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shallownessGotham 4.2 Fear the Reaper
Bruce falling through the skylight was still funny, and I needed the laugh, because as they warned, it went a bit disturbing with Scarecrow’s toxin’s visions, although less so as the episode went on.
Jimbo’s storyline was easily the dullest. Although he and Harvey managed to clear the farm (Me As Soon As They’d Called It: Are you sure it’s cleared?), when it turned out Jonathan/Scarecrow had taken over the latest asylum, off Jimbo got on his high horse. While agreeing that someone (legally sanctioned, not Penguin sanctioned) ought to sort it out, as soon as he’d self-righteously put off all his colleagues (again), off he went, with some weapons and no plan. Sadly, every time someone threatened his death, one knew it would never get done. Although battling his fear in one scene? Come off it. I’m not invested enough in Jim/Lee to care, either.
I suppose they wanted to show that the toxin wasn’t really all that as Scarecrow took his ittle bitty steps towards supervillainy, but the boss’s phobia of clowns was a. very interesting given The Joker and b. very effective. But having Jim shake off fear in one scene and then work out very quickly that water would nullify the effect of the toxin in the others was a bit too much.
EVERYTHING else was more enjoyable, but before I leave the GPD – Harvey is compromised, torn Captain now, huh, and Lucius Fox (<3 him and his dryness and suit) works for them, huh. (Still bitter about season 3 not being free to air.)
Bruce only stayed behind bars for two seconds, which was not long enough for my amusement. His claim to be up there because of Selina and how everyone accepted that was also amusing. Bruce then had one definite teen flounce out of the Manor, and I spent the episode muttering about Kevlar. I liked that he did show such tactical awareness and got out of the thugs’ clutches, but his precocious heroics were up to a point, and that point was guns.
Speaking of, Babs isn’t dead! Everyone glosses over that, because in Gotham, presumably nobody except dead parents stays dead – I was going to mention Thomas and Martha, but there was a lot of banging on about Jonathan’s father, too. She just wanted Tabitha and Selina (double the morally dubious female role models for you) to join her in her new venture as an arms dealer. I would imagine that few gun shops in the States look so swish, but what do I know? Tabitha asked a good question about who was funding all this (Ra’s al Ghul or someone else to make it more stuffed of a season? I have no idea where Babs stood with Falcone, so is that a possibility given Jimbo’s Bright Idea?)
Tabitha didn’t trust Babs easily, but Selina…did, and she was willing to trust Pamela (aww, Pamela), who is sick of Penguin. She still comes off as less mature than Selina and slightly underwritten, although the scene where she powered up was fun. Selina is on a misandry tip at the moment. I love all the ladies clubbing together as an idea and putting a gendered spin on the question of power in Gotham.
Zipping throughout the episode was a recovered, but irked Penguin, issuing ultimatums. Robin Lord Taylor is very enjoyable. I also enjoy Victor.
Babs’ new(?) look seemed a little anime to me.
Oh, and how very, very excited Bruce and Alfred were (good job on the glowing faces, actors!) about the new suit. I still think, as I’ve done since seeing the promos, that it looks a little lame. I preferred the hooded coat, although I suppose that looked a little Arrow.
Timeless 2.3 Hollywoodland
Between everything, I was deeply unsurprised by the twist. However, I like that they escalated Flynn’s danger and stopped the pattern of Lucy and Denise having to visit him in prison for advice every episode, and the time travel-enabled prison break was fun.
So was a lot of their adventures in Hollywood, Rufus was hilarious in the Fresh Prince quotage and his response to finding Wyatt and Lucy in the morning. I thought they did a great job with Hedy Lemarr – I don’t know about how much the actress looked like her, but she was compelling, and Lucy’s fangirly ‘Hi, Hedy’ was amusing.
The big development was on the relationship front – they went big enough with the song as a declaration. I’m querying why the writer moved from ‘you know you’re beautiful’ to exchanging prom stories, and if I’m honest I found the start of the scene in the bedroom a bit perfume ad, a bit too staged. But that they went there, and that Abigail Spencer played a bit of adorable, geeky vulnerability, while Wyatt just seemed…happy. It’s refreshing that the show is taking this relationship in the direction it is, and after all Wyatt’s s1 efforts, it was the consequence of something they did – perhaps the dead man, perhaps Hedy Lemarr retaining the patent and all that spun off from that – brought Jessica back into the timeline. Possibly I’d have different feelings if I’d played closer attention to season 1.
But it’s going to get fraught, no?
Meanwhile, both Connor and Denise were terrible around Jiya’s, neither talking to her properly or listening to her fears. I wish she could express that she’s seeing flashes of the future, but I suppose she is too busy rushing about in denial for processing.
