Psycho Drive-In logo
Search
  • PDI Press
    Featured
    • ON SALE NOW! NOIRLATHOTEP 2: MORE TALES OF LOVECRAFTIAN CRIME!!

      Sam Salama Cohén
      December 31, 2018
      News, PDI Press, PDI Press Catalog
    Recent
    • ON SALE NOW! NOIRLATHOTEP 2: MORE TALES OF LOVECRAFTIAN CRIME!!

      psychodr
      December 31, 2018
    • VOICES FROM THE NIGHT: The Living Dead Tell Their Stories

      John E. Meredith
      October 31, 2018
    • American Carnage: Tales of Trumpian Dystopia

      psychodr
      March 24, 2018
    • PDI Press Catalog
    • PDI Press Writers
      • Fiction
  • Columns A-L
    • ABCs of Horror
    • All Binge… No Purge
    • Beautiful Creatures
    • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
    • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
    • Dispatches From the Field
    • Drive-In Saturday
    • The Final Girl
    • First Looks… Second Thoughts
    • The Flesh is Weak
    • Innocence and Experience
    • Lost in Translation
  • Columns P-Z
    • Popcorn Cinema
    • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
    • Shakespeare on Film
    • Shot for Shot
    • Sick Flix
    • Versus
    • Video Word Made Flesh
    • We Got Lists
    • Women in Horror
    • The Xeno File
    • Zombies 101
  • Reviews
    Featured
    • Knives Out (2019)

      Sam Salama Cohén
      November 29, 2019
      Movies, Reviews
    Recent
    • Knives Out (2019)

      Nate Zoebl
      November 29, 2019
    • Night Work (2019)

      Nate Zoebl
      November 8, 2019
    • Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw (2019) Blu-ray

      Paul Brian McCoy
      November 5, 2019
    • Books
    • DVD/Blu-ray
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Series
  • Interviews
    Featured
    • Interview with Indie Horror Master, Chris Bickel

      Sam Salama Cohén
      July 13, 2018
      Interviews
    Recent
    • Interview with Indie Horror Master, Chris Bickel

      Dory Hoffman
      July 13, 2018
    • David Black: Carnies, Carnage, and the Creative Chaos of Darkness Visible

      Dan Lee
      March 7, 2017
    • Jaiden Kaine joins the Marvel Universe as new Luke Cage baddie, Zip

      Andre Lamar
      September 29, 2016
    • SDCC 2016 Interviews: The Cast and Creators of Batman: The Killing Joke

      Jason Sacks
      July 28, 2016
    • SDCC 2016 Interviews: The Cast and Creators of Syfy’s Van Helsing

      Dave Hearn, Paul Brian McCoy
      July 27, 2016
    • Wondercon Interview: The Cast of Damien

      Gary Richardson, Laura Akers
      April 16, 2016
  • News
    Featured
    • John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum arrives on Digital 8/23 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand 9/10

      Sam Salama Cohén
      July 30, 2019
      DVD/Blu-ray, News
    Recent
    • John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum arrives on Digital 8/23 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand 9/10

      psychodr
      July 30, 2019
    • X-Men: Dark Phoenix arrives on Digital 9/3 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD 9/17

      Paul Brian McCoy
      July 16, 2019
    • Avengers: Endgame arrives on Digital 7/30 and Blu-ray 8/13

      psychodr
      July 16, 2019
    • Trailers
  • Psychos
  • Merchandise
Breaking
  • Knives Out (2019)
  • Night Work (2019)
  • Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw (2019) Blu-ray
  • Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)
  • Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019)
  • The Lighthouse (2019)
  • RSS
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Who We Be
  • Contact
  • PDI Press
    • PDI Press Catalog
    • PDI Press Writers
      • Fiction
  • Columns A-L
    • ABCs of Horror
    • All Binge… No Purge
    • Beautiful Creatures
    • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
    • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
    • Dispatches From the Field
    • Drive-In Saturday
    • The Final Girl
    • First Looks… Second Thoughts
    • The Flesh is Weak
    • Innocence and Experience
    • Lost in Translation
  • Columns P-Z
    • Popcorn Cinema
    • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
    • Shakespeare on Film
    • Shot for Shot
    • Sick Flix
    • Versus
    • Video Word Made Flesh
    • We Got Lists
    • Women in Horror
    • The Xeno File
    • Zombies 101
  • Reviews
    • Books
    • DVD/Blu-ray
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Series
  • Interviews
  • News
    • Trailers
  • Psychos
  • Merchandise
Home
Reviews

