So last week Bruce became an accessory to murder after Selina Kyle pushed Reggie out of a window when he threatened to tell Bunderslaw about Bruce's investigation. Bruce was traumatized but I don't think he dealt with it the way it needed to be dealt with. I mean sure, he's been exposed to death before, the poor lad saw his parents blown away right in front of him. But something about his reaction just didn't seem genuine. Just seems like they're establishing this as the origins of Batman's "No Kill" Policy with Bruce saying "There's a line.". Yes, there is a line and unfortunately, I don't think his delivery of it was very convincing. I honestly think they should limit his screentime, as handsome as he is (and he is a good looking lad) and as much as he looks the part (and he does), he doesn't quite have the chops to handle being Bruce Wayne just yet.
That being said his interactions with Selina Kyle always crack me up and the fact that Bruce was all "So what if it is a date?" to Alfred and the fact that Alfred and I had the same exact response just cracks me up. But still, Bruce is now an accessory to murder...but seeing as how this is Gotham, no one's really gonna care about a heroin addict who fell out of a window (no one can really prove he was pushed)...or so he hopes. Point being, for such a big moment, the aftermath doesn't really seem to be there. I'd at least expect Alfred to get a phone call saying Reggie's dead. Who knows, maybe that'll happen in the following episode, but for right now Jim has his hands full with The Ogre and boy do we have something to talk about there.
 |
| THE OGRE: I'm going to kill you. BARBARA: That's cool. |
So The Ogre has set his sights on Jim Gordon, how exactly he knew about Jim's investigation into him is beyond me as it's pretty much only been a day since he started, but whatever. Rather than going after Dr. Thompkins, The Ogre set his sights on Jim Ex-Girlfriend Barbara Kean and I have to say this is simply delicious. Which leads me to ask, what the hell was up with her going to see her parents? Why didn't she just stay there? Can anyone remember? Anyone? I swear this chick is like a cat stuck in a tree, only she knows how she got up there and she doesn't know how she's gonna get down. The joke being is that even the writers are now starting to realize just how much people loathe her character with Barbara saying this fantastic line: "If a bus hit me tomorrow, no one would care.", to which I couldn't contain my emphatic agreement.
And since we're on the topic of Barbara, whatever happen to Dets. Montoya and Allen? Why aren't they helping Gordon to try and track down The Ogre and where the hell were they when he was tacking down Loeb? Ya know, for all the talk they did in the beginnings of this season about cleaning up The GCPD and the truce they made in the middle of the season they have been fortunately absent for all the major goings on in Gotham. I mean Flass being exposed as a drug dealer, Loeb having dirt on everyone and his own cover up. Honestly, you'd think that'd be something they'd be on top of, but we all know what Det. Montoya was on top of, don't we?
So anyway, getting back on topic, The Ogre has set his sights on Barbara but oddly enough, he seems to be into her once he finds out that she's single and hopefully he realizes she's not lying. Whether or not he'll still try to kill her is anyone's guess but I'm gonna surprise everyone and move towards he's not, mostly because she's Barbara Kean and she needs to be around...or something, I don't know. I doubt she'll become Batwoman (Lord help us if she does) but she just seems too important to be killed this early in the series if at all. However, I for DAMN sure hope she and Jim don't get back together, that would just suck after the amazing chemistry Ben Mackenzie & Morena Baccarin have. Anyway, with Barbara acting like a complete lush and discovering The Ogre's Christian Grey Room, only time'll tell where we go from here, but chances are I won't like it.
 |
| I'm like, really into "Fifty Shades Of Grey". |
Speaking of not liking, I have to say this Edward Nygma is a complete fail for me, fail, fail, fail. The more I think about it the more I don't like it. One of these days, I have to finish an article I was writing on why Louis Bloom from "Nightcrawler" was the BEST Riddler I've ever seen, and I just might do that after I finish my review of "The Following". The Riddler is my favorite Batman villain, yes I know it's heresy to say that, especially after Heath Ledger's Joker, but I'm a Riddler guy. The Riddler hasn't gotten a just representation in ANY live action setting, both cartoons did The Riddler GREAT justice but a live action Riddler has YET to be impressive and this one is case in point.
The Riddler needs to come off as a misanthropic genius, a skinny guy who although not physically imposing in size, is intimidating in a sense that you understand that this guy isn't all there. The Riddler should be a cross between Jigsaw & Hannibal Lecter, putting his victims in situations that require them to use their brains and solve puzzles to escape. As The Riddler was depicted in animated series, his primary motivation was revenge against businessmen who essentially screwed him over, like in the episode "If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich?" and "Riddler's Revenge". The Riddler is an extremely complex character driven by greed, his own narcissism and will to prove to everyone that he's the smartest man in the room, a master manipulator.
 |
| THIS IS THE RIDDLER!!! |
This Riddler...is a DORK! I lame DWEEB who has a hard on for a chick who wouldn't give him the time of day on her WORST DAY and yet he continues to try for her. If they wanted to make this about a woman, they could have at least killed her (don't you start that "Women In Refridgerators" bullsh*t with me!) and had a group of corrupt cops cover it up and have The Riddler figure it out and get revenge on them, because at least then you could argue that while his methods were extreme his cause was noble. Throughout the season, Nygma has expressed admiration of Gordon for trying to clean up The GCPD and setting up police officers to die could have been Nygma's way of saying "See Gordon, I'm on your side.". Only for Gordon be like "Dude, that's not how we do things." and then have Nygma arrested. That's what I would have done.
But instead, Edward Nygma breaks bad on accident. Sure, he stabbed that officer a few more times than he needed to but he clearly didn't mean to actually kill the guy. Furthermore, killing him wouldn't solve any problem, it's not like Ms. Kringle is going to disrobe and immediately jump his bones now that Officer...what's his name is out of the picture. All this season I've been hoping for them to show Edward Nygma as despite being an EXTREMELY lame dork, that he'd at least have ONE scene where he came off as dangerous, or slightly unhinged or even menacing, a scene that communicated to you that this guy was on the verge of snapping. But no! Instead his transition over to The Darkside was him accidently killing someone and muttering "Oh dear." over and over in an alley. Nothing critical happened to Ms. Kringle to warrant such an extreme reaction. They could have built up the abuse eventually leading to her death and after everyone refused to listen to him about, THAT is when he'd take measures into his own hands! THAT is how you do a darkside transition!
 |
| THIS IS NOT! |
So needless to say, I'm extremely disappointed in this and this has pretty much soured my "Gotham" experience as we once again have a Riddler that could have been awesome, but NOOOOOOOOO! Whatever, one day we'll get an awesome live action Riddler and everyone will be talking about him with the same reverence they talk about The Joker. I'll get off this topic, it's just my jimmies are seriously rustled because of that. In conclusion, this episode didn't really have much going for it as being in the final 4 episodes of this Season. Something balls to the wall crazy has to happen in the next 2 episodes to warrant a 2nd Season and so far nothing is jumping out. Will Penguin be able to kill Don Maroni? He needs to, The Penguin needs a solid kill, if not Don Maroni then Fish Mooney, someone. He needs to get his clout back. We'll find out, but I doubt he'll kill anyone and continue being the punchline he's been since he took over Fish's club. I hope I'm wrong. I'll catch you guys later.
Nice action of Killer fillet Knife.
ReplyDelete