Gotham Knights (The CW)

I don't know if my opinion will be rare or not, which is why I am a bit afraid to offer it. I feel like I could be going out on a huge limb, and courting potential embarrassment, and even possibly hurting my future credibility as a critic.

But I think the public saw the terrible footage from the trailer, decided it looked like the worst DC project of all time, and James Gunn sort of went with that. When asked about a potential second season renewal he was all "No comment." We were prepared for the worst. I told myself I would consider the Pilot a victory is it wasn't worse than "Titans". "Titans" is actually my pick for worst DC show of all time and if it was better than "Titans", every single bad thing I would invariably say about this cheap-ass looking show would be relatively measured in response.

It was better than every single episode of "Titans". I suspected it probably would be. What I didn't expect it that it was actually a lot better than a bunch of other live-action DC projects that nobody ever seems to talk crap about. Way better than "Gotham". Way better than Black Lightning's last two seasons. Way better than the every other season of "Supergirl" and "The Flash" but their first. Way better than "Naomi". Maybe me saying that IS damning it with faint praise, and no lie, I didn't exactly like it. But it being disowned before it even made it to air makes me seriously question James Gunn's judgment. I already was on the fence about the guy after he defended David Zaslav writing off Batgirl for taxes by saying that movie damaged the brand. The show kind of sucks, but I will argue it is more accessible to general audiences than either his version of the Suicide Squad or "Peacemaker". What I'm saying is James Gunn's judgment about DC projects simply cannot be trusted. I liked the "Guardians Of The Galaxy" movies and their Holiday Special, but why Gunn was put in charge of DC after a failure like Suicide Squad 2 and a totally off-putting show like "Peacemaker" is beyond me. I'm not saying those projects are bad per se. But this show is accessible because it can air on network television with no problems. And it's not super depressing either, despite the premise.

I mentioned the show itself isn't great, and basically every compliment I've backhanded it is due to the fact that a lot of other popular Arrowverse stuff is actually far worse. The first half of the episode is truly awful and I was like "Who the hell is Turner Hayes and why should I care?" And this show has a far lower budget than any other current DC show on the air. Forget how cheap the Batman mask looks, that Robin suit is outright appalling.

But I think something happened about midway through the episode. It started when Joker's daughter pointed out the cop's stories of revenge and money didn't match each other and they needed to get their theories straight. I was like "That is the kind of sloppy police mistake that would occur on "Arrow" or "The Flash", and nobody would ever point out how dumb it is." This show automatically having the girl turn into the nitpicker of Berlanti police procedurals makes me LIKE that moment. And I didn't expect to like ANYTHING about the show.

The Court Of Owls being The Big Bad also explains something that made little sense to me. What is the point of framing Turner for the murder? I imagine the reality is convoluted. But The Court Of Owls is the only bad guy outfit in Gotham where I'd half believe an idea that stupid. Their logic has always been their own, and somewhat nonsensical. Good for the show.

Am I actually giving that a positive review? Not this week. What I'm saying is the show is not the lost cause the terrible trailers led us to believe. All of the terrible trailer stuff was played out in the first half, and things got a little more bearable when the gimmicks stopped trying to seem new and edgy. I'm saying me giving an episode in the future a good review is not out of the question. I'm saying "Batman '66" had a crappy dirt low FX budget too and I liked that fine. I'm saying I know this show is going to only get one season, but there is a chance I might wind up regretting that fact. I'm saying I'm going out on a limb and saying that was NOT the single worst DC project of all time.. It's not even the worst DC project currently on the air. I may never wind up loving the show. But I certainly don't hate it. **1 removed link

I was sort of resigned to the fact that I wasn't going to like this. My prediction before I saw the episode is that the gist of my review would be that even though the Pilot was not terrible, that's not the metric for a good or even decent series. I was gonna do a Mea Culpa that while I was very gentle and lenient on the Pilot for that reason, that was a one-time benefit of the doubt.

And then the episode wound up BETTER than the Pilot, and I really don't know WHAT to think.

By all rights this show should be awful. The fact that the second episode was sort of good is almost shocking to me.

