The Mask (Gotham)

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"The Mask"
Gotham episode
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 8
Directed byPaul Edwards
Written by John Stephens
Production code4X6658
Original air dateNovember 10, 2014 (2014-11-10)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
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"The Mask" is the eighth episode of the television series Gotham . It premiered on FOX on November 10, 2014 and was written by John Stephens, and directed by Paul Edwards. In this episode, Gordon (Ben McKenzie) and Bullock (Donal Logue) investigate a killer with a fight club while Bruce (David Mazouz) returns to the school since the death of his parents.

Contents

The episode was watched by 6.35 million viewers and received positive reviews with critics commenting on Bruce's storyline.

Reception

Viewers

The episode was watched by 6.35 million viewers, with a 2.2 rating among 18-49 adults. [1] With Live+7 DVR viewing factored in, the episode had an overall rating of 10.03 million viewers, and a 3.8 in the 18–49 demographic. [2]

Critical reviews

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Rotten Tomatoes (Tomatometer)83% [3]
The A.V. Club C+ [4]
Paste Magazine6.0 [5]
TV FanaticStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]
IGN 7.8 [7]
New York MagazineStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]

"The Mask" received positive reviews. The episode received a rating of 83% on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with the site's consensus stating: "The appearance of a familiar Batman villain and a bullying scene at Bruce's school make 'The Mask' an important episode, though it returns to Gotham's procedural format." [3]

Matt Fowler of IGN gave the episode a "good" 7.8 out of 10 and wrote in his verdict, "The 'case of the week' and Barbara's decision to unravel into a mess and leave Jim again (!) - which felt like the show was purposefully giving up on her and forcing her out more than anything - gave us plenty to roll our eyes at this week. But the fact that Gordon's relationship with his co-workers had become a critical topic was excellent. As was, believe it or not, Bruce's bully story. Kid Wayne still hasn't quite found his place on the series, but this was a spectacular moment between him and Alfred. With Alfred finally figuring out how, with his limited parenting skills, he could best help young Master Wayne." [7]

The A.V. Club's Oliver Sava gave the episode a "C+" grade and wrote, "Very little comes of the procedural this week. It may not be as ludicrous as the Balloonman, but there's little to no stakes here. Sure, Gotham tries its damnedest to get us to care about Gordon's ongoing battle to 'stand up for the city,' giving Bullock a speech (though he wouldn't call it a speech) that rouses the police force to spread out across the city and find Gordon, who's gone missing while investigating the fight club. When Sarah Essen shows up at the episode's end and helps save Gordon, it doesn't feel like a triumph of the system, or a sudden turn for the GCPD towards actual policing. Instead, it's a tidy end to an episode that's supposed to make us cheer for Gordon, but only continues to outline how sloppy and inconsequential these procedural storylines can be. Where’s the tension or insight?" [4]

Related Research Articles

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"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.

"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 and Bullock try to save the council of Gotham, which is threatened after a dispute for the known Arkham Plan is in progress. Meanwhile, Cobblepot indulges more in Maroni's mafia.

"Viper" is the fifth episode of the television series Gotham. It premiered on FOX on October 20, 2014 and was written by Rebecca Perry Cutter and directed by Tim Hunter. In the episode, detectives Gordon and Bullock are investigating a new street drug that causes euphoria and then death. Meanwhile, Cobblepot works his way deeper into Maroni’s inner circle and Fish Mooney continues to plot to take down Falcone.

"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.

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"The Fearsome Dr. Crane" is the fourteenth episode of the television series Gotham. It premiered on FOX on February 2, 2015 and was written by John Stephens, and directed by John Behring. In this episode, Gordon and Bullock investigate homicides where the victims are killed with their greatest fear. Meanwhile, Maroni begins to question his relationship with Cobblepot after a tip.

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"Beasts of Prey" is the nineteenth episode of the television series Gotham. It premiered on FOX on April 13, 2015 and was written by Ken Woodruff, and directed by Eagle Egilsson. In this episode, Gordon and Bullock track down a serial killer known as "The Ogre". Meanwhile, Bruce and Selina continue to investigate Wayne Enterprises.

"Under the Knife" is the twentieth episode of the television series Gotham. It premiered on FOX on April 20, 2015 and was written by John Stephens, and directed by TJ Scott. In this episode, Gordon and Bullock continue to track down The Ogre. Meanwhile, Bruce digs deeper into Wayne Enterprises' corrupt board and Nygma makes an unexpected move.

"The Anvil or the Hammer" is the 21st episode of the television series Gotham. It premiered on FOX on April 27, 2015, and was written by Jordan Harper, and directed by Paul Edwards. In this episode, Gordon goes after The Ogre, who is playing with Barbara's mind. Cobblepot continues to push the mob war even further.

References

  1. ↑ Bibel, Sara (November 11, 2014). "Monday Final Ratings: 'Dancing With The Stars' & 'Castle' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 13, 2014. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  2. ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (December 2, 2014). "'The Big Bang Theory' Has Biggest Adults 18-49 Ratings Increase; 'The Vampire Diaries' Tops Percentage Gains & 'The Blacklist' Leads Viewer Gains in Live +7 Ratings for Week 8 Ending November 16". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on December 18, 2014. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  3. 1 2 "The Mask". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  4. 1 2 Sava, Oliver (11 November 2014). "The first rule of Wall Street is don't talk about Fight Club". The A.V. Club. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Gotham Review: "The Mask"". pastemagazine.com. 11 November 2014.
  6. ↑ "Gotham". TV Fanatic. 10 November 2014.
  7. 1 2 Fowler, Matt (November 10, 2014). "Gotham: "The Mask" Review". IGN . Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Gotham Recap: The Mask". Vulture.
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