Gotham Gotham Season 1, Episode 8 "The Mask" General Discussion

[Bwahaha!]

another solid episode. i'm totally enjoying this series waayyyy more than I thought I would. i can honestly say i'd watch it even if the characters weren't famous because of BM. it's just a great show, and brave too, because they went for something different than Arrow and Flash, two shows I also enjoy but I have to say they dumb things down for the CW audience. meanwhile, Gotham is the thinking man's superhero show.

i was hoping Gotham would center around Bruce but i'm getting sucked into Gordon's world instead. i get just enough of bruce and selena while those that came before BM steal the show.

that said, i can't wait for next week's ep. Bruce Begins his fight training, which'll undoubtedly help prepare him for the cape and cowl.

just really digging this show, peeps. well done, WB.

 

[The Batman]

For some reason, everytime Bruce punched/slapped Tommy, the "Pow!" effect from the Batman TV show flashed in my head.

 

[flickchick85]

Didn't enjoy this episode as much as last week's but it was solid. I was assuming Richard was Roman's dad, so I was kinda hoping Tommy Elliot was Roman when he first showed up, but I do hope we see a young Roman Sionis in that school at some point, too.

 

[The Joker]

I liked this episode a lot. Not quite as good as last week's, but that's ok. The show is generally improving overall. Sionis and his barbaric office fights for a job position was cool for the villain of the week story. I loved Bullock in this episode and how he stepped up to support Gordon. Fish Mooney had some great scenes. Penguin was his usual brilliant self.

But big kudos to the Bruce and Alfred stuff. It really made me warm towards Alfred more. "I hope you broke their bastard teeth". LOL loved it.

 

[Naked Shia]

I really like Bruce. He's really intelligent and mature, and still flawed and kinda lost. He has a lot of potential, but a lot to learn too.

Him beating Tommy made sense. He was bullied by a cruel kid, and he was really angry because of the trauma he has to live with. Now, he knows it's important to be able to fight back. which is what he did. He fought back. He showed he wasn't willing to accept injustice. He took the law in his own hands, instead of asking someon in the school to do it. Because he knew they wouldn't help him.

Great Alfred/Bruce moment. And the pizza thing was awesome.

 

[Human Torch]

Underwhelming episode for me.It seems to have taken a step back to the things I dislike about the show.Too much Fish getting screen time,too much graphic violence,another pointless "Cat" scene,Barbara going back to being annoying,Penguin's scenes being mostly pointless and for the first time,a disappointing Bruce/Alfred subplot.

The plus side had Gordon with some fire in the belly.I liked that.I haven't been the biggest fan of Bullock,but he's grown on me significantly.He brought the A game this week.

 

[Lencho01]

I really liked this episode. It was nice seeing Gordon and Bruce show a little bit more anger about their current situations.

 

[Naked Shia]

Gordon is not the bland brave rookie cop now. He's out to fight everything corrupt. He's slowly becoming more than just nice cop #3.

 

[Rowsdower!]

I really want to like this show, and I'm glad they've cut down on the on-the-nose callouts to characters and things in the comics. But some of the writing still REALLY needs work. Sionis' bizarre office fight club was beyond ridiculous, even for a story with comic book roots. The whole time I was watching it, I was just like, "Seriously?" It's like the writer got high, watched The Wolf of Wall Street and then Fight Club and decided to mix them both together. I think it might have worked if it was condensed to a few people participating in it. But having his entire office watching it like it was The Hunger Games was silly, let alone the absurdity of the people actually fighting. NONE of these people would ever stop and think, "Hmmm, our boss is forcing us to fight and potentially kill each other over a job. Maybe this isn't an ideal place to work."

I don't know. I'm trying here. I'm sticking with it. The Falcone/Maroni/Penguin stuff is pretty good. I even don't mind Mooney. And I like Bruce, Alfred, Gordon and Bullock. But some of the stuff on this show is just a little too far-fetched right now, even for a comic book property.

