I’m a pretty big Batman fan. Some may contest that since I only dabbled in the comic books, but I lived for the Michael Keaton movies, the Adam West TV show as a kid (reruns of course. I’m not THAT old), Batman the Animated series and especially the Christopher Nolan Dark Knight Trilogy. Man oh man, those movies are fantastic. Anyways, I consider myself a pretty big fan. I named my old dog Batman if that tells you anything. I miss the look on people’s faces when they would ask me what his name was.

That being said, I was super stoked about the idea of the new TV series Gotham. Now, Gotham gets a lot of slack. I read reviews knocking some of the characters such as Nygma, and especially Jim Gordon, who for all intents and purposes is the star of the show. I might be stupid, and maybe I don’t know anything about quality entertainment, but I think the show is Fantastic.

The villains in Batman have always been a bit twisted and silly and over the top, yet with a subtle darkness. The Dark Knight Trilogy basically did away with the sillier aspects of the franchise, instead opting for a darker, grittier take on the caped crusader and his enemies. I think that may be where a lot of the criticism comes from. Maybe people have forgotten that Batman wasn’t always so serious. I think the characters in Gotham are phenomenal. Robin Lord Taylor as Oswald Cobblepot (the Penguin), is incredible. His goofy, ridiculous appearance played against the sadistically evil and ruthless actions he takes, is just so bizarre and fun to watch. Jada Pinkett Smith as Fish Mooney is incredible. The fierce look in her eyes, her smoldering yet calm demeanor is just done so well. She steals every scene she is in. The relationship between David Mazouz and Sean Pertwee as Bruce and Alfred is so good. To see the impact that Alfred has on a young Bruce Wayne and his hand in molding him into Batman is so compelling. We have always seen Alfred as an accomplice to Batman, but I love the idea that he basically got him started.

I could go on forever about each character, but I really want to address both Cory Michael Smith as Edward Nygma (the Riddler) and Ben McKenzie as Jim Gordon. in most reviews I read, these two guys get beat up the most. A lot of people think Ed Nygma doesn’t fit into the show. That he’s not a realistic character. But he is a typical Batman character. Just not of the Dark Knight variety. The Riddler is a ridiculous character. He always has been. I think the weirdness that Nygma exudes on the show fits the character to a tee. I really do think that most of the critics of this show really are stuck on wanting a serious, gritty take akin to the Dark Knight. But that’s just one version of the universe.  Traditionally the Batman universe is more like this show than like the Dark Knight.

Then there are the Jim Gordon haters.  I have heard that Ben McKenzie is a terrible actor, that he is wooden, yadda, yadda, yadda. Well let me tell you something, Gotham’s Jim Gordon is a character, that is one tract minded. He sees police work as an honorable job, and he wont be shaken from that belief, he is socially awkward and doesn’t relate well to other people, he definitely has some anxiety issues, and he is extremely literal and doesn’t “get” a lot of humor. I think that Jim Gordon may fall somewhere on the autism scale. Maybe something like Asperger’s syndrome. That is the Jim Gordon character in Gotham. If you can look at it from that perspective and tell me that Ben McKenzie is a terrible actor, well then… I don’t know. I don’t think anything will ever reach you. Because he nails that character.

Anyways, Gotham is shaping up to be one of my favorite shows on television. I look forward to it each week even more so than some old mainstays such as the walking dead. There are so many exciting possibilities and directions this show could go in that i hope the critics start seeing it for what it is and it gets a chance to tell its story. It’s exactly what it is supposed to be. A story of Gotham told in the traditional Batman style and its wonderful