User reviews

As a pretty engaged Batman fan (I read the comics, played the heck out of the Arkham games, saw all the movies, the first Animated Series and I even play the tabletop miniature game) I was apprehensive about this show.

After all, what could be good about a Batman show without Batman? Not to mention the fact that all the rumors mentioned different takes on characters, etc?

I tried it anyway... and I'm glad I did!

There is an awful lot to like here. First of all, the characters are interesting: interesting enough to make you forget all about Batman! You root for Gordon, you're annoyed at Bullock, Fish gives you the creeps and Penguin... let's just say he's moved up in my favorite villains list (and he was near the bottom, let me tell you!).

The acting is great (again I must mention Penguin) and while some have said it's over the top... maybe it is, but it's never distracting and fits within the universe that we're presented with.

As I mentioned above, the series has its own take on the universe - you'll soon recognize certain characters, even though they're introduced in ways that are different than what you knew from the comics - and yet, even as a seasoned Batman fan, I was never bothered by the differences and enjoyed the fresh perspectives on familiar characters.

Also, don't worry about the writers shoe-horning in characters, just to get them on screen. Every character I've seen makes sense within the series.

The first season (which I'm basing this review on) has overarching plot lines, but occasionally has "freak of the week" episodes. I was never bored, though (as I regularly was when watching Flash or Arrow) and it's obvious the writing went towards longer plots when it was clear the show was doing well. It never steeps to "cop show" levels, which is an achievement.

Finally, I must commend the "atmosphere" of the series. It all feels very "Gotham", including the shots of the city skyline, the sets, the extras... it all comes together feeling very Batman, without actually having Batman in the mix...

Do I have any criticism? Not really, no. I would love it if they do a Batman series to tie into this one... there's so much they could work with.

Go see it and enjoy it!

Gotham chronicles the life of a young Bruce Wayne growing up and young detective Jim Gordon as they take on a corrupt Gotham City. I though Gotham did a great job at building the world of Batman as he grew up and before he actually became Batman. Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie), Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue) and the villains were all the real stars of this show. The only weak link is the actor who played Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz). He just doesn't come off as someone who can play a tough guy or beat people up, quite the opposite actually. All his fight scenes were just so unbelievable. But overall the show is very good and worth watching!

I though Gotham did a great job at building the world of Batman as he grew up and before he actually became Batman. Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie), Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue) and the villains were all the real stars of this show. The only weak link is the actor who played Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz). He just doesn't come off as someone who can play a tough guy or beat people up, quite the opposite actually. All his fight scenes were so unbelievable and actually made me laugh. But overall the show is very good and worth watching!

I've never really watched any batman related stuff before except BatMAn trilogy of Christoner Nolan, so I don't really have any expectations on what characters should be.

Season 1 is decent, boring forgettable characters, the mafia bosses were super lame even Gordon and Bullock didn't do anything memorable, all I cared about was what Penguin, Master Bruce and Alfred would get up to, and they had about 10 minutes of screen time every 2 episodes.

Season 2 however is way better, probably the best super hero show for that season. Some very interesting villains come along that actually do stuff for a change, they start killing about 10 red shirt cops every week, and you feel like the characters are actually impacting the story and the city rather than which mafia boss runs the local fish and chip shop from season one.

Season 3 and Season 4 reached Pinnacle of Awesomeness.

Not a Comic Reader, so I found the TV series too good.

Gotham is a unique and wonderful insight into the famous city before the birth of DC's most beloved hero. The show mixes comic book content with their own twists. On top of that they have one of the most talented casts on tv. To name but a few Ben McKenzie is an excellent lead as the young Jim Gordon. David Mazouz is a young man with extreme talent and handles every storyline that comes his way as Bruce Wayne grows up. Sean Pertwee is an ass kicking and witty version of Alfred to rival all those who have gone before. Whilst Robin Lord Taylor and Cory Michael Smith are nothing short of extraordinary in their portrayal's of the infamous Penguin and Riddler. Highly recommend it to any DC and in particular Batman fans. I love it and long may it continue!

I must say, if you have an...average opinion of season 1, I don't blame you. The show was decent, good at times but it lacked continuity and it had way too many "Villain of the week" scenarios and all the side story lines were seen as irrelevant mostly.

Now after watching a few episodes of Seasons two, I can say that just the first episode is way better than maybe the entirety of season 1 ( maybe a stretch but I just think it's amazing ). So if you are done with Gotham after the first season, please give it a go as I feel that the makers of this series have injected some new life into it and it shows in every episode so far.

