see Jerome edge more and more on his insane persona as the season continues.

3. Maniax- It was so intense to see the Maniax cause chaos in Gotham and I hope we see more throughout the season and really like the idea of the team. Unfortunately, there have already been three members killed off from the team in two episodes. So hopefully the rest will survive
4. Harvey comes back to the force- I was very glad to see Bullock return to the GCPD at the end of the episode as I really missed his presence as Gordon's partner.

5. Lucius is recruited- It was fun to see Lucius Fox join Bruce's crusade by assisting with the computer system broken by Alfred. I hope to see Lucius have an increased role helping Bruce through the season.

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'Gotham' Season 2 Episode 1 'Damned If You Do' Review

Non Spoiler Review- This episode is already much stronger than a majority of the episodes in Season One. I am really enjoying the focus on the Rise of Villains but 'Gotham' once again finds itself to be overcrowded with too many subplots due to the excessive amount of characters on the show. One new aspect I am loving that was introduced in this episode was that sometimes in order for Jim to do the right thing he had to do something that tears away at Gordon's soul. The villains tended to be the standouts specifically Penguin, Zsaz, Barbara, Jerome, and even Nygma in the brief scene he was in. The only thing that irked me besides that the episode was overcrowded was this awkward camera angle while Jim was running that looked like a "selfie cam". Overall this was one of the best episodes the series has had as of yet and I'm genuinely excited for the next episode.

*******There will be Spoilers from this point on*******

Highlights of the episode 

1. Jim's inner struggle- The most interesting part of the episode in my opinion was the struggle within Jim as to whether he should walk away from the force or take up Penguin's offer and take a dark path to do justice. I enjoyed this and hope to dee it further explored.

2. Penguin and Gordon make an agreement- Penguin's agreement with Jim was really what caused Jim's dilemma so it was interesting to see Gordon accept and pursue a dark path.

 3. 'Gotham's Suicide Squad?- It seems as though 'Gotham' is going to have their own version of the Suicide Squad with the inmates broken out of jail to be come a team because of their unique skill sets. I'm very interested to see what havoc they unleash upon Gotham.

4. Bruce and Alfred enter the Batcave- Throughout the episode we learn that the Batcave found by Alfred and Bruce Wayne had a password lock on the door and so Bruce makes many attempts and decides to blow up the door and manages to do so successfully.  They then enter the room and discover a note for Bruce. I'm very curious to learn what revelations will be made in the lair. 

5. Jerome and Barbara- The standouts of the episode were two standouts from last season that seem to be featured prominently this season. The two worked well in scenes together and I can't wait to see more of both of them.

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'Gotham' Season 1 Episode 19 'Beasts of Prey' Review

Non Spoiler Review- A dark and interesting return to 'Gotham' after a month long break that explores character dynamics, develops the major characters and introduces another villain to the show.

*******There will be Spoilers from this point on*******

Highlights of the episode

1. Loeb sets up Gordon- It was interesting that Gordon was set up by Loeb to receive the Ogre case so the Ogre would target Jim's loved ones. It's nice to see him as someone who can always come out on top using his mind and manipulating others.

2. Penguin plans to kill Maroni- I continually think that the Penguin is the best part of 'Gotham' and I enjoy watching the endgame he has planned for Gotham City come closer and closer into fruition and how clever Cobblepot is and the work he does behind the strings to prepare for his grand scheme. I love the Penguin arc and can't wait to see it pay off.

3. Bruce investigates- Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle investigate the man who stabbed Alfred. We see Bruce grow closer to becoming the Batman by becoming a great detective, etc. 'm curious to learn what the Wayne Enterprises Board has planned for Bruce.

4. Fish escapes?- At the end of the episode Fish Mooney outsmarts her captor, the Dollmaker, and tricks some muscle into becoming a distraction so she can take off ad leave the island in a helicopter along with anyone else she wants to liberate. While taking off she is shot by the captain of the guard and we are unsure whether she leaves the island or if she will crash, etc. I liked the open ending and can't wait to learn what became of her character.

5. The Ogre- It was interesting to see the actor who played Peter Petrelli in 'Heroes' play a psychopathic villain. This villain is quite creepy and very intimidating and I think it's an interesting addition to 'Gotham' given that the character has only appeared in the comics one or two times as a monster.

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