# Gotham (new show on Fox) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 23, 2014, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotham-new-show-on-fox/699355 "2014-09-23T18:42:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2014, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotham-new-show-on-fox/699355/161 "2014-09-30T23:32:51Z")
Second episode was fun. I agree the villains were a pretty good mixture of being comic-booky, without being too comic-booky. Kind of felt like a Buffy episode in a way. Catgirl’s acting is kind of meh, but child-actors are always kind of problematic. Don’t think we ever found out what the kids were being kidnapped for. Future episode, maybe? ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2014, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotham-new-show-on-fox/699355/162 "2014-09-30T23:46:23Z")
Presumably it’s continuing into next week, but remember the name of the guy the Snatchers were working for - Dollmaker. That should give some idea, even without being familiar with the comics Dollmaker. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2014, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotham-new-show-on-fox/699355/163 "2014-10-01T11:29:06Z")
I find I’m okay with Bruce Wayne acting all psycho. Frankly, he’d have to be kind of psycho to do the job. Sooner or later, preferably sooner, he’ll have to start intense physical conditioning and training - being able to sneak up on people is only, like, half of being Batman. Two-thirds, tops. The lampshaded reason Alfred can’t get him into intense psychotherapy is a tad unsatisfactory, though. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2014, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotham-new-show-on-fox/699355/164 "2014-10-01T11:34:34Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I find I’m okay with Bruce Wayne acting all psycho. Frankly, he’d have to be kind of psycho to do the job. Sooner or later, preferably sooner, he’ll have to start intense physical conditioning and training - being able to sneak up on people is only, like, half of being Batman. Two-thirds, tops. It takes a lot of work to get as buff as Michael Keaton circa 1989. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2014, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotham-new-show-on-fox/699355/165 "2014-10-01T13:57:33Z")
Well, the kid’s already ahead of Adam West, circa 1966. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2014, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotham-new-show-on-fox/699355/166 "2014-10-01T15:54:15Z")
Not to mention Christian Bale, circa _The Machinist_. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2014, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotham-new-show-on-fox/699355/167 "2014-10-01T16:36:35Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > Presumably it’s continuing into next week, but remember the name of the guy the Snatchers were working for - Dollmaker. > > That should give some idea, even without being familiar with the comics Dollmaker. “Why do they call him the Dollmaker?” “…because he _makes dolls_, Avvi.” ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2014, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotham-new-show-on-fox/699355/168 "2014-10-01T21:04:41Z")
I’m liking it a lot better than I thought I would. I’ve always liked Donal Louge and I like his character in Gotham. I’m not overly enthusiastic about the Penguin storyline but the show overall holds my interest. ---
**Author:** ![DKW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dkw/32/3118_2.png) [@DKW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DKW)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotham-new-show-on-fox/699355/169 "2014-10-04T20:49:30Z")
Caught the second episode Friday. It looks like this is the route I’m going, at least for the foreseeable future. I’ll give this a shot. It has it moments, it works for what it is, it keeps things moving. Cheesy as hell, sure (and Fish is practically an entire Switzerland), but that’s how things are in this city. Bullock and the Penguin have been surprisingly fun to watch, and the scenes with Bruce Wayne went a _lot_ smoother than I expected. If the show remembers to finish up the arcs it starts and keep developing its characters (oh, and don’t forget to give Ivy something to do), this could be a hit. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2014, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotham-new-show-on-fox/699355/170 "2014-10-07T04:14:18Z")
…why oh why do I tune into a DC-based series and expect _not_ to get smacked around by dreary, self-righteous prattling about morality and the sanctity of Law? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2014, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotham-new-show-on-fox/699355/171 "2014-10-07T15:44:06Z")
I’ve watched the 3 episodes and enjoy it. I have never had any interest in Batman, have never read a comic book and know nothing about the backstory except Bruce Wayne’s parents were murdered. I have no idea why I like the show. And I think the name Oswald Cobblepot would be a great name for a black and white horse. ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2014, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotham-new-show-on-fox/699355/172 "2014-10-07T18:31:04Z")
