‘Gotham’ season 2, episode 21 review: Bruce Wayne takes on Strange; Jim Gordon meets Jim Gordon
Who knew that “Gotham” without the Penguin could actually work so well? We know Oswald is still out there, but like many other recent installments, Monday night focused mostly on Hugo Strange and the quest to stop him, and let’s just say that things are not going so well right now.
For one, the quest for Bruce Wayne to stop Strange blew up in his face in a huge way. Bruce, Gordon, and Lucius are all trapped in Arkham Asylum, and to make matters even worse, Hugo’s latest creation basically involves a Gordon doppelganger who could do terrible things in his name. Basically, he could give the cops everything that they’ve actually wanted to arrest him for at times this season. It’s yet another crazy twist, and it helps to make up for the fact that we’re barely getting to know Fish Mooney 2.0, who spent most of the episode staring at her hands. Hugo’s clearly up to some crazy stuff, and he thinks he has the upper hand even though he has some of the GCPD coming after him.
As for another crazy twist, Selina is in full-on survival mode now since she has convinced Firefly to let her stay on as her personal servant. We suppose that it is better than dying, right? This character clearly has something more in the tank beyond this season, and the same goes for Mr. Freeze.
The most interesting thing about this episode may just be how straightforward and linear it really was. There were not a whole lot of twists and turns, but there didn’t need to. It was a compelling comic-book story that while not faithful, was fun, thrilling, and a little crazy at the same time. “Gotham” continues to be the show we originally hoped for years ago. Grade: B+.
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or27
May 17, 2016 @ 11:51 am
I was looking forward to it and wanted to like it, but just couldn’t. Getting Gordon and the rest all into Arkham seemed very contrived and rushed, especially bringing in L. Fox, a move out of S1 with bringing in characters almost to include them. Bad writing or editing with missing scenes that were cut?
I guess it’s my lack of interest in Batman and Batman mythology overall, or maybe it’s not being moved by the Bruce character and his contemporaries and wanting more of what’s been unresolved about Gordon and his fractured persona and life. There are so many loose strings for him as pretty much a broken person with only his relationship with Harvey intact and the semi-questionable and contrived Bruce aspects that should take a backseat. I know I was watching the clock and waiting for something substantive and compelling as was the case in the prison series of episodes and the aftermath with such strong performances and depth. Gordon and Strange, or Ben McKenzie and B.D. Wong had me riveted in their showdowns before. I was bored and couldn’t stay focused with Strange and Bruce. Like the Mooney parts, it was too much and dragged on too long. Short and sweet would have been easier to swallow, but then I never wanted to endure any Fish again. That was one of the biggest pluses of the end of last season.
The whole doppelganger plot is such a departure from the strong, realistic storytelling that was so compelling. It was almost laughable. If it isn’t short-lived, it’s beating a dead horse with the whole retelling of how Jim is the supposed criminal, just amped up worse into the league of the real villains and completely immoral villains and monsters that everyone should really fear, not follow Barnes’ rush to judgment and convenient, lazy finger pointing as before. While an opportunity for Ben McKenzie to have the over-the-top that most of the others have had and I’m sure he’ll shine, if it’s drawn out beyond the finale, it’s laughable. If it’s resolved in less than one episode, it’s a lame plot device. Either way, not good unless merely as a platform to unleash a new kind of weapon and villain in the larger context, just not in the form of another Jim.