Customer Ratings & Reviews

Gotham is an origin story of a crime ridden City where a detective named James Gordon is determined to clean up at all costs. It starts with the murder of Bruce Wayne's parents which sets the stage of Bruce Wayne's evolution in becoming the Batman and Detective Gordon's obsession in cleaning up the city, thus eventually earning him the title of the Police Commissioner. For those expecting to see Batman will be disappointed as this is not a story about Batman but a story of a corrupted Gotham City and a Police Detective determined to clean it up.

Even the secondary characters are engaging in this series of stories penned by the writer of The Mentalist. This is Gotham (circa 2000-2005?) before the Batman begins to bring order to that city (presumably in 2014-15). A number of the characters from the comic are introduced in their early years with personalities, strengths and flaws that foreshadow what they will become in DC comics canon. The delivery is subtle, believable and the plots and characters are very nicely done. Little Poison Ivy has an abusive father and raises her few pathetic plants in a small apartment in a concrete jungle. The casting is flawless, as are the direction and acting. The characters (even the stranger villains) are entirely believable (Oswald Cobblepot particularly so). The writing makes even the "toss-away" characters three dimensional. A street urchin asks a favor of a burnt out cop in an office full of crooked cops - he denies the request (out of habit) and she quite casually threatens to "Scream and tell everyone that you 'touched me'". He lurches back from her and gives her a pained expression (despairing that even the children of Gotham have lost all respect for the cops, or that one so young would prove so adept at blackmail) before getting the detective that she demanded to see. That 30 second exchange by Selena and "cop number 6" has an impact (technically, it should have been just filler between scenes). And again, Selena Kyle as a thief and street urchin looking for her mother is especially well done (and it really is hard to pick a "favorite" in this group - there are excellent scenes for all the primary and secondary characters). Harvey Bullock, always a nuisance character that I found annoying as a two-dimensional "corrupt cop" - is actually quite a believable, sympathetic character here... even while he's being a completely arrogant, lazy jerk! I really can't bring myself to hate This version of Harvey... and he Clearly sold out years ago. The writer/director and actor actually conjured up a Harvey that ..... dare I say it..... I actually Like! The future Commissioner Gordon is the main character of this ensemble - Very intelligently done. Determined enough to take on a corrupt city government, intelligent enough to stay Just under the radar by "playing ball" without actually playing ball. He brings an insightful air of menace to the criminals that he encounters without actually stepping over the lines... a precarious balancing act. Even his girlfriend, Barbara, is notable in the few minutes that she is on screen. Ideally a sounding board for him to recount the events of his day and plan strategy - she engages and does a lot more than just listen and kick in an idea or two. She helps bring the issue to a head by pushing him into the deep water (with a mischievous grin) all the while providing him with plausible deniability. Bruce Wayne's presentation as a 12-13 year old was, however, most potentially concerning for me as his was the easiest precursor character to get terribly wrong (see Phantom Menace). They nailed it! Bruce the adolescent shows a forceful personality with out showing any sign of youthful petulance (Star Wars Ep 2&3). He comes across as Very intelligent and Very perceptive, but most of all ..... Driven in a way the borders on the disturbing. Alfred (another strong role) explains to Lt Gordon why he Hasn't called in a psychologist to look into why Bruce seems..... more than a bit ..... different. A bit too detached, A bit too perceptive - it seems as if he already has an agenda and he doesn't care to explain what it is. When you ask yourself - could This kid grow up into a man that will make hardened sociopaths wet themselves, the answer for me was - oh yeah. The transformation has already begun.

