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: 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: Gotham - "Pilot"

NOTE: This and other TV reviews will not be a straight-up recap, as I'm not interested in simply recounting the episode verbatim. Instead, I will discuss events which occur in each episode, providing my opinion of that week's installment as well as the show as a whole. Each review will be separated into two parts, the first without spoilers and the second with. I hope you enjoy.

Gotham - "Pilot" (1x01) FOX, Mondays, 8 p.m.


Of all of the new shows set to debut this fall, FOX's "Gotham" interested me the most. It doesn't hurt that Batman has always been one of my favorite comic book characters. Christopher Nolan left an indelible mark on the franchise with his "Dark Knight" trilogy, so any new version, even on television, has a high bar to meet. Fortunately, at least through the first episode, "Gotham" does quite well.

Set in the fictional city of Gotham made famous by nearly a century of "Batman" comics, the series is striving to do something different. Instead of depicting the brutal deaths of Martha and Thomas Wayne, who leave behind a scarred young boy in Bruce Wayne, only to then quickly time jump forward some 15 years to the birth of the Caped Crusader, "Gotham" stays put after the couple's murder in a dirty alley.

Centering on Gotham newcomer, Det. James Gordon (Ben McKenzie, "Southland"), the pilot episode follows him as he discovers the seedier side of his adopted city, including that of his partner, Det. Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue, "Sons of Anarchy").

During their pursuit of the Waynes' murder, we come across mobster Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith), a young Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova), an equally young Ivy Pepper (Clare Foley), forensic scientist Edward Nygma (Cory Michael Smith), mob underling Oswalt Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor) and even major crime detective Renee Montoya (Victoria Cartagena).

Fans of the comics, or the various film incarnations, will recognize most, if not all of those names, Fish Mooney being the most obscure. Carmine Falcone (John Doman) also plays an important role in the pilot episode.