'Gotham' Season 2 Episode 11 'Worse Than A Crime' Mid-Season Finale Review

Non Spoiler Review- A very satisfying mid-season finale that manages to resolve the overlying story arc this season while teasing new threats for the second half of the season. This episode had some great action and interesting character arcs and I can't wait for the series to return. 

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

Highlights of the episode

1. Mr. Freeze- The very end of the episode features Victor Fries freezing someone for unknown reasons and we see a shot of the show's version of Mr. Freeze. I'm very excited to see him as a villain for the show because Mr. Freeze is one of my favorite Batman villains so I can't wait to see 'Gotham's adaptation of the character. 

2. Indian Hill- This facility was teased in an earlier episode and we get to see a bit more as Galavan's body is brought in to the facility. I think I could have possibly seen what appeared to be Fish Mooney in the facility. Maybe they're experimenting on her dead body as well for some reason. This scene also name drops Hugo Strange who is probably going to be the big villain for the rest of the season. 

3. Full circle- This scene really mirrored the beginning of the series in my eyes where Jim and Harvey were supposed to kill Penguin and here we see Jim and Penguin take Galavan to the docks. Penguin beats Galavan ferociously and Gordon stops him, to shoot Galavan. Penguin then does something with his umbrella which is revealed when Galavan's body is brought to Indian Hill. 

4. Team-Up- It was pretty cool to see all these characters work together to stop Galavan and the Order of St. Dumas. It was very interesting to see Penguin working with Jim since the two have had a troubled friendship. I hope to see what the outcome of this is especially on Jim since he may be in trouble for what he's done. 

5. Lee is pregnant-  A huge drop is when Lee Thompkins tells Jim that she's pregnant and Penguin's reactions to their conversation were hilarious, especially when they refer to him. I'm curious to see if she's telling the truth and see if maybe this child will be Barbara Gordon (who becomes Batgirl). 

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'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 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 4 'Strike Force' Review

Non Spoiler Review- A very strong episode of 'Gotham' that has the most interesting subplots from the show yet.  I really like the direction that the show seems to be headed towards and so I hope it maintains its course and doesn't fall of course. 

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

Highlights of the episode

1. Penguin's situation- The Penguin seems to be in a very tricky situation at the moment where Theo has him underneath his thumb because he has Penguin's mother held hostage and so he told him to kill the other mayoral candidates and make a failed attempt on his life so that Penguin's mother will live. At the same time all of this has caused Captain Barnes to want to take down the Penguin and so Penguin is being attacked by both sides in some regards. I really liked to see how this affected the Penguin and I hope to see this further explored this season.

2. Captain Barnes' mission- I enjoyed the introduction of a new character Captain Barnes to the show who wants to cleanse the GCPD. He starts by firing several corrupt officers, making Gordon his second in command, and forming a strike force of elite cadets from the Academy. At the end of the episode he decides the force will now do whatever is necessary to take down Penguin. I really liked this character and you may recognize him from the older 'Fantastic Four' where he played Thing. I really would like to see his character in future episodes this season. 

3. Theo Galavan's plan- We also learn that Theo did everything to gain popular backing to declare himself a mayoral candidate. He also set up Penguin to benefit himself as well as distract the GCPD from discovering his true intentions, etc. I really like Theo as a villain so I'm interested into learning more about his larger plan this season.

4. Nygma's date with Ms. Kringle- Edward Nygma finally gets Ms. Kringle to go on a date with him and the date has an interesting turn of events as we see the Riddler persona start to invade Nygma's mind further. I'm curious to see him slowly become the Riddler and I'm curious as to what will happen in regards to him and Ms. Kringle.

5. Bruce Wayne's new crush?- Bruce Wayne meets Theo's niece and seems to be quite taken with her and I wonder if Theo is setting this up to somehow manipulate Bruce for his own personal gain. We should learn mora about this soon though.

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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 22 'Happy Families Season Finale Review

Non Spoiler Review- Despite how boring and repetitive 'Gotham' can be, this episode was very refreshing and probably the best episode all season long. There are many plot twists and surprises and this episode is one of few 'Gotham' episodes that didn't feel overcrowded with a majority of the story arcs coming to an end and tying together. 

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

Highlights of the episode 

1. Penguin is the "King of Gotham"- At the very end of the episode Penguin is the only mob boss left as Falcone is retiring, Fish killed Maroni and Penguin killed Fish. I'm very pleased with this for multiple reasons Penguin has pretty much reached his persona, he just needs to gain a little weight. But all jokes aside, this means season 2 won;t contain the same old mob drama and looks to feature hopefully more refreshing and interesting story arcs that aren't too predictable. One powerful moment however was when Butch was forced to choose between helping Fish and Penguin and shoots both of them. I expected Butch to pick a side but it seems that the hypnosis was too strong. Fish isn't necessarily confirmed dead since she only fell into the river and we didn't see a dead body so it's possible Fish could return next season but I hope this is the end of her character so the show can focus on other characters. 

2. The Batcave- Bruce and Alfred begin investigating and looking for clues about Thomas Wayne and come upon what could only eventually become the Batcave, an iconic part of the Batman mythos. I'm curious to learn what Thomas Wayne had in the cave and what will inspire Bruce to make it his base of operations in the future. 

3. The Riddler- A very small scene in the episode shows that Ms. Kringle discovered Nygma's riddle asks him about it and he pretends to be oblivious to it. As she leaves he then begins showing signs of becoming insane as he talks to himself and laughs maniacally.

4. Barbara is crazy- While everything else is occurring, Barbara has a therapy session with Dr. Thompkins where she reveals that she was the one who killed her parents and then attacks Thompkins, presumably in an attempt to kill her. Jim Gordon, Harvey Bullock, and Falcone arrive when Thompkins is pummeling Barabara so I'm interested in discovering what will become of Tompkins and Barbara next season.  

5. Jim Gordon will protect the city- As Falcone is speaking to Gordon he gives him a knife that was given to him by Jim's father and tells Gordon he must watch over the city now. I'm interested to see how well jim Gordon will be able to eliminate corruption and what will become of those who swapped allegiance to Maroni now that he is dead.