10 Ways Gotham Has Redeemed Itself
From Zero to Hero in three short seasons.
Back in 2014, there was a lot of excitement swirling around the brand new Fox series called Gotham. Focusing on the dark and crime-ridden city in the days prior to the Batman, Gotham met with mixed reviews and mediocre ratings. Bat-fans expressed disappointment about many factors of the show and the portrayal of their beloved characters (in fact, I wrote about it in an article called "Gotham: 10 Reasons Why It's a Bust”).
Following the first season that was centered around warring mob families, Gotham found a way to reinvent itself and focus on why the city eventually needs Batman: the villains. With a possible Joker in Jerome, the development of the Riddler and the Mad Hatter wreaking havoc across the city, Gotham has finally become the show that fans were hoping it would be.
This evolution did not happen overnight. Once showrunners realized that the strength of the villains is what makes a hero great, they began to shift the story to feature some very familiar faces from the Dark Knight’s rogues gallery. Pitting a young Jim Gordon against the early versions of some of the most iconic characters in comics has resurrected the show and made it a must watch for DC fans around the world.
This dramatic change and several others have transformed Gotham from a show without a future into a fixture of the DC TV experience. What other changes have reshaped Gotham into a Monday Night must see?
10. The Birth Of The Riddler
Edward Nygma has always been an intriguing member of Batman’s rogues gallery. Don’t let the costume fool you: under the green leotard lies a cold and calculating criminal mastermind.
In Gotham, Nygma began as a creepy and obsessive employee of the Gotham PD who was in love with his co-worker Kristen Kringle. His social ineptitude not only cost him relationships, but it also cost him viewers. Fans wondered how long he would simply be an awkward co-worker before he would emerge as a terrifying villain. Luckily for fans, in the second season he developed a split personality that would eventually take over as his only personality.
After a short stint in Arkham, the Riddler is now working with The Penguin as part of his mayoral staff. After chasing off Butch and meeting Kristen’s look-alike (who many theorists think is a relative who wants to kill him), Riddler is on track to becoming a fan favorite villain.