I've been very frustrated by Gotham. The premise is solid. The characters are interesting. The actors are generally excellent. The atmosphere is wonderfully seedy. The overall story arc of corruption is quite good.

But from episode to episode, the quality varies widely. Much of the problem is the crime-of-the-week format. While the various side stories are generally quite good, the main investigation is often rather dull. And that's a huge hunk of the show. Gordon himself is a decent character but he's less interesting than Penguin or Selena or Nygma, yet gets more screen time than all of them put together.

Some episodes are great, and most episodes have great segments, but at times (as during the dreary, 3-part, serial-killer episodes), I've considered giving up on the show altogether.

As the title says it isn't necessarily for Batman fans, this show is mainly about detective Gordon and his investigations. I would sum this up as more of a show like CSI with a Gotham theme. It's dark gritty and grotesque. You see the true nature of Gotham and how dark the city actually is and why Batman in the future fights to keep it safe. Very interesting show, but if you're looking for that signature high flying Batman style action, it likely isn't for you.

Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) is an earnest new police detective in the corrupt Gotham City. His girlfriend Barbara Kean takes a turn into darkness. His partner Harvey Bullock is revealed to be a weary veteran willing to work within the corruption. There is Bruce Wayne, the billionaire orphan, with his butler Alfred Pennyworth. Selina Kyle is a street kid who finds connection with Bruce. Oswald Cobblepot is a minor crime figure who rises to the top. Edward Nygma is the police tech who goes mad for riddles.

The show was initially sold as Batman without Batman or Gotham with young Jim Gordon. It's actually teen Batman before Batman. It's a little weird to have Catwoman/not Catwoman, Joker/not Joker, Penguin/not Penguin, Riddler/not Riddler. What may be worst are the non-comic book characters. The Balloonman in the third episode is probably the quintessential new character. It's odd. It's a valiant try but it doesn't work. It doesn't fit as drama or comedy. I actually don't mind Jada Pinkett Smith as Fish Mooney but she struggles to fit as the tone keeps changing. Eventually the show figures out how to be an alternate Batman verse. Cameron Monaghan as Jeremiah Valeska is the high point as Joker/not Joker. Robin Lord Taylor is consistently great as Cobblepot and probably kept more of my attention through those first two inconsistent seasons. It's a shaky start but the show eventually finds its footing.

The one thing that always kept me from enjoying the Batman films and series for as far back as I can remember are the villains, who all come out of sheer left field with little-to-no rhyme or reason and then the "dark side" of Batman, which honestly doesn't seem too "dark" aside from the drippy cave and all-black costume+accessories.

This Junior-League style prequel to the Batman story does such a nice job of setting up the Bruce-Alfred storyline and the Bruce-Cat storyline. If the producers could have just left it at that, with the simple underground councils/corrupt board in the background and the relevant training of a young Bruce Wayne (no spoilers) the series would have done well enough.

Alas, the story goes way overboard, making overly complex back stories for ALL the villains that end up making them annoying rather than frightful. Does EVERYONE have to die and be resurrected? Does EVERYONE have to own a bar and vie for what seems to be evaporating into a little dung heap called Gotham? What's the motivation? By the end of Season 4 the series has become exhausting to watch.

Sorely disappointed with everything except Sean Pertwee, Ben McKenzie, David Mazouz Camren Bicondova and, of course, the really remarkable sets.

Gotham has long been the TV show many like to pick at, its first season, while compelling was mostly a mundane origin tale. Happy to report that since that time, the show has evolved into something really special. Lavish, atmospheric set pieces, great performances and a constant drift from episodic story arcs are just a few qualities to love about this show. Moreover it does justice to many comic book characters that everyone knows. While it does face some tonal inconsistency and gets the villain-of-the-week treatment on occasion, at least it builds its characters and does proper justice to them.

What a fantastic new take on classic DC characters and stories. A cast chalked full of new face actors and actress's, that are only no names for the time being most of these new actors really have the chops and have delivered very strong performances since season 1 episode 1. This show is stylish, smart, and wickedly entertaining. It does have some plot lines that can be comparable to soap operas but again the acting. Costumes, scenes designs, and creative camera work makes up for that.

This is a rather entertaining and intense TV show starring Ben McKenzie as a young Detective James Gordon. He sides with justice and attempts to ride Gotham City of corruption, really bad guys and supervillains - all before the arrival of Batman.

