Penguin is King of Gotham and after a shakeup at the GCPD, Detective James Gordon’s moral compass wavers, as he seeks help from Penguin.

The first season of Gotham was very hit and miss. By the end, it had gained some focus, and was much better than how it started. Focusing more on the mob machinations, and less on the crazy villains, the series was stronger.

This season has been dubbed the “Rise of the Villains” which reminded me of the poorer episodes of the first season, which featured these villains. THere was exceptions, but generally they were the worst of the season.

This first episode of the second season seems like what I feared. The overall vibe is everyone is going through the motions without much interest (there’s some exceptions again). The episode focuses on a few things.

1. Bruce trying to figure out what’s behind the door
2. Jim getting back on the force
3. Penguin consolidating power
4. The villains busting out by a mysterious benefactor

Other than the Penguin consolidating power, each of these storylines feel either rushed in when they take place in the Batman mythos, or just completely bizarre. The story line of Jim getting back on the force especially tarnishes a character who’s supposed to be clean and above corruption. The villains escaping goes against the grain and concept that Batman is part of the reason they were created (escalation), and Bruce’s discovery feels about a decade too early.

This episode feels like the beats are attempted to be there, but completely off, about a half step too slow, or half step too fast.

For a show I was so excited to see return after seeing the promos, I can’t help by feel let down. Not a good start for the new season.

Overall Rating: 6