GOTHAM “Spirit of the Goat” Review


Should people still tune in to this weekly series? Read on to find out.

The official description from Fox:

When a killer begins targeting the first-born of Gotham’s elite, Bullock is forced to confront traumatic memories from a nearly identical case he worked in the past. Later, Gordon is confronted by past decisions in the all-new “Spirit of the Goat” episode of GOTHAM airing Monday, Oct. 27 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

If there’s a message coming across to the viewers of this continual Batman prequel, it’s that Gotham, as it is without our Dark Knight, may be beyond saving. We see systemic corruption from Wayne Enterprises to the GCPD and even the Mayor’s office. There’s a lot or ripe narrative material there that seems set for the makings of an early but readily apparent need to have someone stand up for the ones being walked over.

Gotham 106 A Widescreen

Spirit of the Goat” gives us our most human account of Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue). We see a man, compromised by his time in this town, but one that’s still aching to do good. And through the tale at play he’s forced to confront the man he used to be while dealing with the decisions of both his current and former partners. Beyond that side characters, like Edward Nygma (Michael Smith), finally get enough screen time to develop further then the basics of their established personas. Which had its drawbacks, especially the noticeable absence of our normally addressed criminal elements.

Gotham 106 B Widescreen

For Ben McKenzie (Detective James Gordon) the latest round in Gotham calls for an overly stressed but nonetheless compelling performance. He builds his character up to a crescendo as elements currently out of his control continue to circle him. For the first time I honestly felt like the episode rested largely on our leading man and for the most part he delivered. And even though Sean Pertwee (Alfred), David Mazouz (Bruce Wayne), Camren Bicondova (Selina Kyle) make a limited appearance they leave enough of a mark to actually carry some weight while keep their future personas clearly in mind.

As the rise of The Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor) continues to unfold, the show runners find a way to keep their narrative elements in-check. And what makes Gotham special is the clear attention to detail and adherence they employ with accepted lore in mind. I still want the mustache but “Spirit of the Goat” comes recommended.

OUR RATING
7.5
  • + Strong performances.
  • + The Penguin plot thickens.
  • + See how Harvey became Harvey.
  • - Some of the cast feels a bit forgotten...