I am now interested where this will go. I can't really speak on the characters or their dynamics very well because the show is so new, but I will say the vibe I got from Talon was he is this show's version of Ghostface from the Scream movies. If Ghostface wasn't always annoying people before he killed them with prank phone calls. But the kid's stuff with Talon is definitely horror movie-adjacent.

I have no idea what is going here. It's alarming me a bit. How could the critics, (and even James Gunn and the studios heads) have gotten it SO wrong? The trailer was awful! This show SHOULD be awful! Neither the studio or the CW actually supports it. Why is it better than the CW's flagship superhero show The Flash? This makes NO freaking sense to me. ***.

That was shoddy.

The Robin suit looks even worse in action than I thought, and the Mutant Gang designs all suck. And when Mrs. March tells Harvey he's a good liar, I couldn't tell if the writing or the acting was worse in that scene. They were both horrid.

I'm not exactly giving up on this show, but if this week is any indication, the producers probably already have. *1 removed link

That was great.

Surprised that Veronica Cartwright is still alive. She can still bring the goods though. Carrie and Duela's scene with her was funny, then alarming, then horrifying in the space of seconds.

At bad as the Bat Mask was is how decent I find the Owl Masks. Yeah, they look kinda cheap. But while the Bat Mask is not effectively scary, the Owl Masks ARE effectively creepy.

Stephanie and Cullen bonding was pretty cool too. Harper resenting Stephanie is her sort of missing the forest for the trees.

Glad Cressida's treachery is out in the open now. While that was a secret, she was a huge threat.

Talon is the Butcher? Explains a LOT and exactly NOTHING at the same time.

This was a good week. I defy you to argue differently. ****.

I like that Carrie has a good mom. That's nice.

Good origin for the Gotham Knights label.

Harvey's stuff is interesting, particularly the ending. The stuff about his father was well done.

Dr. Chase Meridian? Weird Batman character to call back, but she DID treat Harvey (terribly and incompetently, I might add) in Batman Forever.

Pretty good. Will never be confused for great television, but the freak-out over the show before it premiered was premature. There are a LOT worse current DC shows deserving of shade. ***1 removed link

I am done. I am sorry. I owe every person who reads my Gotham Knights reviews a HUGE apology. Whether you like the show or hate it, I've done you wrong. That ends here.

I refuse to continue to be a coward. Just because this show is widely despised by certain fans for whatever reasons doesn't mean every single time I saw something I liked it was okay for me to say "This is better than expected." "That was decent." or "That could be confused for passable". This is the language of a cowardly reviewer who simply does not have the guts to stand by their convictions and say that conventional wisdom is wrong, and I actually like a show other people don't.

The thing that disgusts me most about myself upon realizing this, is this is the EXACT same thing professional reviewers do. They are very much people who get on the bandwagon late. I remember "Friends" received absolutely SCATHING reviews upon its debut until the critics realized audiences LIKED it and then they pretended they did all along too. Same thing with Once Upon A Time. But they never did a Mea Culpa after the fact. They pretended they were always friends to those franchises. That's bull and they did their readers dirty and got away with it. And I'm not gonna do that to you. I messed up. I did wrong not just by this show, which is bad enough. I did wrong by YOU. I was dishonest with YOU.

This is a DAMN good show, and that was a DAMN great episode. I see the argument that killing off Batman is potentially a narrative dead end. What people failed to take into account is the amazing storytelling avenues opened up upon Gotham learning he was Bruce Wayne. The idea that Joe Chill was framed for the Wayne's murders is juicy enough. What kills me dead is him saying he never blamed Bruce for hating him. Until he found out he was Batman after he died. Supposedly the World's Greatest Detective didn't figure out the dude who supposedly killed his own parent didn't do it. That's GREAT drama. And again I apologize for my weasel words in deference to trolls taking a shot at the fact that the show is low-budget, and the sets and costumes look admittedly bad. That matters about a hundredth to me as much as that cool idea does.

