With the holidays just passing us by, we're still going to take the time to rundown through some more characters from Gotham. This week, we're taking a look at some
Like many folks that live their whole lives in New York City or Chicago, when you are born into a bustling metropolis, like Gotham, it's a place you're going to set down your roots and stay in you're whole life, so it makes sense to see so many beloved Batman characters as younger versions of themselves in this show.
Make sure to check out our breakdowns of the police officers, crime syndicate, children, and villains of Gotham in past weeks. Let's get on with the supporting cast!
Barbara Kean
In the comics, Barbara Kean-Gordon was the wife of James Gordon and the biological mother to Batgirl, in the New 52. She first appeared in the BATMAN: YEAR ONE book by Frank Miller. On the show, played by Erin Richards, she's James Gordon's girlfriend and Renee Montoya's on-again, off-again lover. She's not in every episode, but she's in most of them, struggling to figure out how to make her and Jim's relationship work.
What's Working: It is nice to see what James Gordon does when he is off-the-clock: argue with his girlfriend. Barbara's purpose is to really show that Jim has a home-life.
What's Not: She's feeble and completely reliant on someone else, and in most cases, that's Jim. She also doesn't listen too well when she knows she's in danger, like coming home, right into the arms of Falcone. Most fans consider her their least favorite supporting character on Gotham.
Conclusion: She's not written incredibly well and she uses other characters as a crutch because she can't stand on her own. Ultimately, the Barbara Gordon character feels shoehorned into episodes at times and while there's a lot of potential for the character, it's not being utilized.
Harvey Dent
Many folks eventually know Harvey Dent as the Batman villain Two-Face. Here, we get a much younger Dent, played by Nicolas D'Agosto. He's a young man with big ideas on how to get the corruption out of Gotham. However, at times, the way he goes about things is a bit unorthodox.
What's Working: D'Agosto does a great job of playing the charismatic and smooth talking Harvey Dent. It's a pretty cool character to see on the small screen. He's not just a throw away or nod to fans in the two episodes he appears in. He actually adds to each episode's plot, and what's even cooler is that while he has the same mission as Gordon, the route he uses to achieve said mission is a shady one.
What's Not: Quite a few fans are upset with the age difference between Harvey and Bruce because the two were once friends in the comics. In addition, with the two episodes Dent was in, they alluded way too heavily to Dent having a dark side. It got a bit over-the-top.
Conclusion: This version of Harvey Dent may not be the one fans were expecting, but those with an open mind know there's a ton of potential here, especially if there's more run-ins with he and Gordon. Dent is a welcomed addition to this series and here's to hoping we get to see him again.
Butch Gilzean
Butch Gilzean is Fish Mooney's right-hand-man. He's always there when she needs him and is a big part of his planning. He's another character created just for the show and not in the comic books, and while he should have appeared in the crime syndicate feature on Gotham's characters, he fits a bit more into this one. Drew Powell plays the role of Butch Gilzean on the television series.
What's Working: Every crime boss needs a right hand man, right? That's exactly what Butch is and why he's important to the show. Drew Powell does a fine job of playing this role as well as the role of the muscle for Fish. It gives viewers more insight into the world of Fish, so while the viewer doesn't know too much about Butch, it helps flesh out Fish's life more.
What's Not: At times, he's a bit forgettable, even though he's always around, in the shadows. In fact, it's hard to even remember a time where they say his name.
Conclusion: He's a strong supporting character, even though, at times, you can forget he's around. He gives a bit more depth to the criminal underground and it's another solid addition to the cast of the show.
Mayor Aubrey James
Mayors in Gotham don't have a long shelf life. They tend to be a bit corrupt or get shot in the head by the Joker, right Mayor Daniel Dickerson? Continuing the long tradition of terrible mayors is Mayor Aubrey James, played by Richard Kind. He wasn't part of the comic book universe, but he'd fit right in with his ties to organized crime and Carmine Falcone.
What's Working: The role of Mayor Aubrey James shows the viewer the reach of corruption and how big a hold the criminal element has over Gotham City. On top of that, you have Richard Kind playing the character who does well as someone in power, who is ultimately spineless when provoked. Great casting for this part.
What's Not: At times, his reactions are almost cartoonish, especially the scenes with he and Falcone. It's a bit weird.
Conclusion: Mayor Aubrey James may not be a character from the comics or a character that demands a lot of screen time for each story, but he's extremely important to the plot and a much needed character to have on screen from time to time. He's one of the top supporting characters.
That's it for this week! Have a great holiday! We'll be back next week to talk about some potential characters that are coming up on the show. Remember, Gotham returns from it's Winter Break to Fox on Jan. 5 at 8/7c. What do you guys think of these characters?