S01.E19: Beasts Of Prey

[Ubiquitous]

Is that a "bad wolf" on the wall behind Loeb in that pic?

[MisterGlass]

I'm curious to see what happens when Bruce explains himself, and Cat, to Alfred.  He's a rotten liar, even more so with Alfred, so I think the truth has to come out.

 

 

'll also flat out say this- although I know it won't be popular and I won't necessarily like seeing it myself- I do hope The Ogre kills Lee. The only reason I have for this is that, lately- as Bullock himself pointed out- Gordon's on such a wave of positive momentum that the character can seem to do no wrong, so if Lee is killed, at least it gets Gordon "grounded" and forced to confront the battle he's really facing.

I think it would depend on how it's sold.  Lee is interesting as an improvement over Barbara, and she has had a few bright moments, but she still doesn't feel that distinct of a character apart from Gordon.  It would feel like their entire relationship was a set-up to bring Gordon down a peg.  At the same time, I would rather that she end up dead than be the constant damsel in distress that Barbara seemed set up to be.

[Danielg342]

I think it would depend on how it's sold.  Lee is interesting as an improvement over Barbara, and she has had a few bright moments, but she still doesn't feel that distinct of a character apart from Gordon.  It would feel like their entire relationship was a set-up to bring Gordon down a peg.  At the same time, I would rather that she end up dead than be the constant damsel in distress that Barbara seemed set up to be.

 

I agree, and I too would rather have Lee over Barbara. I pick Lee in this case because there's more impact in her being in danger than Barbara- Jim seems to be over Barbara, and the fan consensus (at least here) is that Lee is a far better character than Barbara is, so if the writers really want a situation where we know what's really at stake, Lee has to be in peril (otherwise, I feel the audience would just root for the Ogre to kill Barbara instead of feeling outrage that he has her).

 

I also believe, without a payoff, all those statements made by Bullock about reminding Gordon to stay level-headed will ring hollow. How much credibility can his advice have if we constantly see Gordon able to brush it off as if it is nothing? Granted, we had the Arkham stuff for Gordon but given the rollercoaster he's been on lately, he needs something a bit more crushing to make him see the dangers he truly faces. Don't get me wrong- I do want Gordon to triumph. I just want him to earn it, and I think the writers have their work cut out for them in that department.

[Camera One]

I thought it was a pretty engaging episode with the various subplots, though this show is getting too violent for my tastes.  I like a little fun when I watch a comic book show... not people being gunned down, getting their fingers chopped off and endless parades of sadistic killers.  

 

The scene with Selena pushing the man out the window and Bruce's reaction was well done.  We've seen Selena gouging someone's eyes out, so it's more Bruce seeing this which was significant.  I can understand why she did it too.  

 

I was a little surprised that Fish did the heroic thing.

 

I'm getting a little tired of Gordon being so brash and in-your-face to the point of being stupid.  

 

I just don't feel much satisfaction with this show.  You know that sadistic Dr. would rise again.  And the serial killer will strike again.  I'm really interested in how Bruce will grow up, so I'm hanging in there, but other than that, everything is so depressing and hopeless. 

[Snookums]

 

Well I'll be damned, Peter Petrelli has aged like fine wine!

 

 

 

He's immortal after meeting his vampire girlfriend:

 

https://youtu.be/wcyraSfUIaE

[Snookums]

Poor Alfred! I'll make tea and sandwiches for you, Alfie! Quit bleeding, 'kay?

 

 

And quit popping your damn stitches like a rookie idiot--an army man should know better then to to try to go out in the field in that condition. I get that he's outraged on many levels and petrified about Bruce, but if there's anything he's supposed to be teaching his young employer, it's not letting emotion get the best of you.

 

I liked a lot of this one: the idea of a serial killer that Gotham's Finest turn their backs on out of sheer nauseated terror is a good one and very Dark Knight Rises-esque. However, I don't get the Ogre's place--it's huge, echoing and full of uncovered windows! Yes, his secret room is in the back but apparently he keeps his terrified auditionees in his apartment when he's not there, cooking lamb and such while quite obviously chained up! Isn't he worried at ALL that one of them will pound on a water pipe or scream their heads off or just jump out a window with a note pinned to their sweater in sheer desperation? Or even just turn the TV up loud and hope someone calls in a noise complaint? I suppose the idea is that he breaks their psyches but the show isn't constructed to give that impression.

 

Loved the Penguin and Bruce nearly crossing paths! Penguin (who, as my husband noted with delight, is FINALLY carrying his umbrella/cane) stopping with a bit of a shiver, all "That's odd--feels like a bat fluttered over my grave. Oh, well, time to chop some fingers!" and heading off. And Bruce thinking shooting gallery means gun range was adorable. Although given the level of lead poisoning in gun ranges now Reggie would ironically have been in more danger camping in one of them for a few days.

 

Didn't quite get the pacing on when/how they had Lee say the Ogre was a monster. I mean, yes, kidnapping and slaughtering young women is awful, but c'mon. This is GOTHAM. Bank robbers have been shown acting with more nutjob creativity then she could possibly have seen glancing at the file for three seconds. It would have played better if she had said that line after examining the body.

 

The "catcher" guy annoyed me with his stupid club kid haircut under his safari hat. I kept waiting for him to call Fish "clever girl" and then bust some techno moves.

Edited April 15, 2015 by Snookums

[Lazlo]

I have to admit I burst out laughing at Lee's claim to be practically the same age as Grace. Morena Baccarin is a very beautiful woman but she's very obviously in her thirties and the actress playing Grace looked a decade or more younger.

