Good first episode, but not great.

 

Penguin character was the highlight of episode #1 IMO.

 

Yeah I'm looking forward to watching him develop.

I liked it pretty well for the first episode of the series. It set the table for a lot of different intertwined stories...

 

1. Selina Kyle/Catwoman - Already established a "relationship" between her and Bruce Wayne, with her as a young petty-thief who stood as the only (and unknown) witness besides Bruce to the murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne.
   
2. Ivy Pepper/Poison Ivy - Child of Mario Pepper, who was framed for the Waynes' murder and killed by Detective Gordon's partner Harvey Bullock while he was attacking Gordon for trying to arrest him. Good reason for her to resent James Gordon and Bruce Wayne both.
   
3. Edward Nygma/The Riddler - Gotham employee working in the coroner's office. Presented as an odd bird who seems to be disliked a fair amount by Detective Gordon's partner Harvey.
   
4. Alfred Pennyworth - The Wayne family butler, and Bruce's legal guardian/caretaker after the Waynes' murder. Seems to push the British "stiff upper lip" attitude a bit more than what would be expected in a child like Bruce's specific circumstance. May also have a bit of a mutual dislike for Detective Gordon, who feels a responsibility to Bruce Wayne to see the person/people who brought about the Waynes' murder brought to justice.
   
5. Harvey Bullock - The GCPD detective assigned as rookie Detective James Gordon's partner. Feels like Gordon is too much of a straight-shooter and a hero. Bullock knows the system, and seems to know how to work the system. He also has connections with gang leader Fish Mooney, part of mob boss Carmine Falcone's city-wide syndicate.
   
6. Fish Mooney - Gotham gang leader. She runs a crew for Gotham mob boss Carmine Falcone. Has a mutually beneficial agreement to help Harvey Bullock, which would seem to come to an end by the end of the first episode. Also used to have Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin as her protege, until she discovers he has double-crossed her in an attempted power grab.
   
7. Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin - Used to be a link in the chain of Gotham's biggest crime syndicate, but is banished after Detective Gordon's partner fingers him to his boss for snitching on her in an attempt to take her down and become her replacement in the syndicate. He's creepy, he's untrustable, and he's ruthless. Oddly enough, he owes his life to Detective Gordon as well. In the final minutes of the first episode, we come to find out through his warning to Gordon about a coming war in Gotham that he has an inside knowledge of organized crime, and that he is cold and blood-thirsty.
   
8. Carmine Falcone - The Gotham City crime boss. He has everyone in his pocket, including city hall and the GCPD. We also find out that he once had James Gordon's late father in his pocket...and that he expects the same of Detective Gordon as well.
   
9. Crispus Allen & Renee Montoya - Detective partners in the GCPD's major crimes unit. They have a very adversarial relationship with Harvey Bullock, and it would seem that they don't mind making life difficult for his partner, James Gordon, as well. Their involvement with the Falcone Syndicate is unclear after we see Oswald Cobblepot snitching to them about Fish Mooney, and find out more details about the framing of Mario Pepper for Thomas and Martha Wanyne's murder. Montoya also has some sort of prior relationship with Detective Gordon's girlfriend, Barbara, and she attempts to turn Barbara away from Gordon with lies about his character.
   
10. Detective James Gordon - The main character of the show. Almost everyone has some connection back to him. He is the son of a dead Gotham City prosecutor, an ex-military man, and a rookie detective with the GCPD with a reputation of being too much of an over-zealous do-gooder. His first major case with his partner, Harvey Bullock, is investigating the murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne, and he decides to take the case very personally - involving himself with the best interest of the Waynes' orphaned son, Bruce, and getting himself in much deeper than initially intended into the inter-workings of crime and punishment in Gotham.
    
11. Bruce Wayne - The first episode makes it clear that this show certainly doesn't appear to have much (if any) desire to focus on the future Dark Knight. Bruce has very little face-time in the episode, and for a show based on the world of Gotham City created from the Batman comics, he has very little to say or do within the episode. The only thing we can see about him from the first episode is that he is troubled by his parents' murder, he wants to see their deaths made right, and that beyond his obvious association with Alfred and Detective Gordon, it appears that probably on the sooner side of things we will see some kind of developing personal relationship develop between Bruce and Selina Kyle.
    

So that's 11 major characters from the comics that we see developed in the first episode of the show. I thought they did an appropriate job of hinting at people and not trying to involve them all too much too soon within the first hour-long episode. Can't get in too deep right off the Bat. (Pun intended.)

So that's 11 major characters from the comics that we see developed in the first episode of the show. I thought they did an appropriate job of hinting at people and not trying to involve them all too much too soon within the first hour-long episode. Can't get in too deep right off the Bat. (Pun intended.)

 

I do agree that they didn't heavily involve a lot of the characters, but I thought there were too many of those introductions for just one episode. Too many cooks in the kitchen, I guess is how I could say it.

 

I would have preferred to get Gordon's background for most of the show & then lead up to Bruce's parents getting killed. End it with him screaming like he did.

I would have preferred to get Gordon's background for most of the show & then lead up to Bruce's parents getting killed. End it with him screaming like he did.

 

You know, it was a random detail...but I liked the way they had Bruce scream. I feel like it was a pretty genuine reaction, much like it would be had it actually happened to a kid his age. In other depictions, there has been too much of child-Bruce standing there silently stunned, with little more than a stoic lip-quiver with s few tears welling up in his eyes. Bruce is still supposed to be a kid in that moment, not Batman.

I do agree that they didn't heavily involve a lot of the characters, but I thought there were too many of those introductions for just one episode. Too many cooks in the kitchen, I guess is how I could say it.

 

I would have preferred to get Gordon's background for most of the show & then lead up to Bruce's parents getting killed. End it with him screaming like he did.

 

I think they had to go for a little bit of the wow factor when it came to introducing characters. Anyone can air a pilot episode for a new show, but this is a new show that is based on a character that has been around for 75 years. They have over 6,200 comic books and graphic novels, two serial films, 9 theatrically released films (and a 10th in production), several different animated series and appearances in other animated series, and a live-action television show that they are following up.

 

For the sake of those who aren't necessarily the most sophisticated of tv watchers but still find themselves amongst the countless Batman fans in the world, the writers had to at least offer a glimpse of some of the familiar faces from the Batman story lines.

Not a big comic book fan, but I'll watch anything with Donal Logue ( I still hate that they cancelled Terriers after just one season). Thought last nights episode was pretty good. It is probably a show that I will continue to watch.

I think they had to go for a little bit of the wow factor when it came to introducing characters. Anyone can air a pilot episode for a new show, but this is a new show that is based on a character that has been around for 75 years. They have over 6,200 comic books and graphic novels, two serial films, 9 theatrically released films (and a 10th in production), several different animated series and appearances in other animated series, and a live-action television show that they are following up.

 

For the sake of those who aren't necessarily the most sophisticated of tv watchers but still find themselves amongst the countless Batman fans in the world, the writers had to at least offer a glimpse of some of the familiar faces from the Batman story lines.

 

I'm sure all of that is right & it makes sense. I would have preferred it done differently, but I'm guessing that would place more emphasis on Bruce Wayne than this show is intending to do.

 

I don't know if you saw the preview show on Saturday, but I thought a comment from one of the creators was interesting. He said the purpose of the show is to reveal how Gotham becomes the kind of city that has a need for someone like Batman.

Tom me it was so-so, but so-so enough to keep me watching another week.

Watched the first episode last night and enjoyed it. The future Penguin sure is a creepy guy.

 

I enjoyed reading your breakdown of characters CWB.

Didn't think I'd enjoy it, but I did. Looks like it'll stay on my DVR.

I think it is great that Joker wasn't brought in...IMO that is what the series should build towards...the ultimate arrival of Joker and Batman!

I think it is great that Joker wasn't brought in...IMO that is what the series should build towards...the ultimate arrival of Joker and Batman!

 

If I'm them, I stay away from the Joker. No way it can be better portrayed than it was done by Heath Ledger.

If I'm them, I stay away from the Joker. No way it can be better portrayed than it was done by Heath Ledger.

While I agree with you, people said the same thing prior to Ledger. There was no way he would be as good as Nicholson, then Boom Ledger blew it out of the water. I think a more humanized Joker could be done well.

Another good episode tonight IMO.