Gotham returns to Fox

The much-anticipated -- somewhat maligned -- Gotham has finally hit the airwaves, we have a review (and, yes, Mr. Wayne, it comes in black)....

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he much-anticipated — somewhat maligned — Gotham has finally hit the airwaves, we have a review (and, yes, Mr. Wayne, it comes in black).

You know the story by now: young Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) sees his parents murdered right in front of him, vowing not to let the same thing happen to anyone else. But there is more; tasked with solving the case are new partners James Gordon (Ben McKenzie) and Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue).

Following the trail of a pearl necklace belonging to Bruce’s dead mother, Gordon and Bullock quickly find what seems to be an open-and-shut case leads right to crime bosses, Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Carmine Falcone (John Doman), in the city’s underworld.

If you are a diehard fan, and continuity is your biggest concern, you won’t be assuaged (not that we thought you would be).  Right off the bat (no pun intended), in fact, the show focuses on a juvenile Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova) picking pockets, and snooping around alleys.

More future villains show up along the way — Riddler as a forensic scientist (Cory Michael Smith), Poison Ivy as a girl (Clare Foley) from a broken home, a stand-up comic that is a possible hint at the Joker — accompanied by new faces.  If Fish Mooney doesn’t ring a bell, that’s because she is an original of the show.

When it comes to bad guys, the spotlight shines brightest on Oswald Cobblepot (Robin Taylor), who starts his career as a goon for Mooney, until he rats on her.  He really hates being called Penguin and is green with umbrellas (so far), but is handy with sharp objects.

Writer Bruno Heller and director Danny Cannon keep a lid on the camp, favoring more the gritty nature of a police drama. More time is spent on Logue and McKenzie following leads than how little Bruce is coping (which is in the way you expect, fyi).

Logue steals it as Bullock, a grizzled veteran of the force unafraid to cross a line to get results (being in bed with the mob and all).

Detractors undoubtedly will be vocal, and comparisons to other versions of Batman — not to mention other DC-based programming — will run rampant, but it’s a spinoff of everyone’s favorite Caped Crusader, in the end.  The pilot is also a bountiful setup that makes seeing what’s ahead worth it.

Gotham airs Mondays at 8pm on FOX. Tune in, you won’t want to miss it.

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TV and Film

Eric is a columnist and the resident film critic for The Pit. He also acts and is a multitalented filmmaker.
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