S02.E04: Rise Of The Villains: Strike Force

[formerlyfreedom]

Captain Barnes is called to duty to create a law-abiding task force, with the help of Gordon. Meanwhile, Penguin gets caught up in a favor for Galavan, and Nygma asks Kringle out on a date.

[MisterGlass]

This was a weird one.  In an episode with gory deaths I'm still most shocked that Alfred slapped Selina. They are really committing to the gray area on him.

 

Theo's con with what I assume is a faux niece is odd too. I don't need a tween love triangle.

 

I wish they would give Ed a little more screentime for his going crazy. My attention is held more by him than by the rookie cops. Kristin, however, continues to be odd and have poor judgement. I'm not sure where this relationship was going.

 

Nice to see Butch back.

[Primetimer]

Someone new is determined to clean up the Gotham City Police Department. That should go well, right?

Read the story

[Philbert]

So, Gotham has decided to channel "The Untouchables"-------cause that turned out so well for everybody but Kevin Costner.

 

Oh, and Michael Chiklis playing a cop. Way to avoid type casting there, Commish.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Looks like Chiklis gained all the weight back.

[Spartan Girl]

How can Nygma break my heart and creep me out all at once?

I like Barnes so far, but I have a feeling he will turn out to be evil.

I'm not okay with Alfred slapping Selina, even if he's trying to protect Bruce. Oh and did anyone else think of the fountain jumping scene in Batman Begins when Bruce met the niece at the fountain.

If Penguin is going after Galavan and his live-in hooker Barbara for whatever they did to his mom, I'm rooting for the bird.

[HoodlumSheep]

Buuuutttccchhh! My favorite Hufflepuff Henchman!

Cheered when Alfred socked Selina in the jaw. I just don't like her. I know, I'm a terrible person. I think it's the fact that this is Gotham (so it's a crazy enviornment, and it's fictional), and the fact that Selina is hardly a defenseless girl (she can do backflips and scratch people's eyes out), and has no problem hanging out with the likes of Fish.

I suppose as a fellow gal I should be outraged, but I just...can't. I suppose she didn't deserve it in that very instance, but...yeah.

Poor Mama Cobblepot. :'( the Galavan sibs are monsters!!!!

I had more to say, but when I tried posting I got an error message and lost everything I had written, so I'm not typing it all up again.

Last note: Theo continues to be the epitome of a cartoonish villain. The circus/loony-bin background music seems to support this.

Edited October 13, 2015 by HoodlumSheep

[Chaos Theory]

I can't say enough about how much I am loving this new season.  It is so much better then season one and I actually liked season one. I am liking Leo Galavant and his sister and their plans for Gotham. I am liking Penguin and him being forced to work for Galavant not because Galavant out brutalized him but because he out smarted him. I am liking the new Commisoner and his Strike Force to clean up Gotham. My only real nitpick is we got four minutes of Barbara Kean which amounted to her serving a beverage, kissing a girl, and saying she wanted more to do. I want more for her to do too.

[Lantern7]

I'm thinking Barnes isn't corrupt, but he would have a lot of skeletons in his closet . . . and I'm not talking about No Ordinary Family.

 

Anybody else think Silver might be part of Theo's master plan? Way to jerk around Bruce . . . and Penguin. Theo obviously doesn't give a fuck  He doesn't care that any other city would have ferretted out his own assassination attempt. Did the GCPD check the bullets at the scene? I'm betting blanks were used.

 

Kinda cute how Eddie and Kristen had to take off their glasses in order to kiss. Eddie is still a sociopath, though, and Kristen should be award of the red flags he's waving.

 

Nice that Selina has her old outfit back. It works for her.

[foreverevolving]

This was a weird one.  In an episode with gory deaths I'm still most shocked that Alfred slapped Selina. They are really committing to the gray area on him.

 

Theo's con with what I assume is a faux niece is odd too. I don't need a tween love triangle.

 

I wish they would give Ed a little more screentime for his going crazy. My attention is held more by him than by the rookie cops. Kristin, however, continues to be odd and have poor judgement. I'm not sure where this relationship was going.

 

Nice to see Butch back.

I'm starting to believe she's as crazy as he is.. no seriously there is just something about the way she perked up to him when he asked her out and when he told her about the voice.. me think she's not too sane herself.. you know what they say: still water runs deep.

 

I was sure for some odd reason that the niece will end up being deaged Barbara.. What did the niece name was again?

 

Well Theo finally messed with the wrong person.. Pinguin is gonna get him, and he's gonna get him gooood.. this is the man who spend months planning and scheming behind Fish's back.

 

Was any of the rookies important comic book wise?

