Gotham S1E6 Review: Goats and Bullock

Gotham, Season 1, Episode 6: The Spirit of the Goat

Another good, if slightly padded-out, episode. It's more Bullock-centric than most episodes and I do like that -- as the second-most main character, Bullock does deserve to get more screen time. The main plot here revolves around the Spirit of the Goat, a psychotic serial killer that Bullock had brought down ten years before... back when Bullock is basically an upstanding loose cannon like Gordon is today and I do like how his old, crippled partner Dix is basically acting like how Bullock acts to Gordon now. And I do like how initially the Goat seems to have some connection to Dix before that turns into a mere red herring. Anyway, ten years ago, Bullock killed the original Spirit of the Goat, but now another killer with the same M.O. as the Spirit of the Goat shows up and begins killing people in the exact same way... including a certain detail only privy to Bullock, Dix and another man who's dead.

I do like how this case is pretty personal to Bullock, and we get to see him actually be competent when he wants to. We get some fun interaction between him and Nygma, between him and Gordon and later he even solves the case by figuring out the true mastermind, who is a hypnotherapist doctor lady. Bullock's overall pretty awesome in this episode, showing some... hidden depths, I suppose? Bullock also turns out to be paying Dix's medical fees and buying Dix magazines and stuff. Nice show, Bullock. It's nice to see some depths to him because Bullock taking hits for the mob has been one of the biggest contenders why I didn't watch Gotham for so long.

The Spirit of the Goat itself is pretty unremarkable other than the fact that, y'know, there's someone pulling the strings, which is nice. Serial killers made up by the show can only get so interesting, and I do like how the Goat mask seems to be evocative of Batman's mask, right down to the horns and exposed lower face. It's a bit too obvious, but what is Gotham if not obvious?

Edward Nygma, better known among DC fans as the Riddler, also get a fair bit of screentime this episode, first by talking to Bullock and actually getting some professionalism after Bullock shoots down his first riddle... and then the whole thing with the Kringle lady where Nygma is so obviously just wanting to get her attention and be nice in his own crazy neurotic way. I do like Nygma even if he's annoying, though I thought that relatively long scene with Kringle was, again, a bit too on-the-nose. He keeps giving death glares to people who get pissed off at his riddles. It's fun, I guess, even if his obvious Riddler-emblem-mug is always in our faces.

We get some Bruce and Alfred, relatively brief this time around with them just commenting on masks and whatnot. And Selina shows up just to, y'know, remind us that she exists. She shows up and steals something from Bruce's room while he's sleeping. It's a bit all dragged on in my opinion and could use some editing, though it's still better than the earliest Gotham episodes. We'll see where this goes.

Gordon and Barbara do this whole song and dance where Barbara keeps trying to get Gordon to tell her everything, while she tries to be this expose artist trying to feed Montoya all the 'truth' she wrings out of Gordon. Even Montoya notes that this is a bad idea. I mean, the audience knows that Montoya is the most straight-up cop in the show bar none, but that is still a stupid thing to do. Especially considering her track record of going to the press the moment Gordon tells her something. Literally too dumb to live. And she picks a fight with Montoya too at the end, of course. I mean, her heart is in the right place but she's just kind of stupid all around. Go away Barbara. You're nowhere as interesting as your daughter will be.

Oswald also gets a fair amount of screen time, meeting up with his mother at last and getting some scenes with her. It's your typical Penguin stuff and it's fun. I like Penguin. Whatever happened to that poor guy he took hostage in the camper, by the way? In any case, he's a bit lying to his mother about what he's doing, although to be fair the poor woman seems to have a couple of screws loose. He's apparently set on helping Gordon out, though knowing him he's got to have some angle at doing all this.

Montoya and Allen has finally gotten themselves a witness who places Gordon at the crime scene 'shooting' Oswald, and good for them! I mean, Allen lampshades how obsessed Montoya is with the case and they literally get the witness within 24 hours of their deadline, and she's definitely got the whole ex angle going on, but she's at least sane enough to tell Barbara to get the hell away from her and from Gotham. At the end of the episode, they arrest Gordon (and Bullock), who tries to tell them the truth while not being too blatant, and Oswald, of course, shows up going all 'hello' and happy and stuff. Oswald is fun. Gordon and Bullock are going to have some things to discuss... it's an okay episode. Interested to see what's going to go on with the whole Penguin angle.