The rest of the episode is filled with clumsy, expository subplots that barely go anywhere, and are only included for the sole purpose of reminding us that certain characters exist. Falcone shares brief scenes with Cobblepot, Liza (Fish’s “weapon”) and Fish Mooney, and even Jim Gordon takes a back seat to the Harvey Bullock/Alfred pairing. The two band together to find Young Master Bruce, share a slow-paced and oddly sexualized conversation, and then somehow just wind up where Bruce and Selina are hiding.
All of these side stories feel disconnected and, as I said before, a bit unfocused. Jim Gordon meets with Lovecraft (who, in typical Gotham fashion, gets virtually no screentime despite the fact that the episode is named after him), and almost comes across an interesting new development in the Wayne murder conspiracy. But, Lovecraft is killed before Gordon gets the info, and we never hear of it again. This does set up Gordon’s dismissal from the force and mandatory transfer to Arkham Asylum, but overall it holds no bearing on the larger episode arc.
I just find it odd that this late in the game, Gotham is still trying to find out what kind of show it is. Gordon, who was once the shining beacon of hope at its center and the moral compass of the series, has been increasingly minimized with each passing week, and the villains and over-arching conspiracy plots that were once the focus of the show now feel more distant than ever. Meanwhile, things like the Bruce/Selina pairing and even young Poison Ivy’s reappearance are placed front-and-center, bringing back the unfortunate prequel trappings that plagued the show when it first started out. Though, I will say this: Edward Nygma was given very little screentime and acted almost like a real human being. So, maybe some things are improving.
Tell us, will you be returning to the series after the winter break? Or has Gotham failed to truly catch your interest? Let us know in the comments below.