It's very interesting seeing the introduction of each characters, especially that of a young Bruce Wayne and the villains before they became The Joker, Penquin, Riddler and Catwoman. Lots of intriguing episodes about the sources behind Gotham City's corruption, making the plot unpredictable and suspenseful. Action is a little overkill though, and the acting goes from too monotone (Ben McKenzie) to overzealous and overindulged.

Not a bad show, overall. Eager to see how everything unfolds.

Grade B-

Gotham is basically about how Jim Gordan along with his accomplices solve homicide crimes, etc. If you think it's about Batman, you're wrong.

I was skeptical to watch this show, as I thought since Batman would not be there, it'll be boring. Well, I found it later I was so wrong. So Wrong. It got me hooked on.

I watched a couple of episodes and it wasn't too bad. I started watching more episodes, then I loved it. You really don't need Batman actually. Many villains come such as the Penguin, etc are there in the show . Penguin is portrayed by Robin Taylor ( Oswald Cobblepot ) . He surely deserves an Emmy for his acting. I also loved the acting of Cory Michael Smith ( Edward Nygma ) . He's bit a weird though, with all his strange riddles. Nonetheless, he is great. Ben Meckenzie did a good job in portraying Jim Gordon . I think the acting of Jada Smith was a bit too much. Sometimes it was just too bad but at times it was good.

Well, I must say Gotham is a very promising show. I simply LOVE it. I hope they also renew for many more seasons. Again, I would suggest you to watch at least the first three episodes.

I've been binge watching this show on Netflix right now. The storyline is okay, but each season feels painfully long and painfully slow. I think a 16-18 episodes per season could've told the entire story arc they wanted to show, removing all the painfully slow story progressions from 4-6 episodes.

I really wanted to give this show an 8, but man, it's hard to give it an 8 once the filler episodes start to kick in. Also, villains keep on dying and being resurrected everytime is such a pain to watch. They are just making a fool of the audience.

To be fair, the acting is good accross the board.

If you're into psychopath villains, this one is for you. I was never really a fan of such villains, but this show really changed my mind. Most of their villains are well written, to the point that I liked them more than the heroes - Penguin, Riddler, Barbarra, and Dr. Strange and awesome villains.

I know, i'm late. Anyways, it's a decent show. Like in every show there are ups and downs, and the more it goes on the more downs there are. I however did not like "the making of Batman" plot. I skipped most scenes with Bruce Wayne because i wanted to see what the villains are doing. Detective Gordon story is meh. At first it's fun but it gets old after a while as it's always going in circles. However, the last season is NOT the worst season. In fact i found it more fun than some seasons in the middle of this show.

You should give it a try. I'm not a comic book fan so i can't look at the show from that point of view.

Season 1, season 2 was epic it' sucks after that bad story writing, villians keep reviving again and again and it keeps repeating somehow managed till season 4 couldn't take it anymore what a waste of time. This series is over-rated asf

Of late, I have realized that TV content is getting developed much better than movies and I find myself binge-watching many recent TV series than movies. This is happening all the more because of the gripping and taut story lines (TV shows, given their length, used to ramble on about the plot, but thankfully no more) and brilliant overall delivery.

Gotham stands out even amongst this new wave of brilliant TV shows. The first season of Gotham exuded brilliance. Tight direction, brilliant (overkilling this word no?) acting, fantastic casting and this amalgamation is truly one for the ages. Every cast member seems to be perfect for their role and they deliver and how!!

Without giving much away, Jada Pinkett Smith, you ma'am are as much of a powerhouse performer as your famous husband! What a performance by her! Every scene she is in, she totally steals the show. Robin Lord Taylor is mesmerizing in his role of Oswald Cobblepot. I found the entire cast to be perfect and the above two were mentioned for no particular reason but for their sheer brilliance on screen.

As a fellow reviewer, I too thought another 'Batman Begins' won't be much fun but I did expect some detailing seeing this is a TV show. But was I blown away! This was more of a Jim Gordon Begins or more correctly, Ascends kinda story. This storyline works perfect for this show as gradually the different villains are introduced in their own chilling manner (and man, the violence and mafia story lines are a delight) and gradually build up to why Gotham would end up needing a masked (and caped) crusader! Anyway, that's where I hope the future seasons are going. A lot to look forward to in Season 2 of Gotham and boy it sure looks promising!

