Gotham: Prettyheavysoul Review

GOTHAM: PRETTYHEAVYSOUL

Perhaps Gotham opted not to title it Pretty Heavy Soul because we weren't too far from the similarly-titled Pretty Hate Machine.  I still find Prettyheavysoul to be a clunky, unwieldy title but the episode itself ends Season Three of our Batman prequel with wild finishes, outlandish ends, and even new beginnings for our various heroes and villains in this dark world.

Ra's al Ghoul (Alexander Siddig) has been looking for his 'knight in the darkness' and believes it is Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz).  Despite himself, Bruce has stabbed his manservant Alfred (Sean Pertwee), an act that horrifies and angers Bruce.  Ghoul makes his getaway, but not before advising Master Bruce to use nearby waters on Alfred.  These waters heal but do not fully cure Alfred, who is rushed to the hospital.

Bruce is not impressed when he sees Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova) paying a visit, and she leaves in anger.  Eventually, she finds Tabitha Galavan (Jessica Lucas), who now takes her as a protege, complete with helping her develop Selina's surprisingly good use of a whip.

It's been a long day for Tabitha, who has finally joined in helping her part-time lover Butch Gilzean (Drew Powell) take out her other part-time lover, Barbara Kean (Erin Richards), lovingly known as Bonkers Babs.  Babs and Edward Nygma aka The Riddler (Cory Michael Smith) are trying to use Jarvis Tetch aka The Mad Hatter (Benedict Samuel) as a bargaining chip to take over all Gotham.  However, Detective Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie), despite the growing power of the Tetch virus on him, knows that Nygma wants one thing one: Oswald Cobblepot aka The Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor).

In exchange for Penguin, Nygma is willing to trade Tetch, something Pengy is not happy about.  Fortunately for him, Bonkers Babs learns about this secret deal and tries to get Tetch back.  Nygma throws a grenade and in the confusion Penguin manages to take Nygma instead, with Gordon and Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue) taking Tetch and Babs, Butch and Tabitha all in pursuit of the GCPD.

It looks like Pengy finally has the upper hand on his frenemy, but then Nygma is a man of some resources.  It looks like Penguin has set himself up for another fall, with Nygma telling him Penguin will always be defeated because he is driven by his base emotions.  Just like it looks like Penguin is finally going out, he gets Nygma to take him back to the dock of the bay so he can truly be 'The Riddler'.

Only one thing: this time Pengy thought things through.  Oswald had removed all the bullets from the gun much earlier, allowed his tiepin to 'fall' into Nygma's hands and used Nygma's own predilections for methodology to defeat his thwarted love.  He even brought reinforcements: Ivy Pepper (Maggie Geha) and Mr. Freeze (Nathan Darrow).  Mr. Freeze literally ices Nygma, who will be the star attraction at Pengy's new club, the Iceberg Lounge, with Ivy as his Girl Friday.

Butch, for his part, gets shot in the head by Babs, seemingly finally ending her hated rival.  She also tries to take Tabitha out, but in this duel the whip gives the gun a literally shocking end.  Bonkers Babs is electrocuted by Tabitha.

Gordon and Dr. Leslie Thompkins (Morena Baccarin) decide to leave Gotham, or rather, Thompkins pushes and uses her feminine wiles to get them out.  One thing Thompkins isn't going to do is use the antidote, finally developed from Tetch's blood which they got from methods unspeakable.  However, as they leave Bullock catches up with them.  In terms tearful and clever, Bullock slips more antidote to Gordon, who pushes his dark side long enough to inject it into both himself and her.  Despite this, Thompkins decides the best thing to do is leave, and does so anyway.

We end with another family about to be robbed and potentially murdered, until a masked figure sweeps in to knock the assailant out.  Up on the rooftops, we find this masked figure is Bruce Wayne, slowly embracing his dark knight of the soul.

There were a few things in Dirtyheavysoul that I wasn't completely buying.  One of them was in how stretched out the Nygma/Cobblepot thing was.  The appeal to Riddler's sense of order seems a bit far-fetched, and reliant on things going a certain way.  What if Riddler had decided not to?  What if Babs got there after the exchange?  A lot Penguin's survival seems to rely on extraordinary luck, and that is asking quite a bit.

It also seems quite a lot to believe that Butch Gilzean would survive getting shot in the head (and getting us more of that Gotham violence that troubles us so).  Granted, seeing how Bonkers Babs went electric wasn't exactly family viewing, though to be fair it wasn't graphic for Gotham.  However, there may be something in that Butch, we learn in Prettyheavysoul, was born Cyrus Gold.

It is too much to ask me, someone who never read comic books and knows not the minutia of Batman mythos, to get excited over Cyrus Gold or whoever he turns out to be.  Even in the bonkers world of Gotham, where we've brought back more dead than any zombie movie, I still find getting shot in the head hard to survive.  