Also: only one black who is also female, one latino and two white males.... this show is starting to have too much white sausage for my liking. I'll keep watching but i'm pissed off about it.

 

Alfred hitting Celina.. I think I am too shocked to be enraged right now... there are something you just don't do. but yea go right ahead Alfred make the homeless thief hate you.. hopefully it will come and bite him back..

 

 

Also as much as I like the new captain I feel pissed off that a woman of color had to be killed off for a white man to be brought in instead... 

[Sakura12]

So Alfred goes around slapping 15 year olds for killing his friend, that also stabbed him.

I think Kringle gets off on the more psycho they act. She's a strange one.

[Philbert]

 

http://previously.tv/m/cache//2015-10-12-gotham04/1438134864.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

HOW'D IT GO? Most of the villains in the room don't look that interested in Oswald's ranting. They're probably looking forward to the big Blade Runner party they got dressed up for.

 

 

That made me laugh for at least 5 minutes.

[FortKnox]

A few thoughts:

Maybe it's the Shield fan in me but, I have a feeling Barnes is corrupt. And on that note, whenever he said Strikeforce I would yell at the TV, "It's Striketeam you idiot."

So Barbara deep kisses Tabitha and then kisses Theo, her brother and he has no problem kissing lips that has his sister's fresh spit on it. Ewwww

Something tells me that they are really siblings with an incestuous relationship and we found out they have threesome's with Barbara. If any network would go there it's FOX.

[Chaos Theory]

Maybe it's the Shield fan in me but, I have a feeling Barnes is corrupt.

 

Well there was also The Commish which he played the ultra honest Commissioner of Police so right now you have a 50/50 shot.   What I am hoping for is the honest kind of cop that Gordon is that has no concept of the lines and curves of Gotham like Harvey talks about.  The type who is all black and white and eventually goes to far enacting violent justice on the Villains of Gotham.  

[rue721]

Alfred is going to do his damnedest to make Selina and Bruce into star-crossed lovers, isn't he? You don't forbid a teenager from seeing her crush, that's just asking for trouble.

 

I think Silver is supposed to distract Bruce and make it easier for Theo to manipulate him. Bruce is a kid and Alfred is a snob, so I doubt either of them will be all that suspicious of her, even though she's practically got SHADY CHARACTER written on her forehead.

 

Theo seems pretty obsessed with blood ties, seeing as he's always going on about his family's ~illustrious past~, and seeing as he made sure to refer to Silver as his ward and her father as his *step*brother (rather than just calling her his niece and her father his brother, without giving more explanation), and seeing as he targeted Penguin's mother in order to manipulate Penguin. What's up with that obsession of his?

 

It seems like, to Theo, anyone who isn't a blood relation is expendable. That's probably why he was OK with killing Jerome and pimping out Silver, too. But I bet he feels differently about his blood relatives, like Tabitha. Penguin should probably get Theo back by going after Tabitha. In order to get Tabitha where he wants her, maybe he could use Jim to manipulate Barbara, and then use Barbara to manipulate Tabitha. Or maybe he could orchestrate a situation that makes both Tabitha and Jim believe that Barbara's a damsel in distress, and get them to fight it out over her. I bet Barbara would LOVE that, too. Plus, if Jim took out Tabitha to save Barbara, that would sic Theo onto Jim, which would be payback for Jim screwing Penguin over in this episode.

 

I missed Jerome (& the Maniax!).

[FortKnox]

Well there was also The Commish which he played the ultra honest Commissioner of Police so right now you have a 50/50 shot. What I am hoping for is the honest kind of cop that Gordon is that has no concept of the lines and curves of Gotham like Harvey talks about. The type who is all black and white and eventually goes to far enacting violent justice on the Villains of Gotham.

Of yeah I remember him on The Commish but, I never watched it. Also, a few years ago he was on the CBS show Vegas, which I loved, as a mob boss. So, that's why I'm leaning towards corrupt.

Edited October 13, 2015 by FortKnox

[immortalfrieza]

Selina deserved that slap and Alfred was well justified in giving it, for killing Alfred's friend and putting Bruce in extreme danger for no reason, either one is enough on it's own. Alfred was quite right when he said that Bruce is probably better off without her, but she's not going to stay away for long. I can see "Silver" as the one that ultimately wounds Bruce enough that it makes him truly into the loner he eventually becomes, she'll betray him at some point and that will make Bruce afraid to form connections with anyone ever again.

 

Well, I'm taking all bets as to how long this new captain is going to last, and if he finds out about what Gordon did I'll give him 5 seconds after he learns it. He's (I can't even remember the guy's name but for me that's pretty standard) far too on the nose and far too unyielding to last in Gotham. I'm guessing he's there to serve as an object lesson for Gordon on how bad being an uncompromising cowboy cop could really get.

