Hello fellow Batfans! My name is Bruce Dunne, and I’ll be covering Gotham: Rise of the Villains for you this season, which premieres…oh yeah. TONIGHT! This adventure will begin with a brief summary of the major story points introduced in season one that carry over or may have an impact in this season. (Just a note: the term “season” is less correct than the British term, “series.” If you ever see me use “series” in place of “season,” don’t be confused and let me know if it’s a problem. No, I’m not British, I just think they think more than we Americans do sometimes.)
Okay, now to move on with the major story points from Season 1:
The Wayne Murders. This was the act that started it all for us viewers. It introduced us to Bruce, Gotham, and a sneaky Selina Kyle all in one scene. This act is a domino effect for the GCPD and villains alike. It gives everyone a sense of insecurity and paranoia that cannot be matched anywhere but Gotham. It kick started the entire show, but it isn’t quite where everything began.
The man who truly stole the show was Oswald Cobblepot, aka the Penguin, much to his distaste. He was the servant of Fish Mooney, so if he references her that’s who he’s talking about (more on her later). He starts out a nervous young rookie, just a man who wants success and respect in the professional criminal business of Gotham. However, he makes the mistake of ratting out on Fish to the cops, and she beats him with a chair and casts him out into the world to fend for himself, thinking him to have been killed. As the season progressed, so did he. The Penguin got smarter. He began manipulating the higher authorities, Jim Gordon and his own mother. He went from sociopath to psychopath (although still making his fair share of mistakes). In the end, he got his hands dirty when it counted and took the throne as the new criminal king of Gotham.
Fish Mooney, his former boss, worked for Carmine Falcone, but always wanted to overthrow him. Every time Fish was beaten down she came back stronger and angrier, but in the finale Cobblepot threw her over a seven or ten story roof into the river below. Don’t be shocked if she at some point returns, but be equally willing to accept the fact she might be dead.
Jim Gordon is the protagonist of the show–you’ll be seeing him the most. After promising to solve the murder of Bruce Wayne’s parents, he got caught up in the criminal underworld of Gotham, and the case has been cold since, even thought Jim is unwilling to let it go. In the first season he ascended the ranks of the GCPD with speed that can only be attributed to his cunning, and willingness to match Gotham’s dirty fighting style to gain the upper edge for the good people of the city. He has leverage over Commissioner Loeb, so expect that to play a large part of Season 2.
Edward Nygma is a forensic investigator at the GCPD. He’ll be working in the same environment as Jim Gordon, so you’ll see the two working together fairly often. Nygma was a quirky man until the woman he crushes on was abused by a fellow cop. Nygma killed the cop and used his forensic know-how to cover the murder up. It had a monumental effect on his mental state, so expect to see more of the Riddler and less Nygma in season 2.
Selina Kyle is an orphan surviving the streets of Gotham. She witnessed the death of the Waynes, but turned out to have never actually seen the killer. She briefly joined Fish Mooney in the finale, but since has gone back to her thieving orphan ways. She teamed up with Bruce Wayne on several occasions, but never quite gave him the leads he thought she could. Expect her to frequent the season from time to time as she did in the first season.
Bruce Wayne went on a personal journey in season one, learning about his company, corruption, how far he’s willing to train himself, and whether he truly believes he’ll ever solve the murder of his parents, or the secret as to who Thomas Wayne really is. A big surprise is coming this season: watch tonight to see what I mean.
Overall, the season began as the journey of Jim, Harvey Bullock, and Bruce Wayne to get themselves through the day-to-day life in Gotham whilst solving their own mysteries, (Jim Gordon wishing to make the GCPD strong again) and the criminals to attain ultimate power. Only Penguin saw the inevitable outcome: war. The entire season provided week to week entertainment, albeit faulty at times, but ultimately led to the thrilling introduction and new exciting back stories of many famous villains, and the first true recorded Gotham Crime War. As the next season is entitled Rise of the Villains, expect the emphasis to be the beginning of something truly special. It’s a new day for superhero television. Be there for the spectacular continuation of how Batman began: from the villains this time.