I also thought that both Ivy and Mr. Freeze were woefully underused, and hope that Season Four allows for more work from Geha and Darrow, who have been quite effective in their roles.

We, do however, see a lot of great things in Dirtyheavysoul.  Mazouz has really grown into a strong Bruce Wayne to where we can imagine him as the eventual Batman.  Pertwee as well has strong moments of pathos as Alfred.  Cory Michael Smith is delightfully smug as Edward Nygma to where you almost root for him, though I'm firmly #TeamPengy.

Gotham continues to be one of the best-acted shows, and this has been a strong season finale.

A Knight in the Darkness Rises Indeed...

8/10

Next: Gotham Season Three Overview

Gotham: Destiny Calling Review

GOTHAM: DESTINY CALLING REVIEW

It's a bit difficult to give a review to Destiny Calling given that it was part of a two-part season finale for Gotham Season Three.  However, I've opted to do so since technically, they were two episodes put together as one.  Destiny Calling has the city plunging into another crisis, with some repetitive motifs from previous moments, some unexpected and expected twists, and more strong performances.

Gotham City is in chaos thanks to the release of the Tetch virus, which unleashes a person's darkest side.  Acting Captain Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue) is doing his best to bring order to the city, while his partner/best friend Detective Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) is attempting to hold on to his own sanity since he is infected as well.

In order to find an antidote, they have to first find mad scientist Hugo Strange (B.D. Wong), who is determined to flee the city.  Unfortunately for him, it's none other than Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith ) who gets to him first.  She wants Strange to make her the army she wants to take over Gotham.  Gordon and Bullock are powerless to stop Strange's taking.  For help, Mooney turns to an unlikely ally: Oswald Cobblepot aka The Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor).  Pengy is not thrilled to see Strange again, still bitter about all those 'experiments' Strange put him through.  Also not thrilled to see Strange again is Victor Fries aka Mr. Freeze (Nathan Darrow) and Bridgit Pike aka Firefly (Camila Perez), and now the three of them decide it is time to enact revenge.

Strange is a most popular fellow, for he is also wanted by the Unholy Alliance of Barbara Kean (Erin Richards) and Edward Nygma aka The Riddler (Cory Michael Smith).  They want strange to make them an antidote with which to make massive demands on Gotham, and thus take over the city.  Well, that Bonkers Babs' idea.  Nygma just wants to kill Penguin...again.  Babs' two partners/henchmen, Butch Gilzean (Drew Powell) and Tabitha Galavan (Jessica Lucas) are wary of all this, and are wavering on double-crossing them.

Bullock and Gordon are close to finding Strange, who has developed the antidote.  However, ninja assassins and Gordon's uncontrolled rage gets the better of all of them, and Gordon kills Fish, who in turn drops the antidote and destroys it.  Fish, another woman who ends up stabbed with Pengy by her side, urges him to destroy Gotham. There's only one thing for it: to make the antidote now, they need Jarvis Tetch aka The Mad Hatter (Benedict Samuel) to make more antidote.

However, Riddler/Barbara get to Tetch first.

In all this insanity you have the continuing troubles of Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) still under the Shaman's spell.  At last, he manages to escape the watchful eye of Alfred (Sean Pertwee) and go find the one he seeks, one Ra's al Ghoul (Alexander Siddig).  He asks Bruce to stab Alfred, which despite his conflict, he does.

I'd say that's a lot to pack into one hour's worth of television, and it's a good thing Destiny Calling didn't feel overwhelming.

One thing that Destiny Calling and Gotham in general has always had has been strong acting, even when it looks like total camp.  In this category, I'd put Wong and Jada Pinkett Smith in.  Not that Hugo Strange and Fish Mooney weren't already slightly camp to begin with: his cold, almost emotional-less manner and her vamping all over the place is simply part of who they are.  That's part of their charm.

However, Wong did get a good moment when for once, he has to face the terror he had inflicted on others, and there is something wonderful about seeing him get a comeuppance.  As for JPS, she never lost her touch as the always outlandish Fish Mooney, but it looks like it's curtains for her.  Now, given that she has already come back from the dead, as have Penguin, Jerome Valeska aka The Joker, and a few others, what is to prevent her from strutting her stuff one last time?

Morena Baccarin as the Tetch-infected Leslie Thompkins, bless her heart, manages to out-camp Jada Pinkett Smith, and part of me thinks she had a great deal of fun being more outlandish than Thompkins usually is.

Mazouz continues to be so strong and wonderful as Bruce, undergoing his own 'dark night of the soul', and he is matched by Pertwee's Alfred, particularly in their scenes in the interrogation room and their final meeting.  The sadness, the pathos of their relationship continues to build into something of beauty.

It's hard to find when Taylor was bad, and here, he wasn't.  Between his scheming for revenge against Strange to his comforting of Mooney (and it is strange to see him cradling another woman stabbed to death), Taylor continues to showcase his impressive range.

