Midseason report card: Did Fox’s ‘Gotham’ do Batman’s origin justice?

Given that Monday nights are typically when we get an opportunity to see new episodes of “Gotham,” it only felt appropriate for today to mark its entry into our Midseason Report Card series here at CarterMatt. We’re going to take a look back at these first ten episodes, sizing up both what worked, and what still needs to be improved.

For those wondering about scheduling first and foremost, there is no official return date for “Gotham” just yet, though it does appear like it will be back at some point in January.

What worked – Visually, the show is stunning. Great landscapes, and the style is completely of its own. Also, we rather enjoy the mishmash of time periods and styles to keep towards a certain feel more so than trying to be altogether realistic.

The show is also working very well in terms of its cast. Robin Lord Taylor and Donal Logue are each brilliant, and even some of the characters we were worried about (including Bruce Wayne) are turning out strong thanks to their performances. We feel like we have many characters we care about, and that should set the stage for an excellent final 12 episodes of the season.

What didn’t – Unfortunately, these characters sometimes did not have the best situations surrounding them. Many of Gordon and Bullock’s cases were forgettable; while we don’t expect to see Batman villains on the show, we’d like to see that same animated spirit of the show. Create more villains of your own that are interesting! The mob never really intrigued us, and that’s why much of Falcone’s story leaves something to be desired.

Also, this is a show that is trying a little too hard to remind you that it is a DC Comics property, including Harvey Dent with the coin, Edward Nygma talking often about riddles, and Selina Kyle going by Cat. We get it, guys. You can make comic fans happy without beating us over the head that this is a comic-book show.

Overall – “Gotham” was better than we thought it would be going in, and we really enjoyed a good many of the storylines. We feel like there is potential for greatness on this show, which is something that few others can attest to that debuted this fall. Unfortunately, there are a few things holding it back that are still correctable. Midseason Grade: B.