Very surprised March survived. And that adds a TON of complications. For Harvey too. Because even if we know that wasn't the coin Harvey took out of evidence, the truth is he's been losing time. There IS a distinct possibility that Big Bad Harv is working for the Court of Owls, Harvey doesn't know it, and that he DID leave March's coin during one of his blackouts. Did I mention this was a good show and this was a great episode? THAT! THAT!

I apologize to every single one of my readers who values my honesty. I messed up. I promise I will try and do better in the future. ****1 removed link

I don't think it's bad writing, but the kids getting one over on the Court of Owls at the end makes me think. Maybe the Court is not as untouchable as people say they are after seeing them so easily punked by the kids. Maybe it's simply that everyone simply always SAYS they're untouchable (and always have), and everyone else simply believes the hype instead of brushing back against it. Maybe people fighting back get results simply because so few people actually do.

Harvey mentions voters elected Cobblepot, and while there is something to that observation, it doesn't make sense if Harvey if running in the tribe I think he is. Cobblepot got elected because people in HIS tribe can forgive literally anything, even open wanton criminality. If you are the wrong tribe like Dent seems to be, character flaws and morality actually matter. But yes, real-world politics ARE messed up. Someone like Penguin being made mayor in Our Universe is no longer theoretical (much less somebody like Lex Luthor becoming President). Voters voting for bad guys in the comics is done because they supposedly don't have accurate information. In reality, our Universe tells me the truth would dissuade nobody. Things in reality are much worse than a comic book franchise could ever envision.

I don't like torture, but the thing I really don't like about Duela doing it to Eunice is that just based upon what she did, Duela has actually never done it before, and has no idea what she's doing. What SHE is doing is as liable to get the old lady killed as it is to yield and sort of information. Besides, Eunice is MUCH more valuable to the Knights as a live hostage than a source of information. They don't NEED her to talk to trade her for Greene's family. That's the actual selling point of snatching her.

I was surprised the thief was Greene. Good twist.

The timing of actual break-in is wonky (only on TV countdown clocks can 30 seconds pass in the space of 10) but they were busted anyways, so that didn't really matter too much.

But seriously, how hard would it have been to give the kids an accurate time that syncs up to the dialogue? There is no writing rule that the alarm HAD to sound in exactly 60 seconds.

My favorite part of the episode is Turner reassuring Duela that just because she did a good thing, it doesn't mean she's a good person, and her thanking him for that. That's actually great.

Solid episode of a good show. ****.

This show is so easy to like. Outside of the costumes it's doing everything right.

March as the head Court Guy? Yes. Yes. Yes. It answers the question of why he didn't raise a fuss over finding Harvey's cufflink, and raises a very interesting question as to why he was on Talon's hit list. This is where none of the Court knowing each other's actual identities comes back to bite them in the ass.

I flinched in terror at the little girl in the owl mask with the doll. "Kill her! Kill her!"

Cressida's appearance at the meeting as they were leaving with the stolen map was pure bliss. It's not just a narrative dilemma and complication added at the worst possible moment. It's a moral and character one too. Crap like that is why I watch television. And if you ever hear me call something "Crap why I watch television" that is indeed my highest praise.

A pity her rescue was temporary, but maybe not for the show. She could have told the kids too much.

We finally understand the loving dad routine from Cluemaster is all an act. We suspected as much due to who he is in the comics, but it actually could have surprised us and turned out the other way before tonight.

This show is kicking the ass of The Flash's final season. ****1 removed link

The show has done better, but the truth is it was still good and better than most of the Arrowverse.

That ending with Harvey on the recorder? Nice!

The cool thing about this being a new and weird continuity is that if it turns out Bruce DID kill Turner's parents, it wouldn't rock the DC Universe in any way. This continuity is sort of built for ideas like that. Batman being dead has turned out to be surprisingly freeing.

I haven't seen Emily Rose in anything since Haven went off the air. I'm sure she was cast in stuff (probably videogame roles) but I never saw it and it's the first time I've seen her onscreen in years. She actually still looks really great.

This show is above average television. ***1 removed link

I'm not surprised Mrs. March is the secret Big Bad of the season, simply because Brody was walking right into it. If she wasn't gonna be a huge complication, this would have been too easy.

