Editor's Note: Our Gotham reviewer, Steven Scott, just moved across the country delaying his coverage of episodes 3, 4 and 5. The Balloonman (S01E03) A new vigilante is taking the law into his own hands strapping corrupt public figures to weather balloons and sending them off into space. Due to his methods, the press has dubbed him The Balloonman, and now Gordon must stop the madman’s rampage, despite the people of Gotham embracing him for taking out the trash.
THE GOODThe Penguin is again this episode’s MVP. Like Joker in
The Dark Knight, the show is that much better when he’s onscreen and you can’t wait until he pops up again. From the very first scene of him feeling right at home in his corrupt, crime-ridden city, he is a magnetic personality who you can’t help rooting for despite being a murderous sociopath.
The rest of the cast is beginning to settle into their roles except for Pinkett Smith. Cat is back in this episode assisting Gordon with his follow up investigation on the Wayne murders and they have good chemistry. If they continue to develop her role right, she will be a fan favorite by mid season.
THE BADFish Mooney remains a low point as Pinkett Smith is clearly relishing her villainous role way too much, coming off more silly than menacing. She appears to be taking her cues from Eartha Kitt’s Catwoman and takes the show up a notch on the campiness meter. I hate to say it but the sooner Penguin rises up and devours Fish, the better off the show will be.
Whereas Gordon and Cat’s scenes together work, Gordon and Bruce’s are majorly lacking. The first scene they shared together in the pilot felt natural because it was real and honest, a detective consoling a newly orphaned boy and making him a promise that he will avenge his parent’s deaths. Every scene they’ve shared since then is cold and wooden, feeling more like an excuse to get these two in a room together than an organic part of the story. Alfred’s presence doesn’t help either. Something needs to change in this dynamic.
THE BATFrom the opening scene with the first victim floating towards his death above the Gotham skyline, the first thing that popped into my head was “Batman could’ve saved him.” Unfortunately the GCPD doesn’t have their own Batplane but they do what they can within their abilities to track down and prevent more of these deaths from happening. The Balloonman, a one gimmick villain who would fit alongside such D-listers as the Kite Man if he were introduced in the comics, actually works here as a one off antagonist. He’s not so powerful that Gordon couldn’t take him down without assistance from Batman, but he is a sign of things to come.
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Bruce is given his obligatory scenes in this episode, one of which involves a newscaster posing the question, “who will step up to protect the citizens of Gotham?” Cut to Bruce’s face. Nods like this kind of make me wish Bruce hadn’t been added as a regular on the series as I can only take so many “Hey, by the way, he’s going to be BATMAN,” moments.
Plus, how many more Balloonmen will the show throw at us before they start burning through more and more of Batman’s foes. Who will be left to introduce by the time he suits up?
THE CONCLUSIONDespite some bumps, this is the best episode of the series so far. Not a difficult feat after the disappointment that was the previous episode. The villain worked in the context of this series as someone that the cops could take down without Batman’s help but is gearing us up for more colorful characters to crop up. Let’s hope the show has worked out its kinks by this point.
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