Gotham 1×7 Review: Penguin’s Umbrella

This week’s episode of Gotham still hasn’t helped me make up my mind about the show. There’s a lot of repetitive stuff going on and the main plot isn’t moving at a pace I’d like. The only saving grace is Penguin, played amazingly by Robin Lord Taylor. The way the writers are handling his character is the reason I tune in every week.

‘Penguin’s Umbrella’ told a lot about Oswald Cobblepot and the game he is playing. In a sense, the title of the episode was about the other characters Penguin had under his umbrella and how he was controlling them from the start. One of the things I’m looking forward to seeing in Gotham is an all-out mafia war. It hasn’t happened yet, but seeing Penguin pulling the strings is fun. The episode revealed how he had been working for Falcone all along. Even the fact that James Gordon (Ben McKenzie) wasn’t able to kill him was part of the grand plan. This week, Oswald used Gordan’s morality against him and put his life in danger. Even the Gotham Police Department didn’t want to talk to him.

Seeing Gordon trying to do the right thing solo is getting a bit boring for me. With his and Barbara’s life in danger this week I still couldn’t feel anything for the characters. I knew they would survive so, why bother trying to feel sorry for them? Allen and Montoya also joined Team Gordon, but I would like to know more about their characters before I feel invested in them.

A Batman comic book villain, Victor Zssasz made his debut this week. I liked how psychologically disturbed he was and how he carved a tally mark on his skin whenever he killed someone. I hope to see more of him in the future episodes as well as his trademark killing techniques that include knives. I need more crazy in Gotham!

Like I said, Penguin is the best thing in the show for me. The revelation at the end of the episode really made me smile. Knowing him, you can be sure he isn’t fully loyal to Falcone either. Falcone is the big boss in town and it would be disappointing if he isn’t aware of the risks that come with having Penguin work for him. Their relationship could very well end up becoming a game of chess where each player tries to outthink the other and patience is the key. Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith) is also trying to gain power but I think she will lose the battle. She comes across a bit short-sighted compared to Falcone and the Penguin.

There was still nothing important revealed regarding the Wayne murder this week and I wouldn’t be surprised if the writers will deliver near the end of the season. I just hope the big reveal is exciting enough and doesn’t get overshadowed by the rest of the things that will be going on in Gotham, when the time comes.

Did you watch ‘Penguin’s Umbrella’ this week? What are your thoughts about Gotham? Let us know!

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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