Destiny Calling leads to our final episode, which I'm sure will be as deranged as is Gotham's want.

7/10

Next Episode: Dirtyheavysoul

Gotham: Pretty Hate Machine Review

GOTHAM: PRETTY HATE MACHINE

We have literal bombs with countdowns, two of Jim Gordon's exes in full bonkers mode, and Fish Mooney returns!

Despite all that, I was left slightly disappointed by Pretty Hate Machine.  It might have to do with the fact that in some ways, Jada Pinkett Smith's return as the always camp Fish Mooney was probably more restrained in her performance than some of the regulars.

It's hard to out-camp Fish, but somehow, a few did.

The Shaman (Raymond J. Barry) has brought a special guest to the Court of Owls: Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz), son of the man and wife they had killed.  Bruce, despite him hypnotized state, could not give the order to kill the Court, but no worries: the Shaman did.  Detective Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue), along with Bruce's manservant Alfred (Sean Pertwee) get there too late, but in time enough for one of the Court to tell what happened.

Now it's a race to both get to the bomb the Court has created with the Tetch virus and rescue Bruce, a tough order.  The GCPD does manage to find Professor Hugo Strange (B.D. Wong), but the mad scientist is oddly the least of their problems.

Dr. Leslie 'Lee' Thompkins (Morena Baccarin) has decided to go bonkers, and has taken care of Detective Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie).  She's buried him alive, so they can't technically arrest her for murder.  She's even given Jim a way out: a little of the virus with which to inject himself.  That way, he'll have the strength to force his way out of the coffin but he'll also be infected.  He doesn't want to and Bullock, already overwhelmed with things, rushes to rescue his buddy.

Into this mad mix comes the Fearsome Foursome: Barbara Kean (Erin Richards), Tabitha Galavan (Jessica Lucas), Butch Gilzean (Drew Powell), and Edward Nygma aka The Riddler (Cory Michael Smith).  This unholy alliance is after Oswald Cobblepot aka The Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor), who is finding himself without his monsters and is enraged.  Only Ivy Pepper (Maggie Geha) is loyal to him, while her BFF Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova) is asked to find Firefly and Mr. Freeze.  Selina is highly interested in finding her old friend Brigit, but Ed and Butch raid Pengy's safe-house before
much can be done.  Selina in a rare moment finds herself caught by Tabitha, but Riddler didn't count on Pengy having a few tricks up his sleeve.

That's the thing about Pengy: he can be down but he is never out.  Well, at least out for the count, for in other ways he's totally out.

Alfred gets Bullock to agree to let him 'talk' to Strange in exchange for information on Bruce, and after some 'friendly persuasion' Strange reveals the wild goings on.  True to his word, Alfred lets Strange walk...as soon as he wakes up from getting punched.

Penguin wallows in self-pity and drink while with Ivy, commiserating that at least his former nemesis Fish Mooney and the Dons: Falcone and Maroni, had codes, while Bonkers Babs, her minions and Ed are just running amok.  So this is probably a bad time for all of them to show up.

Edward won't kill Penguin until he calls him 'The Riddler', which Pengy flat-out refuses to do.  This issue with Edward's nom de guerre is such a sticking point for Nygma that he insists he'll torture Pengy until he gives in.  Bonkers Babs just wants to kill him right then and there, and this is a constant source of irritation for everyone.

Just as Penguin's luck appears to have run out, enter our Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith).  As camp as always, she brought some of her own muscle to spirit her little Penguin away with her.  With her usual aplomb and panache, she leaves the others, Riddler looking surprisingly sad.  As per their agreement with Selina, Ivy is left unharmed.

Gordon finally succumbs and injects himself, freeing him from his prison but also making him dangerous.  He knows where the bomb is and rushes to get there, but in the ensuing chaos of the GCPD HQ, Lee too escapes.  Just as Jim is about to disarm the bomb, Lee sweeps in to stop him.  Things are not helped when Bruce and The Shaman are watching the impending chaos when Alfred sweeps in to stop them.  Bruce is wavering on hitting the button, but as soon as the Shaman forces his hand Alfred shoots him dead.  This enrages Bruce, but no matter: the bomb has gone off and the Tetch virus is sweeping Gotham.

That's a lot of craziness for one Gotham hour, and yet for some reason I was not overwhelmed with things here.

I think it might have to do with a few details.  Oddly, one of them isn't Smith's return as our favorite camp vamp.  Her performance from Season One was always on the campy side, and there was no reason why she needed to change now.  She devours the scenery, but that is how Fish Mooney always was.  I know a lot of Gotham fans hated her role, but I never found it horrifying or bad.

I think if anything was wrong with Fish Mooney's return, is that it does seem to come out of nowhere and for reasons that are slightly unclear.  WHY is Fish Mooney there?  WHY does she want to rescue Pengy?  Wasn't he, like, responsible for killing her? How did she get there in time to save Penguin?  Who told her where to find him?  Had she been following him for some time?

