The first episode of "Gotham" starts off with a young girl wandering through the streets of Gotham City. She doesn't add anything to the plot of the episode, but rather watches the actions as a spectator. She doesn't have a lot of screen time and soon enough the perspective switches over to Bruce Wayne, but I like the concept of a "hidden character", who just sometimes appears and doesn't engage at all in the plot.
So Bruce Wayne, played by David Mazouz, is supposedly the protagonist of the Batman universe. Right in the intro you can see his parents being murdered, which leaves him in the state of mind that eventually develops into becoming a superhero. As far as I can tell from the pilot, the character of Bruce Wayne is very well executed. His ambition to train his body and mind is already there and it seems like he wants to act more grown-up than he actually is.
The real attention actually lays on the police officers who are trying to solve the murder of Bruce's parents though. Namely James Gordon, played by Ben McKenzie, and Harvey Bullock, played by Donal Logue. Both of these actors don't resemble the characters that they are playing from the comic for me, but that's fine. I'm open-minded towards an individual interpretation of the original material. Harvey Bullock is the experienced police officer, who has seen everything and has the respect of his colleagues. He seems like a stereotypical police officer and there's nothing much special about him, but he adds to the story as he represents the general opinion of the police force and of Gotham City. James Gordon is the underdog cop and is to be seen as the protagonist in this show. He is the character that the viewer is supposed to feel with. The dilemma in this episode is that the police thought they found the murderer to be Mario Pepper, when in fact they find out that he was framed. James and Harvey were the ones who supposedly solved the case, so now they are afraid to reveal the truth at the cost of their jobs. This plot twist opens a whole new spectrum where James seems like the only righteous force. He wants to do justice but there's a lot of conflict going on such as acquaintances turning on him which struggles him and places him in this mental dilemma.
Another important character is Fish Mooney, played by Jada Pinkett Smith. She's a nightclub owner and involved in a lot of crime, but also friends with Detective Bullock. As the story develops she turns on him and works as the main opposing force in the plot of the first episode.
I find the idea of the show interesting, having a story before Batman, so you can see Bruce Wayne's but also the other characters' development. Also the focus on the two police officers is interesting, though I'm expecting Bruce Wayne to become the protagonist later on to add a new layer to the story, but I'm generally open-minded. Very early on there's already a connection being made between Bruce Wayne and James Gordon, so there is a triangle of main characters, which is probably more interesting and more diverse than just having one main character. The soundtrack underlines the show nicely. The setting is generally dark, which fits well into the Batman universe. I found the acting to be overdone at some parts, though I have to say it was really fitting for Oswald Cobblepot (The Penguin), played by Robin Lord Taylor, who was probably my favourite actor and also in the scheme of the show my favourite character so far, because of how diverse his character is and how much he develops in the first episode.
Overall this episode leaves a lot of opportunities open, but it's a fair start into an interesting series and I like switching the concept around instead of just remaking a Batman series. I appreciate the first episode and am looking for more to come.
So Bruce Wayne, played by David Mazouz, is supposedly the protagonist of the Batman universe. Right in the intro you can see his parents being murdered, which leaves him in the state of mind that eventually develops into becoming a superhero. As far as I can tell from the pilot, the character of Bruce Wayne is very well executed. His ambition to train his body and mind is already there and it seems like he wants to act more grown-up than he actually is.
The real attention actually lays on the police officers who are trying to solve the murder of Bruce's parents though. Namely James Gordon, played by Ben McKenzie, and Harvey Bullock, played by Donal Logue. Both of these actors don't resemble the characters that they are playing from the comic for me, but that's fine. I'm open-minded towards an individual interpretation of the original material. Harvey Bullock is the experienced police officer, who has seen everything and has the respect of his colleagues. He seems like a stereotypical police officer and there's nothing much special about him, but he adds to the story as he represents the general opinion of the police force and of Gotham City. James Gordon is the underdog cop and is to be seen as the protagonist in this show. He is the character that the viewer is supposed to feel with. The dilemma in this episode is that the police thought they found the murderer to be Mario Pepper, when in fact they find out that he was framed. James and Harvey were the ones who supposedly solved the case, so now they are afraid to reveal the truth at the cost of their jobs. This plot twist opens a whole new spectrum where James seems like the only righteous force. He wants to do justice but there's a lot of conflict going on such as acquaintances turning on him which struggles him and places him in this mental dilemma.
Another important character is Fish Mooney, played by Jada Pinkett Smith. She's a nightclub owner and involved in a lot of crime, but also friends with Detective Bullock. As the story develops she turns on him and works as the main opposing force in the plot of the first episode.
I find the idea of the show interesting, having a story before Batman, so you can see Bruce Wayne's but also the other characters' development. Also the focus on the two police officers is interesting, though I'm expecting Bruce Wayne to become the protagonist later on to add a new layer to the story, but I'm generally open-minded. Very early on there's already a connection being made between Bruce Wayne and James Gordon, so there is a triangle of main characters, which is probably more interesting and more diverse than just having one main character. The soundtrack underlines the show nicely. The setting is generally dark, which fits well into the Batman universe. I found the acting to be overdone at some parts, though I have to say it was really fitting for Oswald Cobblepot (The Penguin), played by Robin Lord Taylor, who was probably my favourite actor and also in the scheme of the show my favourite character so far, because of how diverse his character is and how much he develops in the first episode.
Overall this episode leaves a lot of opportunities open, but it's a fair start into an interesting series and I like switching the concept around instead of just remaking a Batman series. I appreciate the first episode and am looking for more to come.
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