TV Underdogs: On ‘Gotham’ season 2 and Bruce Wayne’s mental battle
If you look back really at the entire history of television, there is generally one universal thought about kid actors in drama series: They are typically not very good. Maybe this sentiment is brought on in part by poor casting, or by trying to give audiences an “aw” factor when it takes away from the story.
One way or another, we’re really thrilled that “Gotham” has managed to avoid that, finding great actors under the age of 18 and giving them something compelling to do. David Mazouz tops that list as Bruce Wayne. He is still far from becoming Batman, but you can see some of that determination and darkness in his eyes. He’s motivated by the death of his parents to not only seek out justice, but to also turn their company into something great and a beacon in the midst of a crumbling city. He’s vulnerable in that he doesn’t always choose the right friends, and that’s also what makes him human … and a perfect candidate for discussion in our TV Underdogs series.
Why he’s an underdog – He’s far from being the feared Dark Knight, and at the time of the series, he’s still just a kid trying to push his boundaries and occasionally getting himself in trouble as a result. He’s squaring off against adults for power, and does not understand hardly any fighting technique beyond just what Alfred teaches him. He is David right now, and we don’t mean David Mazouz. Instead, he’s David versus a thousand Goliaths that make up the various crime syndicates and villains in the city.
Why we don’t see more of him – Sometimes we go weeks without Bruce right now simply because you cannot always include a kid his age in the stories. It just does not always work since he’s not going to be able to help on matters unrelated to his family. As he gets older and more involved with Wayne Enterprises, that will change. For now, there are merely some limitations to what he can do.
Ways to see more of him – Obviously, the big one is to introduce more villains that he can lend a helping hand in stopping, whether it be with his resources or through connections to someone like Alfred. You could always bring in someone connected to either his or Lucius’ pasts, since that would enable the show to do some more cool things with Bruce that throw him into at least some action. The biggest thing is just to find ways to make him more inquisitive, more vulnerable to the right people, and also more hardened and distrusting to those who could look to take advantage of him. Mazouz has given this character great depth so far, and we’d love to see what more he could do with it.
If you are interested in getting some more news when it comes to “Gotham,” be sure to head over to the link here right now! Also, sign up over here in the event you want some other TV news on everything we cover, sent right over to you via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: Fox.)