Check it out ladies! Gotham, the Batman origin TV series that just premiered Monday, September 22nd on Fox, did women a heckuva lot of justice. Without giving to much away, here are five reasons you need to add Gotham to your Monday night schedule.
1. Young Cat Woman. The first episode opens with actress Camren Bicondova playing a pickpocket with an affinity for alley cats. She pops up a few times throughout the episode, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out who she will grow up to be. Her personality is enigmatic, and we never hear her speak, but clearly she knows what is going on around her. Her athleticism and, dare I say it, feline agility are over the top. I am curious to know how this character will develop in future episodes.
2. Renee Montoya, played by actress Victoria Cartagena, is a detective in the Major Crimes Unit (MCU). She is a tough and confident woman willing to risk solving a case to help out an old friend. Montoya isn’t afraid of the political and legal quagmire that Gotham’s police department exists inside of. I got the feeling she is more than comfortable navigating Gotham’s crime circles to get her job done.
3. Fish Mooney, played by Jada Pinkett Smith, runs a nightclub that operates in a very grey area of the law. She has ambition and cruelty in equally high measures. When she says “jump” her lackeys say “how high?” Of all the women characters, I enjoyed watching her the most. With a temper as hot as her eyes are cold, I looked forward to watching others try to cross her.
4. Barbara Kean, played by Erin Richards, runs an art gallery, owns a luxurious apartment, hints at a past relationship that may or may not have lesbian connotations, and is the significant other to James (Jim) Gordon. Jim and Barbara are Gotham’s heart, clearly planning for a long future together, but can their relationship survive the grim journey ahead of them both?
5. Ivy Pepper, played by Clare Foley, is very obviously Poison Ivy in the making. Her role is small, but we learn a lot about her childhood. The few sentences she speaks will chill you to the bone.
I was thoroughly impressed by the writing, the plot, the acting, and pretty much everything. I will definitely be watching more. It has been a long time since I’ve dedicated any night of my week to a TV show, but this is one I do not want to miss!
Have you already watched it? Share your first impressions in the comments below:
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I’m curious, how have you liked the more recent episodes, Lindsey? I personally felt they have vastly improved the pacing and tone overall, but I think on the downside, it has made both Montoya and Barbara intensely loathsome people who represent the worst kinds of double-standards with adultery and romantic jealousy. But on the bright side, I adore Penguin. He makes this show, absolutely phenomenal take on the character.
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Renee Montoya is one of my favorite DC characters, I really want to see this!
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She is pretty cool so far 🙂 Did you watch the new episode last night?
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Hooray! Glad to hear it was good! I haven’t watched it yet, but I’ve been SO EXCITED for this show since it was announced. Glad it didn’t disappoint!
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Once you get a chance to watch it, let me know your thoughts on the episode 🙂
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For sure!
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I saw a bit of it after Sleepy Hollow and was intrigued enough to hit record before turning off the TV. I’m glad I did. I’ve been trying to figure out how to start with the DC Universe and procedural TV is kind of my jam, so this show seems like a good fit. I’m excited to check it out.
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Come back and let me know what you think!
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I thought it was a great pilot. It set up Gotham as it will be for the show and introduced interesting character dynamics between Gordon and Dent. I know almost nothing about Batman, but I got the sense that there was a lot going on that will become important later on, which is one of the best parts about comic adaptions. We can just see a character and know that they’ll be important later on as opposed to the writers having to spell it out for us. It’s a lot darker than most shows I watch, but I’m willing to keep watching for a little while at least.
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“We can just see a character and know they’ll be important later on” – I totally agree. That is what I love most about shows like this. I have read some reviews that feel the number of characters being introduced was too much, but that was actually my favorite part. I want to see how the connect them all together.
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Great to hear it because I’m so excited for this show!
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