TV Review: ‘Gotham Knights’ Season 1, Episode 4
by Frank Martin
As it is right now, Gotham Knights is right in that sweet spot of mediocrity. It’s got some interesting changes and twists to the Batman mythos, even if some of the plot lines are going to play out as expected. Still, it’s missing a lot of those elements that propel it into something excellent. For instance, Joker’s Daughter Duella Dent (Olivia Rose Keegan) is an extremely interesting character who isn’t being allowed to shine. Instead, she’s utilized in a small capacity and her psychosis is downplayed. Like her, there are a bunch of comic book elements that aren’t being explored, thus minimizing the show’s potential to a very narrow plot.
This week, the fugitives continue their investigation into the mysterious deaths throughout Gotham’s history. They have linked Talon’s dagger to these killings, causing Turner (Oscar Morgan) to question Cressida (K.K. Moggie) as to whether or not his father left her his updated will. Of course, she’s working with the Court of Owls and betrays him. Robin (Navia Robinson) manages to get him out of there and seemingly kills Talon in an explosion. However, the group learns that Talon is actually a long dead serial killer; what they’ve been seeing is an undead assassin. Meanwhile, Harvey Dent (Misha Collins) conducts an investigation of his own.
It’s not that the episode wasn’t enjoyable. It was evenly paced with action and the right amount of characterization. It just felt fairly paint-by-numbers. There is so much potential in Batman’s mythology, but this show feels extremely narrow in scope, sticking just to the Court of Owls. The show Gotham, by contrast, kept an overarching storyline while also having individual episodes that focused on a plethora of minor characters. Gotham Knights has yet to take advantage of that, and the show is suffering because of it.
Gotham Knights airs Tuesdays on The CW