You might like Year One then, it’s equal parts Batman and Gordon. No Man’s Land also has a lot of stories about Gordon, Bullock, Montoya, and the rest of the cops, mostly without Batman. I fell asleep with about 10 minutes left, but I think I’ve got it on DVR. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2014, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotham-new-show-on-fox/699355/173 "2014-10-07T20:20:54Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > One advantage of the ongoing comics over movies, tv and one-shot graphic novels is they’ve got a lot of opportunity to deal with the Waynes before their deaths, and they’ve been exploiting that a lot over the last…decade or thereabout? Including a pretty long arc about how they met (which also reminded us that Alfred was a special ops soldier before he went to work for the Waynes). Oooh… I hadn’t thought about it before, but this could be a big missed opportunity. Maybe if they’d kept Thomas and Martha alive until the last episode of the season, say; turned them into real fleshed-out characters instead of just doomed plot devices, and given us a look at Bruce’s childhood _before_ the well-known and oft-trod tragedy… Could have added a few pretty rich layers to the story, if done well. > [@Neverending\_Elbow](#): > > The child snatchers were very comic booky, in a way I liked. They were unreal, but not completely implausible (like, say, a guy dressing up as a giant moth or whatever would be at this point in the show). See, I thought the snatchers were a bit _too_ comic-booky – or, perhaps more accurately, seemed to be from an entirely different comic book than the rest of the characters. While much of the show is very dark noir, these two seemed more like cartoons. Maybe this was intentional, but the dichotomy didn’t work for me. Having said that, I’ve been enjoying it so far. Donal Logue is great. I like Jada Pinkett despite (because of?) her large appetite for scenery; she’s a colorful character in a dark world, yet doesn’t seem jarringly out of place like the child snatchers did to me. If they can settle on a consistent tone, _Gotham_ could become one of my favorites. If not, it’ll run out of steam pretty quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotham-new-show-on-fox/699355/174 "2014-10-08T15:24:20Z")
Well, so much for lesbianic ambiguity. And now Bruce Wayne isn’t inspired by a bat crashing through his window, but the goofiest serial killer ever. There’s a real _Miller’s Crossing_ vibe in Penguin’s return. Please don’t screw this up, Fox. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotham-new-show-on-fox/699355/175 "2014-10-08T15:44:51Z")
My husband (Andy L) quoted an old Doctor Who episode in which the Master (PM of Great Britain at the time) said “What this place needs is a Doctor!” after one character (I’ve forgotten which) said “This city is sick.” Soon Bruce is going to have to start training, and I’d guess that Alfred (or Jim Gordon, or maybe Bruce’s teacher–he does go to school, right?) might think that exercise will help him cope with his misery. ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotham-new-show-on-fox/699355/176 "2014-10-08T17:03:38Z")
I’m enjoying it so far. I know it’s not great TV, but it’s entertaining enough. I was wondering about the weather balloon thing and how there seemed to be no effort made to rescue the victims, or even to consider where they would go. I was wondering _how_ a rescue operation might work. The difficult part would be avoiding the balloon itself with your helicopter. I’m thinking you could fly above the balloon, send someone down on a winch and attach the victim to a second winch (or your own) before popping the balloon. As an aside, you’d need a balloon at least 8m wide to lift Gordon and the Balloonman. It seemed a bit small. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotham-new-show-on-fox/699355/177 "2014-10-08T17:19:54Z")
> [@Bozuit](#): > > I’m thinking you could fly above the balloon, send someone down on a winch and attach the victim to a second winch (or your own) before popping the balloon. Balloons like that don’t pop. A hole with any small-caliber weapon (.22) would vent it slowly enough to bring the load back to the ground without too much impact. At a certain point, the rippling fabric would still have a drag-chute effect. But then… > [@](#): > > As an aside, you’d need a balloon at least 8m wide to lift Gordon and the Balloonman. It seemed a bit small. It _is_ a comic book. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotham-new-show-on-fox/699355/178 "2014-10-08T18:24:46Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Well, so much for lesbianic ambiguity. Not that there was much to begin with (even without the fact that Montoya is established as lesbian in comics canon). > [@](#): > > And now Bruce Wayne isn’t inspired by a bat crashing through his window, but the goofiest serial killer ever. I suspect that this was intended as inspiring one particular part (Thou Shalt Not Kill) of his eventual M.O. Bringing in a few more angles (hopefully in a somewhat subtler manner) could be a nice thread tying the story in to where we all know it’s ultimately leading. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2014, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotham-new-show-on-fox/699355/179 "2014-10-09T00:42:32Z")
So, Alfred ex-SAS this time? And the girl playing Cat makes me feel a bit awkward, her being 15 IRL but having hit cruising altitude already. Good thing she’ll look much the same for decades to come because by the Law of Seven it won’t be pervy until she’s 59 and I’m 104. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotham-new-show-on-fox/699355/180 "2014-10-10T04:25:06Z")
I inadvertently deleted the episode before I could go back. Did the guy they were interrogating state that the helium would _expand_ as the balloon rose, causing it to pop? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotham-new-show-on-fox/699355.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotham-new-show-on-fox/699355.md?page=10)