Even the secondary characters are engaging in this series of stories penned by the writer of The Mentalist. This is Gotham before the Batman begins to bring order to that city. A number of the characters from the comic are introduced in their early years with personalities, strengths and flaws that foreshadow what they will become in DC comics canon. The delivery is subtle, believable and the plots and characters are very nicely done. Little Poison Ivy has an abusive father and raises her few pathetic plants in a small apartment in a concrete jungle. The casting is flawless, as are the direction and acting. The characters (even the stranger villains) are entirely believable (Oswald Cobblepot particularly so). The writing makes even the "toss-away" characters three dimensional. A street urchin asks a favor of a burnt out cop in an office full of crooked cops - he denies the request (out of habit) and she quite casually threatens to "Scream and tell everyone that you 'touched me'". He lurches back from her and gives her a pained expression (despairing that even the children of Gotham have lost all respect for the cops, or that one so young would prove so adept at blackmail) before getting the detective that she demanded to see. That 30 second exchange by Selena and "cop number 6" has an impact (technically, it should have been just filler between scenes). And again, Selena Kyle as a thief and street urchin looking for her mother is especially well done (and it really is hard to pick a "favorite" in this group - there are excellent scenes for all the primary and secondary characters). Harvey Bullock, always a nuisance character that I found annoying as a two-dimensional "corrupt cop" - is actually quite a believable, sympathetic character here... even while he's being a completely arrogant, lazy jerk! I really can't bring myself to hate This version of Harvey... and he clearly sold out years ago. The writer/director and actor actually conjured up a Harvey that ..... dare I say it..... I actually Like! The future Commissioner Gordon is the main character of this ensemble - Very intelligently done. Determined enough to take on a corrupt city government, intelligent enough to stay Just under the radar by "playing ball" without actually playing ball. He brings an insightful air of menace to the criminals that he encounters without actually stepping over the lines... a precarious balancing act. Even his girlfriend, Barbara, is notable in the few minutes that she is on screen. Ideally a sounding board for him to recount the events of his day and plan strategy - she engages and does a lot more than just listen and kick in an idea or two. She helps bring the issue to a head by pushing him into the deep water (with a mischievous grin) all the while providing him with plausible deniability. Bruce Wayne's presentation as a 12-13 year old was, however, most potentially concerning for me as his was the easiest precursor character to get terribly wrong. They nailed it! Bruce the adolescent shows a forceful personality with out showing any sign of youthful petulance. He comes across as Very intelligent and Very perceptive, but most of all ..... Driven in a way the borders on the disturbing. Alfred (another strong role) explains to Lt Gordon why he Hasn't called in a psychologist to look into why Bruce seems..... more than a bit ..... different. A bit too detached, A bit too perceptive - it seems as if he already has an agenda and he doesn't care to explain what it is. When you ask yourself - could This kid grow up into a man that will make hardened sociopaths wet themselves, the answer for me was - oh yeah. The transformation has already begun.

I titled the review this way as I had reviewed Season 1 earlier. This is the season where we meet many of the villains and heroes of the Batman genre. We meet a young Jim Gordon of the GCPD, Harvey Bullock, and several of the villains at the beginning of their crime careers. This set is the DVD; not the Blu-ray. This may not be as bad as one might think as the lower resolution of DVD may give the program more of a "film noir" look that Bruno Heller and the other producers want to achieve(that doesn't mean that I won't buy the Blu-ray versions)(and, you shouldn't hesitate to buy them either). Episode 1 starts with the death of Thomas and Martha Wayne. We meet Bruce Wayne as a 10-12 year old boy; and Alfred as the butler who becomes his guardian. The break out star of this season, though, is easily Robin Lord Taylor as Oswald Cobblepot aka The Penguin. His rise becomes the major subplot of the season. The episodes all help tell the story and lead to Season 2's furthering of the Batman and his villains origins and motivations. The special features are the same on both the DVD and Blu-ray sets. Both have the short bits on how the actors see their character(s). I can highly recommend this to everyone!

I was skeptical about this series at first, but the show provides a very gritty representation of Gotham during Bruce's younger days. The focus is primarily on Gordon, but many well known characters make their pre-(in)famous appearances throughout the season. Some may say that several of the villains are "debuting" too soon, that they would be too old to be Bruce's adversaries by the time he's old enough to don the suit, but I think they're striking a good balance there, too, with maybe one mistep being on how old Harvey Dent is (traditionally, he's supposed to be a friend of Bruce's and about his age).

Gotham does not go without its flaws. Characters such as Edward Nygma should have got more screen. I hope the writers let their characters develop, but I expect season 2 will open a new set of opportunities. I look forward to new scenarios. If Jerome truly is the Joker, I'm not sure how I would feel. The finale, without spoilers, was very satisfying. Some of it felt too ridiculous (even for comic book standards) such as the scenes with Dr. Lee and Barbara, but overall I was entertained and am intrigued to see more. Always a good sign. A fun show that doesn't take itself too seriously. It doesn't quite scale a show like Daredevil, but it doesn't exactly aim for this. It also gives us one of the best characters in recent TV with the Penguin.

The storyline is dark and fun within this prequel series. It is refreshing to see the characters within the Batman universe other than just focusing on Batman or Bruce Wayne. You get to see how villains and heroes came to be and how they were shaped into the versions we classically know them. With surprises and excitement in each episode, the world within the series is open to many good stories for the seasons to come. Even though I can't compare to the other Batman-themed show in the past, I think this a well crafted show even when some characters and plotlines don't directly match with the comics.

