Gotham Knights Season 1 Episode 8 Review: Belly of the Beast
Gotham Knights Season 1 Episode 8, “Belly of the Beast,” sees the Knights get closer to the Court of Owls than ever before as it covers a thrilling undercover mission and also finally delves fully and emotionally into Stephanie Brown’s personal life.
The episode sees the Knights split up, with Turner Hayes and Duela attending a Court of Owls meeting in disguise, while Stephanie goes home to attend to a family issue, and the rest of the Knights aid Turner and Duela behind the scenes.
While the series frequently sees the gang performing break-ins, heists, and rescue missions, this mission feels very different in that it’s very unpredictable. With no disguise other than the organization’s characteristic masks and no idea of what they’ll find, the stakes and anticipation rise effectively.
Meanwhile, the inside look Turner and Duela get at the Court of Owls paints the organization in an entirely new and terrifying light. It’s eery how, even amidst themselves, the organization is always masked up.
The ever-present masks, piles of weaponry, and the startling presence of a masked child illustrate the cult-like nature of the organization that inducts its members very young and staunchly upholds its odd traditions.
Additionally, their endgame seems to be to access some mysterious thing called Electrum that will grant them immortality, meaning they are likely using this as an incentive to recruit more members.
The fact that Cressida changes her tune completely and betrays and fears the Court is also a testimony that whatever they are doing is chilling even its own members to the core.
What’s even more terrifying is that Turner is in their custody. With how brutal, swift, and bloody their actions are against Cressida, one is both wary and curious of what Turner’s fate with the Court will be.
Instead of being a shadowy organization surrounded by riddles, vague threats, and mysterious members, the Court finally arises in this episode as the primary threat. They are no longer trying to hide their motivations and allegiances, meaning they are even more dangerous than before.
Gotham Knights sometimes struggles to effectively develop its younger cast and their backstories due to its large cast size. That’s why the sudden deep dive into Stephanie’s home life is surprising but very welcome.
Some references to Stephanie’s mother’s struggles with substance abuse have been made before. However, this episode doesn’t hold back in realistically depicting what living with a parent suffering from addiction looks like.
Stephanie’s mother is clearly in need of help, as she is seen partaking in extremely dangerous and reckless behavior by mixing pills and alcohol and even nabbing extra prescriptions by using her daughter’s name.
When Stephanie tries to intervene, the agitation of her mother and the nonchalance of her father is jarring. However, it’s a striking depiction of how a parent’s addiction can rob one of childhood.
It also makes the point that children should not have to be the ones to stand up and take action. Some adults clearly see the problem with Stephanie’s mother but choose to look the other way because it’s easier.
This also seems to effectively highlight one of the underlying themes of the whole series, which is the importance of believing and helping troubled children deal with real-life problems instead of trying to punish them and prematurely judge them.
It doesn’t seem to be a coincidence in Gotham Knights that the minors are constantly charged with fixing all the problems that the adults make.
Hopefully, though, the city is getting closer to realizing all the good this young team has done in the shadows and will give them the support, recognition, and aid that they so desperately deserve.
With the rising threat of the Court and the Knights losing patience over being framed and overlooked by society, the stakes, emotion, and action are higher than ever, boding well for the remainder of the season.
What did you think of this episode of Gotham Knights? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Gotham Knights airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on The CW.
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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.