Gotham 1.03 “The Balloonman”

Sam Salama Cohén
October 13, 2014
Reviews, TV

Another episode, another rewarding view of the bowels and dark depths of Gotham, and the show’s crazy logic at work. More specifically, a look at how a random assassin — a vigilante who’s killing Gotham’s most notoriously corrupted figures — gets cheered by the Gothamites, who feel that a cleansing of the corrupt is indeed in order.

If Gotham’s colors, feeling, and very comic-book-y mood were clear highlights in previous episodes, this time around, from the very first scene with the “triumphant” return of Oswald Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor), that perfect mix of grays, petty crimes, loud noises, dirty streets and chaos all over makes you feel that what came before was no coincidence. Gotham’s writers just nail what the world of Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) is all about, hinting at how this particular city couldn’t help but create any vigilante other than Batman, as crazy as his surroundings.

Gordon sewer

With last episode’s cliffhanger we were promised significant developments on the Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova) and Detective Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) team-up to solve the murder of the Waynes, but it seems we were played a bit. Yes, there is a team-up and a return to the scene of the crime, but Detective Gordon manages to make a fool of himself as he underestimates Selina’s abilities. Cat says she briefly saw the killer’s face, though she leaves the Detective down in a sewer and with no description of the suspect. Back to square one, more or less. I’ll bet little pieces of the puzzle will be unraveling until the season finale, possibly with a heavy Carmine Falcone (John Doman) presence.

This episode, however, marks a milestone or two, which might be important for how the dynamics of the series evolve moving forward.

Balloon...

First, we’ve got Jim Gordon facing, once more, a demented Gotham; one where everyone who is crooked is a target for the Balloonman vigilante; and therefore most of the public figures stay indoors. For Gordon it has been a slow build, seeing first-hand as Detective Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue) was corrupt, violent and Mobster-friendly, then learning that those traits ran much higher up the chain of command, even to the Mayor himself. Finally, here, after an intense episode of butting heads with Captain Sarah Essen (Zabryna Guevara) and Bullock, it is from the lips of a brought down Balloonman that Gordon realizes that all of Gotham is corrupt, and how naïve he had been, playing the good cop all along, trying to overcome those who didn’t.

We will see how this revelation changes the way Gordon faces Gotham and its ways. I feel it was a necessary milestone in order to have both the character and the series evolve, while dancing around the same themes.

Penguin

The other milestone is related to the first, as it has to do with Barbara (Erin Richards) trusting that Gordon has not succumbed to the GCPD’s crooked ways, despite what her former lover Officer Renee Montoya (Victoria Cartagena) might think or say.

Barbara is given some back story, and her character matters more in this episode than in previous ones, even sharing a tender scene near the end where she realizes Jim Gordon would never do all the things he’s been accused of — like killing Cobblepot, something that in time will reveal itself to be a stunt by the cop to gain the GCPD’s and Falcone’s trust.         

The Alfred Pennyworth (Sean Pertwee) that viewers get this time around is more akin to the character in the comics, as we are shown how he and little Bruce are learning to live, if only with a few scenes. This time, we get another nod to the future – Batman being the world’s greatest detective and all – as Alfred stumbles upon the police files of the Waynes murder, which the boy had been keeping, in order to perform his own investigation, and, surprised, points out the how the kid’s trying to become a detective.

Penguin 2

I’m liking the portrayal of the young Bruce, and I hope he becomes more prominent as the series evolves.

