What I've Learned From Watching Gotham

Written by Shae

In this post food-coma state we all might be in, I thought it would be nice to talk about the recent show that’s captivated our attention, Gotham. Why? Because this is a show about Batman before he was Batman, and really, more about the city. With that, there’s always something to learn. Also, yes, I am just now catching up on the mid season finale. Being an adult severely cut into my TV time these past few weeks. It seems things are finally getting back to normal.

So, seriously, I did not know that Alfred was as awesome as he is. Did anyone else? Was this just a thing I never knew? Was it something that was information to everyone but me?  Whether Alfred really is this bad ass, or not, the show has really shed some light onto his character. More than just a butler, Alfred is able to kick some serious tail and has no problem telling Gordon how it is. This version of Alfred rapidly stole my heart the second he told Gordon off. While this surly old gent has no problem with standing up to people, he seems to give in to Bruce whenever the child pushes. Regardless of anything, Alfred is still the loyal butler we all know and love. This one just swears, says mate, and gives open snark. Okay, at first, I didn’t want to like him. At all. But, he is a pretty great character.

Next up, the Penguin. Now, I knew he was a bit of an interesting weird little fellow. I never expected him to be full blown sociopathic. This psychotic mobster-wannabe, has done anything and everything to worm his way into the mix of the two major mob families. Originally, Oswald had psychotic rages when being called Penguin, but lately he’s learned to embrace it. The little master mind is so devious, he’s playing as many sides of this that he can. He also has no problem killing anyone. I mean, anyone….If that wasn’t bad enough, the very weird relationship he has with his mother might just explain his psychosis. Still, I have to give mad props to the actor playing the Penguin. I’ve never been so creeped out by a character before. While the Penguin isn’t for everyone, he certainly is good at what he does. After all, he taught me the most important lesson of all: if you’re going to take over a city, leave no loose ends. And also, wear a tux. Come on, he’s classy at least.

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We all know the story of Selena Kyle. Or do we? It’s hard to say. With so many versions out there, it’s hard to settle on just one. What we can’t debate is that she does become the Catwoman. How, or why, doesn't really matter; yet, Gotham is giving us a bit of backstory. Selena currently lives on the streets and already has an affinity for any feline. Her movements are already catlike in nature. But, how did she get there? It’s obvious her parents aren’t in the picture, but it seems she’s searching for her mother. Still, her motives may be somewhat self driven….she puts up a tough front, but she is sensitive. With anger as her default setting, it’s not hard to see how closely she takes after a cat. I will say, she does make me want to learn parkour.

Perhaps the most interesting on the show for me, is not just Jim Gordon, but also Harvey Bullock. These two characters are pretty static, in my opinion, in most media showcases. This show, however, gives them both depth, and drives them forward. Bullock is one of the most captivating characters for me. In the movies and cartoon show, he’s been shown as a slob that’s kind of a dirty-ish cop. While some of that may be true, this show has given Harvey more development. With a backstory that showed us he was once as passionate about his job as Gordon, we saw a different Harvey. A Harvey that pulled back and hid from everything when he got his friend and partner injured. Still, throughout the show Harvey has done a great deal at overcoming that. While he’s still rough around the edges, he’s at least on Gordon’s side…

The transformation of Gotham and the murder of the Wayne’s are far more connected than I once thought. This show does a great job of intertwining little plot strings. It does great at showing how the city is slowly corrupting and turning into the Gotham we all know. It seems this city was always struggling with it’s crazy population of baddies….

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