There are a lot of unanswered questions here, and maybe we won't get the answers or I just missed a lot of them.

Wong as Strange is also a touch camp, though I think his flat demeanor as Strange is right for the role.  Still, I can't help think that a bit of Wong gets that Strange is supposed to be a bit too cold and even snobbish.  When surrounded by the GCPD, he calmly looks at Bullock, raises his hands and says, 'I obviously surrender' in such a cold, dispassionate manner one wonders whether Strange is taking this seriously or is so detached from everything.

He does take the 'hanging around with Alfred' seriously enough, which I did find a touch creepy.

As a side note, at least the violence here was not as overt and graphic as in other episodes, though the buried alive bit was uncomfortable.

I also think the entire Lee storyline a little Strange.  I'm still not buying that Thompkins was that distraught over things as to force Gordon to use the virus, but it does give Baccarin a chance to vamp it all over the place, showing her bad side.  What is it about James Gordon that unleashes his exes to turn crazy: both Barbara and Leslie are now essentially bonkers.

I also wasn't overwhelmed this week with McKenzie's performance, even his resurrection seemed a bit boring and cliched.

However, I was impressed by Mazouz, who has turned into one of Gotham's best players.  In his conflict between the will of the Shaman and his own morals, Mazouz gives a fully-rounded performance.  Taylor too was fun: nothing is better than seeing an enraged Pengy.  Smith brought a little bit of humor to his Edward/Riddler, looking even a little sad when Fish manages to outflank him.

Richards is never as good as when she's being bad, and seeing her and Bicondova act childishly with each other was a lot of fun.  Logue too continues to be one of my favorites, whether he is doing the right thing for Gotham or when spouting off one-lines, such as when he decides to question Strange, whom he calls 'Baldy-locks'.

Perhaps some of the things that bothered me about Pretty Hate Machine had to do with the number of 'coincidences': how one Court member was still alive when Gordon and Bullock got there, how the bomb was set at the same time that Gordon was buried alive, how Lee showed up just at the exact time to stop Gordon from disarming the bomb, how Fish plopped up just when it looked like curtains for Pengy.

A touch too much for me, but at least we didn't see heads roll, so that's a plus.

6/10

Next Episode: Destiny Calling

Gotham: All Will Be Judged Review

GOTHAM: ALL WILL BE JUDGED

Politics, Shakespeare wrote, makes for strange bedfellows.  The alliance of Oswald Cobblepot, aka The Penguin, and his thwarted love Edward Nygma, now known as The Riddler, makes for stranger bedfellows (though Pengy would have preferred a literal bedfellow).  All Will Be Judged, to me, seems like a slight slip on our way to Gotham's season finale, mostly due to a plot point that I am not for one minute buying.

Oswald (Robin Lord Taylor) and Edward (Cory Michael Smith) find themselves prisoners of the Court of Owls.  Their dislike and downright hatred for the other knows no bounds, with one constantly upstaging the other.  Pengy won't use the title 'The Riddler' for/to Ed, finding it idiotic and knowing it annoys him that Penguin won't call him that.  Ed doing all he can to thwart Pengy's plans. This plotting/counter-plotting reaches a nadir when Ed manages to get a pick to unlock himself, drugging Penguin so that he can escape.  Defiant and bitter to the end, Penguin makes enough noise before passing out to attract the guard's attention at Ed's escape attempt, which they punish severely.

They decide that the only way they can escape is to have a truce and work together.  In exchange for not sabotaging the other and a six hour window where they won't kill each after they escape, they manage to break out of the Court's grasp.  Once out, their war continues, with Pengy giving Ed a bit of news: he has an army, from the monsters of Indian Hill.

They will meet again.

Meanwhile, the Court has more important matters to attend, planning that attack on Gotham.  To help them stop Detective Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) and acting Captain Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue), they send their former Captain, Nathaniel Barnes, now known as The Executioner (Michael Chiklis).  The Executioner will enact justice on James Gordon, down to having a 'trial' where he will be found guilty.

Might as well call it a Kangaroo Court rather than Court of Owls.

There's another problem awaiting everyone.  Faux Bruce has been unmasked thanks to Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova), though it took a little longer to convince Alfred (Sean Pertwee) of this. Faux Bruce escapes, while Real Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) is still under the spell of The Shaman (Raymond J. Barry), who has worked his magic on him to where he is now totally within his power.

Bruce's destiny, as prescribed by The Shaman, awaits.

Throwing in all this wildness around The Executioner, who has sprouted a hand with a blade capable of cutting heads off as he demonstrated during his raid on the GCPD HQ by working his magic on an unsuspecting and disbelieving Kathryn (Leslie Hendrix), we had another crime at HQ.  Dr. Lee Thompkins (Morena Baccarin) has decided she is responsible for what happened to Mario, and decides the way to atone is to inject herself with the Tetch virus, unleashing her own dark side.

