Martin Carr reviews the tenth episode of Gotham season 4…
Multiple threads, numerous explosions and enough twists and turns to keep the most attention deficient audience member happy, is what Gotham gave us this week. Dark and moody, violent and riddled with double bluffs piled six feet high, this is the season you need to watch. With Gordon manipulating left and right, Sofia Falcone talking her way out of everything and Lee getting bad ass this is good stuff.
Gotham has shaped up into a storyline maze of mammoth proportions with extra lashings of intrigue, set piece mayhem and atmospherics aplenty. With the promise of medieval torture, implied child destruction and a mystery around Pyg which keeps getting deeper things are definitely heating up. McKenzie is kicking butt and taking names and manages to allay any fears I might have expressed last week about his ability to sell this show. Bruce and Alfred are absent from proceedings but this is actually a good thing, as others are given room and screen time to flex their collective muscles.
Harvey is also absent without leave but again this does nothing to detract from scenarios and for some reason Gotham feels tighter this week. Operatic touches in the opening minutes which reminded me of Gene Hackman’s Lex Luthor, set up a great episode which draws you in quickly. Small details concerning the Pyg are dropped like breadcrumbs in what is surely a cue for some nasty reveal come next week. With consequences dictating a female team up of sorts, one hell of a Mexican stand-off and all parties circling the wagons we are getting close.
Momentum has built up, wheels have been greased and schemes are being uncovered, coming to fruition or falling apart like a cheap suit. In the background there is a metamorphosis occurring with two specific characters which is promising to add spice later on. From forensic specialist to something else entirely, Lee Thompkins is now a rock chick with attitude whilst Nygma is finally opening his eyes. How the showrunners choose to move things along with this potential segue remains to be seen, but it certainly makes for good television.
After the lacklustre response that this season has received until now I had my doubts that a season five might happen. With the grand plan suddenly coming into sharp focus I may well choose to eat my hat real soon. Dynamic, sexy, sassy and with more than its fair share of cojones, Gotham is rising phoenix like from the ashes as we head into a mid-season finale to remember.
Martin Carr
Originally published December 3, 2017. Updated April 15, 2018.
