Arkham (Gotham)

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"Arkham"
Gotham episode
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 4
Directed by TJ Scott
Written by Ken Woodruff
Production code4X6654
Original air dateOctober 13, 2014 (2014-10-13)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
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"Viper"
List of episodes

"Arkham" is the fourth episode of the television series Gotham . It premiered on FOX on October 13, 2014, and was written by Ken Woodruff and directed by TJ Scott. In the episode, detectives Gordon (Ben McKenzie) and Bullock (Donal Logue) try to save the council of Gotham, which is threatened after a dispute for the known Arkham Plan is in progress. Meanwhile, Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor) indulges more in Maroni's mafia.

Contents

The episode was watched by 6.39 million viewers, an improvement over the previous episode and received positive reviews. Critics praised Gordon's and Cobblepot's dynamics but criticized the poor choice of villain.

Plot

Gordon (Ben McKenzie) berates Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor) after showing up at his apartment. Cobblepot tells him a mob war will happen with the Arkham Plan, which convinces Gordon. It's revealed that Falcone (John Doman) and Mayor James (Richard Kind) are backing the project.

A councilman, Ron Jenkins (Evander Duck) is killed by a hitman. Gordon tells Bullock (Donal Logue) and Essen (Zabryna Guevara) that the Arkham District is a battlefield between Falcone and Maroni. Upon visiting a prisoner who knows the hitman, Gordon and Bullock look for Richard Gladwell (Hakeem Kae-Kazim), a possible suspect. They find a paper that reads C.L.M.

Bamonte's is attacked by three masked men, which forces Cobblepot to protect the money until they flee. Cobblepot is promoted to restaurant manager by Maroni after the manager is killed in the attack. It was discovered by Bullock that the real Gladwell was dead for five years and that the hitman was using his name. Gordon figures out that Mayor James will be the next target, due to the C.L.M. referring to the initials of the officers sent to protect the mayor. While protecting James, Gordon fights the hitman until Bullock arrives to back him up. The hitman is killed by Bullock and Gordon.

Meanwhile, Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith) pairs up two possible women for her nightclub job opening against each other where a woman named Liza (Makenzie Leigh) wins. Mayor James holds a press conference about the Arkham Plan. Cobblepot reunites with the masked men who attacked Bamonte's, turning out he hired them so he could get the promotion. They then die after Cobblepot serves them poisoned cannoli.

Reception

Ratings

The episode was watched by 6.39 million viewers, with a 2.4 rating among 18-49 adults. [1] With Live+7 DVR viewing factored in, the episode had an overall rating of 10.34 million viewers, and a 4.1 in the 18–49 demographic. [2]

Critical reviews

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Rotten Tomatoes 75% [3]
The A.V. Club C [4]
Paste Magazine7.0 [5]
TV FanaticStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
IGN 7.7 [7]
New York MagazineStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]

"Arkham" was well received by critics. The episode received a rating of 75% on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes based on 24 reviews, with the site's consensus stating: "A decent but forgettable episode of Gotham, 'Arkham' shines when the focus shifts to Jim Gordon and Oswald 'Penguin' Cobblepot." [3]

Matt Fowler of IGN gave the episode a "good" 7.7 out of 10 and wrote in his verdict, "Gotham was blissfully foreshadow-free this week, and having Arkham be the actual item that our big villains were fighting over was an inspired way to bring that location into the show. Plus, Fish Mooney and Cobblepot continue to delight as they both separately schemed to take over city. I felt like they could have done more with the hitman this week, "Gladwell," since he kept bringing up his own past and it was never fleshed out. And the idea that Falcone and Maroni wouldn't somehow know (or care) that they were paying the same guy to take shots at the other side didn't feel right. Why wouldn't one just pay Gladwell to kill three councilmen on the other side? Or kill the actual other boss? So I'm hoping, even though the guy got shot down, that we learn more about this." [7]

The A.V. Club 's Oliver Sava gave the episode a "C" grade and wrote, "Gotham is a show that runs on abstract nouns. The dialogue is overblown in hopes that it will add gravitas to the story, but it ultimately strips the show of its humanity. These abstract concepts are what drive the plot (we can throw "war" in there as Oswald's big abstract noun), and that makes it extremely hard to connect to the characters on a personal level. While tonight's episode is an improvement over the last couple of chapters, 'Arkham' is still wildly uneven, frustrating, and shallow. Escalating the Gotham mob war gives this episode a stronger sense of forward momentum, but there are still plenty of developments that prevent this show from rising above mediocrity." [4]

Related Research Articles

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Maria Mercedes "Fish" Mooney is a fictional character created by producer and screenwriter Bruno Heller for the television series Gotham, portrayed by actress Jada Pinkett Smith.

