Gotham Knights Season 1 Episode 4 Review: Of Butchers and Betrayals
Gotham Knights Season 1 Episode 4, “Of Butchers and Betrayals,” prematurely resolves its most significant conflicts with a predictable and formulaic premise.
Things get off to a slow start as the gang sifts through the evidence they have on Bruce Wayne’s murder and finds they are missing pieces of the puzzle. Hence, they once more send Cullen, disguised as a detective, to the GCPD to swipe classified files.
This pattern is getting old fast. We would rather see actual sleuthing instead of the poor plot device of the GCPD being so conveniently incompetent that they don’t recognize an adolescent fugitive because he has a fake mustache.
The episode becomes even more formulaic as it goes on due to the sheer amount of plot points it borrows from previous episodes.
Everything is far too familiar, from infiltrating the GCPD to Robin saving the day in the nick of time to the framing of characters for crimes they didn’t commit.
Meanwhile, the character conflicts and relationships the show has been building largely fall flat on this episode.
The last episode did an excellent job of subtly hinting at class division, creating tension between Harper and Stephanie.
However, this episode tries to rush a resolution to a very complex issue too quickly by giving Harper an outburst about her jealousy of Stephanie.
Her outburst touches on a few interesting points, as she reveals that she could’ve been Stephanie in another life because she is just as smart as her. Still, life gave them vastly different opportunities and resources.
But viewers already know these are her feelings based on her attitude in the prior episode.
This episode is unnecessarily spelling it out. A subtler approach to show the tension develop and reach a climax would be far more interesting.
Now that she has it off her chest and seems open to Cullen’s cliché advice to give Stephanie a chance, one of the show’s most exciting conflicts has been cut short.
However, the plot point the episode egregiously prematurely wraps up is the overarching mystery of Batman’s death.
Cressida reveals her alliance with the Court of Owls to Turner when he visits her.
This could be a very shocking plot twist. However, Gotham Knights previously revealed her involvement with the organization on the first episode, so this scene is predictable and uninteresting.
Additionally, when held at gunpoint by Turner, she just casually spills the beans on Batman’s death right then and there.
Cressida: I slipped a toxin into his [Batman’s] food, a small amount at a time, just enough to weaken him to dull his reflexes. Then, they [the Court of Owls] sent the Talon, and you know the rest… Gotham was their city, your father was a threat.
This is unexpected, but not in a good way. The entire series is supposed to be about the mystery of who killed Batman, and we were expecting a massive twist in the end.
It seems as if Cressida revealed that she, the Talon, and the Court of Owls are responsible for the murder.
Of course, she could be lying, and it’s still unclear which character in the shadows is orchestrating the Court of Owls. However, those who physically carried out the killings are a huge part of the mystery and deserve a far grander reveal.
Plus, the Court of Owls has been leaving considerable evidence behind. Their signature gold coins, fingerprints, knife marks, and name are all over everything.
Even the incompetent GCPD can’t possibly deny their involvement at this point.
It feels like there is very little mystery left after this episode.
Gotham Knights still has 8 more episodes to go, but it’s unclear how they will be filled when the show keeps prematurely spoiling what could’ve been its biggest plot twists.
—
What did you think of this episode of Gotham Knights? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Critic Rating:
User Rating:
Gotham Knights airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on The CW.
Follow us on Twitter and on 
Instagram!
Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!
Riverdale and ‘Nancy Drew’ Set Final Season Premiere Dates on The CW
Rachel Ulatowski
Rachel Ulatowski is a freelance writer from Oshkosh with a penchant for TV, film, and celebrity news. Her work can also be found on Screen Rant, The Mary Sue, and Monsters and Critics. When she's not writing professionally, she enjoys blogging, running, watching film and television, and conducting research for her future novel.
One thought on “Gotham Knights Season 1 Episode 4 Review: Of Butchers and Betrayals”
I don’t think those things would be great twists because they were pretty obvious so far. I’d rather be surprised with more subtle clues. But I’m enjoying the show anyway. I was never expecting much of it, so it’s a relaxing watch.
Comments are closed.