Gotham

So I’ve finally gotten around to getting through all of Gotham. It’s on UK Netflix now. Turns out I only had four episodes to watch to finish the season, so that happened. I’ve got to say that I’ve had my doubts, and still do. Maybe I’ve just seen too much scripted television, but I saw most of the finale beats coming a mile off, although I’m pleased to say that it did still manage to surprise me in parts.

I’ve written before, in other parts, about how the show is centred on Jim Gordon, and how that decision pretty much rests on the actor playing him and whether the audience buys him as a younger version of the grizzled copper we know from the source material. Gary Oldman did it and nailed it, creating a tough act for anyone to follow.

I was advised to keep going when I voiced my concerns about the non-Oldman proto-Jim Gordon. ms pap reckons the bloke that plays him used to be in the OC, and seemed similarly bland in that, and that you eventually get used to him. This proved to be true. This isn’t the same take as Oldman. Here, you’ve got a younger, more physically capable Gordon who isn’t afraid to mix it up.

It isn’t perfect. There is some crap writing. Gordon’s grimy partner seems to serve little other purpose than to tell Gordon how much shit he’s going to rake up with his latest scheme. It’s possibly too long; the overall arc is pretty obvious from the first couple of episodes. There’s arguably too much time spent on relatively minor characters. That all said, I’d give it a recommendation, and this is coming from someone who felt totally burnt by Smallville. I like how dark it is and the fact that much of the time, it feels like a decent crime-drama.