 

Penguin, I'm disappointed in you. First season Penguin would have had 10 different things to blackmail his mother back from Theo with before dinner, but here he doesn't even try to do something like that. I'll bet money that Penguin will ultimately decide to send his mother off or just kill her after this because she's his weakness, he seems like the kind of villain to do that and I'm surprised to see he hasn't done at least the former already. Of course, Penguin doesn't tell Gordon what is going on and that will prevent Gordon from being forewarned as to what kind of scum Theo is and cause problems further down the road.

 

Theo couldn't be more obvious that he's rehearsed those hokey speeches if he tried. Use some of those billions to get an acting coach already!

Edited October 13, 2015 by immortalfrieza

[Chaos Theory]

Hey did anyone mention Butch yet? For a bad guy he is a very.....good guy. All the Penguin had to do was mention his mother was in trouble and Butch was on the case.

[HoodlumSheep]

^ butch is my fave. I've pegged him as a hufflepuff, despite him being shady.

Still not enough Harvey for my liking. I recognize there's a bunch of characters to get to, but still. :(

Edited October 13, 2015 by HoodlumSheep

[thuganomics85]

So, basically, we've got a class warfare going on with the bad guys.  Theo and Tabitha are the 1 percenters, who think Oswald and his lot are beneath them, and are basically using them to help Theo rise to power, and for Oswald to take the fall for all the murders.  Enjoy it while you can, you two, because this totally feels like a story where they are going to be in the driver's seat for a while, but it will end with Oswald getting the upper hand and crushing.  They pretty much doomed themselves by kidnapping his mother: no way he won't get revenge for that.

 

That does beg the question over who has the best psycho.  Zsasz has the bodycount and is a pro at it, but I think when Theo finally lets Barbara go full-crazy, it could be a sight to behold.

 

Michael Chiklis shows up as the new Captain.  I get why everyone thinks he could end up being bad due to The Shield, but right now, I think he'll end up being true to his word, but the problem will be he will find out about Jim's relationship with Oswald, and become an enemy.  He strikes me as someone who really sees the world as black & white.  We'll see, but I'm hoping we get some scenes with him and Bullock, because Chiklis and Donal Logue should be golden together.

 

I don't even know what to think of Edward and Miss Kringle.  Edward accidentally says her ex is dead and then admits he talks to a voice in his head, and she finds it.... hot?  I guess whatever works.

 

Totally did not see Alfred slapping the shit out of Selina.  Really didn't think this show would have Alfred, the Friendly Neighborhood Butler from the comics/film, hit a girl in the face like that, even if she ends up becoming one of the biggest thieves and thorns in Batty's side in the future.  Meanwhile, Bruce's eye is now on this Silver girl Theo set him up with, so I see a teen love triangle on the horizon.  At least the show resisted the temptation to bring a young Talia Al Ghul into the fray.

 

Butch really is the most loyal henchman in the entire city, screw what, the entire world.  Every evil villain on the planet would be lucky to have him in their corner.

Edited October 13, 2015 by thuganomics85

[Sakura12]

Selina deserved that slap and Alfred was well justified in giving it, for killing Alfred's friend

 

You mean Alfred's friend that stabbed him and left him for dead for money? Selina killed him because he was going to the people that hired him to go after Bruce. She saved Bruce's life. She didn't deserve a slap for that. Maybe she did for putting Bruce's life in danger when the assassins were sent after her, but I'm not a fan of hitting someone years after the fact. And there's the fact that Alfred hit a child and a girl, what kind of person does that make him? 

 

It's too bad we'll probably never see how this version of Catwoman and Batman will be like. Knowing each other as kids changes quite a few things. 

[immortalfrieza]

You mean Alfred's friend that stabbed him and left him for dead for money? Selina killed him because he was going to the people that hired him to go after Bruce. She saved Bruce's life. She didn't deserve a slap for that.

If anyone had the right to kill Reggie it was Alfred, Selina was out of line regardless of her motivations. Also Selina didn't save Bruce, Reggie's death was completely unnecessary. The CEO of Wayne Enterprises (whatever his name was) would have just given Bruce "the talk" a bit sooner than he did anyway if Reggie ratted on him and both Bruce and Alfred know this.

 

 

Maybe she did for putting Bruce's life in danger when the assassins were sent after her, but I'm not a fan of hitting someone years after the fact.

It's been only a few months in universe, it's not years after the fact. It's been short enough a time span for resentment to still be brewing between them over anything Selina has done.

 

 

And there's the fact that Alfred hit a child and a girl, what kind of person does that make him?