This is an excellent feature. The writers are very good and may sometimes surprise us. There is a bit of subdued humor in some of the lines that adds a little more interest to the developing plots. Jada is pretty incredible in her role and Ben is great in his role as the lead character and detective. Basically, practically all of the characters present some good acting skills. And the series provides for some worthwhile entertainment and "twists".

I rarely buy television episodes on DVD or Blu-ray, but Target had this on sale for $10 and Best Buy matched the price. Season two is still on its winter vacation, so I'll watch season one in the mean time. I forgot how good season one is. If you haven't seen the series yet and you like all things Batman, give this a shot. Even if you don't like The Dark Knight I would still recommend watching this series. It's action packed and it's full of suspense.

I bought the first season of Gotham because the show caught my interest on television and I missed some of the episodes. The series is entertaining and has many interesting characters and will hopefully last many years. My only negative comment is the slow process that seems to surround the development of Bruce Wayne into Batman. I guess they are trying to ensure other characters are also kept in the spotlight.

Gotham provides the back story for Batman and the awesome villains in Gotham. If you ever wondered how Arkham Asylum came to be, look no further. I love the atmospherics of the show and the way the characters are developed in the first season. And I especially love that the bad guys, with maybe one or two exceptions, aren't all bad and the good guys all have a dark side. If you are not a regular viewer, begin here.

Comic book based cop show with a solid acting ensemble and high production values. Real New York locations are well utilized to double as the city of Gotham. It is a first season, so some story lines take awhile to find their zone. Hard edged tone keeps the viewer entranced and regular Batman readers will be either displeased or surprised by the wild diversions from the comic book Gotham. It is an highly ambitious series.

I watched the first episode of Gotham, just to see what it would be like, keeping my fingers crossed, hoping to enjoy it. It didn't take long to realize that this was one of my new favorite shows. I'm only vaguely familiar with the comic book backstories of the characters, so the re-imagining of them is not only okay, it's welcome. I've so far seen all of the first half of season two, and I hope it goes on for many more.

Full disclosure - I like Batman. But this series provides a new, original, take on the batman universe. The story takes place during Bruce Wayne's youth and focuses on Jim Gordon (before he is commissioner Gordon) and his fight against not only the villians of Gotham but the corruption as well. Lots of fun "cameos" by Batman villians and some new and interesting characters as well. Can't wait for Season 2.

"Gotham" is a slow-burning, engrossing backstory to the Batman story that begins with Bruce Wayne as a child. The focus is on 35-year old James Gordon, nicely played by Ben McKenzie. Among his nemeses are mobsters and newly-hatched villains like the Penguin and a very young Cat Woman. The visuals are gorgeous and the writing is literate if not exactly brilliant. Well cast from top to bottom & very entertaining.

Gotham is quickly growing as one of my favorite shoes on TV. I love that they show the "backstory" of Batman's greatest villians on all time. It is truly a unique show and will be on for a long time, as long as Fox supports it. The only thing I didn't like about season one was that I thought Fish was a very annoying and forced character, other than that a great season! And season two has been even better!

I truly enjoyed watching this season. I hadn't read any reviews. I just went into the store looking for something new and different for me. I don't regret it one bit. It has a little bit of everything drama, action, suspense, and romance. Detective Gordon is potrayed with all his glory and it's a great way to develop and present all the different villains. You won't be disappointed with the Penguin.

What can I say? While I have always had mild to intermediate enjoyment of the Batman shows and movies, this TV series goes beyond anything I could have expected from a TV show. The characters, stories, and actors make this one of the best series to ever hit the small screen. I'm hoping that it goes on for many years. I won't miss an episode, and neither should any fan of the Batman series..

If you ever wanted to know how these people came to be how they are before Bruce became batman this is a highly exciting series and start in the first season! I feel like the main characters have been cast beautifully!! Robin lord taylor's performance as the penguin made me more interested in the character than the comics ever did !!! Great price for a great series beginning !!!

I just love this TV series. It feels as if they took it AWAY from the comic book world, and made it more grounded in reality. I know its a comic book based show, but it doesn't really feel like it most of the time. It seems like as soon as a show starts, its ending again. Each episode goes off too fast. Guess its true what they say: "Time flies when you're having fun." Lol.