Gotham (TV Series) Wrath of the Villains: Transference (2016) User Reviews

It was a really nice finale BUT ...

[Aktham_Tashtush · 7/10 · 25 May 2016]

So the Episode was good .yet there is this thing ,, i don't know about.. maybe bringing all of these dead people over and over again just makes the plot go a bit dull !! even though i had fun seeing Mooney back but with all the other evil ones before ,Galavan ,Barbara and they might bring back that crazy dude "Jerome Valeska" .. i mean it looks like the writers are out of ideas .. i hope not !!

The action and thrill level was so good, especially in the second half of the episdoe ..After they left us last episode with a James Gordon impostor and i thought this look a like thingy was really genius and nice boost for the plot but i hoped it would last longer than just a couple of scenes :P

The gang of Cobblepot and Butch are back which was like a deja vu but kinda different in a way .it's like you should root for them now for real.. Fish Mooney is here too with her powers that will be good for the next season if there'll be one .. also some other "monster" looks like Bruce Wayne .. and as we're on the Bruce Wayne story , he'll be after the evil counsel which runs Gotham ..

So finally the season overall looked alright .. we all should agree it was not as good as the first season and that is why it is still on Hiatus waiting for a renewal .. so if that happen and i do hope it does , i wish the writers would bring new fresh faces for evil .. i mean Batman dealt with many .. so bring some of them here ;)

the Bad Guys rule!

[fredschaefer-406-623204 · 8/10 · 25 May 2016]

This season of GOTHAM was titled, "Rise of the Villains" and it really delivered, because for 22 episodes it was one long, entertaining freak show, as the bad guys in Gotham City got ever weirder and distinctly nastier. It all came together in the season finale, as the plot line with Hugo Strange and Indian Hills came to potentially catastrophic climax. As an episode, it was one of those decidedly mixed bags, with some clunky plotting, but that criticism could be leveled against any comic book. The part where fake Jim Gordon just sits around the police station after getting the assault on Indian Hills called off was supposed to be funny, but it was not, mainly because it depended upon Harvey Bullock being so dumb he didn't really notice his best friend was being impersonated by a chameleon. As some reviewers have pointed out, why didn't the flux Gordon just beat feet out of there as soon his job was done and make good his escape instead of just sitting around and acting like an idiot. It took the arrival of Barbara Kean to finally point out the obvious; the scene did end with a great visual of the chameleon's face showing the results of Barbara's fist. At the same time, Hugo Strange's plan to evacuate and destroy Indian Hills sure took its time, and they sure went to a lot of trouble to find out that Bruce Wayne, Lucius Fox and Jim Gordon knew nothing about the Court of Owls.

What did work about the finale were the bad guys, they managed to work almost every surviving villain into the episode: Oswald Copplepot, Edward Nygma, Mr. Freeze, Firefly, Butch, the resurrected Fish Mooney and the good Dr. Strange himself. All showed up ready to play and in the last quarter of the show, it all came together as the heroes had to race the clock or everyone would die from the explosion of Strange's bomb. It's an old trope from the comics, but they pulled it off with style. The writers managed to put enough balls in the air that the suspense was genuine.

The acting was terrific as usual, but I really want to single out BD Wong's Hugo Strange, who hit just the right note of superior disdain for his character, but never slipped into camp. A special shout out to Tonya Pinkins as Ethel Peabody, Strange's right hand woman, she redefined the term deadpan, and if she's not back next season, then maybe one of the CW's DC superhero shows should give her a call.

I'm not feeling the return of Fish Mooney, Jada Pinkett Smith is great in the part, but frankly, so much has gone one since she left, and there have so many other great villains that I honestly haven't missed her.

Then there was the final scene, where Hugo Strange's creations were released upon Gotham, setting the stage for season 3 and letting us know we haven't seen anything yet. There was a wicked laugh that might signal the welcome return of Jerome; and there was the long haired doppelganger of teenage Bruce Wayne (please don't let it be a clone), it would be a real twist if he went on to become the Joker.

