User Reviews

I think this show has S.H.I.E.L.D. disease. Not that it's a bad thing but it makes gaining viewers much harder. What happened with S.H.I.E.L.D. last year was the first half of the season was at most, decent. Things happened with the story line and the second half of the season was must watch weekly television. The story got more character driven and less with a bad guy of the week. Last night's Gotham titled "Arkham" is a positive start to that kind of season. Thankfully, the second season of S.H.I.E.L.D. has banked on the second half of last season. This season is a lot more interesting and fun.

The episode starts at the end of the third episode with Oswald showing up at Barbara and Jim's door. And that's when the campy atmosphere of the show continues. Jim and Oswald have a confrontation where Oswald explains his thoughts about the city of Gotham, a 'crime war' coming and how he can help Gordon solve this. Cut to the top of a parking lot where an assassin with a very violent but cool weapon takes out a congressmen. Gordon and Bullock are put on the case to find the killer.

This congressman's death is just the first of many. There is a war for the property of Arkham. The two huge crime bosses are vying for that land. It will bring in money for both of them but the bigger the land the more money will one boss will have. It seems that everyone is following this including Bruce, who is looking for ways to help in order to perverse the memories of his parents. Gordon and Barbara finally have that talk as she brings up Oswald. He explains to her that it is work related. She finally confesses to his dismay her relationship with Montoya.

As the assassin takes out another congressmen in a violent murder, Fish Mooney is looking for a new performer, trying out two different girls with different strengths. Both interactions are pretty hilarious in nature. If you notice what the girls are wearing and how they sing you can figure out the outcome. Bullock and Gordon only have a few scenes together. But their chemistry is one of the few things keeping this show's head above water. Meanwhile, Oswald has strategically placed himself in one of the aforementioned mob boss' restaurant. A robbery happens where he saves a bag of money but the main go to man there is killed. Oswald is rewarded with being promoted to the new go to man in the restaurant.

Gordon has another one of his "I solved the case" moments figuring out that the mayor is the final person on the hit-man's list. There is a mini-chase with Gordon going toe to toe with the assassin and once again being saved by Bullock. This seems like a very fun play on the damsel in distress routine in many superhero movies. The war is averted but things still don't go the way Gordon and Bruce want. Arkham is divided into parts with one of the crime bosses getting most of the land and main head Falcone taking a hit. The episode ends with three character scenes, Mooney lets her girls battle it out for the job. Gordon and Bruce have another end of show inspirational speech/scenes. But the most interesting is the final reveal. The scene shows the robbers of the mob restaurant were hired by Oswald, who disposes them in a very Oswald way.

For a 'fan' of the show, this was the most entertaining episode of the season. It was mostly character driven with the story affect all the main players in the show. Gotham is at it's best when it's more comic book than TV show. This episode showcases that. It plays with norms (so far norms) and doesn't end the way it should even though the cops caught the killer. Robin Lord Taylor's performance as Oswald is the shining star of this show. Any time he is on screen the show is taking up multiple notches. This is his breakout episode with most of the what happens on screen has him sitting in the shadows playing everyone.

I'm starting to think that Gotham is on it's way to becoming something I love talking about from week to week. This episode let's the bright spots of this show come to light and minimizes the weak points. As long as the creators and writers stick to this kind of episode I'm all in. It's when they deviate and start splicing each scene with a new Batman story line or character they get away from what the show does well. If this had been the pilot I think there would have been a much less divide in viewership and fan support.

After a mid stumble with the Balloonman episode Gotham returns to sparkling form as a nasty killer is taking out Gotham's big guns and Oswald becomes a bigger player whilst the Falcone and Maroni war gets really going,this is the episode for me where the show went bigger.

A hit-man is taking down Gotham's city council members who are involved in the Arkham project a scheme to help Arkham district. Whilst this goes on Oswald works his way further up the gangland ladder by being made manager at Maroni's restaurant after saving some money during a armed attack on the place.Also at the same time Fish Mooney hires a girl called Liza to become close to Falcone. With the hit-man targeting the Mayor next its up to Gordon and Bullock to bring him down and whilst this happens we learn Oswald might of known the attack on the restaurant was going to happen all along.

A real return to form and possibly the best episode yet with a top guest bad guy and the Oswald story and Falcone/Maroni war brewing.

There is no doubt Robin Lord Taylor has turned a sort of one dimensional bad guy in The Penguin into the shows best villain by a country mile and his Oswald really becomes a player in this episode with his sneaky and creepy ways propelling him towards the gang-boss of the future,Taylor deserves a Golden Globe for this role without a doubt and has turned a villain I never really took to into a real favourite of mine,whenever Oswald is on screen he steals any scene from any character despite a number of colourful co stars,even though The Joker so say turned up once I doubt he or any other bad guy could top Oswald.

The bad guy of the week is a hit-man played by quality Africa born actor Hakeem Kae-Kazim and has a menacing presence whenever he is there and his use of how he kills is very chilling. Others like Gordon,Bullock,Bruce,Alfred,Ed,Fish and gang bosses Falcone and Maroni have great scenes in this episode and even though Selina Kyle isn't in this one this is such a strong cast it doesn't matter,i particularly like the buddy partnership of Gordon and Bullock and the sweet and charming father/son type relationship between Bruce and Alfred and Sean Pertwee who plays dapper gent Alfred always has a quip ready to make us chuckle,perfect choice for the role.

This episode is the most gripping yet with the exploits of the hit-man along with the terrific shooting at the restaurant taking centre stage.Also love the fight between Fish Mooney's two potential clients.The scenes with the hit-man are the best especially a superb finale where he hunts down the mayor before Gordon and Bullock race to the rescue and includes a great bit of shooting.

One negative has to be the character of Barbara,although Erin Richards who plays her is beautiful she is a poor character who just seems to whine all the time and though she has been given more to do in later episodes she gets on your wick a bit here,i don't think she is the best actress and she annoyed me a bit when she appeared in brilliant BBC series Being Human,beautiful lady but a bit of a unwanted character.

Overall though a improved episode than before with outstanding acting especially from Taylor,Pertwee and Ben McKenzie(Gordon)and has some awesome action and twists along with a few chuckles.

Its got better and better since.

My mouth actually dropped open when this moment of monumentally STUPID plotting occurred; our heroes(?) go to where the hit-man works, having tracked him through his stolen identity! So, having gone to the trouble of killing someone and assuming their life, he gives the game away by hiring himself out as a killer under his assumed name? The cops in this city aren't just corrupt, they're criminally stupid to boot. The hit-man having the initials of the three cops on security at the Mayor's house written down is one of the most ridiculously obvious plot devices ever. I still personally don't like the Waynes' killer being some kind of hit-man, but at least their deaths are being shown as part of a bigger scheme to allow organised crime to increase it's stranglehold on Gotham, something that would serve to motivate the young Bruce in his desire to wage war on Falcone, Moroni, et al. As for young Master Wayne, despite what some have said elsewhere, I find it very easy to see this traumatised boy becoming the Batman; his parents were no doubt already concerned at his brooding and intense behaviour before that fateful night! Much as I want to keep watching, and much as I hate to say this, the police work needs to actually become detection rather than exposition if the show is to hold my interest much longer!