TV Review: Gotham - "The Balloonman"

Gotham - "The Balloonman" (1x03) FOX, Mondays, 8 p.m.

Now in its third episode, "Gotham" seems to have found its rhythm as far as balancing its cases of the week with its ongoing story arcs without feeling the need to tie them all together.

While the ongoing mystery of the Waynes' murder, Oswald's continuing criminal career rebirth and the cat-and-mouse play amongst the mobsters all get their screen time, this episode is about Gotham's newest vigilante. No, it's not Batman, but his name does begin with a B.

The titular Balloonman is targeting criminals, something Gotham has an ample supply of, sending them into the atmosphere as punishment for their crimes. As usual, Gordon is more interested in actually catching the perp than his partner Harvey, but when one of the Balloonman's targets hits too close to home, the entire police force is mobilized.

Meanwhile, Gordon tries to validate Selina's story that she witnessed the Waynes' murder and Oswald makes his long-awaited (an entire episode!) return to Gotham.

TV Review: Person of Interest - "Nautilus"

Person of Interest - "Nautilus" (4x01) CBS, Tuesdays, 10 p.m.

"Person of Interest" returns with the second number of the new season, Claire Mahoney (Quinn Shephard), a young college student taking part in some kind of high-level mathematical game, one which has inspired her to carry a gun.

Like last week, Harold is reluctant to get involved and risk their collective covers, the only things keeping them safe from Samaritan. Also like last week, John could care less, and pursues this latest number after tricking Harold into helping.

But as they delve deeper into the game, there are more questions than answers, including who is the mastermind behind it all.

While "Panopticon" set the new ground rules after the show's seismic upheaval in the season three finale, this is the first episode to get to play fully within them. John has settled into his new alias as a cop, partnered with Fusco. Harold seems to have his college professor role down as well, ignoring his students and doing whatever he wants with his time. And Shaw, having given up her prized position as a perfume saleswoman, is now a dedicated wheel woman for a group of bank robbers.

Meanwhile, Root is mysterious as always, playing games within games for the Machine, which is in turn trying to claw its way back into the fight against Samaritan.

TV Review: Agents of SHIELD - "Shadows" & "Heavy is the Head"

Agents of SHIELD - "Shadows" (2x01) & "Heavy is the Head" (2x02) ABC, Tuesdays, 8 p.m.

 I didn't get a chance to review the season two premier of "Agents of SHIELD" last week, and it works out, since "Shadows" and this week's "Heavy is the Head" is essentially a two-parter, establishing the show's new normal.

With the dismantling of SHIELD in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" and the subsequent episodes of "Agents of SHIELD," Coulson now finds himself as the new director, with Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) apparently out of the picture until next summer's "Avengers: Age of Ultron."

As the second episode's title implies, being in charge comes with a lot of responsibility for Coulson, especially when SHIELD is down to a handful of agents, one secret base and a few mercenaries.

With Grant Ward locked up and Fitz still trying to recover from a near-death experience which left him with brain damage, the team is a bit short on members, with Melinda May, Skye and Triplett the only ones still capable of field duty. Enter Izzy Hartley (Lucy Lawless) and her band of mercenaries, including Lance Hunter (Nick Blood).

Unfortunately the stakes are quite high, as Hydra and its agents are still in play, as is Brigadier General Glenn Talbot (Adrian Pasdar), who has made it his mission to root out the remaining members of SHIELD. In his mind, both it and Hydra are one and the same.

TV Review: The Blacklist - "Monarch Douglas Bank"

  
The Blacklist - "Monarch Douglas Bank" (2x02) NBC, Mondays, 10 p.m.

At the end of season one of "The Blacklist," we learned that everything Raymond Reddington had done to that point was part of a greater "war" between himself and the mysterious Berlin. As simply a name, Berlin was seemingly all powerful, with legions of henchmen around the world as part of a network that could actually rival Red's power and influence.