A nondiscriminatory person, that's what kind. Somebody that deserves to get slapped deserves to get slapped, age and gender are irrelevant and Alfred recognizes that. Besides, it's just a slap, it's not like Alfred beat the crap out of her or anything.

Edited October 13, 2015 by immortalfrieza

[Raja]

Of yeah I remember him on The Commish but, I never watched it. Also, a few years ago he was on the CBS show Vegas, which I loved, as a mob boss. So, that's why I'm leaning towards corrupt.

The Commish setting up the Strike Force(Team). If anything he will be a Sgt Vic Mackey corrupt more or less holding a control line and not a Vincent Sorvino mobster, that being Cobblepot's role. After all our hero protagonist is already guilty of felony murder when he did a favor for Cobblepot. Someone has to put some control on all the bad in Gotham if Bruce Wayne is to survive to become Batman

[Kathemy]

Sheesh the Selina moments totally broke my heart. Like, totally. I can see where they are going with this and now Selina will probably tell Bruce to go to hell or something, but at the same time, that final scene... It's like, now we see she's really in love with him, and she knows she's in love with him, so she'll probably go obsessive. Like someone above me said, you don't tell a teenager not to see your crush, that'll just make her want it even more. Then we'll unfortunately have to deal with the silly Silver triangle, but I expect that to pass. One way or the other Bruce and Selina are getting back together, I think that's a given.

 

I'm conflicted about the punch. On one hand, it just hurt me. Like, a lot. On the other hand, Selina did murder Reggie, and even if there were extenuating circumstances, those don't just erase that act. He didn't turn her in. He just punched her. Once. Nobody seems to have had a problem with Alfred telling Bruce how to knock that kid in season one senseless using his father's watch as brass knuckles. This is a comic book show, they can't have Cat arrested, but there has to be some consequence to her actions. Right or wrong, Alfred is treating her exactly like he'd treat a boy her age in that situation.

 

Also, yeah, Theo basically signed his own death sentence in this episode. He just doesn't know it yet. The "normal" Penguin would've had a ton of schemes going in a situation like that but kidnapping his mother paralyzed him. When he recovers from that, he'll slowly but surely take Theo and his little gang apart.

[Jediknight]

Oh Penguin, you should have just sent Zsasz after the Galivans.  They're good, but Zsasz is better.  I think even crazy Barbara would tell Theo to stop if she saw Zsasz coming for them.

 

I like that Gordon is already questioning what is causing Penguin to do this.  Nice to see them show that Gordon is smart, and he knows Penguin wouldn't do this if not for something big.

 

Please stop calling it strike force, I keep looking for Rick Martel and Tito Santana.

Edited October 13, 2015 by Jediknight

[VCRTracking]

The new captain and Gordon recruiting cadets reminded me of The Untouchables.

 

Didn't expect Silver St. Cloud to show up! She memorably first appeared in Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers' celebrated Batman run in 1977:

 

[Raja]

The new captain and Gordon recruiting cadets reminded me of The Untouchables.

 

 

Oh it was a direct rip except Bullock wasn't there at the recruitment like Sean Connery's Jimmy Malone

[Syndicate]

Alfred popping Selina proves that kiddies like her nor Bruce belong here.  Selina and Bruce coincide amongst bloody psychos, lesbians, etc.  I wonder how the audience would react if Selina was kissing Barbara or Bruce in bed with Jim or Alfred?  They're out of place amongst adults and craziness.

[Cthulhudrew]

"Waah! They've got my mommy!" 

 

I swear, every time they start building up Penguin as remotely competent or fearsome, they emasculate him again right away. He's got Zsasz on the frigging payroll. Surely he can loosen Galavant's tongue like he brainwashed Butch?

 

(Speaking of, all these tics of Butch make me wonder if something's up with him.)

 

Between the over the top theatrics of Galavant's speechifying, Penguin's Hair Band groupies, and the godawful hairstyles of the reporters, it's starting to feel like the real villain on the rise in Gotham is Joel Schumacher.

[AzureOwl]

Given that Silver St. Cloud is related to the Galavans, odds are good she's batshit crazy, and even better odds that she and Selina are going to have a know-down drag-out fight before the season is over. 

 

Mark my words.

Edited October 13, 2015 by AzureOwl

[MDKNIGHT]

"So Barbara deep kisses Tabitha and then kisses Theo, her brother and he has no problem kissing lips that has his sister's fresh spit on it. Ewwww"

I didn't get to comment on this at the time but this reminded me that ever since Tabitha told that politician that Jerome later killed, that Theo was "great in the sack" I've kind of taken it as a given that they are incestuous. I mean how would a guy's sister really know? On a tangential that is more specific to this episode, although I don't think Silver is necessarily his BLOOD neice (despite him saying she was his half brother's kid) I am guessing he's slept with HER too. I think we have had dark sexual things going on on this show for a long time and we have now entered incest and sex with young teens territory.

