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TV Review: Gotham S3E10 Time Bomb

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season_3_posterOn the eve of their rehearsal dinner, a threat to Mario (guest star James Carpinello) and Lee (Morena Baccarin) is exposed, and Falcone (guest star John Doman) looks to Jim for help. Meanwhile, Nygma seeks revenge and Bruce learns more about The Court of Owls.

Gotham is interesting as it’s all forward with the Court of Owls, the mysterious villains who we saw teased at the end of last season and have been in and out of this one. A hell of a lot is put forward and while a lot of it works, all together it’s a bit of a mess and a plot that’s so over the top it’s just laughable.

The reason I peg it as silly is that this episode revolves around that key that was found last episode and that Ivy stole. That has to do with the Owls, so it’s a bunch of coincidences that all comes back to the murder of Bruce’s parents. As I said, a bit silly and a stretch.

But, the episode gets back to some basics which it does really well.

Falcone stands out and we learn even he has something to do with the Owls. There’s some other aspects of Snyder and Capullo’s run added to the comic series. Overall, it gets away from the silly villain with powers and is more focused on the mob like aspect which is where I think the series is strongest.

There’s also Falcone’s son and his marriage and someone trying to kill him… over course the Owls are involved in that too. Again, a stretch.

Nygma gets his revenge for the people he thinks is behind the murder of his girlfriend. That’s pretty twisted and gets Edward back to his crazy self in many ways. Where that goes will be really fascinating, as there’s something about who behind it all that’s discovered by certain someones who are willing to do something with it.

But, what why isn’t Penguin doing more Mayoral things? That seems to have been dropped.

The episode is better than the last few and there’s some really good here. The episode feels like it has an actually vision for once instead of a bunch of different tones mashed all together. Hopefully, this is just the beginning of improvements and these plotlines actually play out in a way that’s not so coincidental and instead are just entertaining.

Overall Rating: 7.20

TV Review: Lucifer S2E8 Trip to Stabby Town

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Lucifer TVLucifer links Azrael’s stolen blade to a string of violent stabbings and enlists Ella’s help in locating the sword.

Lucifer is an interesting episode in that it really shakes things up and sets some characters in fascinating directions.

The episode revolves around Azrael’s blade which was used to kill Uriel and it apparently calls out to people and forces them into a murder frenzy that gets worse and worse. The motion of it all is put in place by an interesting person and I’m not going to say who, but the episode really starts pitting various members against God.

We saw that a bit in past episodes and the season seems to be delving more and more into what happened between everyone and where exactly is God through all of this.

But, there’s so much in this episode to unpack. We learn more about this celestial item. We get to see Lucifer interact more with his shrink. There’s some great moments around team Luci. But, I think what’s interesting is we see Lucifer panicking that the knife is out there. And we see him show compassion too.

But, there’s that knife. Who was behind it getting loose and why is interesting and really sets things up in the future as to where the season goes. There’s been a lot of references to Death for example and I’m predicting we’ll see her show up at some point.

The series continues to impress me with fantastic acting and some solid plotting and banter. It’s a show that really entertains, but this season has also delved more into the philosophical end of things. It’s a show you can enjoy as an entertaining show and it’s also a show that looks to challenge our beliefs.

Out of all of the comic adaptations on television currently, Lucifer continuously shows off why it’s one of the best.

Overall Rating: 9.45

TV Review: Gotham S3E9 Mad City: Executioner

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season_3_posterGordon and Bullock become suspicious of Barnes, and comb through evidence of the murder at Lee and Mario’s engagement party. Nygma goes to Penguin when he hasn’t heard from Isabella. Meanwhile, Ivy reveals her identity to Selina and Bruce, but quickly leads them to trouble.

Gotham seems to close one storyline while kicking up another. This week mostly focuses on Barnes going all judge, jury, and executioner as he runs around town. That story gets put into overdrive as Gordon and Bullock figure out something is up.

Barnes is pretty much the Judge from the animated Batman series and it’s an interesting character that will hopefully come back at some point. The story feels like it wraps up in some ways, but also leaves things wide open to continue as well. It’s probably the strongest part of the episode and as goofy as it began, it wraps up in a pretty solid way.

Then there’s the death of Isabella which Edward becomes suspicious over. As a whole, this plot line has been silly and the bromance between Penguin and Nygma hits a different level that continues to be odd. It all feels like there was a concept here and the writers weren’t quite sure where to go with it all.

