Gotham’s “Red Hood” was undoubtedly crazy. There were TONS of Easter Eggs, a great plot line involving Bruce and Alfred, and THE biggest what-the-fuck?!?! moment on TV this year. Because of the complexity of this episode, and because I don’t care about your feelings, this review is riddled with spoilers.
Pros:
The Robin Hood quip: As I took notes for this episode, I noted that the Red Hood was a lot like Robin Hood because he threw the money. It was cool that the lady at the bank noticed this, too. I like when a show is self-aware, and Gotham rarely is.
Reginald Payne: Holy crap I love this story line! Reggie shows up to Wayne Manor to visit old chum Alfred. The visit seems happy at first, but Reggie slowly shows his true nature. His sparring match with Bruce was over-the-top and totally unnecessary. His drinking is out of control. Alfred grows weary of Reggie’s stay. He clearly has over stayed his welcome, particularly when he speaks of Alfred’s colorful days in the military. But the best part is that the whole thing was a cover for the fact that Reggie is freakin’ working for the Wayne Enterprises board! And he stabbed Alfred?! That was crazy, and it was really good writing and acting on all accounts. I was very impressed!
The Red Hood Gang portrayal: This episode did it’s best to stay true to Scott Snyder’s reinvention of the gang. This is clearly an early stage. I thought it was well executed how each “Red Hood” wasn’t all that bad, but ended up getting killed. Not bad Gotham writers.
Some of the styling choices: Toward the end of the episode, there were two scenes that I thought were well done. Instead of listening to Bruce cry over Alfred, we get to hear the very sad music over the very sad scene. Additionally, the slow motion shootout between the Red Hood Gang and the GCPD was very clever.
Cons:
The “What the Fuck?!?!?!” Moment: Ok, I’ve read other reviews to see what people thought. And generally, it has gotten positive reviews.
Let’s recap: Fish Mooney has been stuck in a prison where people in the prison are picked at random and they come back missing body parts. She uses her sexuality, as usual, to make her way to the top. This episode, she gets there and only meets the manager, but not the owner. She then insists on meeting the owner. She finds out it is none other than the Dollmaker. Then she is offered a shower. She comes back to the manager’s office after a fresh bath, and she looks amazing. She is offered tea, which in hindsight seems really odd. The manager reveals that he wants to take her eyes. There are two men who stand behind her, one of them holding a straight jacket.
Then the manager says she has two choices: She is killed and all her friends in the basement are also killed, or we take your eyes now. Then she says, “You forgot option three.” Then she punches the man holding her, grabs a spoon and digs out her OWN EYE! May I ask WHY IS THIS OPTION THREE!? In a land of infinite options, and I mean infinite, this SHOULD NOT BE ON THE LIST! Oh my dear God, that was frightening. I would maybe place digging out other people’s eyeballs above this! I am shocked, frightened, and feel bad that Jada Pinkett-Smith has to wear an eye patch for the rest of her time on the show. I know I dislike her acting, but come on, that is just rude.
Let me know in the comments what other options Fish had, ya know, other than digging out her own eyeball.
Barbara as a mentor: Drinking Vodka and wine while telling two girls, who are at most 14 years old (Ivy looks 9 or 10), that she used to go out a lot, they can have all her trashy party clothes, and that using your looks to get ahead, was a little…unsettling. Also, why are we supposed to care about these three, like, at all?
Maroni controls the Booze: While I feel really bad for Penguin (I do, I swear!) it seems improbable that Maroni controls the booze industry and the Penguin can’t order liquor. Like all the booze? All of it? There is no way.
Ben Mckenzie’s smug smile: I used to think it was endearing, but now it’s annoying. You don’t know everything, Gordon. I feel bad because I know that he is being directed to do this. But it’s bad.
Gordon and Bullock are silly: Not only is Bullock drinking the beer of the Red Hood Gang after they find one of the members dead in a fridge (yeah, that happened), but then they decide to let the next member go so they can have the Gang turn on each other. That seems like the opposite of protecting the people. Then they BOTH run to the apartment after hear gunshots. Didn’t they think through that the guy may jump out the window and one of them should stay behind just in case? Obviously they didn’t think about that because THEY BOTH WENT UP. Noobs.
The final shootout: While the slow-motion was cool, the dialogue was silly. “Suck it, Coppers!” made me laugh hysterically. Also, why was the crime scene not blocked off? Because that kid totally picked up evidence, aka the red hood. Um? That doesn’t seem right.
Easter Eggs:
Red Hood Gang: In the New52, the Red Hood Gang are a rove of criminals, much like they are here. Whoever wears the Red Hood is expendable, and is often killed. They also rob banks.
Green is for envy: When Barbara give Ivy and Selena her old clothes, Ivy goes straight for the green one, marking her obsession with this color.
S is for sexy… and Selena: While it was creepy, Barbara telling Selena that her looks are just as deadly as weapons could be the catalyst for using her sex appeal, of course when Selena is of legal age.
Clock’s a tickin’, dude: It may be reading into things too much, but the man who was counting down for the police to arrive could be The Clock King.
Maniacal laughter: The first Red Hood laughs really maniacally when they rob the first bank. It reminded me of The Joker, but I’m still pretty convinced Jerome from the circus is The Joker. However, this could allude to the fact that The Joker was once a part of the Red Hood Gang.
Dr. Dulmacher: The Dollmaker is back! He was pivotal in the first few episodes of Gotham, being the man who was trying to kidnap all the street kids. Now he is farming organs by keeping a prison. It seems pretty elaborate, so I’m pretty sure he has been doing this for a while. It also seems like this Dollmaker is more like Barton Mathis from The New52, because he is a surgeon, much like Dr. Dulmacher in the show.
Predictions:
Holy Shit: Ok so I literally have nothing. I think I had to physically close my jaw after this one, so yeah, I got nothin’.
Hush Comics gives “Red Hood” a B for creating new and interesting story lines, showing the MOST DISTURBING SCENE EVER, but doing all this a little late in the game.
All images belong to FOX and DC Entertainment. They are credited to Jessica Miglio.
Hush Comics 