Gotham 19Jim is pointed in the direction of a mishandled investigation as Bruce hunts for Alfred’s attacker…

I suspect that this episode will play better when seen directly after episode 18, rather than with the gap that there’s been before its initial transmission, as it’s not the most powerful that the series has produced, and, given that comic book fans have had some extremely gritty urban drama in the shape of Daredevil over the past week, Gotham needs to maintain its edge.

The introduction of the Ogre is handled oddly, in that the information we see on screen seems to come from the investigation that Jim and a reluctant Harvey are carrying out, but in fact shows us stuff they simply can’t be privy to. The serial killer who targets cops’ families is a neat enough idea, but it would have been nice if this had been layered in a bit earlier in the season. It leads to a confrontation between Jim and the Commissioner which, by any logic, should get him fired – or shot!

As far as the other characters are concerned, it really feels as if the writers have lost track of what they’re trying to achieve with Fish. The escape is by the numbers, and really doesn’t give us any development of her or the Dollmaker. On the other hand, the Bruce and Selina scenes – particularly the final moments where they confront Alfred’s old friend – demonstrate the gap between the rich boy and the streetwise girl, and I loved the moment when Selina has to explain what a shooting gallery is! Penguin is off being overcomplicated, as usual…

Verdict: Not as strong an episode as you’d expect leading into the end of the season, more noticeable for the propulsion of the Wayne plot than anything else. 6/10

Paul Simpson

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