Smart move, Doctor.

I think part of my if not dislike but disinterest in All Will Be Judged has to do with the non-Penguin/Riddler storylines.  The Nygmogglepot storyline was good, and the double-act of RLT & CMS continues to do well.  To see these two constantly thwart and needle and mock each other was both amusing and slightly disturbing.  Smith does such great work whenever he finds that Pengy won't call him by his chosen name, a surprisingly touchy subject for our Riddler.  Taylor for his part matches him as he seems determined to play at being powerful despite all evidence to the contrary.

I even think that the use of red Jello as the 'blood' for when they escape may be a wry commentary on those of us who criticize Gotham for its graphic violence.  Perhaps they showed us that, while it looks convincing, we know it isn't real.

That may be reading too much into it, but Gotham still has a surprising level of graphic, I daresay, gruesome amount of violence.  Seeing Kathryn decapitated was not as graphic as when the dock worker was beheaded in These Delicate and Dark Obsessions a few episodes back, but it still was a bit much for my tastes. And that comes after watching Alfred stab Kathryn in the hand, where Gotham didn't pull back...and seeing a dream sequence where Lee's late husband Mario Calvi (James Carpinello) cuts his wrists and serves her his tainted blood.

That's an awful lot of bloodletting for one hour.

I also question why Kathryn didn't just run off during the chaos at the GCPD HQ (and as a side note, is this the third or fourth time the GCPD HQ has been attacked?  I lose count).  Her all but ordering The Executioner to get her out of there when she was perfectly capable of doing it herself strikes me as dumb.

As does the GCPD facing yet another attack.
As does Lee injecting herself with the Tetch virus.
As does the last-minute rescues of Jim Gordon.
As does The Shaman's continuing Wisdom-Speak gobbledygook.

I also found Chiklis to be quite camp as The Executioner.  Now, I grant that I'm not well-versed with Batman lore as others are, but something about Chiklis here I find endlessly amusing versus threatening, as if I'm supposed to laugh at The Executioner's outlandishness rather than be terrified by his twisted sense of justice.

I found Baccarin a bit camp too as the tormented Dr. Thompkins.  Look, I get that you are still upset and conflicted about the whole 'ex killed husband on wedding night even if said husband was insane' thing.  I can even get that you feel some sense of guilt over the whole sad, sorry affair.  However, injecting yourself with that same virus still never struck me as a smart move, let alone a sensible, rational, or plausible one.

I can sense a bit of a slow pace, particularly with Gordon's 'trial', which felt a bit drawn out.

There were good things within All Will Be Judged: the Taylor/Smith duel (Penguin telling Riddler, 'in shooting me, you have me something to live for: revenge' was a good line and good line reading), the epic fight between Faux Bruce/Selina/Alfred.

However, I figure that some things don't ring true (the camp Executioner, Lee doing her version of self-medication), some things find themselves repetitive (one would think the Gotham City Police Department Headquarters would have done some work to keep the crazies out), and some things flat-out bonkers (dear Kathryn, after getting stabbed in the hand, it's not a good idea to argue with a man with a blade for a hand).

6/10

Next Episode: Pretty Hate Machine

Gotham: Light the Wick Review

GOTHAM: LIGHT THE WICK

Light the Wick keeps jumping from one point to another, but in this case that's a good thing. Our Gotham story involves mad scientists, potential mass murder, shrewd moves by its (alleged) central character, and more strong acting.

The Court of Owls is now working on its efforts to 'cleanse' Gotham City from its corrupting influences.  For that, they need two people: Captain Nathaniel Barnes (Michael Chiklis) and mad scientist Dr. Hugo Strange (B.D. Wong).  The latter will draw the Tetch virus from the former, which the Court will use to weaponize the virus and spread it around Gotham.  As the newest Court member, Detective James Gordon (Ben McKenzie) looks to participate in this horror, which will cause the citizens to unleash their darkness and go all Purge on each other.

At this point, I'd argue that maybe the Court's plans are a little misguided, if not flat-out bonkers, but who am I to question the Court of Owls?

As if Gordon's problems aren't already big enough, he now has to contend with Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor), back from the dead, again, and out to find Edward Nygma (Cory Michael Smith), whom he wants to revenge himself.  Penguin too wants to find this 'Court' and will stop at nothing to get to him.

Meanwhile, somewhere on the mountains, Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) is training with The Shaman (Raymond J. Barry), who is still speaking in Wisdom-Speak: terms that sound deep but can be a little frustrating to interpret.  "Rage and pain are two sides of the same coin," he tells Master Bruce, who is working out his issues with his parents' murder as he too is prepared to be a weapon to 'cleanse' Gotham.

Looks like our Shaman is in cahoots with the Court.

