Gotham 1.03: The Balloonman
Written By:
John Stephens
John Stephens
Directed By:
Dermott Downs
Dermott Downs
I'm surprised to say that the balloonman proved to be an intriguing one-time baddie. His modus operandi was a bit too absurd and cartoony for my tastes, but it fits Gotham's wacky world. In addition, his existence means that Batman wasn't Gotham's first vigilante, and it's possible that there were many others before the Caped Crusader finally came on to the scene.
Oswald's slow rise into thug infamy was also amusing. It's pretty obvious that he's going to become Maroni's protege before ultimately taking his place and waging war against Falcone (or Fish). It's all predictable, but ridiculously enjoyable (the psychopath basically slaughters people for tuna sandwiches and shoes). And hey it's obvious that Robin Taylor is relishing the role of a frickin' lifetime.
The vicious silent war between Fish and Falcone escalated in this episode as the former made sure the latter's girlfriend Nadia (or was it Natalia) was involved in an "accident." Here's hoping the situation between the gangsta and her mob-boss get explosive soon because I'm getting really sick of Jada Smith's overacting. She was different and cool in the pilot, but all her theatrics are starting to make me cringe. I hope Jada is enjoying her character's colorful wardrobe because her performance is leaving a lot to be desired.
On a positive note, the episode's cliffhanger was an effective one with Oswald arriving at Jim's doorstep. It's a completely unexpected turn, and one that promises great things for the future. Will the two form some sort of unholy alliance? I'm most definitely curious.
Our Grade:
B-
The Good:
- Oswald's slow but steady rise
- The escalation of the gang war
The Bad:
- Jada Pinkett-Smith's overacting
Nadim S. is a regular contributor of review for Critical Myth; The Critical Myth Show is heard here on VOG Network's radio feed Monday, Wednesday & Friday. For more commentary from Nadim, go to NadsReviews.com. You can follow him on twitter at @nadsreviews.