Gotham Knights Season 1 Episode 9 Review: Dark Knight of the Soul
Gotham Knights Season 1 Episode 9, “Dark Knight of the Soul,” is an unpredictable and delightfully dark unmasking of the show’s biggest villains and its Knights’ most intimate secrets.
The episode explores what happens to Turner Hayes while in the custody of the Court of Owls and his team’s desperation to save him. Meanwhile, Harvey Dent prepares to publicly address the mounting evidence against him and convince Gotham that he has been framed.
With multiple shocking twists and a particularly emotional performance from Oscar Morgan, “Dark Night of the Soul” is a delight to watch as it moves the story along while also providing a bit more backstory for several of the Knights.
The biggest surprise of the episode is when Turner’s biological parents make an appearance. Of course, considering that they died before Turner was adopted by Bruce Wayne, they are just part of a dark vision elicited by the Court of Owls and Lincoln March.
Although it’s not real, the vision uncovers subconscious concerns and insecurities that Turner has, especially regarding the question of why Batman chose to adopt him and the mystery behind his parents’ death.
Through the vision, Lincoln makes the shocking suggestion that Bruce was behind the death of Turner’s parents and adopted Turner to make up for his guilt.
This marks the first time that the mystery of Turner’s past and his adoption has been addressed. While most viewers likely suspected there was more to Turner’s story, one may not have expected how dark his story may actually be.
It’s unclear if Turner believes the Court of Owls, but the idea is clearly weighing heavily on his mind, and it could completely change how he thinks about Batman.
Additionally, it may change how Gotham as a whole thinks about Batman. While he has been hailed as a fallen hero, the Court of Owls seems convinced that they have some dirt on him, and Lincoln’s suggestion renews curiosity about why the Court killed him.
Amid the action, some surprising feelings are starting to bloom between some of the Knights. Stephanie Brown and Harper Row have had a tense relationship throughout the series.
Initially, the division between their social statuses was the issue, but now it seems Harper has another reason for her terseness with Stephanie — she’s secretly attracted to her.
The recent increase in their bantering and Harper’s interest in Stephanie comes together beautifully as Harper finally admits to herself and her brother Cullen that she’s interested in Stephanie.
However, there’s some concern in that Harper suspects Stephanie has feelings for Turner.
This storyline has potential and could result in an intriguing story of two girls who overcome class divisions to find love. With the large cast and number of subplots, though, the show will need to be careful not to sideline the relationship nor warp it into a cheesy love triangle.
Duela’s and Turner’s relationship is also growing and seems to be getting closer to them admitting their feelings. Unfortunately, their feelings for one another have felt a bit more out of place and out of character.
It’s almost as if the show is forcing a relationship between them just for the sake of showing the juxtaposition of Batman’s son and Joker’s daughter dating. There needs to be a little more reason and context for their relationship to make it believable.
The episode also finally introduces Dent’s alter-ego, Two-Face. While his alter ego has been active throughout the series, viewers have not seen Two-Face in action, just the clues he leaves behind.
The numerous teases and slow build-up have gotten a bit tiresome, however, the long-awaited glimpse of Two-Face holds promise. The scene is brief, but viewers can catch some subtle changes in Misha Collins’ voice, mannerisms, and expressions as he switches from Dent to Two-Face, raising anticipation for his performance.
Meanwhile, he is only expected to further spiral now that he has caught sight of his alternate personality. With both his and Turner’s story arcs ending on cliffhangers, Gotham Knights sets a perfect and suspenseful stage for its next episode.
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.
One thought on “Gotham Knights Season 1 Episode 9 Review: Dark Knight of the Soul”
Feels like I’m watching a ripoff of Runaways now. Where the straight girl magically turns gay, because the show needs better ratings. That is one hundred times more forced than Turner and Duella (but that is a pretty weak pairing in itself). Might as well link up the transvite and Bratgirl while they’re at it. This show started with a cool premise, but went so far downhill so fast. Then again, it is CW.
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