Gotham (2014-2019)

 

When I say that this is the best show that I've seen in a long, long time, I absolutely mean it! I was definitely on a Marvel high the first part of the year, so I wanted to venture into other comic book waters. Gotham in a nutshell is a prequel of sorts to the original Batman mythos. In the Batman comics, Gotham City is literally its own character because of the array of characters that are created for the corruption of the city itself. Gotham takes all of the great heroes and villains from the comics and gives them solid, dimensional origin stories that goes beyond the camp and craziness and makes them human and real.

Detective Jim Gordan: Jim is the protagonist of the story and its long long suffering hero. Bound by moral decency and legacy left behind from his father, the former DA, Jim is a man that will not be compromised. Not to say that he doesn't fall and make detrimental mistakes, but Jim is determined to right the wrongs of the city he loves, while still maintaining his humanity.

• I love Jim Gordan.

• He's the picture of a true human hero.

• Jim puts up with more than he deserves.

• Jim's relationship with his partner, Harvey Bullock is friendship goals.

• He's the ultimate dad figure when it comes to the youth of the show.

• When Jim gets angry, you had better run.

• Despite being so moral, you can't help admire Jim for it, because he loses so much for simply doing the right thing.

• People are frequently blaming Jim for their problems, even though he gives them a fair amount of warnings.

• He can be rather romantic when he's not being so stoic and save-the-world all the time.

• GCPD!!!

Detective Harvey Bullock: Jim's outspoken partner, mentor, best friend and notorious womanizer (he defines the term 'sleeping with the enemy), Harvey is the main man you always want by your side in any extreme situation. 

• We all have that one friend...

• He's the ultimate comic relief.

• Harvey is so completely real and transparent about everything.

• In spite of his womanizing, I can still see myself wanting to marry someone like him.

• Harvey's not afraid to tell people off

• Or throw a few punches in the interrogation room.

• Even when Harvey is wrong, there is a seed of truth in everything he says.

• Unlike Jim who knows how to recover, Harvey is haunted by his wrongs.

• Harvey doesn't set out to be a tough guy and can be emotional.

• When Harvey says he doesn't like you, it means he doesn't and he never will.

Bruce Wayne: Gotham starts with the murder of Bruce Wayne's parents. Their deaths becomes the continuing thread throughout the show and the beginning of Bruce's journey to creating the Batman. In spite of his grief and loss, Bruce is determined to find his parents murderer and bring justice to them. In doing so, he grows and fights the injustice of Gotham and becomes a valuable ally and friend to Jim Gordan and the GCPD. 

• I loved seeing Bruce grow up on the show!

• He was a cute, insecure little baby who turned into a total badass hottie.

• Thankfully, Bruce is not portrayed as whiny, rich crybaby, but an extremely intelligent and very generous child.

• There's a inner strength, but also an emotional fragility to Bruce that isn't seen in most Batman stories. Gotham balanced this out to perfection.

• Bruce and Alfred's master/servant to father/son relationship was one of the best aspects of the show.

• Bruce's total cluelessness about romance and love in the beginning was so precious. 

• Childhood PTSD is heavily explored in Bruce's character.

• I love the fact the Bruce's voice doesn't entirely break.

• He's the master of sass and shade, especially when going at it with Alfred.

• This Bruce didn't become Batman, he always was Batman.

Alfred Pennyworth: The Wayne's loyal butler and Bruce's guardian who is tasked with the monumental responsibility of raising a teenager. Nothing in Alfred's former Marine career could have prepared him for such an arduous duty. Yet, Alfred protects and raises the frightened orphan child to become a young man with integrity and strength that could make any father proud.

• I originally started watching the show because the actor, Sean Pertwee, was in a show that I loved as a kid and his character was one of my favorites. 

• Safe to say, Alfred is not your stereotypical butler.

• With no Alfred, there would be no Batman.

• I love the reality of Alfred's struggle between being both Bruce's servant, but also his guardian and how Bruce can never really tell the difference at times.

• Alfred goes into full blown panic parent mode when the slightest bit of danger is within 50 feet of Bruce.

• Unfortunately, Alfred never got a love interest, but it really shows his immense devotion to Bruce and his parents.

• Alfred has probably died or almost died more times than anyone else on the show.

• Slapping Selina for hurting Bruce was one of Alfred's best moments.

