'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 9 'A Bitter Pill To Swallow' Review

Non Spoiler Review- I'd have to say this was a good episode of 'Gotham' with some interesting subplots especially the arc with Penguin and Riddler. I liked the more in depth dive into Jim Gordon and some really great action scenes. I can't wait to see the aftermath spill over into the next episode.

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

Highlights of the episode

1. Order of St. Dumas arrives- The episode ends with the "brothers" Theo was talking about arriving in Gotham. They are confronted by a police officer who says the docks are closed and they all stab him to death. I think they will be very gruesome villains and I'm curious to see their plans unfold.

2. The Line- One thing that seems to be explored a lot this season for Jim Gordon is the moral line between what's right and wrong and the gray area between the two. Jim seems to fall in the gray area but in this episode chose the morally right thing to do by not killing Flamingo. I've really liked this as a device to develop Gordon and can't wait to see it progress in future episodes. I also liked how this was explored with Captain Barnes as well having him tell Jim about his past and the disadvantages of choosing the wrong path. 

3. Penguin and Riddler- An interesting friendship that blossoms in this episode was between Penguin and the Riddler. I liked how the two needed each other as Penguin needed Nygma to help heal him and Nygma needed guidance. I liked how Nygma convinced Penguin to be himself again and made him realize that his mother's death was also the end of his weakness. At the end of the episode the two begin to torture one of Galavan's lackies. 

4. Alfred protecting Bruce- I've always liked the dynamic between Bruce and Alfred on the show and I like that Alfred is looking out for Bruce's best interest and will do whatever it takes to keep Bruce away from harms way. 

5. Elevator fight scene- One short little fight scene at the beginning of the episode took place in an elevator when an assassin tries to kill Gordon and I thought this was a great fight scene that kinda reminded me of the elevator fight from 'Captain America The Winter Soldier'. I liked how the fight had some interesting fight choreography such as Jim basically running up the elevator walls and a little funny bit where they accidentally press all of the buttons so the elevator stops at every floor. 

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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 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 21 'The Anvil or The Hammer' Review

Non Spoiler Review- Another mediocre episode of 'Gotham' that doesn't really bring anything new or too surprising for the series that continues to crowd episodes with multiple subplots and characters. This episode isn't bad but isn't necessarily "great" either but I continue to watch the series because I have started it and would like to at least stick with it in hopes it will improve.

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

Highlights of the episode 

1. Gordon kills the Ogre- The Ogre arc is finally brought to an unsatisfying conclusion when Gordon quickly kills the Ogre. I wasn't satisfied with his death considering how important this arc seemed as it was introduced after 'Gotham' returned from it's break but it was a little too stretched out to end this quickly. unfortunately I liked this villain and was interested in the character so it's disappointing to see another villain quickly killed off on the show. 

2. Riddler Origin- The Riddler was given more of an origin as he must cover up his first murder and it's interesting to see him include a riddle in a letter etc. I enjoy his character and can;t wait to see him further advance towards his villainous identity.

3. Penguin starts a war- Probably the most interesting point of the episode was the revelation that Penguin was further manipulating a situation to create a gang war between Falcone and Maroni. It seemed as though Penguin was planning to assassinate Maroni when it is revealed he set up the assassin to fail sparking the war. I am honestly quite excited to see Penguin manipulate those around him given that I consider Penguin the best part of the series. 

4. Bruce continues investigating- Bruce continues to investigate and learns more about the corruption within his company. He even meets Lucius Fox who is a Batman character from the comics, etc which was cool to see on the show. I'm interested in seeing where Bruce's investigation leads him.

5. Gordon owes Penguin another favor- So it seems that Jim Gordon owes Penguin another favor and I can;t wait to see what Penguin asks for from Gordon.

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'Gotham' Season 1 Episode 20 'Under the Knife' Review

Non Spoiler Review- Another mediocre episode of 'Gotham' that has convincing drama but seems quite crowded with multiple story arcs that seem very jumbled. The show has done this for a majority of the season but I wish they would take time away from a character to place more focus on the rest so 'Gotham could elevate itself.