Finally there’s the grown up Ivy which continues to be creepy for so many reasons. There’s a kid in the body of an adult and that together makes for a combination that makes me so uneasy. Where they have it all going I can’t forget she’s a teenage kid!!!! Seriously, did no one pause to think what they were doing here!? It doesn’t help that in growing her up, they also sexed up the character to a level that’s on full display. This is Poison Ivy, but the sexiness just makes me want to scrub the ickiness of it all off. Such a horrible idea.

Overall, a mixed bag of an episode. There’s some good acting. There’s some good action. And it’s one of the stronger episodes of an uneven season. We’ll see where it goes from here, but it’s clear the season is enterting a brand new phase after this episode.

Overall Rating: 7.15

Lucifer S2E7 My Little Monkey Review

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Lucifer TVAfter the man convicted of killing Chloe’s father is murdered, new clues suggest he was framed; Maze looks for a job; Lucifer tries to learn how to be normal by watching Dan.

Lucifer focuses heavily on Chloe in this episode diving into her history and specifically her father. We’ve gotten some teasers about him in the past but I believe this is the first time we actually get some information as to what happened to him and especially how that impacted Chloe.

It’s a good one as it’s not quite the normal murder that needs to be solved, instead it feels a bit more personal and not quite a way to get us from a to b. Instead, this adds depth to Chloe and fleshes out her character a bunch.

But, the episode isn’t totally about Chloe. The show does an excellent job of mixing that storyline with some humor and a bit of feels. The humor comes from Lucifer who has decided he wants to figure out how to be a better person and decides to follow Dan. What ensues is something I don’t want to ruin, but this is an episode where I laughed out loud the most this season. It’s solid stuff and as usual Tom Ellis is absolutely amazing in the title role. He just nails every scene he’s in and deserves to go huge in entertainment based on his performance here.

The episode also focuses a bunch on Maze who needs to figure out what she wants to do. She attempts to figure out what her career should be and it’s entertaining and touching too. You realize that Maze doesn’t really have friends and we feel really bad for her. It’s touching in a hell of a lot of ways and it’s great that they’re going to be and have been using the character more than just Lucifer’s lackey.

Another solid episode of a solid series. I can’t complain at all and found myself smiling throughout the hour. Just beyond entertaining and such a fun series.

Overall Rating: 8.9

TV Review: Gotham S3E8 Mad City: Blood Rush

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season_3_posterBarnes (Michael Chiklis) feels the effects of a recent incident and begins to go mad. Meanwhile, Nygma (Cory Michael Smith) is out of his depth in his relationship with Isabella (guest star Chelsea Spack) and Carmine Falcone (guest star John Doman) throws Lee (Morena Baccarin) and Mario (guest star James Carpinello) an engagement party.

Gotham doubles down on Barnes going all the Thing in this episode which has a plastic surgeon being at the center of things. It’s a weird episode where the “villain” is just a foil to for Barnes to rage out and whatever is infecting him to get played out more.

That’s a big part of the episode and we start getting the first steps of how Gordon will eventually become Commissioner, because lets face it, after what Barnes does in this episode he won’t be in that position very long.

It’s an interesting direction for the series but still feels like it’s still not clicking especially when we’ve seen the series do really well when it focused on the mob war. Whenever it gets into the weird powers the series slips a bit and this episode is not an exception. I don’t know what it is, but this entire plotline just feels like a means to the end, getting Barnes out of his job.

There’s also lots of relationship things going on in the episode. Of course, there’s Lee and Mario and Gordon being a third wheel, but the majority of the drama is Nygma/Isabella/Penguin which is still playing out and I still don’t know what to think. The idea is really interesting but the whole Nygma killing the last girl he was interested in and Isabella having no issues with that is just bizarre to me. Plus her looking like his murder victim is even weirder.

And weird I think sums up a lot of this season. From Barnes being infected to the Nygma relationship, to Mad Hatter being just insane, the series has taken a strange dark turn somewhere. It’s better than the beginning of the season, but it’s still not good and nowhere near how good it should be.

The episode is a bit of a transition one taking us from the previous story arc and moving us into the next one and I’m not really sure as to what we can expect other than Hulking Barnes. There’s more of a focus on Gordon and a series focused on how he finds redemption and becomes the Commissioner we know would be good. This could be the start of that, but with so much that’s happened, it’s a struggle to find out.

Overall Rating: 7.05

TV Review: Lucifer S2E6 Monster

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Lucifer TVGuilty and self-destructive, Lucifer clashes with Chloe during an investigation, leading her to team up with Dan instead.  Meanwhile, Amenadiel bonds with Charlotte, and Maze takes Trixie trick-or-treating.

