Gotham - Pilot - Advance Preview + New Promo
Sep 22, 2014
Gotham PC ReviewsIt’s a scene that has played out across pop culture for nearly 75 years now, in the pages of comic books and in animated adaptations and on the big screen. An alleyway in a crumbling city. A well-to-do couple and their young son. An anonymous mugger with a gun. A string of pearls in a pool of blood. It’s where the story of Batman always begins.
But instead of jumping forward to the Caped Crusader leaping across rooftops, the new FOX series Gotham uses that pivotal moment in the life of Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz, “Touch”) to dive deeper into the origins of the other cogs in the machine that is Gotham City, to explore why this metropolis will eventually need a hero like Batman to take up cape and cowl. The pilot is a solid beginning as it builds a stylized yet believable world for our heroes and villains to inhabit as they wage war for the heart of the city.
Our entry point into that conflict is James Gordon (Ben McKenzie, “The O.C.”), the man who will be police commissioner. Gordon starts the hour as an idealist who believes in the system. But as he seeks justice for the Waynes, he soon learns that it’s a rigged game on both sides of the law that will make it hard to do right by Bruce, by the city, and by himself. On the flip side of the coin is Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue, “Terriers”), a jaded veteran who’s made a jagged peace with the realities of being a cop in Gotham, but who can’t help sticking his neck out when his partner gets in over his head.
The pilot smartly sets up a mission statement for Gordon that will give the show plenty of procedural and serialized fuel moving forward. It also dots in some personal and professional conflicts that I found intriguing. McKenzie and Logue are perfect fits as straight-laced upstart Gordon and snarky seen-it-all Bullock. And, almost more importantly, they have a clashing but comfortable chemistry with each other.
Among the criminal lot, mob kingpin Carmine Falcone (John Dorman, “Damages”) is eager to keep the underworld status quo intact. He rightfully fears a Gotham where the freaks run the streets. But others are smelling blood in the water. There’s Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith, “Set It Off”), an up-and-comer in the organization who sees an opening for herself. But more of a danger might be Oswald Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor, “Accepted”), who’s tired of holding Fish’s umbrella and who ends the episode with a motive to go after her and Falcone.
Though the pilot goes a bit overboard with the winks to the Dark Knight’s rogue gallery, the evolution of Oswald Cobblepot into the Penguin should make a sturdy plot thread on the bad guys’ side this season and Taylor was great fun to watch. Pinkett Smith was also particularly impressive, playing original creation Fish with a flirty theatrical flair that sets the table for the franchise’s more colorful characters. I’m also looking forward to seeing more of Selina Kyle (newcomer and possible Michelle Pfeiffer clone Camren Bicondova), who doesn’t get much to do here, but makes a mark anyway.
With its talented cast and its clear sense of where it wants to take its story, Gotham is off to a great start.
View the Promo below
Gotham premieres Monday September 22nd at Mondays 8/7c on FOX
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Great preview and I love the video. Very cool.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for the show to start. Been looking forward to it ever since it was announced in development.
The pilot was pretty good.
ReplyDeleteGreat preview! And wow great video too, I had some doubts about it but it looks definitively good for me now!
ReplyDeleteHa I thought something was wrong with my computer when the gunshot caused my screen to crack lol.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the preview popguy! can't wait to watch it.
Thanks for the preview Chris, glad you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteI so want to watch this right now! I'm really curious about the show.
ReplyDeleteGreat preview!
Good preview. Never really been interested in Batman etc but I'll be checking this out.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the preview! This is the pilot I am looking forward to most , can't wait to see Jada Pinkett Smith as Fish Mooney she should be an interesting character.
ReplyDeleteCheers for the preview, been looking forward to this for ages. Very cool video!
ReplyDeletewow the promo ! LOL I was surprised by the cracked screen and the rain drops all over my screen ! I have never seen a "full screen/not really" promo like that ! it's interresting and I love it ! :D
ReplyDeleteGreat promo! I'm definitely interested in checking this series out.
ReplyDelete"On the flip side of the coin...." Haha. I see what you did there.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the preview and promo I can't wait to watch the Pilot it's going to be really good.
ReplyDeleteFantastic preview, it really has me excited and pumped up for the show to begin!! And I love the promo too, I was unsure if this show would work before but now I'm sold.
ReplyDeleteThis is one (of many) shows I'm excited for this fall. Really enjoyed the pilot and can't wait for more!
ReplyDeleteTwo words after reading this and watching the promo : Can't. wait!
ReplyDeleteReally excited for the show's premiere. Thanks a lot for the preview!
I want to watch Gotham's and Stalker's pilot more than the premier of my returning shows. Can't wait!
ReplyDeleteSo excited for this show! Can't wait for its premiere and for Sleepy Hollow to return.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that was really cool! Didn't expect it.
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear. As long as they don't go overboard with the villains and cast the right people, I'm in. The Penguin definitely sounds like the most interesting.
ReplyDeleteGreat preview and love the new promo! Really looking forward to watching this series.
ReplyDeleteLove the promo. Thank you for the preview!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for the show!
Awesome Preview can't wait for next week!
ReplyDeleteSweet effects, loved it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Andy.
ReplyDeleteYou're more than welcome, Justyna!
ReplyDeleteThank you Pablo.
ReplyDeleteCool, curious to hear a non-Batman fan's reaction.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for two weeks from now so I can see the second episode lol.
ReplyDeleteIt was pretty cool, huh!
ReplyDeleteGreat preview. Thank you! Wonderfully written and got me even more excited for the show!
ReplyDeletesomeone wrong with the video it keeping stopping
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Tonya.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sharon.
ReplyDeleteOf the pilots I've been lucky enough to see, I think this one was the most fully formed coming out of the gate.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
ReplyDeleteI'm betting Fish Mooney is going to be the breakout here.
ReplyDeleteCheers for reading.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome Fluffy!
ReplyDeleteThanks Raina.
ReplyDeleteI've seen all the fall pilots, and Scorpion is my favorite. But this is definitely in my top 5 drama pilot for this TV season.
ReplyDeleteI think it's going to be interesting seeing Jada play a villain.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! After reading this I can't wait for the show to start! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm not much of a comics lover (stone me, but I haven't seen any of the Batman movies, except maybe the first, Tim Burton-Michael Keaton one), so I wasn't very excited about the show when it was announced. But during the last month, seeing the teasers and promos I think I will give it a try. It definitely has a style, the setup seems interesting. Plus I love Donal Logue in pretty much anything, so let's see, what they can do with the balls.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait.
ReplyDelete