As a fan of the DC comics series ‘Gotham Central,’ I was eager to watch Fox’s pre-Batman series ‘Gotham.’ However, it didn’t quite meet my expectations. While ‘Gotham Central’ focuses on the lives of the ordinary police officers, ‘Gotham’ revolves around the investigation of the Wayne family’s murder by rookie detective Jim Gordon and his partner Harvey Bullock. The show had the potential to provide a fresh perspective on the Wayne family but only gave them a few minutes of screen time.
The show also tries to include every A-list villain from the Batman universe, such as Catwoman, The Riddler, Poison Ivy, The Joker, and The Penguin, which feels forced and detracts from the central story. Jada Pinkett-Smith’s portrayal of mob boss Fish Mooney is over-the-top and cartoonish, in contrast to the more grounded performances of Ben McKenzie and Donal Louge.
While there are some standout performances, the writers need to tone down the exaggerated portrayals of some of the characters. We don’t need Catwoman constantly posing like a cat to remind us of who she is. Despite its flaws, ‘Gotham’ has potential and may appeal to fans of the Batman universe.
Gotham airs 13 October at 9:00pm on Channel 5.
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