 

[Naked Shia]

It's hard to find work nowadays.

 

[Rowsdower!]

Yeah, but this takes place pre-recession, likely during the Clinton years when the economy was booming!

 

[Doctor11]

I really want to like this show, and I'm glad they've cut down on the on-the-nose callouts to characters and things in the comics. But some of the writing still REALLY needs work. Sionis' bizarre office fight club was beyond ridiculous, even for a story with comic book roots. The whole time I was watching it, I was just like, "Seriously?" It's like the writer got high, watched The Wolf of Wall Street and then Fight Club and decided to mix them both together. I think it might have worked if it was condensed to a few people participating in it. But having his entire office watching it like it was The Hunger Games was silly, let alone the absurdity of the people actually fighting. NONE of these people would ever stop and think, "Hmmm, our boss is forcing us to fight and potentially kill each other over a job. Maybe this isn't an ideal place to work."

I don't know. I'm trying here. I'm sticking with it. The Falcone/Maroni/Penguin stuff is pretty good. I even don't mind Mooney. And I like Bruce, Alfred, Gordon and Bullock. But some of the stuff on this show is just a little too far-fetched right now, even for a comic book property.

They were all people who were desperate for the job and had limited other options. And as you said yourself, it's a comic book world. In real life someone would have called the cops. But it's not real life. In a screwed up place like Gotham City, something like that can certainly happen. I think it would have been more ridiculous to show only a few of them being involved while everyone else pretends they don't notice all the bruises on the faces of the participants.

And this takes place in a timeless era that is a combo of past and present. Heller has already said that. It has nothing to do with a pre-Clinton period.

 

[blksuperman2]

Another solid episode. I was wondering when Bruce was going to actually go back to school. I'm actually glad Barbara left. She was the weakest link imo.

 

[Naked Shia]

Barbaba keeps leaving. She should better stay out of the picture now.

 

[Silliminite]

David Mazouz was great in this episode. Probably the best actor on the show, even though he's the youngest.

 

[The Joker]

David Mazouz was great in this episode. Probably the best actor on the show, even though he's the youngest.

Robin Lord Taylor is doing the best acting in this show. Donal Logue is a close second.

 

[Kryptonian Warrior]

Yeah, but this takes place pre-recession, likely during the Clinton years when the economy was booming!

From what I understand about the show is that it has the look of the 80s/90s, but is still modern. If you notice, they are using cell phones.....modern cell phones. Not the early "brick" phones. So far, there has been no mention of the year and I really don't think they plan on addressing it.

 

[Naked Shia]

David Mazouz is a great Bruce.

 

[Silliminite]

Robin Lord Taylor is doing the best acting in this show. Donal Logue is a close second.

Donal logue and RLT are both great, but I think Mazouz's portrayal of Bruce is excellent. For such a young actor, his performances are beautifully nuanced.

 

[DrMylesOBoogie]

Wish they'd stop with this incredibly annoying interpretation of Alfred. It's ruining the aspect I was most looking forward to with this show, which is young Bruce's journey.

I do believe there should be conflict between the two but I'd rather see disapproval from Alfred about what Bruce wants to do with his life and a reluctance with helping him. This 'enabler' aspect is being handled horrifically. I despise the character and find everything that comes out of his mouth completely forced and unrealistic.

 

[Pfeiffer-Pfan]

While not as bombastic and jaw-dropping as ''Penguin's Umbrella''... ''The Mask'' was still another solid, engaging episode of Gotham.

Truthfully, it's somewhat unfair to expect the show to keep last weeks momentum up as we move forward. It's all about peaks and valleys, and after Oswald's shocking revelation, it was time to slow things down.

I can't say I was all that entertained by Roman Sionis' crazy fight club scheme. It all seemed a bit much, even for this show. Sionis was just Bat-**** crazy and lacked any real motivation. But, at least his gruff exterior allowed Gordon to be a bit more of a badass this week.

