‘Gotham: The Complete Third Season’ DVD Review
Gotham is a show that has a lot to live up to. We all know Batman, but to take the focus and push it onto James Gordon (Ben McKenzie) instead, and make Bruce Wayne a lesser character is a brave move. Looking at Gotham: The Complete Third Season, we now have a show that is finding its confidence, but also risking overwhelming the audience in the very busy city of Gotham.
Working as a bounty hunter, Gordon is now tracking down the Indian Hills escapees. With Jervis Tetch (Benedict Samuel), The Mat Hatter threatening the city with a madness virus, and a shady organisation known as the Court of Owls strengthening their hold over the city, the battle for control of Gotham has never been so volatile.
With the number of super villains coming into their own in season 3, it can sometimes feel hard to keep up. We have The Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor), The Riddler (Cory Michael Smith), even Poison Ivy (Maggie Geha) finding their footing. This is before we even include the so-called “freaks” of Gotham in the list. Oh, and not to forget that Jermome (Cameron Monaghan) returning once more to tease his Joker like presence.
One of the most interesting of these criminals has to be Poison Ivy, as we already know she was first introduced as a child. We see her “origin” as Poison Ivy this season, and while it is questionable, it also works to age the character so that she can find her powers. While previous seasons have hinted at the characters and who they will become, season 3 does feel that it is finally pushing their status in the show. Seeing Edward Nygma finally become The Riddler is nice to see, and Cory Michael Smith plays the part well.
When it comes to Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) he also goes through quite a journey this season. While Sean Pertwee as Alfred steals every scene he is in, there is still that shadow of Batman just waiting to appear. The fact he has to go up against the Court of Owls (and who is controlling them) really pushes the origins for Batman. Bruce Wayne is a complicated character, because we already know the path he has to lead. Thankfully this season we see him walking that path, and meeting a certain character fans have no doubt been waiting to see.
While Gotham: The Complete Third Season is a busy show with so many characters, it still manages to keep the story flowing, and include them all in it. When the city starts descending into chaos, they all do battle to gain control. Robin Lord Taylor continues to shine as The Penguin, and his relationship with The Riddler is one of the most interesting in the show. The love story, that turns to hatred and bloodshed manages to keep things interesting, I hope to see them continue their battles in future seasons.
The third season of Gotham is important for the show because it does a surprising amount to build up the characters that we know and love. Teasing things such as the re-birth of Selina Kyle as Catwoman, this is a show that actually respects the characters that it is using. Now it just needs to find some focus, and bring on the bat.
**** 4/5
Gotham: The Complete Third Season is available in the UK on DVD and Blu-ray now.
