Tuesday, October 14, 2014

My Review of Gotham's 1x04: "Arkham"


Written by Ken Woodruff
Directed by TJ Scott

Bruce: “Do you really believe that? Do you believe Gotham can be saved?”
Gordon: “I believe it’s worth trying.”

In the first three episodes, we’ve already met four members of the Rogues Gallery and had been introduced to two of the verse’s most notorious mob bosses in Falcone and Maroni. Now this was the episode to introduce Arkham and perhaps not shockingly enough, it also became the pawn for both mob bosses in their quest to seize control of the city.

I found it rather amusing that both Maroni and Falcone decided to use the same hitman to take out opposing councilmen and the hitman in question certainly made an impression, even more than the Balloonman from the previous episode.

Gladwell’s method of attacking his victims with a spike like object before coming up with other ways to finish them off certainly proved that he wasn’t messing about. I’m not sure I really needed to see one of his victims being lit up like a Christmas tree but it was a surprisingly gruesome moment in an episode that had its fair share of them.

It was only however when Gladwell attacked the Mayor did he become undone in the episode but despite being shot, both Maroni and Falcone got some possession over the area surrounding Arkham. However it was the former who was the more fortunate of the bunch while the latter had to settle for housing at the moment.

This battle between Maroni and Falcone was definitely the talking point out the episode. It angered Bruce who didn’t want either of them getting their hands on Arkham and soiling his parents memories but at the same time, it also highlighted that the Mayor is as powerless against the mob as the GCPD seem to be as well.

The only other person who actually managed to benefit from this episode was Oswald. He might not have won over Gordon with his double agent offer but he did manage to cause more friction between Maroni and Falcone as well as getting a job promotion and fleecing the former for good measure. While the show probably should slow down a bit with Oswald raking up the body count, I do like that he’s getting a little smarter at this whole criminal game as well.

As for Fish, it seemed that she wasn’t bullshitting when she told Bullock that she always had a Plan B. While it would’ve been better had the Sapphic material stemmed more from Renee and Barbara than Fish trying to get girls to seduce her as though she were a man, at least her plan made some sense.

In the last episode, she made sure that Falcone’s mistress was hurt, while in this episode she wanted a seductive weapon to use against him as well. She didn’t care that the girl who ended up getting the job (in a literal beat down with the other girl) couldn’t sing, all she wanted was someone hungry and susceptible enough to mould into a weapon against Falcone. Whether or not Fish’s plan will actually work will depend on how easily Falcone is turned by a pretty face though.

Also in “Arkham”

While it was nice that we got to see the asylum, I do wish we had actually gotten to see inside it though.

Oswald: “Men.”
Barbara: “Don’t I know?”

Oswald pretended to be Peter Humboldt when talking to Barbara. He also used food to kill his accomplices at the end of the episode.

Fish: “Not bad but keep looking.”
Butch: “Really boss? That’s a good looking girl.”
Fish: “Look at me. I ain’t looking for no girl. I’m looking for a weapon.”

Gladwell (to Zeller): “And you know what they say, the customer is always right.”

While GCPD seems to have some very old computers, the office in where Gladwell was working had actual type writers.

Bruce: “Bad dream.”
Alfred: “Was I in it?”
Bruce: “Not this time.”

Gordon (re Renee): “Why does she keep coming to you? What is it between you and her?”
Barbara: “Years before I was with you, she and I were in a relationship.”

I liked that Barbara admitted to Gordon that her and Renee had dated but she does need more to do that play the worried love interest though.

Bullock: “Lazy? Maybe I work smarter than you. Ever consider that?”
Gordon: “Yeah, I considered it.”

Fish: “Don’t worry about me, Harvey. I always have a Plan B.”

Nygma got one scene here where he managed to identify Gladwell’s weapon and again irritate Bullock. Selina, Renee, Crispus and Falcone were missing from this episode.

Oswald (to Gordon): “I told you detective, Gotham is my home.”

Barbara: “You’re gonna have to make a choice, Jim. You either let me in or you let me go.”

Chronology: From where “The Balloonman” left off.

An extremely enjoyable episode. “Arkham” may not have shown us a lot of it’s most infamous building, but it certainly provided enough foreshadowing to the chaos and madness this place will both behold and cause as well.

Rating: 8 out of 10

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