I don't think Alfred had the right to hit Selena and it looked like a punch instead of a slap to me which made it worse. This is a guy who downed several goons that were grown men. In real life he would have severely injured her. Also he was mad she killed a guy who almost killed him. Not really feeling his motivation. I think it is sad that Selena has nobody she could complain too or run to for help. Also at this point in her life I don't see her as irredeemable regardless of what we know about her later life. And they may not go that way on this series any way since I can't really see Babara Kean becoming Barbara Gordon in THIS universe so Catwoman may turn out differently too.

Thanks to the recap regarding the Bladerunner cosplayers. I knew thePenguin's gang reminded me of something but couldn't dredge it up.

Was disappointed Penguin killed that lady politician. I thought he was going to fake her death and then use her against Galavan later in his usual Rue Goldbergian fashion but I guess he hadn't had time to set something up. The preview for next week however gives me hope because he's sucking up to Galavan and that is his usual opening gambit. Here's hoping.

BTW I know the guy playing Galavan is a good actor because I've seen him in a lot of other things but the people of Gotham especially Alfred should be ashamed of getting sucked in by Galavan because the CHARACTER SUCKS as an actor/lier. His speaches are so patently phony Gotham deserves what it gets if they vote for that clown.

[jah1986]

I'm still not crazy about this season but last night wasn't bad at all. Okay, it was Butch making it better, loved his "you don't know me" the delivery of the line just cracked me up. I thought Penguin crying over his mommy was over the top but here's hoping he gets the best of Galavan in the end.

 

I hope Barnes doesn't turn evil.

[darkestboy]

Another one I really enjoyed. Barnes seems a little too good to be true but his determination to clean up Gotham could be very interesting to watch though. Looks like Gordon's found someone more straight man than him in that regards.

 

Theo and Tabitha upped the ante with the way the used Oswald's mother to get Oswald to do what they wanted him to do. This can't end well for them later on though.

 

Butch had some interesting moments in this one too. Could he become a problem for Oswald later on?

 

This episode did not need Barbara. It just didn't.

 

Alfred slapping Selina felt a little too callous to me. Silver is definitely a way for Theo to get a hold on Bruce too.

 

Nygma's date night was pretty brilliant too, 8/10

[Gwen-Stacys]

I was sure for some odd reason that the niece will end up being deaged Barbara.. What did the niece name was again?

His niece is Silver St. Cloud, another character from the comics. I'd say she won't end up being shady because of her comic book counterpart....but then I remember Barbara...

 

OT: All the talk about these kids being put in adult situations talk is kinda squicking me out...

Edited October 13, 2015 by Gwen-Stacys

[The Kings Foot]

If Penguin is going after Galavan and his live-in hooker Barbara for whatever they did to his mom, I'm rooting for the bird.

 

Live in Hooker ? A grown woman cant sleep with a man and live with him ?

 

Alfred popping Selina proves that kiddies like her nor Bruce belong here.  Selina and Bruce coincide amongst bloody psychos, lesbians, etc.  I wonder how the audience would react if Selina was kissing Barbara or Bruce in bed with Jim or Alfred?  They're out of place amongst adults and craziness.

Sure...cause lesbians and psychos are the same thing .  And Barbara  kissing the Galavans is the same as her kissing Selina......... and Gordon is going to sleep with Bruce....what ?

Separately . I was loving Penguin's suits this episode especially what he was wearing when the was stabbing the female candidate. Als o kudos to that profile shot  of Penguin at the very end. Very comic book like.

Edited October 13, 2015 by The Kings Foot

[maczero]

The new captain and Gordon recruiting cadets reminded me of The Untouchables.

 

Didn't expect Silver St. Cloud to show up! She memorably first appeared in Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers' celebrated Batman run in 1977:

 

I always find it funny how Marvel and DC seem to copy each other's characters.  So who came first, Silver St. Cloud or Silver Sable?

 

Is it me or does Silver look like she may actually be 18 or pretty close to it?  I can see Bruce being attracted to her but I can't see why she would be interested in a 14 year old.  Then again, she's probably been told to wrap Bruce around her finger.

 

Good to see Zsasz and Butch back.  I wonder why Penguin wanted to do the first hit himself.  He's management now, he should've had Zsasz doing both hits.  Also as pointed out, his limp makes him pretty distinguishable.  I guess the writers just wanted to hurry up and give Gordon a clue that Penguin was behind the murders.

