The second season of GOTHAM kicks off right where the first season's finale left off with Robin Lord Taylor's Penguin taking over Don Falcone's criminal empire and Jim Gordon demoted to directing traffic. We catch up on a lot of characters in the first few minutes, including Bruce Wayne, who with the reluctant assistance of Alfred is attempting to gain entry to his father's secret lair underneath Wayne Manor. They then hit upon a lot of plot threads in this episodes, some like the now seriously crazy Ed Nygma are touched on only briefly, but are a sure promise of things to come.
The main plot lines concern Jim Gordon, who after being busted from the Gotham PD by the vindictive Commissioner Loeb, reluctantly goes to the Penguin to call in a debt and get himself back on the force. The Penguin is willing, but Gordon has to take care of a little collection problem before Gotham's new crime boss will do Gordon a solid. This is a very interesting direction for the heretofore incorruptible Gordon to go in, one where he has to do a wrong in order to serve the greater good. I give the writers credit for not coping out and letting things play out true to the story. As always, the best part of the show comes when Robin Lord Taylor's Oswald Cobblepot and Ben Mackenzie's James Gordon are on screen together.
We are also introduced to Theo Galavan, played by the sinister looking James Frain, another in a long line of wealthy men up to no good who seem to populate the DC universe; Galavan engineers a breakout of some inmates from Arkham Asylum which includes Erin Richard's Barbara Kean and Cameron Monaghan's Jerome, two characters who were revealed to be conscienceless murderers in the previous season. Galavan has plans for these two and the others he broke out-more plot threads to pay off in the season ahead.
We don't see much of Camren Bicondova's Selena Kyle, who now appears to have switched her allegiance from Fish Mooney to Oswald Cobblepot or Donal Logue's Harvey Bullock, who having quit the police force, now tends bar and says he is happy with civilian life. Don't expect these two situations to remain unchanged in future episodes. There is also too little of Drew Powell's Butch, formerly Fish's right hand man, but now at the side of the Penguin like Selena, although Anthony Carrigan's Victor Zsasz has a very nice moment when he assists his new boss in collecting on Gordon's favor. Looking forward to seeing Michael Chiklis in the weeks ahead as Gordon's new boss in the precinct and Nicholas D'Agosto's return as Harvey Dent.
In this show about Batman without Batman, it really is the villains who make the story, so far GOTHAM has done the legacy of Bob Kane proud. Looks like they are laying the ground work for a great second season.
Although one thing to nit pick: why couldn't Bruce just call in some tech guy from Wayne Industries to come and bypass the password on the lock his father installed on his underground lair? It would be a lot easier than blowing it up.
The main plot lines concern Jim Gordon, who after being busted from the Gotham PD by the vindictive Commissioner Loeb, reluctantly goes to the Penguin to call in a debt and get himself back on the force. The Penguin is willing, but Gordon has to take care of a little collection problem before Gotham's new crime boss will do Gordon a solid. This is a very interesting direction for the heretofore incorruptible Gordon to go in, one where he has to do a wrong in order to serve the greater good. I give the writers credit for not coping out and letting things play out true to the story. As always, the best part of the show comes when Robin Lord Taylor's Oswald Cobblepot and Ben Mackenzie's James Gordon are on screen together.
We are also introduced to Theo Galavan, played by the sinister looking James Frain, another in a long line of wealthy men up to no good who seem to populate the DC universe; Galavan engineers a breakout of some inmates from Arkham Asylum which includes Erin Richard's Barbara Kean and Cameron Monaghan's Jerome, two characters who were revealed to be conscienceless murderers in the previous season. Galavan has plans for these two and the others he broke out-more plot threads to pay off in the season ahead.
We don't see much of Camren Bicondova's Selena Kyle, who now appears to have switched her allegiance from Fish Mooney to Oswald Cobblepot or Donal Logue's Harvey Bullock, who having quit the police force, now tends bar and says he is happy with civilian life. Don't expect these two situations to remain unchanged in future episodes. There is also too little of Drew Powell's Butch, formerly Fish's right hand man, but now at the side of the Penguin like Selena, although Anthony Carrigan's Victor Zsasz has a very nice moment when he assists his new boss in collecting on Gordon's favor. Looking forward to seeing Michael Chiklis in the weeks ahead as Gordon's new boss in the precinct and Nicholas D'Agosto's return as Harvey Dent.
In this show about Batman without Batman, it really is the villains who make the story, so far GOTHAM has done the legacy of Bob Kane proud. Looks like they are laying the ground work for a great second season.
Although one thing to nit pick: why couldn't Bruce just call in some tech guy from Wayne Industries to come and bypass the password on the lock his father installed on his underground lair? It would be a lot easier than blowing it up.
