Danielg342

Could just mean his movie is coming out...we'll see, though.

Guess I get to open the scoring. :P Score this one as a rare victory for me. I knew right away that the Captain did it, but I still thought exploring that web of corruption and prisoner abuse was pretty fun. Plus that one guard who was so concerned about his daughter...he acted brilliantly. There was a sense of urgency in this episode that was missing in many previous ones, and the story progressed really well. I also quite enjoyed seeing the prisoners be made sympathetic, even if it is a bit of a cliche. I liked how everyone took to Devon White (who I take it isn't related to the former Blue Jay), especially Mr. Pritchett, whom I felt so sorry for because he lost his books, making it quite the joy when Rossi gave them back to him. One thing I didn't see coming was the one prisoner who stood up for Morgan- he seemed like a bit player, but his reasoning was great, and Morgan's look at the end was great. Morgan wouldn't want to admit it, but the prisoner is right, sadly- Morgan went through the same struggles, and likely still does. He might be accepted at work but even he knows that racism is still sadly a thing, and "brothers" still need to look out for each other. Speaking of Morgan...well, great to see him in a fight again, and hold his own this time. Sure he got taken down, but at least this time it made sense- I think they needed three prisoners to restrain him and he only stopped really to diffuse the situation and save Kate and the other guard (Kate, by the way, seems to stink at fighting, which I guess is appreciated given that we've got ninja JJ). I also liked that he got the last hit in the end, taking one guy down so the SWAT team could come in and take everyone to safety. The fight scene itself was a bit clunky but I thought it made sense. Other stuff- pretty good involvement by the males in this episode, with a lack of contribution from the females (aside from Kate getting whupped and Garcia's occasional information). Reid was Reid, Hotch took charge and Rossi was at his profiling best. I suppose the only real irks in this episode was that there wasn't a whole lot of actual profiling- this seemed more like a police investigation than a BAU one- and nothing seemed to be made of "Mr. Helpful M.E." that JJ supposedly "lit a fire under", but, overall, this episode was about the story and the personal struggles, and that made up for whatever it may have lacked. So, overall, very good. A I would say.

I'd probably say *any* victory in Gotham is small, because everything is so deeply entrenched that you can't just shake it in one go. Gordon tried in "The Penguin's Umbrella" and it blew up in his face. So I'd like to think that he's learned the process will be long and frustrating, but if he chips away, he'll have inevitable results. As for Bullock, I'll agree with what others are saying in that I can see him as Jim's needed "anchor" to keep him from going too far, while Bullock needs Jim because Jim represents his one chance at hope. I know it's been said once before that the series wants to paint things as so bleak that Gordon needs a vigilante to help him out, but after this episode I see things differently- that through Gordon, the hopeless finally see that there is the possibility that things can change and that should inspire people, like Bruce Wayne, to help out. I'll also bet, though, that the series will likely tell us that Gordon's ultimate compromise- to work with the system in order to change it- still needs to continue with Batman around, but at least with Batman he'll have a very valuable weapon.

Good point, although that probably won't cross the mind of a person on the street. All they care about is free food.

Only thing I hope doesn't happen (since there seemed to be some flashes of it) is for Bullock to turn evil. I don't think it'd be right for the character (given that he's a man of honour and a loyal friend to Jim, up to this point), plus he's my favourite character, so I'd probably leave the show if his characterization went too far south.

"When you know what a man loves, you know what can kill him."- Oswald Cobblepot, "Penguin's Umbrella" (1.07) "Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light."- Oswald Cobblepot, "The Scarecrow" (1.16). He's actually quoting Helen Keller here.

