Gotham Knights

Don't generally write reviews, but here we are. It was a strong first episode, the scenes were snappy without feeling rushed. Misha Collins plays a fantastic Harvey Dent, and I am really digging the chaotic vibes that Rose Keegan is bringing in. Some of the acting was a bit stilted in a few of the scenes, but it's just the pilot and a bit of stiffness is to be expected. I have high hopes for the next episode, as well as the rest of the season. Abrams is a great screenwriter, and I am really looking forward to what they have coming up. Really my only complaint here is how dark the scenes are, but that's easily fixed by fiddling with the TV settings.

20 years ago, something like a Gotham Knights probably would have a bigger audience and be better received. Back then, something like Smallville was considered the high point for a live-action television series based on / inspired by a superhero / comic book property. However, it is not the year 2003 it is the year 2023 and something like a Gotham Knights just doesn't cut it anymore.

After the impressive stunt choreography and staging in Marvel's Daredevil, the method of forcing the camera to shake and cut quickly in an action sequence just fails to deliver the same impact and comes across as cheap and ineffective. With superhero / comic based television like The Boys, The Umbrella Academy, Legion, and most of Marvel Studios' output on Disney+ presenting visuals that are on occasion worthy of the big screen, seeing a low budget affair set in an iconic location like Gotham City focusing on Batman's space in the DC Universe is just not going to amaze any eyes. And, with there being already plenty of live-action versions of Batman in recent memory, and with interconnectivity between feature film and television universe becoming more of a thing with Marvel Studios and Star Wars leading the charge and DC planning to follow in the same footsteps, a series centered around Batman with no Batman in it and having no ties to anything larger does anything but intrigue.

I will be honest, I didn't really have any hope for this series as soon as I had read about it when it was announced, and the trailers and other promotional material didn't change my mind, and after seeing the premiere out of curiosity and with nothing else to do in the evening, my thoughts are exactly what I had anticipated what it would be. It isn't good, it offers nothing new to the marketplace, but to make matters worse, it is just very dull. Why should I, a life-long fan of the Batman character, spend time with a series where he is not present and even a presence, hasn't even done battle with Two-Face (Who is still Harvey Dent in this series) and most of the story is centered around an adoptive son of his that doesn't originate from the comic book mythology? Why create a "Turner Hayes" when you have characters like Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, and Damian Wayne to choose from? The rest of the Knights are actually from the comic books, however, they're really the characters in-name-only and definitely watered down. It feels like the people involved never read the source material and went by information on Wikipedia. Most of the acting is fine, but there is only so much they can do with such material.

Still, I can't bring myself to hate it, because I pity it more. I pity the creators who thought this kind of approach would still get substantial viewership, I pity the executives who greenlit this program believing it could be a crowd-pleasing success, and I pity that this is yet another smear on Batman's history in culture.

If the best praise you have online is Supernatural fans showing excitement for Misha Collins just being in a new show, you're not doing very right, I'm just saying.

I had a lot of fun watching this. I admit that, not really being a comic or animation follower, all I really know of Batman lore is from the movies. And in this case, I am totally fine with that! I get to enjoy this show unencumbered by past canon and can enjoy it for itself. And honestly, haven't comics had all kinds of variations of this story? This was fast moving but didn't leave me lost, with a really likable cast who clearly gave their ALL to this pilot. There's no wooden acting, the sets and cinematography are first class and way better than expected, there are a lot of quotable one-liners, and an eventual villain that it will be hard not to root for.

I initially thought about writing a far more detailed review about this show, maybe talk about how it failed to deliver for both comic fans and fans of the game . However after watching the entire show, I cam to the conclusion that this show does NOT DESERVE that much effort.

All you need to know is that this show sports some of the worst dialogue deliveries in TV show history and the acting and direction is almost on part in the worst way possible. This is an insult to everything Batman, Gotham Knights and the Gotham City universe is supposed to be, it is a waste of resources and it will be a waste of your time if you give it a chance, you can do much better. There are plenty of shows out there that will respect your attention and intelligence a lot more.

Honestly, my initial interest mainly was because of Misha Collins. I was happy to see him on screen again and him being so excited for this show.

After watching the pilot I think the show needs to be judged on what it brought to the table instead of only 'what it should be according to the comics/DC snobs/give it a name'. I think that pilots are quite hard to shoot. Everything is new, sets, crew, actors that aren't that familiar with each other (yet).

Was it the best pilot I've ever seen? No. Was it the worst? Certainly not. I am curious to see where it is going to lead us and how they are going to approach the inevitable descend into madness of Harvey Dent. I'm also curious to see how the youngsters are going to navigate this whole pickle they are in.

Waiting patiently for next week.