Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.

Gotham Review: “What The Little Bird Told Him” (Season 1, Episode 12)

Gotham failed to impress with its mid-season premiere, "Rogues' Gallery," but it did plant seeds for what could have been an exciting arc that propelled us to the last ten weeks of the season - namely the introduction of Arkham escapee Jack Gruber, aka the Electrocutioner. Unfortunately, those hopes were crushed this week, as "What the Little Bird Told Him" put a swift end to those exciting story beats and truncated Gruber's storyline halfway through the episode.
This article is over 9 years old and may contain outdated information

Gotham_S1_FOX_Lot_BigBoard_R3

Recommended Videos

Gotham failed to impress with its mid-season premiere, “Rogues’ Gallery,” but it did plant seeds for what could have been an exciting arc that propelled us to the last ten weeks of the season – namely the introduction of Arkham escapee Jack Gruber, aka the Electrocutioner. Unfortunately, those hopes were crushed this week, as “What the Little Bird Told Him” put a swift end to those exciting story beats and truncated Gruber’s storyline halfway through the episode.

Jim Gordon is also no longer working at Arkham Asylum and has already pushed forward with a romantic relationship with Dr. Leslie Tompkins (played wonderfully once more by Morena Baccarin, though Gotham is under-utilizing her talents). For a series that was initially only meant to span 16 episodes before quickly being stretched to 22, Gotham is almost dead set on blazing through storylines at the expense of its characters and season-long arcs. It feels as though the writers have specific beats they need to hit, and are willing to jump right to them instead of build towards them, resulting in very little character development or satisfactory storytelling.

Last week felt like a bold and exciting step toward a more serialized structure, but I fear that as we trek through the season’s remaining episodes, Gotham will slip back into its procedural roots.

Like many episodes, however, “What the Little Bird Told Him” is an unbalanced affair with one silver lining: the mob storyline involving Carmine Falcone, Fish Mooney, and the Penguin. Gordon’s quest to bring down the Electrocutioner may not have been as…. electric as one would have hoped, but Fish’s scheme to bring down Falcone was finally put into motion, with some truly shocking results.


We Got This Covered is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of James Garcia
James Garcia
Lego photographer, cinephile, geek. James is 24 and lives in Portland, OR. He writes for several websites about pop culture, film, and TV and runs a video production company with his wife called Gilded Moose Media.