Perhaps "judge" was the wrong word. "Evaluate" would have been better. Anyhow that's semantics. As far as "asking the question" goes, I think it boils down to the very Western tendency to "doll up" their female characters but not the male characters, which holds true for this show. Other than Jim Gordon in a tank top at the end of 1.12, I can't think of another male character whose clothing could be considered "sexy". Meanwhile, you can run down the gamut and rhyme off Barbara, Fish, the Zsaszettes, Liza and even at times Lee and Kris Kringle's "form-fitting" sweater from 1.18. Only Sarah Essen, it seems, is the only character of note that hasn't dressed in something more suitable for bedtime, and she doesn't get used much. It might not be apparent all the time but the show is more likely to "dress up" a female character than a male character. ...and this is not just something Gotham does- a lot of shows do this, and I think the pervasiveness of it leads- rightly or wrongly- to people noticing women's clothing as opposed to male clothing. I think too much of it gets made of it- there shouldn't be anything wrong with women being sexy on TV- and I've got no problem with this show being filled with lovely ladies. I just wish Bruno Heller would do more with the women of this show than use them as love interests or sexual objects, because that's all they seem to fill. Essen and Montoya seem to have some potential in this regard, but they're not being used enough for my satisfaction.

"She touched me!" Oh Nygma...you and your creepy goodness. Once they gave him something to do, The Riddler is really starting to shine. Glad to see that Jim is finally working the system...he's learning. Yeah, this now means he's just as corrupt as the rest of the cops, but as Harvey so brazenly warned him before, "you gotta go along to get along." Jim can't fix the system without working it first, and now the Comissioner is in *his* back pocket. Loved seeing Oswald get the upper hand on the old couple ("there was no train ticket! I had one shot left!") and having a ball with Bullock and Gordon. I did wonder, though, since Gordon promised five minutes with "the files" and all he turned up was Miriam Loeb...so does Oswald get "five minutes" with her? I do think they'd make a great couple, given they both love birds and, well, killing. Still somewhat confused about the Dulmacher plot but at least it's starting to make a little bit of sense. I wonder if the Dulmacher has been playing Fish all this time- certainly that last scene where Fish realizes she's on a deserted island makes me wonder. Dulmacher was in total awe of Fish and didn't seem to flinch at all when Fish got fiesty with him- perhaps he knew what he was getting into, he just had to make sure Fish would get along with him first. Finally, good to see Alfred alive and trying to get out of his bed. The old soldier never dies, does he? I'm also glad that, perhaps, Selina and Bruce are going to align themselves again- that's one lesson Bruce needs to learn: that, at this stage at least, if he wants to effect change, he needs to get help too. All in all, very good tonight. Miffed I'll have to wait until April 13 for the next installment but at least that means we get a nice run to the finish at the end.

I can't see any other reason for the Zsaszettes' attire other than to show off their sex appeal. You said it, they've had *no* characterization, and I can't judge a character based on what I don't see. What I do see, thus, are them as nothing but objects...and those objects are svelte women dolled up with “Gothic” makeup wearing tight, revealing and (essentially) impractical clothing (each of them shows off their cleavage or their belly- that's target practice for a shooter- plus none of those clothes provide a great spot to hide a gun). They're clearly easy on the eyes, and they're ones you notice right away. Perhaps their costumes serve another purpose. Perhaps. However, if they were supposed to be anything other than sexy, then why aren't they wearing trenchcoats and fedoras too? Certainly trained assassins would wear clothes that would allow them to hide their guns, at the very least. The Zsaszettes just don't do that. Don't get me wrong, I like sexy, and I think the Zsaszettes' brand of sexy- the dark, brooding kind- fits their role as Victor's understudies. I just don't think they- right now- have any other role other than as eye candy.

I think mileage will have to vary on this one, although I will point out the Zsaszettes are pretty dominatrix-like and the assassin at Wayne Manor wore a “sexy catsuit” (underneath a leather jacket, mind you). I do believe the show is getting better in this regard, but I still believe there's far too much of an imbalance between male characters and female characters. Granted, the Batman universe is similarly slanted- the best known characters, except Catwoman, are male- but I don't see that as a viable excuse. For me, at the very least, I want to see Essen have more of a role and have some actual, viable storylines. She's a good character, she just needs to stop being in the background all the time.