Oh, and there’s also room for more Oswald Cobblepot greatness! This guy sure is creepy, and the writing knows how to exploit the character, focusing on him being devoid of any empathy, which makes killing easy as pie for him. It’s just a way to get to the top, where he thinks he deserves to be.  On the way there he might have to work at the Italian restaurant which, funny thing, is a front to Mobster Sal Maroni (David Zayas).

With a great cliffhanger, Gotham remains strong, and that’s just the beginning, because…Arkham is coming!

(Visited 9 times, 1 visits today)
Gotham 1.03 "The Balloonman"
4.0Overall Score

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Ben McKenzieCamren BicondovaDavid MazouzDonal LogueErin RichardsGothamJohn DomanRobin Lord TaylorSean PertweeVictoria Cartagena

ABCs of Horror Day 13: H is for Hausu
ABCs of Horror Day 14: H is for Hooper

About The Author

monsterid
Sam Salama Cohén
Honest Man / Thunder God

Sam is a passionate comic lover, who since an early age, found himself into the grasp of Marvel titles such as Conan the Barbarian, Captain America, Spider-Man, and, of course, his true love (after his wife Natalia, that is), the Avengers. When he was very little he created his own comic, which thanks to having relatives on the US and other countries, travelled all over the world. Now he is a happy reader. Though looking at his Resume one would think he is the serious kind of guy-Economics degree, Auditor for several years-fun and rhythm flow through his veins, and have been that way since he can remember. Spanish and currently living in Madrid, he loves travelling around the world-and getting comics wherever he goes!!! He has experience managing comic-book related online communities, and during his time on both www.AvengersForever.org and the great, unique www.ComicsBulletin.com he has had the chance to work as reviewer/columnist/interviewer, learning the ropes as he went along. As Comics Bulletin’s Social Media Manager, he devoted a lot of his time to managing and improving the site’s presence on social networks, and on building an active and interesting Community. You can find him as @SamSalama on Twitter, and as Samuel Salama on Facebook.

FACEBOOK

FACEBOOK

Daily Top Ten

  • Unnatural Selections: Insecticidal (2005)Unnatural Selections: Insecticidal (2005) by Brooke Brewer
  • The PDI STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL – CHAPTER 5: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACKThe PDI STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL – CHAPTER 5: THE… by Laura Akers
  • Adventure Time: Frost & Fire DVDAdventure Time: Frost & Fire DVD by Paul Brian McCoy
  • True Blood 4.05 "Me and the Devil"True Blood 4.05 “Me and the Devil” by Rafael Gaitan
  • Sick Flix: Martyrs (2008)Sick Flix: Martyrs (2008) by Corin Totin
  • Lost in Translation 132: Evil DeadLost in Translation 132: Evil Dead by Scott Delahunt
  • Advance Review: Judge Archer (2012) DVDAdvance Review: Judge Archer (2012) DVD by Paul Brian McCoy
  • Penny Dreadful 1.05 “Closer than Sisters”Penny Dreadful 1.05 “Closer than Sisters” by Dave Hearn
  • Lost in Translation 311: The Flash (1990)Lost in Translation 311: The Flash (1990) by Scott Delahunt
  • Lost in Translation 163: Tetris, Really?Lost in Translation 163: Tetris, Really? by Scott Delahunt