Ivy Pepper (Maggie Geha) is not helping Pengy out this time, as she has more important matters.  Finding Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova) in the hospital close to death, she is determined to save her friend who has saved her many times before.  She uses her botanical skills to care for her old friend, and Selina does recover.  She also wants to kill the Faux Bruce.

The Court's main girl, Kathryn Monroe (Leslie Hendrix), is displeased to find Gordon at her house.  Quick on his feet, he tells her that Penguin is now onto them, threatening to go on a tear to get to Ed, which could mean exposing the Court.  She is not overly concerned with this news, but thanks him for it.

She also has Gordon come up to the Daughters of Gotham charity event, where the Court will test out the Tetch virus in aerial form.  Gordon is being watched by Talon, the ninja assassin who won't let him get help.  Fortunately, again quick on his feet, Gordon gets hold of Penguin, who comes to the soiree with Firefly (Camila Perez), looking for the Court.  Gordon uses Penguin to crash the joint, saving everyone.

Later, as an enraged Penguin wonders whether Jim pulled a fast one on him and rails against both Ivy and 'The Human Popsicle', he finds himself abducted, where he is caged, right next to a shocked Edward Nygma.

With Gordon's duplicity known, it's time for Barnes to be his Executioner.

It's as if the entire subplot of Dr. Lee Thompkins (Morena Baccarin) growing more disillusioned with the GCPD is a moot point.  Not that it wasn't important, but it didn't seem all that much in Light the Wick.  I really hated the final moments of the Daughters of Gotham fete, where Gordon has to save a crying little girl who fell and can't find her mother.

Is it me, or is that a trifle cliche?  At least it was filmed to where we didn't see the girl, but I sometimes wonder why people, in their rush, simply don't pick up the girl as they flee.  Hasn't anyone ever done that?

One great positive in Light the Wick is in how it showcases Gordon's growing intelligence.  It isn't that he was stupid, but it is nice to see that twice, he uses his wits to get out of seemingly impossible situations.  He knows he's trapped, either at Kathryn's house or the Daughters of Gotham event, but he uses whatever he has (both times involving Penguin) to get out of danger.  I really enjoy this aspect of the show.

A standout is also Geha as Ivy.  We got to see a softer, gentler, more innocent side to her character, the child inside the woman.  I can question the logic of how plants could revive someone pushed off a building, which didn't flat-out kill her instantly, or that it did it so quickly, or that Selina could pretty much jump up and say, "hey, I'm going to kill someone at Wayne Manor", but in this case, I'll roll with the punches.

There was a lot of logic in Light the Wick, whether in how Gordon saved the day or when he and Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue) realize that either killing or holding Strange would not be to their advantage.  "You logical bastard," Bullock growls when Strange's logic comes into play.

Hendrix and Wong kept to one emotion: coldness, but both of them were so assured in their characterizations of these nuts that it made perfect sense.  Taylor too kept that balance between menacing and mirth, from threatening Gordon to barking out his query about Ivy and 'the Human Popsicle', a line that had me laughing out loud.

I can't say much for the Thompkins' subplot, or what should be a bigger aspect with Wayne learning from 'The Shaman', who still speaks in grandiose terms.  However, things are slowly developing which should yield positive turns, at least we hope.

Light the Wick holds back on the violence, which is good, though more out of not having the free-for-all at the DOG event (yes, the Daughters of Gotham can be abbreviated to DOG).  It wasn't free of it: seeing Talon be set aflame by Firefly wasn't the greatest, but given the show's penchant for going really wild, it was tame and restrained from them.

Good but not great episode, but what was there worked really well.

7/10

Next Episode: All Will Be Judged

Gotham: The Primal Riddle Review

GOTHAM: THE PRIMAL RIDDLE

We go into the final Gotham Season Four episodes rushing towards epic confrontations: between Penguin and the Unholy Alliance of Barbara/Tabitha/Butch and Ed Nygma, between Jim Gordon and the Court of Owls, and between Bruce and whoever the Shaman is building him up for.  The Primal Riddle gives us more wild turns, rather outlandish villains, and a bit of wry humor.

Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor) and his newest girl Friday, Ivy Pepper (Maggie Geha) are now about to form their own Union of Freaks so Pengy can strike back at all his enemies.  He finds two completely different figures in Dr. Victor Fries aka Mr. Freeze (Nathan Darrow), who has a smoking hot body for a cold guy, and Brigit aka Firefly (Camila Perez), who has the power of fire.

Talk about a Song of Ice and Fire...

Penguin forms his group and begins to plot revenge, and when he sees Edward Nygma with the newly christened name of  'Riddler' (Cory Michael Smith) he is not amused by it, wisecracking how long did it take him to come up with that name.

Riddler, for his part, has become obsessed to find out who is controlling Gotham City itself.  He becomes more and more outlandish, I daresay, camp, in order to find out this mystery.  He crashes a Hamlet performance and abducts Mayor Aubrey James (Richard Kind) in a wildly elaborate manner to cajole the mysterious 'Court' to reveal themselves (he's not aware of the Owls bit).

