Gotham, "Pilot"

DC is very publicly trying to imitate the onscreen successes of their longtime foe Marvel. Their next movie is a pretty blatant attempt to launch a full film universe to rival that of their rival. Likewise, the company has expanded into primetime television after Marvel found success in the medium. But unlike Agents of Shield, which is connected directly to the Marvel films, Gotham is its own story, separate from the upcoming DC cinematic franchise (as far as we know). That might be a benefit, allowing it to go in its own directions instead of just supplementing the company’s bread and butter on the big screen.

Gotham’s pilot looks great and sets the right tone. There’s a vibe similar to The Dark Knight, with detailed, modern cityscapes and gritty, realistic incarnations of familiar characters. But this particular Gotham City has its own look, with the right combination of the traditional Victorian design of the comics and more real urban decay (David Fincher’s Seven came to mind, especially since it rains a lot on the show).

The pilot opens with one of the most well-known and defining moments of the DC canon: the robbery and murder of Thomas (Grayson McCouch) and Martha Wayne (Brette Taylor) in an alley, with their young son Bruce (David Mazouz) watching in horror. Assigned to the case are detectives Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie), a straight-shooting new guy, and Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue), a seasoned cop who knows how things really work in Gotham. As they investigate, Gordon as well as the audience come to see that there’s a conspiracy at work involving the police department as well as the city’s criminals.

Aside from a few cop show clichés (there’s one of those foot chases through urban corridors in which somehow neither cop nor criminal ever needs to take a breather), the pilot is quite good. Many supporting characters that could make for strong story arcs are put in place. Popular villains we expect are there, some upfront—a conniving young Oswald Cobblpot (Robin Lord Taylor) plays a big part, while a silent Selina Kyle (Carmen Bicondova) watches everything from the shadows—some in the background but still apparent. Also introduced are supporting characters that haven’t really had life outside the comics and cartoons, namely members of Gotham’s finest other than Gordon.

Logue is the first actor to play Harvey Bullock in the flesh, a prospect of the show that has high potential. In the comics, Bullock is something of an enigma: generally on the side of good, but never far from unspecified allegations of corruption. Logue’s portrayal, for now, errs more to the bad side, though more out of resigned acceptance of his own powerlessness than pure evil. The opportunity for personal conflict and character evolution is there, and Logue already has the character’s gruff, cynical deadpan down perfectly.

McKenzie brings the future commissioner's righteousness to his role, if not his strong voice of moral authority. In a series publicized as being Batman-less, he’s something of a question mark. Gordon’s had some strong personal moments over the years across different mediums, but the character is often defined by his relationship with Batman. In the pilot, young Bruce Wayne is far from putting on the cowl, but Gordon’s arc is focused on his obsessive drive (and later promise) to find the Waynes’ killer. I’m hoping all the Bruce Wayne stuff is gotten out of the way in the first episode and doesn’t hang over the whole series. We all know about Batman’s origin. As the pilot makes clear, there are plenty of other stories in Gotham City waiting to be told.