Gotham: "The Balloonman" Review

The Balloonman, the Vigilante Gotham Neither Needs Nor Deserves...

Just when I was getting excited about the great episode "Selina Kyle," this weeks episode of Gotham "The Balloonman" took a small step back. Opening up with a stick/sword fight between Alfred and young Bruce, the two seem to be having a heated battle until Bruce loses his temper. To me, this is the beginning of Alfred starting his training, really letting Bruce show his attitude and emotion. With Selina Kyle keeping her word on helping Jim Gordon crack the snatchers case, she makes a cat like getaway, un-handcuffing herself from a ladder while Jim was looking for evidence. Not to mention with a pen she stole from Harvey to crack the lock. All of this is good character development.



The idea of a vigilante tying up crooked cops, twisted priests and evil politicians to weather balloons was a ghoulish take on The Balloonman. It was a new take on killing someone off by letting them float up into the air, letting them think about what they have done and once the helium gets cold the balloon pops dropping them to their deaths. Harvey does what the bad cop does best to crack the case by sweet talking hookers, beats up a snitch and eats free street cart food. However, detectives Allen and Montoya get word from Fish that Jim Gordon might have murdered Cobblepot. Cobblepot is alive and well becoming creepier and creepier by killing people for weird strange reasons, like for shoes to get a job at a restaurant.



Here is where the episode gets interesting. Barbara Gordon (Jim's Wife) and detective Montoya have been having this secret between each other. As Montoya tells Barb about her suspecions of Jim's murdering Cobblepot ,making it sound like he is working for Falcone, she say's she can't stand seeing her with this man. Montoya goes in for a kiss and we finally without a doubt realize there is a love story going on between these two . Depending on what comics you have read, you know Barb was either shot and paralyzed by the Joker or the mother of Batgirl. This story for me is making wonder where they are going to take this.

Gotham is doing a fantastic job on showing Batman fans little hidden eggs in each episode-like a mask reminiscent of Professor Pyg and a guy named Lamont killing a guy named Cranston (Lamont Cranston was The Shadow). With the episode winding down and Jim and Harvey capturing The Balloonman, Jim vents to Barbara about how Gotham is a sick and twisted place (I typed that better than the actual dialogue because Jim and Barbs dialogue together needs some work). The apartment door starts knocking and as Barbara answers the door, we see Cobblepot saying hello to Jim Gordon.