Friday, February 15, 2019

Gotham's Goodbye: Views and Aspirations on Fox's Final Phase


Particular folks have insisted that I reflect on "Gotham'"s goodbye only after the final credits roll. (Yeah, believe it or not, it seems some do perceive my prelude entries and linking tidbits ho-hum, and if you're one, be sure to skip that "Doom Patrol" nugget I planted earlier this month.)


With reluctance, I listened...decided to abide by their crybaby commands, and yet I now realize there's no way I can wait. I must offer at least a few thoughts on what's developing and where I'd like the concepts to go. (Keep in mind, folks, I've no aversion to constructive critique, but please don't dismiss me as some overeager, publicity patsy. Compose and design your own bloody posts for your own bloody blogs if you believe the sharing process should go this way or that... Whoops--guess my indignant Dark Knight rose. Okay, let me snuff my Bat-fuse and spread some basic views...)


"Gotham'"s progression of Bruce Wayne into Batman is stilted,  sometimes rushed (or relegated too much to the gang-infested streets this season), which may even out, worsen or (fingers crossed) click depending on the rumored time skip. If the latter occurs, it may convey how five seasons were never enough to hit a credible, character-mounted mark, or maybe the nuts-and-bolts evolution should have commenced sooner, though without all the let's-disrespect-Alfred stuff. That "kinship" contention continues to torment me...


I'm definitely happy that the villains remain engaging, but was there any chance they'd ever go dull? Nevertheless, I want more exposition on their actions and "identities". In particular, an answer to whether Jeremiah is the genuine Joker would be nice, not to mention clarifying that hazy, Harley Quinn allusion.  


And speaking of (un)questionable concerns, how far along will Ed's riddling, triggered insanity roll, not to mention Lee's? Will catty Selina get a grip on a whip, now that Tabitha has faded? If what Barbara says is true, have we discovered Batgirl's conception? Above all, when will Oswald reign unconditionally as the city's unanimous, criminal guru. (I guess he's filled that bill for the most part, officially and unofficially, but his prestige has also tripped on several snags. It's one thing if his rough road is paved per Jim Gordon and Harvey Bullock, but from lower-echelon goons? Nah, I don't think so.)


Speaking of the off-kilter, there's still no sign of Bane in the way we've come to expect, but we know the brawny persona is now on the creepy cusp of fruition. (He certainly has the purgation plan installed.) Shane West possesses the obvious ability to retool Eduardo Dorrance into the power-pushed, physically pumped intellect. (I wonder, too, if Bane's teddy bear, Osito, might finally figure into the live-action equation. What an intriguing, talked-about prop that could be, but I suppose it's foolish to anticipate its inclusion in the remaining span allotted, and if it were intended, it would have appeared already.)


On the other hand, I've been a trifle queasy regarding those eccentrics who should (per long-term DC mythology) come after Wayne's adolescence. The juggling of these standard slots is too jarring for an old-timer like me. (To boot, poor Professor Pyg never got his chance to mature. What a ripoff...) If certain adversaries had to be stationed within the series, richer results should have followed. (The most troubling example--Harvey Dent. Where, oh where did he go?)


Other than that, I'm still using a wait-and-see stance for the show's adios. I'll do a another post later down the line, perhaps when the series dims. I only hope that the pessimistic sojourn hits an optimistic note. Batman is (or in this case, will be) Gotham's savior. The big confirmation must be delivered with resounding impact.  

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