Gotham: Review: Series 1 Episode 7: The Penguin’s Umbrella

With nothing to lose, Jim Gordon decides to take the fight to his enemies…

There were a few moments during this episode where I wondered if I’d missed a whole chunk of the season, and we’d reached the finale, with Jim and Harvey effectively declaring war on Falcone and the Mayor. It certainly is a game-changer, with a number of pieces on the chess board moving into new positions – the revelations about just how manipulative Penguin has been shouldn’t be a surprise, but I’m sure that there’s still plenty more to be revealed. Whether having Jim and Harvey work together rather than constantly being at each other’s throats marks the start of a new relationship between the pair remains to be seen; certainly the boss’ behaviour puts her in a new light.

Among some great moments, the scene between Jim and Bruce was one of the best for the pair – the boy’s reaction when Gordon puts his hand out for the young heir to shake was just right, and reminds us that this isn’t a pocket-sized Batman, but a youngster who saw his parents shot not that long ago, and now looks as if he’s going to lose one of the few adults who’s treated him seriously. Victor Zsasz’s incorporation into the storyline also worked well: his comic book trademark of self-mutilation to mark his death toll was included but in a way that wasn’t too over the top.

Verdict: The show remains as violent as ever but continues to throw up surprises. 8/10

Paul Simpson