Gotham: The Balloonman is the 3rd episode of the season and has Gordon and Bullock trying to stop a vigilante targeting and murdering high-profile figures known for being corrupt. And in Gotham there’s plenty of crime and corruption even as witnessed by a newly returned Oswald Copplepot who sees petty thefts occurring, prostitution and just about every other crime. But the vigilante isn’t after them but the latest financier in the news for plundering the pension funds of hard workers. He’s currently out on bail talking to his lawyer about the situation and he doesn’t care about all the people whose lives were destroyed but about his lawyer beating the charges, which he’s confident will happen. The vigilante is pretty confident this will be the case too, and this is why he decides to take the matters into his own hands. He dons a pig mask, which is indicative of the financier’s actions, and while the financier is outside he handcuffs him to a hot air balloon lifting the financier high into the air with the only hope of coming down is by falling to his death. Maybe if he had more faith in the GCPD he wouldn’t resort to these actions but Lt. Bill Cranston is a prime example of why he doesn’t. Cranston, for example, uses an award he won as a police officer to brutalize a suspect he’s interrogating to force a confession. And there’s also the matter of Selina Kyle, who witnessed the Wayne’s murders and wants to prove to Gordon that she’s telling the truth despite the case being closed. With Cobblepot back in the city, Selina Kyle holding vital information to a high-profile murder case, and a vigilante fed up with the corruption and the police department, the situation in Gotham is on the verge of exploding. And if that’s the case, then things will never be the same.

I felt the second episode was a better representation of the potential in this series as opposed to the premiere, which I felt was necessary to go through the motions of the most well-known events in Gotham. The second episode was more about building the world Gotham inhabited, or rather city-building, and gave a taste of the different elements within it. And the power struggle between rival families in Gotham was briefly touched on and the dynamics in the city became more tantalizing. And since corruption has been forefront from the beginning of this series, this episode would touch on that but also the impact on the greater population and the mentalities of Gotham’s residents through the introduction of Balloonman. It’s not that he would be Gotham’s first vigilante but would receive notoriety for his actions due to his high-profile targeting of well-known corrupt figures. I could appreciate his alias not being thrown around constantly, and whether or not that was due to Balloonman not being a well-known villain, it was refreshing here because it was being treated as a mystery that had to be solved during the investigation. The corruption theme wouldn’t just be addressed from that angle but also with the special unit questioning Gordon for the murder of Cobblepot, who they believed to be dead because of Fish Mooney’s story. I was really impressed with Cobblepot’s development last episode and he continued to impress this one too. His return to gotham would be problematic for him in ways but the situation he would end up in would be intriguing and still shed light on the families in Gotham.

SUMMARY

Gotham: The Balloonman continues the trend of city building and successfully captures the vibe of Gotham’s residents and the impact of the rampant corruption and recent events on them. The character development is just as enjoyable especially with Cobblepot becoming the most fascinating villain in the series with all his moves and planning. Barbara Gordon still hasn’t impressed me yet as a character, and her relationship with Montoya has been distracting at best with the pursuit of Gordon being responsible for Cobblepot’s murder with no body or weapon clouding the purpose of the special unit in GCPD. And Bruce’s continued growth has been highly enjoyable, and has fit in perfectly with the overarching story lines. I feel much better about Gotham 3 episodes in, and I have confidence that there are big things ahead this season.