Harvey vs. Harvey was great stuff. Misha Collins was clearly having fun.

Carrie telling her mom she was Robin is a big moment.

Turner always made more sense with Duela than he did Stephanie.

Pretty good week. ****.

I feel like the show was better before teenage sex entered the picture.

Not crazy about the idea of Harvey as Duela's father. While it adds a more personal element to the show, the Joker's daughter being involved with Batman's son is the better hook. I'm sorry, it just is. Whatever they can cook up between her and Harvey will never be as interesting or irresistible an idea as that is.

I love Colin reaming Turner at the end about how much he cares about him. The bro hug is the only appropriate response.

Turner may have been surprised Colin was driving the cop car, but I don't think the viewer was. I sure wasn't.

Not a fan of the episode, although Colin's stuff with Turner at the end was really good. **1 removed link

Brody not being able to die makes him useful. I would have loved a Season 2 and him having a bunch of gag deaths the way Chaz always died on Constantine.

I expect a big cliffhanger next week, but whether my judgment of that is negative or not is still up for debate. Pennyworth's cliffhanger ending was maddening because it was great. Naomi's was maddening because it sucked and ruined the show. We'll see what happens here, but while this show is nowhere NEAR as steady as Pennyworth was at its best, it's also on a LOT firmer footing than Naomi ever was. I predict a cliffhanger on the level of Krypton: I'll be mad, but I'll live with it.

Rebecca is pretty freaking evil on every level. Almost cartoonishly so.

Carrie's mother asking about HER potential grief is a good question. I mean she IS in the line of work that got BATMAN of all people killed. Her "not going letting that happen" isn't really up to her.

They've spent the entire episode saying that Duela's Mom is actually all right. And then suddenly she isn't. That was the one thing in the episode I didn't like.

Solid penultimate episode with the proper "Whuh oh!" closing shot. ****.

That could have ended worse.

The kids cleared their names and Two-Face was born. But you KNOW the producers saw the writing on the wall the entire time, right? DC could not have possibly been less supportive to this show. It being canceled is not the surprise. It actually being on the bubble and its cancelation not a foregone conclusion is the shocking thing, and probably only happened because the show was both solid in quality and cheap to make. Still, the producers HAD to know this was coming, so despite resolving the main tension, ANY cliffhanger is annoying.

I haven't seen Charles Measure in anything in a few years. He used to be all over my genre shows, usually playing the most annoying character. Either it's been longer than I remember seeing him, or he's aged terribly. I only know it's him because his name was in the credits.

Underwhelming as hell Two-Face origin, which is to be expected when Batman is absent. But I didn't like it coming now because part of me wanted Duela to bring our Harvey back, even if it wasn't permanent. I believed what he was saying too, which makes this whole thing that much worse. I would have loved Duela having a father even for a little while. It was sweet.

The make-up job is great but I do not see how it could have been financially viable to use that level of VFX on the bared teeth for a series regular. The show is notoriously cheap. Maybe the show was actually canceled because the CW knew they'd have to pay out the nose for Two-Face motion capture and decided cancelation was cheaper. I hate 2023 by the way. Thought that beared mentioning.

Learning Turner's parents were assassins who got themselves killed on the job is a perfect resolution to the idea that Batman killed his parents. He didn't. He parents were just such monsters they practically killed themselves.

I love the solidarity and friendship between Colin and the cop he's been using as a go-between undercover all season, and whose life he finally saved as himself. The hug was rewarding to me.

The dire choice of the bombs is very reminiscent of the Joker pulling a similar dilemma in The Dark Knight. Events in Gotham aren't always parallel with each other, but they still often rhyme.

I don't think the cops believed anything the kids were saying until Brody spoke up. I think he was the only one with ANY credibility left, and that turned the tide. A buncha Talons turning the station into a slaughterhouse also perhaps pointed towards the kids' innocence.

It was a solid episode. Not a great Two-Face origin. And the cliffhanger was annoying. But I don't wash my hands of the show the way the finale of Naomi made me do. Not bad. ***1/2.