Ben McKenzie (The OC) plays Detective Jim Gordon. Off on his own as a bounty hunter, Gordon goes after the Indian Hill fugitives on his own and continues to meet with old "friends", such as Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith) as well as a new player in Gotham, Jervis Tech aka Mad Hatter (Benedict Samuel).
Robin Lord Taylor (The Walking Dead) plays Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin. Taylor is spectacular in this role and is the ultimate Penguin. His acting has been consistent throughout the Series and provides a center for Gotham. His interactions with Cory Michael Smith, who plays Edward Nygma/Riddler and their developing relationship bring Gotham into familiar territory for those who grew up on the 1970's Batman series, cartoons, and comics.
Donal Logue (Royal Pains) plays Detective Harvey Bullock, once partners with Gordon and once partners again towards the end of the season. Bullock brings sarcasm and slight humor to the role, even better developed than in previous seasons. Logue softens the detective duo in contrast to McKenzie's hard-core persona.
David Mazouz (The Games Maker) portrays a young Bruce Wayne, slowly becoming a young boy into a young cynical man. Delving into the Court of Owls, we find out that Gordon has more ties than he'd like. It always seems as if young Bruce and Detective Gordon are tied together on some level, one that hasn't been shown to us yet.
Sean Pertwee (Camelot) plays Alfred Pennyworth, our favorite butler of all time. Instead of casting an older, butler type character that seems to be just an "assistant", Pertwee plays an energetic butler- one who is ex-military and has many of his own resources. While Mazouz' Bruce Wayne is definitely unique, it is clear that Gotham wouldn't have a future Batman without this version of Alfred.
The video is presented in 1080p High Definition with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. The video colors are so crisp and clear that you can see the yellow of Oswald Cobblepot's teeth and the distinguishing colors of his cravat. While the overall setting is typically a muted background color, it really does contribute to the Mob and villainous feel to the series.
Audio is presented in English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. It is very appropriate for the television series as it provides ample background noises to support the shoot out scenes, as well as foreboding instrumentals. Oswald's intonations have been amazingly clear and captivating since the beginning of the series and continue into Season Three.
Besides the Digital Ultraviolet copy (sorry, folks, no Itunes digital copy, which is the one flaw), the four Blu-ray discs contain lots of bonus features, specifically the following:
Disc 1
- Deleted Scenes Episodes 1, 4
Disc 2
- Deleted Scenes Episodes 7, 9, 10, 12
- Special Feature: Madness Rising: The New Villains of Gotham- Find out more about Ivy Pepper, Mad Hatter, and the Court of Owls
Disc 3
- Deleted Scenes Episodes 13, 15, 18
Disc 4
- Deleted Scenes Episode 21 (Part One of the Two Hour Season Finale)
- Special Features:
- The Dark Within the Dark: The Court of Owls- Are they, heroes or villains?
- Gotham: 2016 Comic-Con Panel- San Diego with the cast and executive producers
- Ben McKenzie Directorial Debut: Find out what McKenzie's thoughts were on directing Episode 16
Gotham is a network much like the mob mentality it presents, like a spider spinning its web, ensuring that all the facets of each inner workings run smoothly. The storyline is the central focus along with the different characters and all the side stories. Much like the mob families that Gordon is trying to defeat, each character is tied to another and without both the heroes and the villains, the story would not be complete. Gotham provides a different spin on the Superhero story and draws us into the prelude story; keeping our attention and making us feel invested in each storyline. This is a series created from a unique perspective- one in which you sometimes root for the bad guy because the bad guy might just not be the worst guy out there. Does Gordon "cure" the crime that has infested Gotham? Only by watching Gotham: The Complete Third Season will you find out.
Grade: B
