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TV REVIEWS!: FTN Reviews Gotham Season 01 Episode 16: The Blind Fortune Teller

February 17th, 2015 by Todd Black Comments

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Ok…that is one creepy kid, can we just get that out of the way?

So, “The Blind Fortune Teller” offered an interesting look at some of our characters, and gave us a…glimpse? Foreshadow? Vague scent? Of one of the most iconic villains in all of history? Truth here, when my dad saw this kid in the first few minutes of his screen time (he didn’t see the preview), he looked at me and said, “Joker”. I said, “Maybe…”, and he said, “No, it’s Joker”. And given the performance (which as I said, was creepy, but in the good way), you wouldn’t be too criticized if you thought Gerald was indeed Joker. But the question remains, IS this Joker?

My theory? No. Here’s why. IF this was Joker, his story is over. He’s convicted of his mothers murder, and they have evidence and a confession (more-or-less) to prove he did it. At best? He’s going to prison for life. At worst? He’s going to Arkham, and barring a jailbreak, he’s not getting out.

That raises this question though, “Why have such a performance that resembles Joker, if it’s not Joker?” Answer?…not sure yet. My best guess is that something will happen that shows that either Gerald somehow does escape and become Joker, OR, he’ll some inspire someone to become Joker. The latter seems more probably, especially considering that Batman CREATES Joker in the Ace Chemicals factory, a place (I believe) we haven’t seen in Gotham yet. There isn’t much to show of Joker with Gerald being full on nuts with a smile and laugh to match. Bruno Heller (the showrunner for Gotham) is smart, he’s done slow burns on his shows before, I have a feeling this will evolve into something big, and not this simple sleight of hand we’re seeing.

Moving right along, the murder of Gerald’s mother brought some notably people and places into Gotham. “Joker” aside, we got to see Haly’s Circus and the Flying Graysons. Including meeting Dick Grayson’s parents, which was oddly fun, as we got to see them fight and argue over an old family feud Romeo and Juliet style. Also, the nod at the end to the “if we have a son we’ll name him Gordon” was a nice touch.

For me though, the real fun of “The Blind Fortune Teller” was seeing the relationship between Gordon and Leslie develop even more. This was a LOT of fun watching them work the case together both on the job and at Leslie’s house. I found myself laughing (in the good way) at their dialogue and witty banter towards each other, it was a lot of fun. I think a lot of shows (*glares at Arrow and Flash*) overlook moments like this in favor of showing the characters going…all the way…here though, we got to see them have some great moments, and THEN they went all the way…off screen! That’s the difference that makes it fun for me.

Which of course brings up Barbara, who “returned” (from where exactly?) to find Ivy and Selina still in her house. To my eternal amusement…she dug it! In fact, the scenes with those three together were easily a highlight of the episode. With Selina and Ivy giving fashion advice to help Barbara get Jim back. Only for her to walk in on Gordon and Leslie kissing and get angry and leave.

Honestly, I don’t know what to expect from her character anymore. She started off great in my opinion, being the anchor for Jim and helping him work out his issues with the job. Now? What’s her play? What’s left for her? Jealous girlfriend? Really? If they use her to make Jim and Leslie break up for some sad, pathetic, reason, I will be mad. Cause I REALLY like Gordon and Leslie together.

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Fish’s storyline got more entertaining in this episode. Her willing the other prisoners showed why she was a general in Falcone’s outfit. You could also tell that she knew EXACTLY what to say to get them to her side. I’m curious whether she actually cares for these people, or she’s just using them to get out. Time will tell.

Bruce’s season arc took a swing upwards, as we got our first true introduction to Wayne Enterprises. He may be a kid, but Bruce is slowly transforming himself into what Gotham needs him to be. I loved his calm, efficient, and powerfully worded speech to the board of directors. It showed that they are VERY guilty in the crimes Bruce named, and they’ll no doubt try and make moves to silence him. Which I have a feeling is exactly Bruce wants.

The only other real plotline here was Penguin floundering as a businessman. This was actually somewhat amusing, as you got to see the differences in taste between him and Fish Mooney, and how one’s taste doesn’t necessarily reflect the interests of others. The addition of Butch at the end will definitely add some interest to this storyline going forward.

In the end, “The Blind Fortune Teller” was an interesting and twisted episode that will have fans asking what the heck they witnessed, and whether it meant what they thought it did. We’ve got 6 episodes left this season. Let’s see what happens!

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Todd Black is reader of comics, a watch of TV (a LOT of TV), and a writer of many different mediums. He's written teleplays, fan-fictions, and currently writes a comic book called Guardians (guardians-comic.com). He dreams of working at Nintendo, writing a SHAZAM! TV series, and working on Guardians for a very long time!