'Gotham' Season 1 Episode 3 'The Balloonman' Review

Non Spoiler- This episode wasn't the best but managed to excel at giving some great moments for the characters and an interesting story. It also had some great action sequences and introduced Gotham's first vigilante but hopefully not it's last one. It also helped to build anticipation for the future of the show.

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

Highlights of the episode

 1. Penguin Returns- Once again Penguin is a standout from this episode as we see him kill men for a pair of shoes. We see him in the moments of his desperation where he must kill to slowly gain power. I also liked the twist where he showed up at Gordon's doorstep to tell him what he overheard. I'm looking forward to when Cobblepot is finally a crime boss.

 2. Montoya continues the investigation- Now Montoya knows that Gordon "killed" the Penguin at the end of the pier and I'm sure she will become a thorn in his side in future episodes.

 3. Alfred and Bruce- Alfred has a "sword" fight with Bruce so Bruce is beginning to get the training he needs to eventually become Batman. But I liked that this episode established that Alfred is acting as a parental figure to Bruce and I like the friendship and Alfred's concern for the boy that is further explored across the show. I especially loved that Bruce learned from the balloon man saying he was a villain because he killed people, possibly the show's root of Batman's "no kill" rule.

4.Gordon and Selena Kyle- Again I like the scenes where these two characters are paired together and we get to see Selena outsmart Gordon yet help further his case in finding the Wayne murderer. Selena wasn't in the episode for long but I enjoyed every moment she was onscreen. It was also nice to see Gordon continue his fight against the Gotham's corruption and maintain law and order.

5. The Balloonman- It was nice to see a different kind of villain, one who is a hero to the people. I liked his message to Gordon about who will defend the people of Gotham and that Gordon realizes that role is his to fill. 

Promo

'Gotham' Season 1 Episode 1 'Pilot' Review

The pilot episode is focused on the Gotham City Police Department's new recruit James Gordon (played by Ben McKenzie) and his partner Harvey Bullock as they investigate the murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne, (for those who aren't familiar with Batman, Batman is Bruce Wayne and Thomas and Martha Wayne are Bruce's parents, and their death is what drives him to become the Batman). If you are a Batman or DC fan this episode is filled with easter eggs to the Batman mythos, including Bruce Wayne himself (David Mazouz) and his butler Alfred Pennyworth (Sean Pertwee). Some of these are subtle hints at who a character in the show may become, but diehard Batman fans will recognize most of the characters who eventually become a part of Batman's rogue gallery. This episode includes Edward Nygma (who will become The Riddler, played by Cory Michael Smith), Oswald Cobblepot (aka Penguin, played by Robin Lord Taylor), Fish Mooney (played by Jada Pinkett Smith), Selena Kyle (aka Camren Bicondova), and a few more characters. The episode sets up Gotham City as a corrupt city where organized crime reigns, which is one of the interesting aspects of the show and is accurate to the Batman universe. The standout actors from this episode were Ben McKenzie and Robin Lord Taylor who both portrayed the characters faithfully. Taylor never once strayed from the vicious persona of the Penguin, and you can see the roots of his rise to power in this pilot. McKenzie also did a great job portraying Gordon. One of the aspects I enjoyed was the action sequences where the camera angles and cinematography seemed to shine in making the show realistic. Overall, I really enjoyed the episode and am looking forward to future episodes and a further expansion into Batman's rogues gallery. I highly advise you at least watch the pilot episode if you are interested in checking it out.