[shrewd.buddha]

I know the time period for Gotham is not defined, but the gunfight between the police and Victor Zsasz near the end made me think it must be the late 1800's --- when people just shot in the general direction of another person, hoping a bullet might find its target. Sheesh..  The guy was standing in the middle of the street with six or more policemen shooting at him for a long period of time. I'm beginning to see why Gotham's Finest don't have much impact on the crime problem.. 

 

I like the photography and atmospherics, but the over-the-top-ness of everything -- from adults hitting children, to grisly murders, to icky relationships -- can be draining week after week. Certainly no one would want to live in Gotham --  but I don't want to be put off from visiting once a week. 

[Chaos Theory]

I know the time period for Gotham is not defined, but the gunfight between the police and Victor Zsasz near the end made me think it must be the late 1800's --- when people just shot in the general direction of another person, hoping a bullet might find its target. Sheesh.. The guy was standing in the middle of the street with six or more policemen shooting at him for a long period of time. I'm beginning to see why Gotham's Finest don't have much impact on the crime problem..

It's like that with a lot of shooty uppy shows. NCIS LA has a gun fight an episode and the good guys are often standing in the middle of the street and don't get hit by a single bullet. That the thing about these types of show. You have to believe in magic bullets.

[Philbert]

So it looks like Gotham has finally decided to embrace it's inner Comic Book this season and I have no problem with that. Yes, it's over the top and at times downright silly but does every single show have to be an exercise in stark realism and oceans of emotional torment? It is a marked improvement of the tonal dissonance of last season. So here we go:

 

1. I like Michael Chiklis. I loved him in "The Shield." I think I know where they're going with Barnes and his Strike Force and it's not going to be pretty for any of them. Always pay attention to Harvey Bullock. He knows Gotham like the back of his hand-and Gotham's going to end up backhanding Barnes and his crew of super rookies before the season is over. The shout outs to "The Untouchables" were a bit on the nose but it's not a bad storyline.

 

2. Theo Galvin. I also like James Frain and this performance is the classic "Prince of Evil" that we've all come to expect from him. Of course he's not being remotely subtle about this but as a number of critics have pointed out recently-This show don't do subtle. Why should it? This storyline is once again, over the top and at times silly but it's a hell heck of a lot of fun.

 

3. Barbara. Okay, she's boring me again. Not Erin Richards' fault. Give her something interesting to do, writers. We get it...she's a bi-sexual tramp. I'm not even going to attempt to open up that particular can of politically correct can of worms here. Expect angry letters soon.

 

4. Butch and Victor ride again. Love these guys. Probably my two favorite side villains. I know a number of fans complained last year that this incarnation of Victor Zsasz was nowhere near scary enough in season one. Let's see-he mowed down 4 bodyguards last night, and fought 6 heavily armed cops to a standstill. Looks fairly scary to me. As for Butch-that scene with the two terrified campaign workers was priceless. Drew Powell is killing this part.

 

5. Penguin v. the Galvins. That part I liked a lot. Poor Oswald sees himself as something greater than a low life thug, although he often behaves like one. His pride was really hurt by the offer to tear the city down. Then of course, there's his obsession with his mother. That's not an act. He's really terrified for her safety. I expect that before the end of the season, Oswald will get his revenge and be bigger than ever. Time will tell.

 

I'm not sure if I liked this one as much as the previous "Not Joker" centered episodes but it was good enough to hold my interest. 7/10.

[Milz]

Poor Pengy----his mama being held hostage by those thugs. If he wants to get back at Theo and Tab, he should sprinkle some public lice in Barbara's panties.

 

I agree with everyone who thinks Kringle is as krazy as Ed. She would make a better Harlequin than STD (aka Barbara).

[blackwing]

Loeb was Commissioner and Captain Essen was in charge of the police force.  Then Loeb was forced out and Essen became Commissioner, even though she maintained her same office.  Was she also still the direct boss of the police?  I don't recall her appointing anyone as interim boss.  Now she is dead, and this Captain Barnes has assumed leadership.  So who is the Commissioner?

 

On a tangential that is more specific to this episode, although I don't think Silver is necessarily his BLOOD neice (despite him saying she was his half brother's kid) I am guessing he's slept with HER too. I think we have had dark sexual things going on on this show for a long time and we have now entered incest and sex with young teens territory.

She's probably not blood related.  He specifically said that she was his stepbrother's child, and after the stepbrother died, she became his ward.  If they were half-brothers he would have said so.  In any event, I don't think being blood related would have stopped him anyways.  I do think she's supposed to be about 15 though, same age as Bruce.

