Gotham: Review: Series 2 Episode 5: Scarification

The screws are tightened on Penguin from both sides…

Gotham’s many different plot strands can’t all get attention every week, and this time around it’s Bruce and Alfred’s turn to be out of the spotlight – although there’s plenty of time spent on the Wayne family, as we learn some rather unpleasant facts about the way in which one of Bruce’s ancestors behaved in days of yore… And we begin to understand the darkness that has brought Theo Galavan to Gotham – which is good, because much as I’m loving James Frain’s performance, I’ve not been convinced that Galavan is as big a threat as he’s being made out to be. There’s plenty of development for the Penguin, though, as his truly ruthless streak emerges once more – nothing will stand in his way of finding and saving his mother, not even his right hand man (or rather, his former right-hand man).

We see rather more of Selina Kyle than we have the rest of the season, with Camren Bicondova’s character once again a catalyst for other events – this time the rise of a cop-killing firebug, based on the DC character Firefly. As ever, major “liberties” have been taken with the character, and hopefully she’ll become rather more across the rest of the season.

As for Jim, Harvey and the GCPD, there’s certain movement, but not much – a fondue dinner with Ed Nygma really being the key section until the finale, when the aforementioned cop killing takes place…

Verdict: After such a strong start to the season, this feels as if the show is treading water once more. 7/10

Paul Simpson