Gotham Review: Better To Reign In Hell (Season 3 Episode 1)
Gotham is definitely looking to shake things up with Season 3 Episode 1, “Better to Reign in Hell.” It’s a mad, mad city where bounty hunters take down criminals rather than the police.
One of those bounty hunters is our very own Jim Gordon. Now, Jim doesn’t look like he’s in the best place. He’s lost Lee and he seems to be nurturing a death wish. Jim’s always been a hothead. But this time, he has no regard for Law Enforcement or the people he’s apprehending. Or, indeed, for himself.
Considering how the GCPD cost him everything, I think it was about time for a change. At least, until something forces him to come back.
The main highlight of the episode is definitely the variety of Indian Hill escapees. They have a lot of scary powers, but they don’t really seem to be capable of stopping Jim.
Overall, the escapees are basically nameless junkies with absolutely no impact on the story. Fish is the one Penguin wants while Gordon’s after her because of Penguin’s bounty.
Again, Fish fails to be an interesting character despite her newly acquired powers. The episode could have easily shifted the focus to The Court of Owls and been better off for it. Instead, what follows is Fish running around aimlessly with her pets.
Bruce and Alfred’s recklessness is reaching new heights. Bruce openly challenging the court of owls has to be a new low for the character. But the fact that it was Alfred’s idea in the first place is actually really bizarre.
The writers seem to have abandoned all source material as far as Alfred is concerned. He’s supposed to be the one stopping Batman from doing reckless things.
So, now Bruce has been kidnapped by Talon for the Court of Owls. Considering Jim’s new position as a bounty hunter, it’s gonna fall to Alfred to save him this time.
Along with Talon, we also get an introduction to Valerie Vale. For now, she’s a reporter interested in the Indian Hill escapees. But it looks like there’s more to her than meets the eye.
As long as Lee is in the picture, Valerie can never be a legitimate love interest for Jim.
And it looks like Ivy will soon be finishing her transition into a super villain. It will be interesting to see where she fits in with the other escapees and how Selina reacts to this imminent change.
What did you think of this episode of Gotham? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Gotham airs on Mondays at 9/8c on FOX.
Irtesam Zaidi
Irtesam is a passionate writer with a taste for stand-out TV shows, music, and games. He is a fan of Sci-Fi and TV shows like Doctor Who, Mr. Robot, Game of Thrones, Penny Dreadful, and Buffy The Vampire Slayer. He is also a writer at TVOvermind.