Aiding Riddler is Barbara Kean, lovingly known here as Bonkers Babs (Erin Richards), who wants to know who is above her.  Tabitha (Jessica Lucas) her partner/partner, is wary of all this and dislikes Nygma and his ridiculous braggadocio, but Babs seems to have a soft spot for him, or at least, trying to play a long game.

Meanwhile, Faux Bruce (David Mazouz) is dying, but at least he knows his work for the Court will be done and the Real Bruce will return by the time he's kaput.  The Court has something wicked in mind, but Faux Bruce wants to save Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova).  Selina, despite her anger at Bruce, knows that Faux Bruce could not be the real Bruce because the real Bruce, for all his flaws, would want to save everyone, not just one.  Faux Bruce tells her he will stop her.  When she asks how, he responds by pushing her out the window.  It looks like Selina is dead, but soon, cats start converging on her.

Gordon manages to outwit The Riddler, much to Ed and later Babs' irritation.  He takes Nygma to The Court, and The Court finally inducts James Gordon among their ranks.

The Primal Riddle has some surprising humor within its dark walls.  When Penguin and his cohorts in crime arrive at his estate, we can see that Fire and Ice do not mix well, each making comments about the other.  As Penguin looks on his defaced portrait, Mr. Freeze almost innocently says, "There's a question mark on your face," the double meaning amusing.  Pengy's retort, "You can sleep in the freezer," makes it funnier.

Earlier, Pengy offers to kill Firefly's boss to sweeten the deal of her joining forces, and Taylor delivers this offer in such an almost endearing manner it makes this more amusing.

I think it's the acting that really elevates The Primal Riddle.  We got Taylor's performance, mixing a touch of comedy with snide sarcasm (his views on his protege's name).  The lion's share of the success comes from Smith, vamping and camping it up to the Nth degree.  It's almost as if with his new persona of 'The Riddler', he has embraced such an outlandish, over-the-top characterization that he cannot help himself.  From his lair which looks like a disco on meth to his Hamlet crashing, with wild hand gestures and exaggerated speechifying, The Riddler is almost deliberately obnoxious, and Smith pushes him to heights of camp that only a supervillain can get away with.  From his awareness of his outlandishness to his pet names for his adversaries ('Foxy' and 'Jimbo'), Smith's so wild that it makes for fascinating viewing.

The Primal Riddle also helps in McKenzie's portrayal of Gordon.  In his facing off against The Riddler, we can see that Gordon is remarkably shrewd and intelligent, aware of where the weakness of his adversaries are.  At least they didn't blow up Mayor James' head, but how he disarms The Riddler's wild plan showcases Gordon's brightness, something all Gotham villains may not be prepared for.  His scenes with the equally strong Smith were a highlight of the episode, Bicondova/Mazouz being the other.

It also throws in an homage to Batman Returns when we see poor Selina apparently dead, surrounded by cats.  It does veer dangerously close to repeating that somewhat offbeat method of reviving the dead, but whether it was a deliberate misdirect or an homage I leave up to the viewer.

Bicondova and Mazouz continue to be among the best younger actors, their scene having the pathos of tortured love along with a really unexpected twist when Bruce pushes Selina out the window.  This is the rare time when Selina is genuinely caught off-guard, so off-guard that her cat-like skills fail her. With Faux Bruce, Mazouz makes his concern for Selina along with his acceptance of his impending death real, almost heartbreaking.

While guest stars Darrow and Perez don't have as much as I would have liked them to have had, the fact that Freeze and Firefly have returned bodes well.  I do confess at how well Darrow looks.  This ain't the exaggerated Schwarzenegger body or the pudgy looks of Eli Wallach/George Sanders/Otto Preminger Mr. Freezes.

I do hope that future Gotham episodes make good use of Darrow.  I also hope Perez's Firefly gets more than her few moments, for it's hard to give a solid basis on how well she's do based on what we saw.  The fact that it's not the same actress doesn't make things easier, though the transition from Michelle Ventimiglia to Camila Perez is not a dealbreaker.

Gotham also will wrap up the Barbara/Tabitha/Butch story, one of if not the strangest menage a trois ever, and give a satisfying conclusion to the Unholy Alliance of Babs and Riddly.

With its strong performances, wry humor, and shocking moments (along with a surprising lack of graphic violence not counting the poor Hamlet actor's stabbing and uncharacteristically bad puns from Donal Logue's Harvey Bullock), The Primal Riddle is another standout for a strong Gotham season.  Smith's camp take on Riddler did veer a bit close to the bad Jim Carrey take from Batman Forever (I still think Frank Gorshin's version is the best, with CMS in second), but those are minor points.


