Following on from the death of Bruce Wayne’s parents and
Gordon’s promise to reform the Gotham PD in the first episode, our heroes take
us deeper into the Gotham underworld. And with it, things become more and more
horrific and feels less like a crime drama on several occasions.
Selina Kyle aka Catwoman, who witnessed the Wayne murder is
caught up in a child trafficking ring engineered by The Dollmaker, a
supervillain I am not familiar with and would like to learn more about if it
features more in the series. Gordon and Bullock, through a meeting with Fish
Mooney find a way to the kidnapped children, learning that they might be used
as guinea pigs in experiments carried out in Arkham Asylum.
Gordon and Bullock then rescue the children and are hailed
as heroes by the mayor of Gotham, Auberey James (Richard Kind), which seems to becoming
a trope of the series, before stating that the kids will be sent to juvenile
detention centres as part of an anti-homelessness program.
The bus carrying Catwoman is then recaptured by the
Dollmaker and Catwoman attempts to escape before Gordon and Bullock arrive and
bring the children home. The episode then ends with Catwoman informing Gordon
that she saw the Wayne’s murderer and that Poison Ivy’s father was indeed a
patsy.
What I enjoyed most about this episode were the disturbing
scenes involving the Penguin. There is a subplot spanning his descent into
madness which he delivered with all the insanity and hysteria of a slasher film
killer. I was reminded of Nightmare on Elm Street and Halloween several times
by the Penguin kidnapping and decapitating two teenagers after they pick him up
from the streets.
Also, I was excited at the mentions of Arkham Asylum. Having
played the video game and read the comic book, I was hoping the mysterious
loony bin would make an appearance somewhere. The hints at it reopening did
make me want to watch more episodes.
Finally, I praise this episode for showcasing some very
strong and determined female characters. Camren Bicondova presented Catwoman as
a feisty and determined street child who would use any means and resources to
achieve her ends. I also found her manipulation of a detective at the end of
the episode quite interesting as the series will hopefully display her rise
into becoming an anti-hero aiding the corrupt police force.
Zabryna Guevera also offered a very authoritative and
intelligent portrayal of Sarah Essen, the captain of the Gotham Police
Department which reminded me of the chief judge in Dredd (2012). Comic books
have always been an interesting place to find female characters who don’t fall
into the Damsel in Distress or Manic Dream Pixie Girl trope – however I just
wonder if the Women in Refrigerators trope will crop up somewhere, as I get the
impression Gordon’s fiancé Barbara Kean is only serving as a plot point for the
protagonist.
Finally, seeing Bruce Wayne startle Alfred (Sean Pertwee)
and reference Batman’s later abilities to skulk in the shadows was quite a good
use of foreshadowing, though I couldn’t grapple why Wayne was shown listening
to Death Metal and having self harmed.
But all in all, a fairly good progression that will attract
horror fans who like the batman stories influenced by gore and splatterpunk
fiction.
Bechdel Result: Fail.
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