The only thing preventing this masterfully crafted series from getting a perfect rating is the fact that its virtually impossible to have a flawless show over the phase of 100 total episodes. However to call Gotham underrated would be an massive understatement. The brooding, yet lively aesthetics, the multi dimensional characters, the exciting action sequences, and the engaging storytelling make Gotham an must watch television series. Robin Lord Taylor's portrayal of Penguin in particular is the standout performance, however virtually every villain, the riddler, joker, poison ivy, scarecrow etc, are perfectly portrayed, and certainly stand as the highlights of the series as a whole. However there is a strong philosophical message inherent within the show, beyond the action and flare, about law and order, justice, moral lines, and the greater good. The storytelling is another aspect the show perfectly nails. It isn't easy to nail an amalgamation of different narratives to create coherent television, however Gotham succeeds, engrossing the audience with its emotional resonance, and creativity. However, despite being one of my favorite shows of all time, Gotham isn't without its flaws. There is sometimes an excessive reliance on filler and "too much" substance which prevents the narrative of the series to flow more smoothly, and occasionally bogs down the pacing of the series as a whole. Furthermore there are sometimes one too many plot elements which slow down the series resolution, and prevents the series from spending more time on critical and more intriguing story elements. However despite the flaws inherent within Gotham, the series has all the elements which make engrossing television. Interesting characters, an engrossing narrative, and a central element which always pulls the audience to watch more, the city of Gotham, which in and of itself, with its enigma, visual beauty, and dilemas, stands as a character in and of itself.

A show set in the Batman universe.. except without Batman? A lot of people didn't like this concept but i was one of the people who did. I wanted to see the villains' rise to power most of all.. but how would they be interesting with no Batman to counter them? Well that's where the early years of Jim Gordon come into play. The show follows Jim as he cracks strange cases whilst trying to help a young Bruce Wayne solve the mystery of his parents' murder. It seemed each week for a while we would see a new villain come in and act like they run Gotham City before Jim and Harvey Bullock shut them down, but it turned into more than that.

After a while the show did start to feel repetitive and i wanted to see more focus on a single villain that on a bunch and we ended up getting that by the end and i absolutely loved the finale, but before we talk about that let's talk about what i liked less. Over the course of the series we were introduced and hinted at early incarnations of villains we could expect to see. Scarecrow, Poison Ivy and even The Joker have been hinted at and whilst these are some of the best Batman villains i feel that they should have been left for later series' and that this series should have focused on three particular villains who i will talk about later. The biggest gripe for me was hinting at Jerome being the Joker.. Joker is obviously a big deal in the Batman universe and i feel without Batman being introduced then Joker should be left well alone, but also early hints to Bruce being Batman felt shoehorned in, i feel less focus should be drawn to him and the Batman references as well as the awful cat puns from Selina Kyle should have been toned down a huge deal.

However, i do feel Gotham is a very entertaining show to say the least. It is ridiculous and some of the characters act even more cartoony than they do on Batman: The Animated Series which is saying a lot. This isn't so much a bad thing because the show knows how ridiculous it is whilst still maintaining a gritty feel to it and i give it props for that. The acting is over the top but Ben McKenzie as Jim Gordon and Donal Logue as Harvey Bullock are absolutely true to the characters (especially Logue) and play well off each other. The villains i mentioned are Fish Mooney, a new character who isn't in the comics played by Jada Pinkett Smith who brings a stylish yet creepy edge to her character, she was one of the best on the show. I also loved Cory Michael Smith as Edward Nygma, his slow descent into becoming the Riddler was at times shoehorned in but when it worked it was incredible, especially in the finale. The absolute stand out of the show however is of course Robin Lord Taylor who plays Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin. My god, he gave one of the best performances i have seen in TV for years, he made me root for the Penguin's survival and the Penguin has always been low down on my list of favourite Batman villains (that is until now). If anyone can be praised for single handedly making this show work and bringing a whole heap of crazy, ridiculous yet incredible acting skills to the table it is Robin Lord Taylor who honestly deserves a lot more work. He has clearly earned it.

So no, Gotham does not go without its flaws and characters such as Edward Nygma should have got more screen time if they were to be introduced now to let their characters develop but i expect series 2 will open a new set of opportunities for them which i look forward to. If Jerome truly is the Joker though i'm not sure how i would feel. The finale, without spoilers, was very satisfying to me. Some of it felt maybe too ridiculous such as the scenes with Dr. Lee and Barbara but overall i was entertained and am intrigued to see more so that is always a good sign. A fun show that doesn't take itself too seriously. It doesn't quite scale a show like Daredevil but it doesn't exactly try to and it also gives us one of the best characters in recent TV with Penguin.

8.5/10