Jim Gordon (<i>Gotham</i>) Fictional character in the Fox TV series Gotham

James "Jim" Gordon is a fictional character adapted for television by screenwriter Bruno Heller. He serves as the main protagonist of the Warner Bros. and DC Comics television series Gotham, portrayed by Ben McKenzie.

"All Happy Families Are Alike" is the 22nd episode and finale of the first season of the FOX series Gotham. The episode was written by series developer Bruno Heller and directed by Danny Cannon. It was first broadcast on May 4, 2015 in FOX. In this episode, the mob war between Carmine Falcone and Salvatore Maroni is coming to a brutal end while Oswald Cobblepot and Fish Mooney face off in their final confrontation, putting James Gordon in the middle of both conflicts. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne sets out to find evidence that his father had a secret life before his death.

"Pilot" is the first episode of the television series Gotham. It premiered on FOX on September 22, 2014 and was written by series developer Bruno Heller and directed by Danny Cannon. The episode, and the series as a whole, are based on characters appearing in and published by DC Comics in the Batman franchise, primarily those of James Gordon and Bruce Wayne. FOX gave the pilot a straight-to-series order with an order of 16 episodes.

"Selina Kyle" is the second episode of the television series Gotham. It premiered on FOX on September 29, 2014 and was written by series developer Bruno Heller and directed by Danny Cannon. In the episode, Gordon and Bullock investigate a child trafficking ring in Gotham City while Cobblepot begins to make his way back to Gotham, leaving victims in his path.

"The Balloonman" is the third episode of the television series Gotham. It premiered on FOX on October 6, 2014 and was written by John Stephens and directed by Dermott Downs. In the episode, detectives Gordon and Bullock track down a vigilante who is killing corrupt Gotham citizens by attaching them to weather balloons. Meanwhile, Oswald Cobblepot returns to Gotham and gets a new job close to an influential figure in the underworld.

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"Spirit of the Goat" is the sixth episode of the television series Gotham. It premiered on FOX on October 27, 2014 and was written by Ben Edlund, his first credit for the show and directed by TJ Scott. In the episode, Bullock relives traumatic memories after a killer he thought it was closed years ago while Gordon suffers the consequences of his actions.

"Penguin's Umbrella" is the seventh episode of the television series Gotham. It premiered on FOX on November 3, 2014 and was written by series developer Bruno Heller, and directed by Rob Bailey. In this episode, the mob war escalates while Cobblepot reveals a new component of his manipulative strategy, forcing Gordon to deal with the consequences of his decision to spare Penguin's life.

"Lovecraft" is the tenth episode and mid-season finale of the television series Gotham. It premiered on FOX on November 24, 2014 and was written by Rebecca Dameron, and directed by Guy Ferland. In this episode, Wayne Manor is attacked, forcing Bruce and Selina to flee, while Gordon comes closer to Lovecraft.

"Rogues' Gallery" is the eleventh episode and mid-season premiere of the television series Gotham. It premiered on FOX on January 5, 2015 and was written by Sue Chung, and directed by Oz Scott. In this episode, Gordon is transferred to Arkham Asylum and tries to avoid a conflict when inmates riot with the help of Dr. Leslie Thompkins.

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Oswald Cobblepot (<i>Gotham</i>) Fictional character on Gotham

Oswald Cobblepot is a character and one of the main antagonists of the FOX television series Gotham, portrayed by Robin Lord Taylor. Based on the DC Comics supervillain of the same name, he was adapted by showrunner Bruno Heller for the series, which is intended to explore the origin stories of characters from the Batman mythos. Introduced in the first season, Cobblepot is depicted as an intelligent low-level criminal who aspires to rule Gotham City's criminal underworld. His character arc in the series explores his rise to power.

References

  1. ↑ Bibel, Sara (October 14, 2014). "Monday Final Ratings: 'The Voice' & 'Dancing With the Stars' Adjusted Up; 'The Big Bang Theory' & 'Castle' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 15, 2014. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
  2. ↑ Bibel, Sara (November 3, 2014). "'How to Get Away With Murder' & 'The Big Bang Theory' Have Biggest Adults 18-49 Ratings Increase; 'New Girl' Tops Percentage Gains & 'The Blacklist' Tops Viewer Gains in Live +7 Ratings for Week Ending October 19". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 6, 2014. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Arkham". Rotten Tomatoes . Archived from the original on December 5, 2024. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  4. 1 2 Sava, Oliver (14 October 2014). "Gotham's mob war heats up in an improved but problematic episode". The A.V. Club . Archived from the original on 10 January 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Gotham Review: "Arkham"". pastemagazine.com. 14 October 2014. Archived from the original on 27 January 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  6. ↑ "Gotham". TV Fanatic. 13 October 2014.
  7. 1 2 Fowler, Matt (October 13, 2014). "Gotham: "Arkham" Review". IGN . Archived from the original on January 27, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Gotham Recap: Searching for an Asylum". Vulture.
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