[Chicago Redshirt]

I haven't really read much of comic book Zzazz, but my understanding is that he is closer to Hannibal Lecter than mob enforcer. Mob enforcer scary is a different thing from Hannibal scary.

[Kathemy]

The actress playing Silver is 15. David is 14. Also I don't think we can conclude Theo is sleeping with his sister out of one fleeting remark that was obviously designed to gross the vice-mayor out. It's not like I would object to it, however.

[VCRTracking]

 

I always find it funny how Marvel and DC seem to copy each other's characters.  So who came first, Silver St. Cloud or Silver Sable?

Silver St. Cloud appeared appeared first in 1977 in Detective Comics while Silver Sable was created in Amazing Spider-Man in 1985, but other than the silver hair, the two characters are very different. St. Cloud is a rich socialite who becomes romantically involved with Bruce Wayne and figures out he's Batman when she sees him fighting Deadshot. She leaves him and Gotham City when she realizes he'll never give up being Batman. Sable was the cold, badass daughter of a famous Nazi hunter in Europe. She was trained by her father and took over his team of mercenaries after his death.

Edited October 13, 2015 by VCRTracking

[Traveller519]

Man, Adam Goldberg (character) must be nerding out back in the 80s, that his girlfriend landed a role on a Batman show when she moved to Seattle.

 

*** 

Anyway

***

 

I finally set up my surround sound a few weeks back and noticed how much this show kills it with its sound editing. Last night was especially incredible. I don't know if I had it turned up just right, but the music sound effects, and mixing were all dialed in. It added some extra creepy to the Nygma/Kringle date and some much needed levity to the Silver/Bruce interactions.

 

I'm holding out hope for chained up Mother Kubbleput. Females are Strong as Hell!

[cambridgeguy]

 

I haven't really read much of comic book Zzazz, but my understanding is that he is closer to Hannibal Lecter than mob enforcer. Mob enforcer scary is a different thing from Hannibal scary.

True, but these characters still have a decade to develop into the crazies that will fill Batman's nights.  He could easily snap at some point and turn into a psychotic serial killer.

 

It also would have been better for Galavan if he was the only one shot at - proof that the other candidates aren't worth the effort.  That could have been done without making an enemy of the city's top mob boss.

[Snookums]

In an episode with gory deaths I'm still most shocked that Alfred slapped Selina. They are really committing to the gray area on him.

 

 

I was jaw-dropping "WHA?" at that! On one hand, Selina really should learn that mouthing off to dangerous people can get you hurt quick, before you can react. On the other, that was not a slap; it was a closed-fist punch. She's a child, she's Bruce's age! Her trying not to cry while Alfred tore into her made my heart ache. 

 

My only real nitpick is we got four minutes of Barbara Kean which amounted to her serving a beverage, kissing a girl, and saying she wanted more to do. I want more for her to do too.

 

Ditto. And what's up with Tabitha apparently being down with sharing Babs with Theo this week? Barbara is sleeping with both of them and apparently so is Tabitha! It's like Satre's No Exit with STDs and horrible, horrible art. Theo's model of his dream city made out of old Mac shells confirms his terrible taste. Penguin should have refused to assist on aesthetic grounds alone.

 

It took me a while to figure out Theo's plan--why bring a vicious little cur like Penguin into your plans?--but he did point out that between steering the GCPD in his direction and terrorizing Pengy with harming his mother he's pretty much got a clear field. Well that and everybody in the damn city being a brain damaged moron. "I'm the only one who didn't get shot! IN PUBLIC, unlike my co-candidates for Mayor! Nothing to suspect here!"

 

 

Kinda cute how Eddie and Kristen had to take off their glasses in order to kiss. Eddie is still a sociopath, though, and Kristen should be award of the red flags he's waving.

 

 

What she SHOULD be doing is slapping a civil suit against the city for allowing this nutjob to stalk her openly at her workplace. Instead I have to listen to her titter and coo about how she's been soooo mean about his tearing apart of her files and gifts of cupcakes with bullets in them??? I'm holding out hope that she turns out to be a crazed supervillian with a crawl space full of former boyfriends but the whole "I love bad boy abusers" is getting fucking old, fast.

[Snookums]

Maybe it's the Shield fan in me but, I have a feeling Barnes is corrupt. And on that note, whenever he said Strikeforce I would yell at the TV, "It's Striketeam you idiot."

 

 

He's totally corrupt but in a different way than Gotham's used to. Rather than being bribeable and on the take or apathetic, Barnes is basically a walking hard on for LAW AND ORDER.  He's Donald Trump's version of a lawman--recruiting twenty somethings without one hour's experience in real world policing into his private army and having absolutely no problem with them spraying the streets with bullets regardless of A) Civilians and B) Dobbs, the guy they were ostensibly trying to protect. He nearly got the female recruit killed less then a day into her tenure. 