9/10

Next Episode: Light the Wick

Gotham: These Delicate and Dark Obsessions Review

GOTHAM: THESE DELICATE AND 

DARK OBSESSIONS

These Delicate and Dark Obsessions is the directorial debut of Gotham star Ben McKenzie.  By and large, whenever an actor decides to 'direct' an episode we get many visual flourishes and little quality.  While this episode does not showcase McKenzie as an auteur, it does show he is shrewd enough not to wander too far from Gotham's formula, even if it is to its detriment.

Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor) is BACK, and most definitely with a vengeance.  He wants to get back at all his enemies, so he gets his loyal aide-de-camp Gabe (Alex Corrado) to bring some men to begin his army.  Ivy Pepper (Maggie Geha) who has saved him and seems to have a soft spot for Pengy, insists something is amiss.  Penguin refuses to listen, and for once he comes across as flat-out stupid.  Gabe is not on his side, and now has taken Penguin but won't kill him right away.  Instead, he wants to auction him off to the highest bidder.

Penguin, in turns enraged and hurt, doesn't know how he'll get out of this.  Enter Ivy, who uses her herbal skills to get one of Gabe's henchmen to her side, and promptly Penguin kills them save for Gabe.  Pengy, he's a softy.

However, he learns thanks to Ivy's truth perfume that Gabe doesn't respect Penguin.  He now isn't even afraid of him, even though it was fear and not respect that kept people by Pengy's side.  Enraged, Oswald kills him in a fit of fury, later admitting that maybe he went overboard in his reaction.  As upset as he is about this, Ivy comes up with a better idea: an army of freaks, and she knows whom to find.

Meanwhile, Detective Jim Gordon (McKenzie) is still working to find what the Court of Owls is up to, and that means unfortunately calling on help from his ex, Barbara Kean aka Bonkers Babs (Erin Richards), who is now Queen of the Criminal Underworld.  Using her connections, she goes to the docks to find what is being brought in to Dock 9-C, and she and Tabitha (Jessica Lucas) come close, until a ninja assassin comes at them.

There is something there, something from Indian Hill, which can't be good.  Gordon also has to deal with his Uncle Frank (James Remar), who is playing a dangerous game with the Court.  Which side will Frank and Jim go to, and will the Court ever be none the wiser?

Finally, Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) continues his strange esoteric training with 'The Shaman' (Raymond J. Barry), who continues to guide Bruce beyond his fears while speaking in gobbledygook.

These Delicate and Dark Obsessions has a major focus the story of Penguin, or at least that was the part I thought worked best.  I think it helps when you have RLT playing it.  I don't think Penguin could have been better cast as Oswald Cobblepot, aka The Penguin, aka Pengy.  He makes Penguin in turns sympathetic and brutal, someone you want to take care of and someone you're terrified of.

Whether he's being a jerk to Ivy, who is being perfectly sensible, even pleasant, or murdering in uncontrolled wrath and fury, Taylor never hits a wrong note (and in last week's episode, never hits a wrong note musically either).  He's frightening and fierce, but also oddly endearing.

Meha too has done wonders with the revamped Ivy Pepper, who lets the little girl she is slip through the vixen she appears to be.  She's clever with the plants, but she also has an exuberance that is also endearing.

Speaking of vamps, Richards is so delightfully wicked as Barbara, so much better and beloved than when she was the blank, boring girlfriend to Gordon.  Her scenes, whether aware she is being asked for a favor or torturing the dock worker, show off the evil and delight she takes from it.  Fortunately, Richards (and McKenzie here) never let her be so over-the-top that she loses her actually rational planning and plotting.

There were aspects I wasn't thrilled about.  While the Wayne subplot worked well, I do tire of shamans and gurus speaking in what I call 'Wisdom-speak', all these rather grand esoteric phrases that at times sound almost daft.

Then comes the violence.  I congratulate McKenzie for having some wonderful visual moments and not going overboard (no spinning cameras as is the want of many a first-time actor/director).  However, the beheading of the dock worker was simply way too graphic. It veers dangerously close to an ISIS video in my view.  Violence, especially the graphic nature of it, has always been an issue between Gotham and myself, and while McKenzie at least wasn't graphic with Uncle Frank's end other parts went too far or up to the line.

Penguin's offing of Gabe wasn't too bad, leaving more to the imagination though not by much.  However, the beheading was simply way too much, up there with the man literally exploding.  That, granted, might never be topped or equaled (and I don't want it to be topped or equaled).  I just was pretty shocked at seeing his neck sliced and then his head roll off.

Not good, Ben.  Not good.

McKenzie proved himself a competent director, though to by fair I think the production staff wasn't going to let him go very far in what he could do.  I trust the actors to do their job and they did it remarkably well.  I wish he had taken the opportunity to be more subtle about the violence on Gotham.  Apart from that, These Delicate and Dark Obsessions sets things up for more thrills on what has been a most excellent season.

8/10

Next Episode: The Primal Riddle