• Alfred has probably shipped Bruce and Selina from day one and frequently reminds the two of them of each other's loyalty throughout the years.

• Crack on, Master Wayne.

Selina "Cat" Kyle: A street orphan, cat burglar and juvenile delinquent, Selina Kyle is the essence of trouble. However, Selina also has a strong sense of justice and even a kind heart toward the hurting. Selina's story is intrinsically tied with Bruce Waynes' and the two of them grow up together, both balancing on the edge between good and evil.

• Selina takes a while to get use to. 

• I wasn't sure about a kid Selina Kyle, but watching her and Bruce together from innocent children to adults brought an element of sweetness that the show needed.

• Selina is not by nature a villain, but the definitive anti-hero who does what she can to survive.

• Selina has Bruce under her spell from day one...and it's adorable.

• As she gets older, she actually becomes more humane probably due to her friendship with Bruce.

• Even though she's a loner, Selina has an immense loyalty to the people she considers her friends.

• Overtime, Selina becomes somewhat respected by many of the people in Gotham City.

• I loved her constant bickering with Alfred in the beginning and how they eventually became good friends. 

• In a weird way, I wanted her and Bruce to have a love scene when they became legal adults, but it almost seemed disrespectful too.

• Watching what her mother did to her as a child and then when she returns became Selina's turning point as a character. 

Oswald "Penguin" Cobblepot: An opportunist to the core, Oswald is determined to rule Gotham no matter who he has to kill in the process. Oswald has been a harassed outsider his whole life due to his leg disability that causes him to waddle, like a penguin. With only his mother as his only source of inspiration, Oswald goes from being a menial umbrella boy for a mob lieutenant to becoming a menacing force of power and unpredictability. 

• Gotham took two rather boring and campy villains and made them into the most well written and multi-faceted characters in the show. Nobody wakes up one morning and says, "I want to be a villain when I grow up." It all starts with a dream; a dream that shatters and is slowly replaced by a nightmarish monster. In the case of Penguin and the Riddler, both are men who started out with dreams of their own, but loss, pain and fear, mixed with years of rejection and harassment from the world made them both villains and victims. 

• Oswald is living proof that a haircut really makes a big difference.

• Everything in Oswald's life is an act or a show. So, the moments when he's honest with people and vulnerable with his emotions are so much more intense. Especially when he's talking about his mother.

• Just when I wanted to hate him, he would do something so unexpected that I would then reevaluate my opinions on him.

• I love that he named his dog, Edward.

• In spite of his selfish, power hungry nature, Oswald can have a heart that genuinely cares for others.

• His little theme song is one of the best pieces of music in the show.

• Oswald also doubles as the comic relief. His lines are priceless.

• Normally I despise mama's boys, but I was willing to make an exception with Oswald.

• You never know what's going on in Oswald's head and that's what makes him such a great villain.

Edward "The Riddler" Nygma: I gave my thoughts about Edward Nygma when I started season 3 and to be honest they haven't changed at all. Usually I don't go for the bad boys, but seeing as Ed started out as a genuinely good person and his struggle to remain good as long as possible, I found very intriguing as well as heartbreaking. Ed's battle for his mind and humanity is on-going throughout the show and you constantly wonder who is going to win.

• Hand's down my favorite character in the whole show.

• And not just because he's cute...well he's more than cute, but still, he was a very well written and complex character. 

• As much as I love Harvey and the GCPD, I hated the way they always bullied Ed around. Just because he was gawky and different.

• I'll admit, I loved his style in season 3. He looked amazing!

• Seeing his split personality always trying to control him and how he managed to fight back as long as he did was admirable.

• Kristen Kringle didn't deserve him.

• Even though they tread the LGBTQ waters with Ed and Oswald, I'm glad that they dropped it afterwards.

• I would actually try to answer his riddles.

• Ed's honesty is one of his most dangerous weapons, because he never forgets or forgives.

• I still secretly hope that Ed will have a change of heart and become good again.

There's actually very little I didn't like about this show. If they left out the LGBTQ storylines in the first three seasons, I would have no complaints after all. Gotham is very gory and violent though. There's no sex scenes to worry about, but the graphic violence can be intense. I was never big into Batman, but Gotham changed my mind. I'm now completely fascinated by the Batman/Gotham mythos and all of the veritable array of heroes and villains that reside in Gotham City. While it's certainly not wholesome watching for the family, the stories are excellent and the characters are on point on every episode.