Gotham S03E01

My relationship with Gotham is unique. I never quite appreciate the toll its absence has taken on me until I feel what it's like to be consistently supplied with new episodes.

Gotham is a show that had a rough start, with large shoes to fill and the even larger expectations that come with adapting one of the world's most beloved heroes to television. I hadn't quite realized the progress that had been made by the show until I began watching the first episode of the new season. The 'Previously on Gotham' segment was enlightening. I had forgotten how much development the show and its individual characters had undergone in its first two seasons. At first the villains seemed like camp, overly exaggerated caricatures of themselves. Gotham struggled to mix the immature Dark Knight with a bespoke noir detective theme. The show has come round to a point of beauty. 

The first episode of the highly anticipated new season starts with the show's protagonist: James 'Jim' Gordon. He's left the police force and become a bounty hunter, earning $5000 a catch. These aren't your typical contracts, however. The scene opens quite blandly. A pharmacy robbery? Quite tame for a show about Batman's beginnings. A dark figure is pillaging drugs from the shelves. A curiously late-working pharmacists picks up a shotgun, checks its loaded, then proceeds to investigate.

"If you leave now, I won't call the cops."

Yeah, he would.

This is why I love Gotham: they take something ordinary and make it extraordinary. The pharmaceutical thief is now bathed in light to reveal his deformations. Large spikes protruding from his back and the rest of his body. This aesthetic deformation is also accompanied by increased strength, as our poor pharmacist discovers by being thrown through his own store's window. Enter Jim the bounty hunter. Armed with a nightstick and good intentions, he takes on the thieving brute. Jim defeats the monster, with just a little help from a truck. I'm sure he had the situation under control anyway, right guys?

Honestly, if this was any other show, I would call this lazy writing and a cheap cop-out, but -at times- I get the feeling that is what the show is aiming for. It doesn't want to be taken too seriously. I like that.

It turns out that the pill monster is actually an escaped from Indian Hill labs. I guess that explains his grotesque appearance and superhuman strength. The escapees are a major issue for the GCPD, and the primary source of revenue Jim. So much so that not even Bullock and Fox could convince him to come home and complete one of my favourite trios in modern television. It's obvious that they will soon team up once again, but for now Jim is going solo.

Mooney is back, and a more dangerous player than ever before. She now has mind control, life force powers -courtesy of her stay at Indian Hill- and is now leading the escapees. With Mooney, as always, follows the Penguin. He places a $1M bounty on her head and guess who takes on the contract? 

In the other side of Gotham, Jim's crazy ex and Butch's crazy ex are teaming up as co-owners of a new club. They get intimidated by the local mob boss who's territory they'd set up shop, but to show just how strong two independent women can be. They kicked the mobsters' asses. Hell yeah.

Fish is shadowed by Selina as she breaks into a drug manufacturing lab to steal some drugs or chemicals that I don't quite understand. I want to take this opportunity to show my appreciation for the child actors of Gotham. All of them are excellent, and easily keep up with their equally excellent adult stars. Selina's interaction with Butch was both funny and compelling, showing the depths of each character, both how Selina seems to develop but never change at heart and Butch's soft side vulnerabilities. The drug raid is interrupted by Gotham's favourite bounty hunter, searching for that $1M payout. I thought Jim was going to get her. I swear I really did! He told her to put on her own cuffs, blocking her touch powers. Great move Jim! His payout was, sadly, blocked by a goon. You'll get her next time Jim.

This shows one of Gotham's greatest strengths. I know Jim lives. He has too. He needs to keep future Batman in check with Alfred. Though, this doesn't stop me from worrying for his life when he faces off against a magic infused Fish or the lab escapee from the opening. The same goes for Bruce, he's the most important character, yet I fear for his life even though the outcome is inevitable. It goes both way, however, as I find myself at times hoping the Penguin will meet his end, even though it isn't at all on the cards. This is due to some excellent writing. We are introduced to a new Jokeresque character... then they kill him. It was a ballsy move, and one that they will surely have to renege on, but it created an 'anything can happen' atmosphere for this show that I love. My relationship with Gotham is unique. I never quite appreciate the toll it's absence has taken in me until I feel what it's like to be consistently supplied with new episodes.

This episode shows us a tad more of what looks like will be this seasons overarching storyline: the Court of Owls. Although the comics featuring the cult aren't my favourites, I'm excited for the prospect of their run in the show. They are reasonable adversaries for the young Bruce Wayne as they can only be defeated by us if his wits. Although he wouldn't stand a chance in a fist fight with Bane, he can hold his own against the court... and that is exactly what he plans to do.

This season opening was very promising and offers a tantalising taste of what will follow in the coming weeks. Bravo, Gotham, you've got me hooked once again.