The problem with a villain who is only a name--a threat in the dark--is that sooner or later, you have to reveal the villain, give him a face. And no matter how good a performance you get from the man or woman you cast as your villain, he or she will never live up to the anticipation.

Which may be the problem facing "The Blacklist" early on in season two. Berlin has a face, played admirably by Peter Stormare. Taking nothing away from Stormare, however, Berlin simply isn't as affective a villain when we see him each week, even if he's sending pieces of Red's kidnapped wife back to him in the mail.

I will say that "Monarch Douglas Bank" is a pretty solid episode, without the giant plot holes we tend to find ourselves in during "case of the week" episodes, but it also feels like a prediction of rougher seas ahead if the writers aren't careful.

TV Review: Gotham - "Selina Kyle"

Gotham - "Selina Kyle" (1x02) FOX, Mondays, 8 p.m.


The first question facing Fox's new show "Gotham" was whether it could it recreate the gritty, dark atmosphere of a pre-Batman Gotham City. The pilot episode proved it could, filling it with a wide range of characters from the some 80 years of comic book lore.

The second question was whether the show could continue the momentum established in the pilot. "Selina Kyle" proves it can do that as well.

Building off the story lines set up in the pilot, the episode also introduces us to a case of the week revolving a pair of child abductors (Frank Whaley and Lili Taylor), stealing homeless kids off the streets of Gotham.

Of course Jim and Harvey get the case, bringing them back into the territory of Fish Mooney, who almost had them killed last week. The case also puts Jim in contact with young Selina Kyle (or Cat as she preferred to be called), which I'm sure is a big step in his pursuit of the Waynes' murderer(s).

The B-story follows the repercussions of Oswald Cobblepot's supposed death at the end of the pilot, with Oswald trying to land on his feet outside the city, while mob boss Carmine Falcone confronts Mooney about her aborted coup attempt.

TV Review: Person of Interest - "Panopticon"

Person of Interest - "Panopticon" (4x01) CBS, Tuesdays, 10 p.m. 

The third season of "Person of Interest" was one of the best overall seasons of network television I've seen in quite awhile, culminating in a jaw-dropping finale that left our heroes on the run, fighting to survive in a world much altered.

The finale promised to forever change the dynamic of the show, leaving John (Jim Caviezel), Harold (Michael Emerson), Shaw (Sarah Shahi) and Root (Amy Acker) in new identities to protect themselves from the omnipresent Samaritan.

We don't a lot of time to see our heroes in their new mundane roles in the premiere, however, because the Machine, after apparently some time in silence, gives them a new number: the owner of a electronics repair shop who is having some serious problems with a gang.

You have to give the writers credit for playing with a formula that has brought in tons of viewers, but that's one of things that keeps me coming back for more. This is one of those rare shows that grows and evolves over the course of each season. The same can be said for the characters.

TV Review: The Blacklist - "Lord Baltimore"

The Blacklist - "Lord Baltimore" (2x01) NBC, Mondays, 10 p.m.

When "The Blacklist" premiered last year, a friend and I compared it to ABC's "Agents of SHIELD," both agreeing that it had better writing and more fleshed out characters than the comic book tie-in show. By the end of their respective seasons, however, my opinion had pretty much been flipped. Aside from Raymond "Red" Reddington (played spectacularly by James Spader), "The Blacklist" seemed populated by bland characters who would proceed each week to do so pretty stupid things to help service the plot.

James Spader as Red.

Sadly it seemed like there was one writer tasked with Reddington, who wrote his dialogue in seclusion, while the rest of the staff created poorly thought out scenarios to throw our characters in. Without being too harsh, by the end of the season, I began referring to "The Blacklist" as the worst written show I liked to watch.

So suffice to say, I came into the season two premiere, "Lord Baltimore," with hopes for a brighter future. And while it seems like things are in motion for a compelling long-term storyline as Red and the FBI continue to search for the mysterious Berlin, the case of the week once again seemed a bit too outlandish and not terribly well thought out.