I think we did, in flashes, with the last episode and in other episodes, like her going rogue in “Anslo Garrick” and when she tried to interrogate Tom. I also think it would be easy to fanwank that “pilot Lizzie” got so overwhelmed by what happened that it shook her to the point where she lost her confidence and is now struggling to regain it. Red coming into her world would be such a whirlwind that I could buy that happening. Problem is, it's just a fanwank- it's not established on-screen that is what is happening, since Lizzie doesn't open up to anyone. To me, this could be easily solved if Lizzie had at least someone on the show who she could vent to, but she doesn't. Lizzie, it seems, has no friends outside of work, and these people would at least serve the purpose of allowing her to get across her feelings so that we know what is going on. I don't think it's too late to introduce one- and the character could be nothing more than a recurring character, someone who pops up whenever Lizzie gets troubled. The problem with Lizzie I think is the writing, since the writers forget this is TV and not a novel. In a novel, you can write about someone's mind and what they're going through- on TV, you need a sounding board, and Lizzie doesn't have one.

I would say, though, that dealing with the New York mobile psych ward is a world of difference from dealing with the world's greatest criminal mastermind.

For me, it's more of a question of Bruno Heller not being able to think of any “weapons” for women outside of their sexuality. I'll grant that Fish is getting better in this regard but her strongest weapon is still her sexuality- that's how she won control of the prison. Plus when she hired “a weapon” to take down Falcone, she hired a beautiful young woman whom she thought Falcone would take advantage of sexually (one of Liza's messages to Fish was that “he still hasn't touched me yet”). Then there's Renee, whose only real storyline in the entire series is to serve as a “love triangle” with Jim and Barbara, with Renee's function being to placate Barbara's “wild” (and thus more sexual) side. Even Selina Kyle went this route, pressuring Bruce to kiss her. Granted, there are Essen and Lee, but Essen doesn't do much except bark orders and Lee is serving as a foil for Jim's love, and Lee hasn't shied away from being seductive herself. Meanwhile, the men can have all sorts of other traits- Jim and Harvey Dent with their altruism, Bullock's sense of pragmatism and jadedness, Falcone and his cunning, Maroni and his ruthlessness, Oswald and his deceit, Alfred and his military-like mind and even Bruce and his sense of justice. Not a single one of them serves as simply a “sexual object” (although I grant Jim gets close). So it's clear to me that Heller believes that women serve only one role- and that is to be a sexual being- which is, at worst sexist and at best unimaginative. I like that perhaps he's self-aware with Selina's line but that doesn't make up for his female characterization so far.

Prentiss had, what, four minutes of screentime in her debut? Which she followed with very little feature time until “Honour Among Thieves” if memory serves me correctly. Not sure what the griping would be about.

I believe Lizzie was going to confess before backing out at the last minute.

Gotham's Jim Gordon is routinely and soundly criticized for having every clue he's gained handed to him. Spencer Reid of Criminal Minds gets this treatment in some episodes, depending on the writer (in fact, lately, many episodes have the CM investigators- all of them, male and female, unless it's JJ- dumber than a brick). Even Elementary did this a few times to Sherlock Holmes. Then we can get to this series and it's plainly obvious that Ressler is just as bright as Lizzie is. In fact, the only one with a brain in the FBI it seems is Aram- the rest all get one-upped by Red. I also think- though I think mileage varies- that Lizzie did very well in this case and contributed a lot (like how she rattled Mrs. Deer Hunter to make a move and bought herself enough time to get out of her own jam). So I really don't think the observation is really on the mark.

Yeah, maybe, though she wasn't killed by a baseball bat- she was killed by a slash to her throat. I realize mileage will vary, but I still think the writing missed a lot of important steps towards the buildup.

Tom is back. :) I will enjoy seeing that.