 

When he was walking around bellowing, looking like he was going to explode right out of his jacket with rage at the "shame" everybody should be feeling, it was as calculated a performance as Theo's Mr. Smith Goes To Gotham Aw Shucks routine. He's sussing out who's going to follow him and who's trouble. The fact that he called out a handful of corrupt officers--but not all of them--and arrested one but not the rest? Should have given him away then and there, but Jim Gordon, the dummy, is so dazzled he did everything but drop to one knee and kiss his ring, cementing his power. He's going to be as big a threat to Gotham as any of the super villains.

 

 

It doesn't matter where Alfred parks, because Bruce doesn't get to ride home in the car anyway. He has to run the six and a half miles in ninety minutes, because this is where Alfred starts training him.

 

 

While carrying his uniform in his hands, presumably? Was Alfred expecting him to strip and change right there on the street? At least let Bruce change in the back seat, damn!

Edited October 13, 2015 by Snookums

[Chaos Theory]

The one overwhelming downside to this show is that it does not know how to write a female character. It has had two decent female characters Fish Mooney and Leslie Tomkkns and it killed off Fish and in the second season I don't think Leslie has had more then a handful of scenes most of which have been propping up Jim. Barbara became an interesting character after she broke up with Jim and became downright fascinating during and after the Ogre plot but the show refuses to write for her. Hell even the rookie cops during the shootout if was the woman who got shot. It would not have surprised me at all if she had been killed and her death at been a rallying cry for the male cops of Gotham.

Don't get me wrong, I love this show I am just disappointed about how few quality female rolls their are on it.

[Danielg342]

"If you know what a man loves, you know what can kill him."

 

Those were Oswald's very words before killing Frankie in "Penguin's Umbrella", and I wondered at the time how long it would take before someone would figure out Oswald loves his mother.

 

Wait no longer, since Theo's got it figured out...and shows that our dear Penguin still has some learning to do, because he was played too easily. He probably knows it too, and it's wrestling him knowing that someone is beating him at the same manipulative game that he played to perfection last season.

 

Not so fun on the other side, is it Penguin?

 

I think what will be fun is seeing that tangled web that will be when Captain Nathaniel Barnes proceeds with the case against the Penguin...there will be some very tense moments for Jim, since he knows he may need to fess up about that murder he committed.

 

Speaking of Barnes, he was a breath of fresh air, being very much the commanding presence that Michael Chiklis brought. For once, we've got a no-nonsense tough guy with unlimited optimism that should serve as an inspiration for Gotham, because he tells his troops, "I'm not afraid, and neither should you." It does appear a little over the top, and I wonder if Barnes is compromised too (or he'll just be shown to be in way over his head), but so far I liked the start.

 

Bruce's story...yay for Silver (wasn't Natalie Alyn Lind so lovely and sweet?) but boo for Alfred for shooing away Selina. That was very heavy-handed and I don't think it's right that Alfred can now dictate Bruce's love life, even if he thinks it's "better" for Bruce. That kind of arrogance gets back at you. I was also disappointed that Selina didn't have more fight in her after Alfred smacked her...surely she's dealt with worse. I understood it though- Alfred was ex-military, and maybe Selina felt the battle was only going to get worse for her if she kept pursuing.

 

Poor Selina though...Camren Bincondova played it so well, so utterly despondent. I just wanted to give her a hug and tell her everything will be okay.

 

Is this the break that turns Selina away from Batman for good? Forbidden love? Might be a nice take on the storyline.

 

As for Edward Nygma and Kris Kringle...well, I never thought sparks could fly but there they were between the show's two resident "geeks"- or, as it turns out, resident "freaks and geeks", because both of them seemed to have their own freaky side to compliment the geeky. I would think most women would be freaked out after a man told her he has voices in his head, but not Kringle- or, should I say, Kristen, as she kept insisting. It's been a weird journey to get to this point, and I hope something is made of this relationship- first, Kristen should be given something to do on her own, so she stands independently of Nygma. Secondly, the writers could make a truly compelling and interesting relationship if they let their creativities run wild- they shouldn't befall the same traps that every other TV relationship befalls, and nor should Kristen be used just to be killed off which prompts Nygma's rage. The show has done very well turning things on its head- they can't miss this opportunity.

 

Hardly any Bullock, which disappointed me, but at least he got in a snarky comment about how quick the Strike Force are.

 

Overall...this was a bit pacey in parts and it was really only mildly entertaining...but there are parts here that suggest that a nice story is only warming up.