 

Also go Selina! I'd have pushed him too.

[Actionmage]

Is that a "bad wolf" on the wall behind Loeb in that pic?

 

No, it's just a gargoyle. Here's a better look: https://legionofleia.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/2.jpg

[ratgirlagogo]

 

I also believe, without a payoff, all those statements made by Bullock about reminding Gordon to stay level-headed will ring hollow. How much credibility can his advice have if we constantly see Gordon able to brush it off as if it is nothing?

But this is one of the ongoing problems with the show.  Every week without fail Harvey (and often Essen as well) urges Jim to dial it down and stop drawing attention to himself - and every week Jim  goes ahead and does it anyway.  "The "punishment" scenario was Jim's reassignment to Arkham  -  which didn't last long.

[Danielg342]

But this is one of the ongoing problems with the show.  Every week without fail Harvey (and often Essen as well) urges Jim to dial it down and stop drawing attention to himself - and every week Jim  goes ahead and does it anyway.  "The "punishment" scenario was Jim's reassignment to Arkham  -  which didn't last long.

 

Good point. I think, storywise, the Arkham assignment was the right length, since Jim, while making a huge mistake (trying to arrest Falcone and the Mayor), it was still just a single mistake. So I felt then the punishment fit the crime. Now, a one-episode banishment won't do it justice- Jim needs something a bit more permanent. I'm hoping that since it's around season finale time we'll get that kind of payoff- since it allows for such a thing.

[33kaitykaity]

Jess!  I'll always love Milo from his days on Gilmore Girls.  I think he's aged really well.  It took me a minute to recognize him.  

[immortalfrieza]

Also go Selina! I'd have pushed him too.

I think most sane people would, I've always gone with the interpretation for Batman in general that Bruce's trauma after witnessing the death of his parents drove him to a sort of high functioning insanity that created in him such a revulsion to killing that he refuses to do so to anyone no matter how justified it is, along with an obsession to bring about justice in every way he can think of which only feeds that.

[Ubiquitous]

I think Bruce is going to have some 'splaining to do when Alfred recovers and starts looking for the man they defenestrated.

 

ETA: Clarified.

Edited April 20, 2015 by Ubiquitous

[TwistedandBored]

It seemed like this episode was just a bridge between what we already knew and what is coming.

 

The Ogre storyline seemed like the writers watched or heard about 50 Shades of Grey and thought Christian was really a monster. Honestly, I keep thinking the writers are just trolling 50 Shade fans. LOL

Also, every time he talked about finding the right woman, I keep thinking he is talking about Barbs. 

 

I love Fish. I am soo sad JPS won't be with us for long. Also, as soon as The Dollmaker was like I am going turn you into something this world has never seen...if you betray me again. It was like a light bulb moment. So that is how they are going to keep Fish around. By turning her into something else. Jada Pinkett-Smith might leave the show but Fish is here to stay. 

[Ubiquitous]

Are there any canonical Batman chars that have new bodies? I can only think of the Golden Age Superman villain who predated Lex Luthor. I think his name was something like "Subhumanite".

[Delphi]

In Batman Beyond Ra's Al Ghul placed his consciousness in his daughter, Talia's body, after the Lazarus Pit stops working for him.

And Brainiac has been known to take over others bodies at certain points, but Bruce isn't usually going up against Brainiac

[Lazlo]

There is the Ultra-Humanite (who began as an ugly old man but who has placed his brain in a beautiful actress and an albino gorilla amongst others over the years) but he has never been particularly a Batman villain.

[jbrecken]

Are there any canonical Batman chars that have new bodies? I can only think of the Golden Age Superman villain who predated Lex Luthor. I think his name was something like "Subhumanite".

You wouldn't need a new body, just a new face.  Clayface is fairly canonical. 

[John Potts]

I'm glad we're starting to see some suitably Batman-esque villains who are non canonical so they can (possibly) bite the dust. However, I don't buy that The Ogre wouldn't have been put down before now. For a start, I'd imagine not every cop has a wife/husband/girlfriend, but even if that wasn't true, once killers start attacking cops they'll tend to close ranks and be out for blood - and let's face it, he' scarcely dragging them off to a fallout shelter where they're completely out of sight. And while I haven't read or seen Fifty Shades of Grey (nor do I have any intention of doing so), a powerful, controlling man who wants to dominate you is probably far more likely to murder you than become your dream lover.

 

From the Recap It was Jess from Gilmore Girls! Run, past Grace!

 

If it'd been Rory, she wouldn't have lasted one day (unless she was allowed to dial for take out)!

 

Gotta hand it to Ms Mooney, she may be one cold fish (Heh!) but she was true to her word that she'd get some of them out. I'm wondering whether the decoy party did something to piss her off or were they chosen randomly?

 

Jediknight My jaw was on the ground when Selina killed that dude

 

Really? Selina's a survivor - I gave him about a fifty/fifty chance before they spoke and about a ten percent chance after he started threatening them.

 

Ubiquitous Is that a "bad wolf" on the wall behind Loeb in that pic?

 

What, you suspect the involvement of Rose Tyler!?

[Arynm]

Didn't quite get the pacing on when/how they had Lee say the Ogre was a monster. I mean, yes, kidnapping and slaughtering young women is awful, but c'mon. This is GOTHAM. Bank robbers have been shown acting with more nutjob creativity then she could possibly have seen glancing at the file for three seconds. It would have played better if she had said that line after examining the body.

 

 

I love this so much! I said the same thing to my husband when Lee said it. Really? This is the "monster" in Gotham? So odd and out of place. She would not have heard of the Ogre or seen his victims so I don't get the line at all