PDI Press Bestsellers

Weekly Top Ten

  • The PDI STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL – CHAPTER 4: A NEW HOPEThe PDI STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL – CHAPTER 4: A NEW HOPE by Rick Shingler
  • The Final Girl: I Spit on Your Grave (2010)The Final Girl: I Spit on Your Grave (2010) by Dory Hoffman
  • Sick Flix: Guinea Pig 2 – Flower of Flesh and Blood (1985)Sick Flix: Guinea Pig 2 – Flower of Flesh and Blood (1985) by Corin Totin
  • Lost in Translation 319: When Studios Realize a Major MistakeLost in Translation 319: When Studios Realize a… by Scott Delahunt
  • Women in Horror: I Spit on Your Grave (2010)Women in Horror: I Spit on Your Grave (2010) by Dory Hoffman
  • Sick Flix: Guinea Pig - Devil’s Experiment (1985)Sick Flix: Guinea Pig – Devil’s Experiment (1985) by Corin Totin
  • The Hills Have Eyes Part 2 (1984) vs The Hills Have Eyes 2 (2007)The Hills Have Eyes Part 2 (1984) vs The Hills Have… by Corin Totin
  • Knives Out (2019)Knives Out (2019) by Nate Zoebl
  • The Nun (2018)The Nun (2018) by Nate Zoebl
  • Nice Guys Finish First: The Death of Masculinity in Friday the 13th (2009)Nice Guys Finish First: The Death of Masculinity in… by Dory Hoffman

INSTAGRAM

psychodrivein

Psycho Drive-In
Instagram post 17868529129555485 Today at http://psychodrivien.com

The PDI STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL – CHAPTER 5: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

Because while Star Wars had revolutionized movies and movie-making in many ways, Empire reminded us why that mattered, why films mattered. ---
Read more of Laura's article at the link in our profile!

#starwars #starwarsepisodevtheempirestrikesback #theempirestrikesback #empirestrikesback #episodev #episode5 #starwarsepisode5 #starwarsholidayspecial
Instagram post 18117889531027648 Today at http://psychodrivein.com

Muppets 101: A Tribute to Caroll Spinney

Caroll Spinney, best known as the performer who brought Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch to life for nearly 50 years died on Sunday, December 8th 2019.
---
Read more of Jesica's memorial at the link in our profile!

#carollspinney #bigbird #oscarthegrouch #sesamestreet #jimhenson
Instagram post 18085270978141184 Today at http://psychodrivein.com

The PDI STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL – CHAPTER 4: A NEW HOPE

When it comes to Star Wars, I am a gibbering fool. ---
Read more of Rick's article at the link in our profile!

#starwars #starwarsepisodeivanewhope #anewhope #starwarsepisode4 #starwarsanewhope #starwarsholidayspecial
Instagram post 18066887845196274 Today at http://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation 319: When Studios Realize a Major Mistake

A new Sonic the Hedgehog trailer was released earlier this month and it corrected the biggest problem that the movie had.
---
Read more of Scott's article at the link in our profile!

#lostintranslation #sonic #sonicthehedgehog
Instagram post 17853450166690202 Today at http://psychodrivein.com

Knives Out (2019)

Knives Out is an incredibly fun movie to watch fly by for its extended 130-minute running time. ---
Read more of Nate's review at the link in our profile!

#knivesout #rianjohnson #danielcraig #chrisevans #jamieleecurtis #donjohnson #michaelshannon #anadearmas #lakeithstanfield #rikilindhome #tonicollette #christopherplummer
Instagram post 18093127504113756 Today at http://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation 318: Remaking The Crawling Hand

The Crawling Hand begins with a lunar mission going wrong in the worst way possible. ---
Read more of Scott's article at the link in our profile!

#lostintranslation #thecrawlinghand
Instagram post 17851403575711016 Today at http://psychodrivein.com

Just How Many Fools Can Truly Be Pitied? An essay.

Then, one fateful day Mr. T vanished from our lives the same way he entered them; mysteriously, and without warning.
---
Read more of James' article at the link in our profile!

#mrt #dispatchesfromthefield #jamesradcliff #ateam #rocky3 #lastmanonearth #iamlegend
Instagram post 18029243452241284 Today at http://psychodrivein.com

Drive-In Saturday: The Monster Squad (1987)

The Monster Squad is not a perfect film, but it is a highly underrated classic of the comedy/horror genre. ---
Read more of James' article at the link in our profile!

