Hey everyone! Welcome to my weekly series of blog posts, which will review the following Comic Book Themed TV Shows:

• Gotham
• Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
• The Flash
• Arrow
• Constantine

I will be giving my TOP 5 Moments in the weekly episodes, Easter Eggs (if applicable) and my predictions for future episodes and seasons (also if applicable)!

BE WARNED, THERE WILL BE SPOILERS!!!

So, if you haven’t seen the week’s episodes, DO NOT READ THE REVIEW! I’ve broken it down by show, so you can skip reviews of episodes you haven’t seen yet, or don’t intend on watching. The blog post for the prior week will be posted on Monday mornings, so that most people have had a chance to watch the episodes.

Gotham (Season 1, Episode 9, “Harvey Dent”; Airdate: 11/17/14)

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Plot Synopsis

Gordon teams up with young, hotshot lawyer, Harvey Dent much to the Mayor’s dismay. Meanwhile, Wayne Manor receives a NEW house guest in one Selina Kyle and Penguin makes contact with Mooney’s secret weapon, Liza.

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Top 5 Moments

• Harvey Dent is introduced! I like Nicholas D’Agosto’s performance as Harvey Dent. He brought the right balance of fearless crusader for justice and creepy dude with a psycho streak lying just below the surface. I especially enjoyed Dent’s meeting with mobster Dick Lovecraft, where he was pleasant and polite and in one breath after Lovecraft threatened him, he went
• Selina bunks at Wayne Manor! I think this situation is a great nod to the future, tempestuous love affair between the adult Bruce Wayne and adult Selina Kyle. I know they’re kids, but you can see in the writing (dialogue) that there is a genuine chemistry there. Alfred is highly suspicious of Selina (and rightfully so), however Bruce is smitten with her and she’s more than a little curious about him (curiosity and cats…meow!). I also enjoyed that while there was definitely chemistry, Bruce and Selina were able to enjoy innocent childlike fun.
• Penguin finds out about Fish Mooney’s spy! I knew it was only a matter of time before Mr. Cobblepot made the connection and confronted Liza and threatened her so that she would end up reporting to him on Fish Mooney. I am a HUGE fan of how Penguin is a very meek and mild person on the surface, but lying just beneath the surface is an extremely manipulative and scheming persona.
• Arkham Asylum was reopened. This is a big deal and will play out over the course of the series. As you saw, Ian Hargrove’s brother suggested that he wasn’t a hardened criminal, but instead someone with a mental illness. This was a lead in to him being transferred (along with other inmates) from Blackgate Penitentiary to Arkham Asylum. I think it was a cool way to introduce Blackgate and open Arkham Asylum, KUDOS!
• Barbara Kean gets back with Detective Montoya! This is an aspect of the show which makes me not like Barbara’s character even more. It has nothing to do with sexual orientation, but everything to do with the fact that she lied about her relationship with Montoya and she ran straight back into her arms when things got tough. Personally, I’m glad she left and hope she stays away because she’s very annoying to me.

Easter Eggs

Blackgate was introduced. Blackgate in the comics is a penitentiary located on an island in Gotham Bay (click the link above). It was used to house career criminals who are hardened and aren’t insane. Famous inmates from the comics include: David Cain, KGBeast, Catman, etc…

Lovecraft was introduced. The name of Lovecraft was of course a homage to author H.P. Lovecraft, along with his creations, hence: Arkham Asylum, named after a fictional New England city which appeared in H.P. Lovecraft’s works.

Predictions

I see this all boiling over into a gang war between Falcone, Maroni and new player Lovecraft. I like that the real crime elements of Gotham are being explored, more so than the supervillains in Batman’s Rogue’s Gallery. This is a great way to establish a basis for what comes next, down the line.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I think it was a pretty solid episode and I do like D’Agosto’s Harvey Dent, as well as how the interactions between Bruce and Selina were handled. I give this episode a B rating.

Please be sure to subscribe to my blog and let me know what your thoughts are on the episode. Also, if you spot any Easter Eggs that I missed, please be sure to point them out in the comments section. Thanks!