It's nice to see Bullock and Gordon solidify their friendship, but it'll be interesting to see just how far Bullock will follow Jim down the rabbit hole. Once again, I have to stress my desire to see Bullock given meatier storylines, or at least a chance to shed more light on his background (the strongest part of The Spirit of the Goat). At the moment, he's just navigating Gordon's story and Donal Logue deserves a lot more.

Oh and here's a shocker... I am LOVING Fish Mooney. Apart from the weird moment where she tasted Penguin's blood, JPS was on fine form. I'm not sure if the old lady was her mother, but it was fascinating to see how she could so easily spin a lie with sincerity to convince her ''baby girl''. Plus, the scene in the confessional was amazing... beautifully shot and well acted. JPS has really come into her own with this character and after a few bumpy episodes, seems to be right on track.

The stuff with Alfred and Bruce (BAT-SLAP) was wonderful and it's great to see a more caring Alfred who only wants the best for Bruce. This butler may not be able to help him with his algebra homework, but he can definitely teach him to fight.

The stuff with Barbara was, sadly, boring... As much as I like Erin Richards, she has the worst written character in the entire show. Let's hope things pick up for her.

Highly enjoyable episode.

 

[The Shape]

Wish they'd stop with this incredibly annoying interpretation of Alfred. It's ruining the aspect I was most looking forward to with this show, which is young Bruce's journey.

I do believe there should be conflict between the two but I'd rather see disapproval from Alfred about what Bruce wants to do with his life and a reluctance with helping him. This 'enabler' aspect is being handled horrifically. I despise the character and find everything that comes out of his mouth completely forced and unrealistic.

It was pretty clear that Alfred was trying to steer Bruce away from his borderline-obsessive investigating, before accepting it. He's also made a point of trying to push Bruce towards having as much of a normal life that an orphaned billionaire can have.

As far as him teaching Bruce to fight, a person like Bruce Wayne will spend much of his life being a target -- in more ways than one. There's nothing wrong with teaching a boy to defend himself or allowing him to stand up to his bullies. Plus, this Alfred is clearly a little more brutish than other interpretations.

However, I imagine Alfred will initially STRONGLY object to Bruce's eventual vigilante crusade before ultimately joining him. It's also safe to say they'll wind up having many disagreements as Bruce grows into a teenager and becomes even more filled with rage. Their journey together won't be an easy one.

 

[Infinity9999x]

Wish they'd stop with this incredibly annoying interpretation of Alfred. It's ruining the aspect I was most looking forward to with this show, which is young Bruce's journey.

I do believe there should be conflict between the two but I'd rather see disapproval from Alfred about what Bruce wants to do with his life and a reluctance with helping him. This 'enabler' aspect is being handled horrifically. I despise the character and find everything that comes out of his mouth completely forced and unrealistic.

Really? Interesting. It's actually one of my favorite things on the show. I think it's a great interpretation.

 

[Naked Shia]

I really like this take on Alfred. The character is great, and so is the actor.

 

[X-Woman]

I like Alfred on the show. He's what I would expect from the character. Very serious and proper. But that "enabler" aspect bothered me too, and the way he enabled Bruce to go beat up Tommy. Not that it wasn't what Tommy deserved. It's just that adults are supposed at be the voice of reason in these childhood issues. The adult is not supposed to chauffer the kid over to the jerk's house for a fistfight.

That was the funniest part of the episode, though. That Bruce actually got driven to the house, in a limousine, to go beat up Tommy. That is the ultimate rich kid perk. How many kids gets chauffered in a limousine over to an enemy's house to go beat them up? Geez, back in my day, I had to WALK to the kid's house if I wanted to punch them out. It sure is nice being a rich kid.

I wonder what might have happened if, instead of Tommy answering the door himself, it was one of the parents, or a servant. Bruce would have had to say, "Excuse me, is Master Tommy at home? I've come to rearrange his face."