Lucifer is an interesting episode in that we get to see some real ramifications and catharsis regarding events of the previous episode. Lucifer is filled with guilt and acting out because he feels guilty over being forced to kill his brother Uriel.

It’s an interesting episode in that Lucifer wants to be the one who’s punished for his actions but there’s no one to do so. So, but his acting out he’s hoping someone will fill that role. This is the most devilish we’ve seen the character and Tom Ellis shines as usual as the character playing both asshole, but someone we actually feel for. There’s also the interesting question as to how you punish the Devil himself?

But, the biggest question is whether Lucifer’s actions were forced or if he committed them willfully. It’s pointed out this is a character and person who never does anything he doesn’t want to, but is that the case here? It’s left unanswered and for us viewers to decide.

All of that is given the backdrop of a vengeful individual looking to make others pay. As usual the episode’s crime of the week reflects the theme of the episode, an interesting play on things that I wish was more prevelant at times and it’d be interesting to explore Lucifer more that way, think of the show with a Se7en twist to it.

It’s also not just Lucifer who is dealing with Uriel’s death. Amendiel is also realing from the action and has some very interesting moments with his mother Charlotte. This leads to a fantastic scene where D.B. Woodside shines in his role giving a speach about God and his presence and absence. It’s a very interesting moment that is as much about setting up that aspect as it is asking us about our own views and God’s role in every day occurences.

But, the entire episode is weighty as that. Maze has to get used to being around Trixie and rooming with Chloe. The jokes are all there as Maze is beyond awkward with children and her sexual oppeness isn’t something Chloe is used to either. That all culminates in some trick-or-treating that’s beyond awesome and actually gives Maze the character some growth.

This is definitely the most dramatic of episode so far, but is a nice break from the humor we’ve seen. We get to see Ellis and Woodside expand their acting chops a bit and all the characters add some depth. A solid episode that mixes the dramatic, humor, and some philisophical ruminations.

Overall Rating: 9.45

TV Review: Gotham S3E7 Mad City: Red Queen

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season_3_posterAfter coming in contact with a substance by the hand of Mad Hatter, Jim Gordon gets led on a psychedelic trip and must confront his past, present and future. Meanwhile, Penguin struggles with Nygma’s new relationship.

Gotham is an interesting episode in the fact it focuses almost entirely on Tetch and his quest for vengeance with a side of Penguin/Nygma that sets up a future storyline to come.

There’s a lot you just have to let go with the episode. There’s this stuff called Red Queen that feels like it comes out of nowhere and is a bit too convenient and Hatter’s taunting of Gordon is a little odd. Plus, Hatter’s plan as a whole doesn’t make a whole lot of sense (and lets face it, his only motivation is revenge against Gordon).

It’s a bit odd due to all of that, but it’s fairly entertaining in many ways. What’s really interesting though is it feels like the definitive end to this plotline with a long way to go. I have no idea if we’ll see more of Tetch and there’s the whole thing with his sister’s blood that’s still not completely ended, but still, it gives the season as a whole a vibe like there’s chapters to it.

There’s a lot of foreshadowing too of things to come. There’s the mysterious woman who we saw at the beginning of the season who returns in this episode. Comic book fans will know what’s up, but it’s clear the rest of the season will focus more on this plotline than the Indian point individuals or Tetch. At least, I hope so, because as the season has moved away from its silly beginning, its gotten much better in many ways.

And then there’s Penguin and Nygma. That weird relationship has turned into a love triangle and I’m still not sure exactly what the think. Robin Lord Taylor as Penguin is still fantastic in his role, but it’s a bit odd to see Penguin and Riddler be anything more than two villains.

As I said, a better episode that feels like it’s driving the rest of the season into a certain direction. Hopefully it’s better than what we’ve seen so far.

Overall Rating: 7.35

Lucifer S2E5 Weaponizer Review

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Lucifer TVLucifer enthusiastically investigates the murder of his favorite movie hero, Wesley Cabot; Amenadiel comes clean about his lost powers; Uriel fights with Lucifer over Chloe and their mother.

Lucifer has so much going for it in this episode and all of that revolves around Tom Ellis as Lucifer who brings new levels of charm and rage to the character in this episode.

Someone is after Chloe because Lucifer hasn’t done what he said and deliver his mother back to Hell. That someone is Uriel an angel who while not being able to directly hurt her he can set things into motion that can. Think the butterfly effect.

The majority of the episode is really focused on that aspect and not the murder of the week, but we’ll get to that in a bit because it’s so good. No, most of the episode is Lucifer trying to protect Chloe while dealing with his decisions.