#driveinsaturday #themonstersquad #jamesradcliff #shaneblack #freddekker #tomnoonan #duncanrhegar
Instagram post 17996762620276384 Today at http://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation 317: Remaking the Raven

Remaking The Raven will require a deft touch and the right cast. Modern technology can make or break the remake. ---
Read more of Scott's article at the link in our profile!

#lostintranslation #theraven #edgarallanpoe #boriskarloff #belalugosi
Instagram post 17984037811285851 Today at http://psychodrivein.com

Night Work (2019)

Night Work is a fun, ribald little movie that has its own sense of charm, from its budgetary limitations to the expansive possibilities of its strange world.
---
Read more of Nate's review at the link in our profile!

#nightwork #kylerayburn #valeriegilbert #scottwood #virgilschnell #ohio #indiehorror #indiehorrorfilm
Instagram post 17895959116408221 Today at http://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation 316: The Expanse - Part 2

The Expanse continues to pull in from other stories in the series to flesh out what’s happening, keeping the storytelling more or less linear, with a few exceptions in shown in flashbacks. ---
Read more of Scott's article at the link in our profile!

#theexpanse #leviathanwakes #jamessacorey #thomasjane #stevenstrait #lostintranslation
Instagram post 18028847674233924 Today at http://psychodrivein.com

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw (2019) Blu-ray

All in all, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw is the epitome of a popcorn movie. It’s big, loud, and dumb as fuck, but charming. ---
Read more of Paul's review at the link in our profile!

#fastandfurious #fastandfuriouspresentshobbsnandshaw #hobbsandshaw #dwaynejohnson #jasonstatham #vanessakirby #idriselba #davidleitch #ryanreynolds #helenmirren #kevinhart
Load More... Follow on Instagram

TWITTER

My Tweets

Latest Reviews

  • Knives Out (2019)

    Nate Zoebl
    November 29, 2019
  • Night Work (2019)

    Nate Zoebl
    November 8, 2019
  • Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw (2019) Blu-ray

    Paul Brian McCoy
    November 5, 2019

Latest Columns

  • The PDI STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL – CHAPTER 5: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

    Laura Akers
    December 11, 2019
  • Muppets 101: A Tribute to Caroll Spinney

    Jessica Sowards
    December 11, 2019
  • The PDI STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL – CHAPTER 4: A NEW HOPE

    Rick Shingler
    December 10, 2019

Look Who's Talking

Shawn EH
Shawn EH - 12/11/2019
The PDI STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL – CHAPTER 4: A NEW HOPE
I can't even imagine seeing this by accident in a drive-in! My family and I scrambled for tickets,...
johnhurschelrunion
johnhurschelrunion - 12/8/2019
Dobie Gillis: “I Gotta Kill that Boy!” A Cult Series Makes its Way to DVD
GREAT article. thank you. i am currently revisiting the series on amazon prime. i was first...
Shawn EH
Shawn EH - 12/2/2019
Knives Out (2019)
I kind of wish there was a Blade Runner: 2047, as it had to have been better than 2049, but it was...
Large_rectangle_336X280
RSSTwitterFacebookinstagramtumblr

Archives

All work on this site is Copyright © each individual writer.
  • PDI Press
    • PDI Press Catalog
    • PDI Press Writers
      • Fiction
  • Columns A-L
    • ABCs of Horror
    • All Binge… No Purge
    • Beautiful Creatures
    • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
    • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
    • Dispatches From the Field
    • Drive-In Saturday
    • The Final Girl
    • First Looks… Second Thoughts
    • The Flesh is Weak
    • Innocence and Experience
    • Lost in Translation
  • Columns P-Z
    • Popcorn Cinema
    • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
    • Shakespeare on Film
    • Shot for Shot
    • Sick Flix
    • Versus
    • Video Word Made Flesh
    • We Got Lists
    • Women in Horror
    • The Xeno File
    • Zombies 101
  • Reviews
    • Books
    • DVD/Blu-ray
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Series
  • Interviews
  • News
    • Trailers
  • Psychos
  • Merchandise
%d bloggers like this: