The second episode of Gotham introduces new villains, escalates conflicts and proves that there is more going in this city than meets the eye.
1. Women and Children First.
So, I Bechdel Tested this program, and it might narrowly pass? There is a long chase scene involving Selina Kyle and the female child snatcher, Patti. They are the only two people on panel (ha, habit) onscreen. Though it is mostly silent, toward the end of the chase, Patti does address Selina verbally. This could count. While a borderline failure of the Bechdel Test might mark the show as a man’s world, I don’t find that to be true. There are powerful female characters here. Barbara Keane holds the cards in her relationship with Jim. Captain Sarah Essen has an obvious authority over the detectives under her command, and they seem to respect her. Fish Mooney is characterized independently of femme fatale persona. Shown to not solely rely on her womanly wiles, but also her physical strength and cunning, Mooney is a formidable criminal in her own right. Selina Kyle is the only kid brave enough to fight back when confronted with the child snatchers. Patti is unafraid of the dirty work she is asked to do, and can obviously think for herself. The women of Gotham have agency. They are flawed, and they have their virtues, it’s almost as if they are treated as human beings. They are characters, not tropes. This is a good thing. I’m hopeful that these characters will continue to enjoy autonomy and complexity as their stories develop.
Also, thus far this violent series has depicted very little violence against women. Mrs. Pepper is a victim of domestic violence, however this is implied, not shown. Martha Wayne is shot and killed, but then, so is Thomas. In fact these women are more likely to be the ones doling out the violence as receiving it. Children, though, are not fairing so well. Man, does it suck to be a kid in Gotham, or what? Bruce’s parents are shot in front of him. Oswald (who may be over 18, but if he is it’s just barely) is beaten, thrown in the river, and presumed dead. Selina is threatened at gun point at least twice. Street kids are abducted and kept prisoner. Then as part of their “rescue” they are sent to a juvenile detention center. This series is literally picking on the little guys.
2. Holy Aquatic, Flightless Birds, Batman! The Penguin Is Out of His Cobblepotting Mind.
Wow, Oswald Cobblepot is shrewdly observant and articulate. He is also fucking crazy. He is killing people rather indiscriminately. Even in scenes where he harms no one, Taylor’s performance really makes you believe that he could, and that he is right on the edge of doing so. Channeling that vulnerability that makes Norman Bates so haunting, he alternates between pitiable and completely unsettling. Overly conscious of how he is perceived, he adjusts every aspect of his behavior to best suit his audience at any given moment. Taylor does an outstanding job making sure that we know that we cannot trust Oswald. Even though this character can see things clearly, he is a completely unreliable narrator. He is always looking for a way to manipulate things so that he can benefit from them. In this way, one of the most knowledgable characters becomes the least trustworthy.
3. Patti’s Got a Gun.
The child snatchers are fantastic. Patti and Doug are 2% milk, pleated khakis, people next door, mid-level henchman, and they are as creepy as they could possibly be. The pair of kidnappers look more like missionaries than mercenaries. The contrast of their wholesome appearance with their violent actions creates a tension between expectation and reality that makes this pair really get under your skin. They are icy, calculating, unaffected by the terrible things they are doing and just so disturbing to watch. The scene in which one of the henchman working with the child snatchers appears with his eyes gouged out might be the best part of the episode. Patti’s reaction, the careful way that scene is constructed, the tension that builds in an instant… It’s all really well done. There is really strong writing in that exchange, and Lili Taylor as Patti is just about perfect, especially here.
Continued belowAnd apparently, they are working for the Dollmaker?… Just keeps getting creepier and creepier.
4. Harvey Bullock is FOOFed.
FOOFed is an expression I created in a moment where my son was repeating everything I said, and I was trying to censor myself. Essentially, it is used to describe a state of consciousness in which every possible shred of caring that your being is capable of has been used up. What does it stand for? Fresh Out Of Fucks. Yes, ‘Harvey Bullock is FOOFed’ t-shirts and mugs will be available, or at least they should be. I have never seen a character work so hard to avoid work, and be so unapologetic about it. The only thing he seems willing to fight for is his right to break the rules. Once again I was charmed by Logue’s performance. Entirely believable and utterly captivating, he makes Harvey Bullock a highlight, and that is no easy feat. He and McKenzie continue to play off each other very well, finding irony, humor and moral ambiguity in every exchange.
5. You Can’t Believe Your Eyes.
In this episode there was a ton of imagery surrounding looking, being watched, being blind, and watching. Bruce works on a drawing while listening to angsty music in Wayne Manor that is completely full of eyes. Selina has been watching Jim, and everything else for that matter. That kid sees everything. A henchmen’s eyes are gouged out, presumably by Selina. Earlier she told her seat mate on the bus that he should ‘go for the eyes’ if he ever got in a fight. Oswald mentions seeing the error of his ways, and later threatens to poke out the eyes of his hostage. Even after seeing the evidence that her son has been kidnapped, the mother of Oswald’s victim refuses to believe that he is in danger. Seeing, watching and ultimately perceiving are a major theme in this episode.
Closely tied to the idea of perception is the concept of honesty, another major theme in this episode. Both Jim and Bruce are called bad liars. There is an entire scene between Falcone and Mooney in which they thank each other for their honesty, assert their commitment to telling the truth and never believe a word that the other is saying. In that same scene Falcone mentions that men who are about to die are very honest when referencing Oswald. Montoya asserts that the Major Crimes unit of the GCPD is honest, unlike the rest of the police department. Who to trust, how to hide and what to believe are ideas that come up again and again.
Bonus Round: Oath of the Horati
In the background of the Wayne Manor parlor “The Oath of the Horati” hangs on the wall. The essential theme of the painting by David is the acceptance of duty and the willingness to sacrifice oneself for the good of the larger population. Just sayin’