But, what’s really interesting is a pivotal scene where Lucifer finally states what’s on his mind and attempts to figure out what his father really wants. Is his mother’s appearance on Earth a statement from him? Is it nothing at all? What about what’s going on with the world? Where’s his father when it comes to that? It’s really interesting and adds so much depth to the character. It’s a dramatic turn of events that really shows off Ellis’ acting abilities.

Lets get to that murder though. It’s a action star who Lucifer loves and he, along with Detective Douche, act like children dealing with the movie star(s). The films are bad action film knock-offs, but watching everyone geek out over it is infectious and so cute. Every scene involving the two is hilarious and will put a smile on your face.

As usual the show is beyond entertaining and one of the most fun on television. You can tell everyone is having fun with things and that comes through the screen. This episode stands out due to the dramatic turn of Ellis who really shows that he’s more than a smile, smirk, and line delivery. He’s a hell of an actor and the center of the show.

Plus props for the Gaiman nod.

Overall Rating: 8.9

TV Review: Gotham S3E6 Mad City: Follow the White Rabbit

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season_3_posterMad Hatter sets his eyes on his next victims, forcing Jim Gordon to make some tough decisions. Meanwhile, Penguin and Nygma’s relationship evolves, and a familiar face comes back into Nygma’s life.

Gotham his season feels like it has a bit of an identity crisis as it doesn’t know what it wants to be and what it wants to focus on. There was Mooney and Indian Hill. There’s Bruce’s dupe. There’s the Mad Hatter. There’s Penguin as Mayor. Each episode feels like it focuses on something else in a series that suffers from ADHD.

This episode attempts to focus on two things, Gordon and the Mad Hatter and the bromance between Penguin and Nygma.

The Gordon/Mad Hatter duel is the strongest thing of the episode and series with interesting acting and some twists and turns that are actually frightening in some ways. This is a psychotic villain who’s obsessed with Gordon and wants to hurt him like he thinks Gordon has done. There’s a strangeness to it all and as things spiral, it’s the most entertaining with performances that both enthrall and scare a bit. There’s also some twists, especially at the end as the game becomes more and more deadly and the stakes rise at each level. It also forces Jim to face his feelings with his two latest loves as to which he cares more about.

Speaking of love, people will either love or hate the Penguin/Nygma plotline after this episode. Last episode there was some hints of a bit more than a bromance and this episode ups that to whole other levels with a Penguin that’s gay? Bi? It’s not quite laid out, but it’s a new take on that classic character. I’m not sure how I feel, but when I yelled at the screen last episode for them to kiss, I wasn’t that far off.

The episode has some good and it has some bad in the usual mix of a show that doesn’t know what it wants to be. There’s some solid acting as usual, it’s the story that tends to make no sense for the series or characters. Still, the season is stronger than last year, though that’s not saying a whole lot. If it could just focus a bit more, then it’d be something that’s really a must to watch.

Overall Rating: 7.45

TV Review: Lucifer S2E4 Lady Parts

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Lucifer TVChloe and Lucifer investigate when the bodies of two young L.A. transplants are found poisoned. Later, Maze convincing Chloe to join her for drinks, which the detective believes to be an act of friendship, is actually a bet between Maze and Lucifer.

Lucifer has a girl night out as Chloe, Ella, Linda, and Maze head out for an evening in one hell of an entertaining episode. The show revolves around a dead body and Chloe being a bit uptight. Lucifer gets Maze to take Chloe out for a girls night and holy crap is that entertaining. Part of that fun is the fact we’re not shown everything that happens, so our imaginations are let to run wild as to what happened. And boy do I want to see what really happened.

But beyond that fun the episode is really about the relationships between all of the characters, especially Lucifer and Chloe and Amenadiel figuring out his role now. There’s whatever deal Lucifer made that involves sending his mother back to Hell and we find out what that was here, with a pretty big impact on the ending.

Last season was solid in that it did a good job in blending entertaining single episodes and a longer storyline and we get that here as well with it being now clear what that longer story is and who the players are. It’s an interesting direction playing up Lucifer’s duplicitous nature but also having him face the reality that he’s very much human now or at least has human connections.

The episode is great allowing both Ella and Linda to stand out showing off their comedic chops. Both are characters I want to see more of and the show is somehow more entertaining when they take center stage. That’s impressive considering the show is already pretty damn entertaining.

Lucifer continues to show off why it’s so entertaining and makes the case that it has the best ensemble cast on television. This is easily the best episode of the year so far and maybe one of the most entertaining so far period. And that’s really saying something.

Overall Rating: 8.9

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