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"Love Boat Angels" was so much more than the fourth season premiere of ABC's flagship jiggle show, "Charlie's Angles". It was also mind-numbingly dull.
Posted in: Fox, Review, TV | Tagged: Batman, fox, gotham, poison ivy
'Gotham" Season 5, Episode 9: "The Trial of Jim Gordon" Slows Down Series Momentum (SPOILER REVIEW)
I suppose it had to happen, I just wish it hadn't come up this close to the end of Gotham's final season on FOX. While "The Trial of Jim Gordon" was by no means awful, it was largely filler material that felt like a placeholder for bigger things to come. Now, those bigger things have even less real estate to take up with this affair in the way.
Ben McKenzie wrote an entertaining enough script, but most of the events felt better suited for your standard soap opera than a super-hero origin show. Then again, most super-hero story-lines are soap operas, just with more tights and fewer fights.
In the grand tradition of Gotham, though, everything established in "The Trial of Jim Gordon" is set up for later events. Gordon is shot while trying to negotiate a cease-fire between the gangs of Gotham City, and we are treated to a death-bed "trial" in Jim's mind, while he persecutes himself for the way he has lived his life.
It's possible that the trial symbolizes Gordon's realization that he has something more than law and order (ka-chung) to live for, especially with Barbara's (Erin Richards) baby getting closer to her entrance to the world.
Richards directed this episode, by the way, and the performances she got out of her cast-mates are filled with energy and fun. McKenzie gets to interogate himself in the trial, and it's a little disarming to hear his normal speaking voice after five years of the Gordon Growl.
Casual observers of Gotham might find the events interweaving through "The Trial of Jim Gordon" largely forgettable, but long-term fans will be thrilled, since this episode is a gigantic wish fulfillment machine… which I'll cover in the spoiler zone, below.
Peyton List is back as Ivy Pepper, and she's enthralled Victor Zsasz (Anthony Carrigan) into shooting Gordon. She also compels Bruce (David Mazouz) to do her bidding, all while he's being charming and trying to woo Selina (Camren Bicondova). Lucius Fox (Chris Chalk) gets dragged into the Ivy Fest, with some pretty entertaining results.
Things to love: Selina VS Bruce. Selina smacking Bruce. Selina knocking the tar out of Bruce. Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue) giving the beat-down to everything. Lucius fan-boying over Ivy. Alfred (Sean Pertwee) giving the beat-down on Zsasz. Zsasz in general. Barbara's freaking dress. Barbara and Penguin's (Robin Lord Taylor) "alliance". The piano bit with Penguin and Riddler (Cory Michael Smith), Alfred's pep-talk to Lee (Morena Baccarin). All of the different gangs are a blast to look at, it's like the cast of The Warriors went nuts at a Spirit Halloween store.
Things to Loathe: The trial is a smidge hackneyed, but it still has plenty of payoff for devoted Gothamaniacs. Casual observers are going to wonder what the hell we're all on about, though. And with some of the bigger events leading up to the series finale, this episode felt largely self indulgent.
At the same time, everyone was having a blast, and they've earned a little fun. Let's jump into the spoilers!
Atomic Batteries to power! Spoilers to speed!
First off…
All it took was near-death experience 4,672 for James Gordon to realize that he really, truly wanted to marry Lee. The wedding was adorable, Lee looked fantastic, and Harvey was absolutely at his Harviest while officiating the marriage.
I can't think of that many IRL married couples who get to tie the knot as a TV married couple, but Baccarin and McKenzie certainly look happy together. You can tell this was one of the last scenes shot for Gotham, since everyone is so excited. It's a very endearing scene.
Selina even wore her best claws to the wedding, and Bruce got a little worked up.
I think we're about to see the transition to the mellower James Gordon, the hero that Gotham has always needed. He's realized that he needs to slow his roll a little, stop jumping in front of bullets, and be the husband (and father) that he never thought he could be.
There will not be a new episode of Gotham next week, but on March 21st, we can look forward to Shane West's return in "I am Bane". Get ready for some back-breaking fun!
https://youtu.be/DnzknN8EW_8
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