– Spoiler Review –
Gotham slams on the brakes after the entertaining “Red Hood,” trading down for “Everyone Has a Cobblepot” which raises a whole lot of questions that made me realize the answers aren’t really worth it.
Ending Gotham TV Show Reviews (9/26/15)
I probably should’ve done this more formally back when I called it quits with the show after its umpteenth break during the first season, but I won’t be reviewing this series anymore. I had been holding out hope the show would get better for the second season and the creative team behind it were saying all the right things, but the S2 premiere was just more of the same. Sure, there’s some promise for better things ahead in it so I’ll be tuning in, but this is more in regards to my own personal time constraints and my sanity. Sorry and thanks for checking out Mynock Manor for details on Gotham and I seriously hope the show hits its stride soon. We still have plenty of content on the site so browse around before heading somewhere else!
Mooney’s whole storyline started to get me thinking: why should I care what happens to her? Don’t get me wrong, I love her character, but I don’t have a whiff of her motivations or any real information on who she truly is, and Jada Pinkett Smith’s performance isn’t enough to make me care for Mooney’s fate anymore. If she was/is a villain, her joining Dulmacher is standard operating procedure for her, and if she’s still actually trying to save the prisoners, then she’s doing a pretty terrible job of it right now. Who cares if they’re on an island in the middle of a lake (?), she could probably get away with killing him and eventually take out the guards that she couldn’t turn to her side afterwards. Either way, I just don’t understand why I should care about her character or storyline anymore. And while I was writing this review, the actress just revealed she wouldn’t be back for the second season anyways so that only furthers my lack of interest and care for her story. And just when things were picking up with her!
The same can be said for Gordon’s ‘victory,’ as it were. After chickening out with the blackmail evidence on Loeb, only settling for Bullock to be free and Flass in jail, he asks for Loeb’s backing to become the GCPD’s union president. Why are people clapping? Should I be clapping? Maybe I’m a clock because I have two hands and can’t clap about this. What can Gordon actually do from the union’s president position? Will it give him any more power or actually help him root out corruption? Is it actually worth owing Penguin a no-questions-asked favor? And on top of that, who’s the current president and what do they, if anything, have to say about all this? Have they been slacking on the job and it’s time for them to go? Had they maybe explained the position and what it means, I might not be so full of questions, but for it to suddenly appear and suddenly be important just won’t cut it. Which leaves me with too many questions that I couldn’t care enough to know the answer to.
“Cobblepot” wasn’t all bad though, as Penguin got out of his recent episode slump of b-plots and into the main plot again, providing an entertaining and unpredictable third party for Gordon and Bullock’s investigation. His final scene with the two old timers was sadistically brilliant and just cements his breakout status. Bullock got an awesome interrogation scene, while Loeb’s daughter was well acted crazy and a nice surprise instead of a room full of boxes. And Dulmacher’s adjustments to his last ‘manager?’ Creepiest thing this show has had, ever. It still gives me the shivers thinking about it. I’d rather watch Mooney tear her eye out several times over and over again than see that mangled ‘manager.’
To all those wondering why I’m still reviewing Gotham if I’ve spoken so negatively about throughout the season, it was around the mid-season finale where I decided I would stick it through to the end. I’ve always wanted to like this show, as it has occasionally shown the fruits of its potential (like in “Spirit of the Goat” and “Red Hood”), and it always feels like there’s a better show bubbling under the surface just waiting to be let out. Will that be seen in season one? Absolutely not. But it could in season two and for that reason alone, I’m putting up with it as is and powering through till the end…and till the first episode of season two. If I don’t like that, then I’m done.
Here are a few other things:
- So Nygma got his heart broken by Kringle…again. Can he just snap and go full Riddler, because this hasn’t been fun all season.
- Hi Selina, thanks for dropping in and giving Bruce someone to discuss his plan with.
- Bringing back Harvey Dent made sense for going against the Commissioner, but that was about it.
- I’m happy they didn’t include Barbara
“Everyone Has a Cobblepot” is another example of the series’ biggest issues, despite coming off a strong episode. But with the season almost done, perhaps we’ll get plot and character resolution which might finally bring about permanent changes to show, which has had a nasty habit so far of returning to the status quo nearly every week.
+ Penguin
– Why should we care about Mooney?
– Why should we care about Gordon’s possible new position?
– Why am I asking so many questions?
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website @MynockManor.
GOTHAM REVIEWS:
S1, Ep. 17: “Red Hood”
S1, Ep. 16: “The Blind Fortune Teller”
S1, Ep. 15: “The Scarecrow”
S1, Ep. 14: “The Fearsome Dr. Crane”
S1, Ep. 13: “Welcome Back, Jim Gordon”
S1, Ep. 12: “What the Little Bird Told Him”
S1, Ep. 11: “Rogues’ Gallery”
S1, Ep. 10: “Lovecraft”
S1, Ep. 9: “Harvey Dent”
S1, Ep. 8: “The Mask”
S1, Ep. 7: “Penguin’s Umbrella”
S1, Ep. 6: “Spirit of the Goat”
S1, Ep. 5: “Viper”
S1, Ep. 4: “Arkham”
S1, Ep. 3: “The Balloonman”
S1, Ep. 2: “Selina Kyle”
S1, Ep. 1: “Pilot“