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shallownessGotham 4.18 That’s Entertainment
I enjoyed Jerome and his shenanigans enormously in this episode, to the point where I got irritated with the ad breaks. After all the ‘he isn’t Joker’ noise and the introduction of ambiguous Jeremiah, it was always going to go this way. I’ve enjoyed Monaghan’s near-Joker very much, so I’m glad they decided to keep the actor, and it’ll be interesting to see how he differentiates Jeremiah as The Real Joker. (I presume.) I’ll also be interesting to see how they transfer the amazing final visual of the gassed Joker to a look for him.
They’ve also set the bar high, because that was quite the OTT plan from Jerome. He’d seen his end was nigh (they needed the huge fall, because viewers weren’t going to accept he’d be dead from three mere gunshots from a guy who’d survived four, however much blood they spilled. I also appreciated the lampshading of letting us see the dead body and have Gothamites comment on whether Jerome was really, really dead this time.) and decided to force his brother to become the monster he believed he was and continue the idea of the Joker.
He couldn’t have known how tragic the devlivery method would be. Would have laughed at it. They’d built a connection between Bruce and Jeremiah, and although the dialogue was clunky, Bruce’s pep talk and appeal to Jeremiah’s ego, his offer of support meant that the parcel being from Wayne Enterprises (even though it was only because that’s where they cooked up the gas) made Jeremiah more likely to trust it. The Den of Geek reviewer thought that Bruce’s admiration was entirely sincere (and this is a boy who trusts JIM GORDON with his life, so, point) and not about buttering him up to get him to do the right thing. Of course, Bruce must surely hold the fact that his father met with Jeremiah in mind.
(But where is Echo? Where’s the security-conscinous Jeremiah of the previous ep? Selina would have snarky comments to offer on his security?)
The other tragedy was that this was happening on Bruce’s birthday (actual age unconfirmed, but I’m assuming he’s still a ‘kid’. Alfred giving him a protoBatmobile was adorable. You just know the bulletproof stuff was his fave feature.
Also adorable? The sliver of flirty, companionable Bruce/Selina. (I am at high levels of JUST KISS ALREADY.)
Trusting Jim and Fox – eh. But Bruce wasn’t allowed to do any heroics in this ep.
There were so many villains, and most of them were basically henchpeople. Jerome’s snipers being better than GCPD snipers was not surprising. Bullock had some good lines. Was ‘Paisley’ a shout out to Prince or comics?
Penguin’s ego did not like Jerome bossing everything, or his destructive anarchist tendencies. So, yes, it was amusing that Oswald saved the day out of self-interest and was left hanging there as his reward.
As for Babs’ storyline, she’s gone mystical power crazy, hasn’t she? She seems to be driven by whatever is laid out before her. We know she had some sort of transfer and the shiny hand. As ever, I’m uncomfortable with Gotham playing with a genre shift. Tabby was Not Impressed. (I was all ‘take the long route home, Selina’) I don’t blame T - that Babs’ was so unfulfilled with the Sirens, when their team means something to the other two was sad – but this New Real League of Shadows = ???? Granted, this is Gotham where things don’t make sense, but we’re only fine with that when it’s fun nonsense.
I guess Lee and The Riddler were too busy ‘planning’ to notice all this. And Solomon was drinking.
I enjoyed Jerome and his shenanigans enormously in this episode, to the point where I got irritated with the ad breaks. After all the ‘he isn’t Joker’ noise and the introduction of ambiguous Jeremiah, it was always going to go this way. I’ve enjoyed Monaghan’s near-Joker very much, so I’m glad they decided to keep the actor, and it’ll be interesting to see how he differentiates Jeremiah as The Real Joker. (I presume.) I’ll also be interesting to see how they transfer the amazing final visual of the gassed Joker to a look for him.
They’ve also set the bar high, because that was quite the OTT plan from Jerome. He’d seen his end was nigh (they needed the huge fall, because viewers weren’t going to accept he’d be dead from three mere gunshots from a guy who’d survived four, however much blood they spilled. I also appreciated the lampshading of letting us see the dead body and have Gothamites comment on whether Jerome was really, really dead this time.) and decided to force his brother to become the monster he believed he was and continue the idea of the Joker.
He couldn’t have known how tragic the devlivery method would be. Would have laughed at it. They’d built a connection between Bruce and Jeremiah, and although the dialogue was clunky, Bruce’s pep talk and appeal to Jeremiah’s ego, his offer of support meant that the parcel being from Wayne Enterprises (even though it was only because that’s where they cooked up the gas) made Jeremiah more likely to trust it. The Den of Geek reviewer thought that Bruce’s admiration was entirely sincere (and this is a boy who trusts JIM GORDON with his life, so, point) and not about buttering him up to get him to do the right thing. Of course, Bruce must surely hold the fact that his father met with Jeremiah in mind.
(But where is Echo? Where’s the security-conscinous Jeremiah of the previous ep? Selina would have snarky comments to offer on his security?)
The other tragedy was that this was happening on Bruce’s birthday (actual age unconfirmed, but I’m assuming he’s still a ‘kid’. Alfred giving him a protoBatmobile was adorable. You just know the bulletproof stuff was his fave feature.
Also adorable? The sliver of flirty, companionable Bruce/Selina. (I am at high levels of JUST KISS ALREADY.)
Trusting Jim and Fox – eh. But Bruce wasn’t allowed to do any heroics in this ep.
There were so many villains, and most of them were basically henchpeople. Jerome’s snipers being better than GCPD snipers was not surprising. Bullock had some good lines. Was ‘Paisley’ a shout out to Prince or comics?
Penguin’s ego did not like Jerome bossing everything, or his destructive anarchist tendencies. So, yes, it was amusing that Oswald saved the day out of self-interest and was left hanging there as his reward.
As for Babs’ storyline, she’s gone mystical power crazy, hasn’t she? She seems to be driven by whatever is laid out before her. We know she had some sort of transfer and the shiny hand. As ever, I’m uncomfortable with Gotham playing with a genre shift. Tabby was Not Impressed. (I was all ‘take the long route home, Selina’) I don’t blame T - that Babs’ was so unfulfilled with the Sirens, when their team means something to the other two was sad – but this New Real League of Shadows = ???? Granted, this is Gotham where things don’t make sense, but we’re only fine with that when it’s fun nonsense.
I guess Lee and The Riddler were too busy ‘planning’ to notice all this. And Solomon was drinking.