Bruce falling through the skylight was still funny, and I needed the laugh, because as they warned, it went a bit disturbing with Scarecrow’s toxin’s visions, although less so as the episode went on.
Jimbo’s storyline was easily the dullest. Although he and Harvey managed to clear the farm (Me As Soon As They’d Called It: Are you sure it’s cleared?), when it turned out Jonathan/Scarecrow had taken over the latest asylum, off Jimbo got on his high horse. While agreeing that someone (legally sanctioned, not Penguin sanctioned) ought to sort it out, as soon as he’d self-righteously put off all his colleagues (again), off he went, with some weapons and no plan. Sadly, every time someone threatened his death, one knew it would never get done. Although battling his fear in one scene? Come off it. I’m not invested enough in Jim/Lee to care, either.
I suppose they wanted to show that the toxin wasn’t really all that as Scarecrow took his ittle bitty steps towards supervillainy, but the boss’s phobia of clowns was a. very interesting given The Joker and b. very effective. But having Jim shake off fear in one scene and then work out very quickly that water would nullify the effect of the toxin in the others was a bit too much.
EVERYTHING else was more enjoyable, but before I leave the GPD – Harvey is compromised, torn Captain now, huh, and Lucius Fox (<3 him and his dryness and suit) works for them, huh. (Still bitter about season 3 not being free to air.)
Bruce only stayed behind bars for two seconds, which was not long enough for my amusement. His claim to be up there because of Selina and how everyone accepted that was also amusing. Bruce then had one definite teen flounce out of the Manor, and I spent the episode muttering about Kevlar. I liked that he did show such tactical awareness and got out of the thugs’ clutches, but his precocious heroics were up to a point, and that point was guns.
Speaking of, Babs isn’t dead! Everyone glosses over that, because in Gotham, presumably nobody except dead parents stays dead – I was going to mention Thomas and Martha, but there was a lot of banging on about Jonathan’s father, too. She just wanted Tabitha and Selina (double the morally dubious female role models for you) to join her in her new venture as an arms dealer. I would imagine that few gun shops in the States look so swish, but what do I know? Tabitha asked a good question about who was funding all this (Ra’s al Ghul or someone else to make it more stuffed of a season? I have no idea where Babs stood with Falcone, so is that a possibility given Jimbo’s Bright Idea?)
Tabitha didn’t trust Babs easily, but Selina…did, and she was willing to trust Pamela (aww, Pamela), who is sick of Penguin. She still comes off as less mature than Selina and slightly underwritten, although the scene where she powered up was fun. Selina is on a misandry tip at the moment. I love all the ladies clubbing together as an idea and putting a gendered spin on the question of power in Gotham.
Zipping throughout the episode was a recovered, but irked Penguin, issuing ultimatums. Robin Lord Taylor is very enjoyable. I also enjoy Victor.
Babs’ new(?) look seemed a little anime to me.
Oh, and how very, very excited Bruce and Alfred were (good job on the glowing faces, actors!) about the new suit. I still think, as I’ve done since seeing the promos, that it looks a little lame. I preferred the hooded coat, although I suppose that looked a little Arrow.
Timeless 2.3 Hollywoodland
Between everything, I was deeply unsurprised by the twist. However, I like that they escalated Flynn’s danger and stopped the pattern of Lucy and Denise having to visit him in prison for advice every episode, and the time travel-enabled prison break was fun.
So was a lot of their adventures in Hollywood, Rufus was hilarious in the Fresh Prince quotage and his response to finding Wyatt and Lucy in the morning. I thought they did a great job with Hedy Lemarr – I don’t know about how much the actress looked like her, but she was compelling, and Lucy’s fangirly ‘Hi, Hedy’ was amusing.
The big development was on the relationship front – they went big enough with the song as a declaration. I’m querying why the writer moved from ‘you know you’re beautiful’ to exchanging prom stories, and if I’m honest I found the start of the scene in the bedroom a bit perfume ad, a bit too staged. But that they went there, and that Abigail Spencer played a bit of adorable, geeky vulnerability, while Wyatt just seemed…happy. It’s refreshing that the show is taking this relationship in the direction it is, and after all Wyatt’s s1 efforts, it was the consequence of something they did – perhaps the dead man, perhaps Hedy Lemarr retaining the patent and all that spun off from that – brought Jessica back into the timeline. Possibly I’d have different feelings if I’d played closer attention to season 1.
But it’s going to get fraught, no?
Meanwhile, both Connor and Denise were terrible around Jiya’s, neither talking to her properly or listening to her fears. I wish she could express that she’s seeing flashes of the future, but I suppose she is too busy rushing about in denial for processing.