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

Highlights of the episode

1. Ogre vs Gordon- It was very fun to see the Ogre and Jim Gordon constantly gain the edge on one another and seeing Gordon announce details about the Ogre on television, and the Ogre seduces Barbara Kean. When Gordon makes the connection about what has occurred by the end of the episode it left the episode with a big cliffhanger. 'm excited to see how the case will play out in the end since the Ogre will target Gordon's loved ones. 

2. The Riddler is born- Edward Nygma commits his first murder and begins to tread towards becoming the Riddler. I'm very interested to see where Nygma will be positioned at the end of the season and how soon we will see him become the Riddler. 

3. Penguin vs. Maroni- The episode also pits two other characters taking shots at one another when Penguin and Maroni confront each other. Penguin plots to kill Maroni and Maroni courts the Penguin;s mother intentionally and tells her that Penguin is a psychopath. Penguin reacts negatively and denies this to his mother. Maroni has flowers delivered to his mother and Penguin kills the delivery man. I considered this a strong part of the episode as it pits the two mobsters against each other. I hope to see where this will head towards the end of the season. 

4. Bruce Wayne develops moral code- Bruce Wayne decides after watching Selina kill Reg that he will never cross the line of murdering someone which is one of Bat-Man's guiding principles. It's nice to see a different perspective as to how these guidelines came about.

5. The real Ogre- A very disturbing reveal was the reveal of the Ogre's face prior to his plastic surgery operation so he could enact his scheme. It's interesting to see that the Ogre name is no joke based off of his previous appearance.

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'Gotham' Season 1 Episode 15 'The Scarecrow' Review

Non Spoiler Review- I consider this the best episode of 'Gotham' to date, there were great interactions between characters, and I'm very excited to possibly see an early version of the Joker next week. Overall, a great episode and i'm very excited for next week. 

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

Highlights of the episode

1. Penguin's club- Penguin is now officially in charge of Fish Mooney's former club and it is currently called Oswald's. I hope this club will evolve to eventually become the Iceberg Lounge given there were few people present at it's opening.  

2. Maroni confronts Cobblepott- I liked it when Maroni and Falcone arranged a deal to not kill Penguin and thought it was very interesting when he approached Penguin and told him that he better hope that Falcone lives a long life. 

3. Riddler meets Penguin- One of the fun aspects of this week's episode was that Penguin met the Riddler and I thought their interaction was very amusing. I liked when Penguin told Nygma, "Do you know who you're standing next to?" and Nygma takes a step back. It was hilarious to see Penguin waddle and Nygma nerd out. 

4. Alfred and Bruce watch the sun rise- A heartfelt moment of the episode was when Alfred came to help Bruce and the two watched the sun rise. These two are one of my favorite parts of the show i really enjoy this Alfred and young Bruce and hope for more great moments from them. 

5. Scarecrow- This episode gave birth to the Scarecrow and showed what happened to the young Jonathan Crane. One thing that annoyed me about his origin is that his father is more like the Scarecrow character than his son who is the Scarecrow character. I'm getting tired of seeing so and so's parent portray basically the same character. i hope they jump forward in time or focus more on the mob drama aspect of the show with Maroni, Falcone and Penguin. 

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'Gotham' Season 1 Episode 6 'Spirit of the Goat' Review

Non Spoiler Review- This episode is another strong episode that centers more on Bullock an gives Edward Nygma a little more screen time.

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

Highlights of the episode

1. Penguin shows up just in time- Penguin continues to cause a lot of drama in Gotham and is definitely one of the highlights of the show every week. But he showed up just in time to reveal Gordon didn't kill him and I'm sure this will stir up lot of controversy in Gotham City. 

2. Edward Nygma- It's nice to see another character who is slowly becoming the villain that we all know as the Riddler. It seems that he is already obsessed with riddles and organization. 

3. We learn who is behind the Goat- Another big twist is that the Goat was a result of a crazy psychiatrist. She hypnotized people to become the goat and seemed to be a different type of vigilante.

4. Gordon is accused of Cobblepott's murder- I didn't expect Gordon t be arrested so soon but it seems he will have other problems now that Penguin revealed himself. 

5. Catwoman sneaks in Wayne Manor- I'm hoping we will see Selina Kyle and Bruce Wayne meet soon and I'm curious what she stole from the Wayne's.

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