This is the first time I can say I actually enjoyed Elizabeth Keen. I realize mileage will vary immensely, but I thought Meghan Boone knocked it out of the park with an increasingly varied and loving erratic performance. We've said for a while that Lizzie's got criminal tendencies. Right there, dealing with Mrs. Deer Hunter, we saw that. Lizzie was wonderful fooling her into thinking she had pity for Mrs. Deer Hunter, and then mocking her for her altruism. Furthermore, not only did Lizzie downright enjoy exposing Mrs. Deer Hunter for enjoying her savagery, Lizzie sounded like she too would very much enjoy such savagery herself, something she's shown on a number of different occassions (like with the victims of The Good Samaritan Killer). Gosh, Lizzie was downright creepy...and I loved it. I think that was what saved this episode from being simply The Blacklist: Criminal Minds Edition because- other than the obvious "Sweeps Month" shock value of seeing Mrs. Deer Hunter take a bite out of the victims' livers (which would leave DNA that no one seemed to account for)- this was pretty much your typical CM episode (I mean, there was even some actual profiling in this one). All that we were missing was Garcia's quirky computer, Reid's quirky stats, Morgan kicking down doors, Rossi and Prentiss being smartasses, Hotch giving the UnSub a death glare and JJ reassuring the public they have The Deer Hunter cornered and you have an episode I'm sure Edward Allen Bernero would have been proud to write. (I don't care that the current CM cast is much different than what I described- that's the team I like so I'm sticking with that) As for the rest of the episode, I really didn't find too many highlights. Well, Aram continues to impress me, seeing him worry about his hair, being gleeful that Red said his last name right and being taken aback when Samar Navabi called him sexy (as long as he doesn't become fat- prompting him to look at his belly). It's been a while since Aram stole the show but tonight he was magnificent. Then, Red...this might be a first in that I thought he was a bit player in his own show, but good on James Spader for shunning the spotlight so that Creepy Liz can take centre stage. Anyway...I thought his little side story with the caller was boring and rather pointless- seeing that trail of blood at the end was rather predictable. It was nice of him to get Samuel Alecco to turn on the Detective and save Lizzie- he didn't have to (presumably because he could still "use" Lizzie in jail), and it was great that Lizzie snarks at him being so fatherly towards her by quipping that she would get her "phone privileges taken away". Red doesn't always do the best to show that he cares but he did tonight. All in all, tonight was very much about Lizzie and how this could be a turning point. Like it or not, Lizzie's got blood on her hands, so there's no turning back, and if this is the start of her descent to becoming one of the world's more dangerous killers, this could be one heck of a ride. Buckle up!

Deathstroke is the only Batman villain (that I know of) with an eye patch, hence the connection. They have played fast and loose with the canon before (such as changing Poison Ivy's name) so I think it could still be possible.

I guess we were so much in shock about Fish's eye that we forgot to mention it in her thread. :p She gained a whole new level of respect for me by doing that, even though I didn't really want to see it. Maybe she turns to the good side seeing how evil Gotham can get

I don't think there'd be much of a difference between a "movie scream" and a "random woman scream", since either category can produce an "authentic" scream. Perhaps he might have difficulties recording a movie on that recorder, but that's the only concession I would make. I would have liked it if the story at least explained that he had tried movies to no avail. Secondly, though, he worked as a counsellor and wasn't at all a socially awkward guy. He might have known a few female friends he could have asked to help him out, or made a few female friends to do so. Since it's just a recording he was after, all he needed was great voicework- no need for the actual violence to occur. I think, ultimately, for me there was a disconnect from "normal guy" to "killer"- he seemed like he went to extremes too quickly, when it was apparent he was smart enough to know alternatives.

Maybe one day we'll see Bruce with a very bad cold after dealing with all the dust he's had to inhale. Come to think of it, I think I have seen him sniffle a few times...

That was the only part of the first half of the season I didn't like- the cut and dry, "Renee Montoya and Crispus Allen are the bad guys" angle. This show is so much more...so those characters deserved (and still deserve) more.