Season Two

[zkonedog · 5/10 · 3 July 2019]

The first season of "Gotham" was torn between being an origin story and an action/adventure romp. This second campaign staunchly places itself in the latter camp, forgoing any semblance of coherent storytelling and just charging full steam ahead at all times. While that approach makes for some fun/exciting moments, it also makes the whole effort seem kind of pointless in the long run.

This is probably where I will take my leave of "Gotham", and here is why: It just doesn't want to commit to any plot or character for too long. I prefer deeper, more thoughtful dramas, and this ain't it, so to speak. There is no tact at all in this show, as it barrels along from one episode to the next. I wonder if the creators even know what "the plan" is, or if they are just making it up as they go along. I honestly don't think I've ever seen a network TV show that plays so fast and loose with characters and plots from episode to episode.

All that being said, this Second Season of "Gotham" actually turns out to be BETTER than the first. Why? Because in its rush to get so many things done, it does stumble upon some really interesting material, including:

-The "Joker" arc, where Cameron Monaghan gives the performance of a lifetime as the mysterious smiling Jerome. I didn't know if I would continue with "Gotham" after a very disappointing first campaign, but his early-season turn sucked me back in. -The episodes featuring Theo Galavan (James Frain), whose mysterious nature is intriguing, and Tabitha (Jessica Lucas), because lets face it...she is stunningly gorgeous. Some of the best episodes of the entire season are when those two interact with the young Silver St. Cloud (Natalie Alyn Lind) in order to try and seduce Bruce (David Mazouz). -Victor Fries (Nathan Darrow) is fun...until about halfway into the first episode, when he is quickly turned into just another "one of the bad guys".

Plus, I've always thought (and still do) that Ben McKenzie is an excellent lead in James Gordon. The characterization may be shoddy from episode to episode (like everything else in the show), but his portrayal of the detective is impressive.

Other than that, this season of "Gotham" features a few too many similarities to the freshman year: Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor) and Nygma (Cory Michael Smith) have a few good scenes, Alfred (Sean Pertwee) chews the scenery, Selina (Camren Bicondova) just kind of hangs around, and Harvey (Donal Logue) gets in a zinger from time to time.

So, my experience with the second season of "Gotham" was an odd one: Though overall I enjoyed it a bit more than the first campaign, I also now realize what kind of a show it is going to be, and that's a type of show that doesn't really appeal to me. If you are looking for high character development and established, over-arcing plots, you need not apply any further. If you are more open to madcap shenanigans and shaky character "development", then you will be more impressed/entertained than I.

Horrible Mess

[jftomhawaii · 2/10 · 30 May 2016]

Absolutely horrendous season finale that leaves a lot on the perfectly good table in favor of dumping every single thing it has on the floor. Maybe for some the inclusion of literally every single villain since the show started is a thrill but when each character plays a weak role in an overwhelmingly weak finale I don't see the point in bringing them all back at once.

Each character in Season 2 after being introduced or re-introduced carried so much potential but due to the sheer volume of characters the writers failed to balance...there was little time for any of them to shine to their full brightness. Freeze's little arc was charming if not creative...but he was essentially relegated to nothing by the end of the season. The dialogue from each (if they even had dialogue) was explained by their reanimation or brainwashing but I feel is just an excuse for writers to toss them in at the last minute and ensure that a simple appearance will satisfy the fan.

Appearances are cool and all but it felt like an absolute bonkers of a finale that couldn't make sense of what it was doing even if it wanted to make sense. Characters appeared at convenient locations for no apparent reason or without explanation. At the end of it all you felt like none of the characters, despite surviving, have anything to show for all that has occurred over the last four episodes.

Overall, Season 2 after the mid-season break felt like a complete sham of a season. Gone was the intriguing plot lines in favor of simple ones that could easily be explained away with two words: "Indian Hill". It came to a point where conflict became too easy to work up and too easy to get out of. Jim Gordon broke out of jail in literally 15 minutes of screen time. Any show that incorporates an instant "revive" to any fallen character like this one cannot be trusted any further simply because it has a lack of foresight. Now, with Season 3 coming up I would honestly urge any new viewer to back away because there is bound to be only disappointment and half- effort story lines from this point out.