So I just finished Season 1. I dug it.
I enjoyed the focus on Jim and the antics in the city. On the gang wars and all that. That stuff was great. Having Penguin there was great, because during Batmans time Penguin is pretty much, the only worthwhile Gangster in town. He's a fun character. Yeah he has a know it all tendency, but really it makes sense. He loves info. So it figures he has his tentacles all over the city.
I hated the opening. LOOK IT'S CATWOMAN SHE'S A THIEF OH SHE RAN INTO BRUCE AND HIS FAMILY IN THE ALLEYWAY IT'S ALL CONNECTED. That part was cringey. Then they introduced Ivy and and it's like 'Oh great it's the Gotham Kids'. They weaned off that though and focused more on the gangs with the villain of the week here and there. The relationship between Barbara and Gordon kinda sucked, but when the doctor came in it was much better. They seemed to be better fits.
Oh and the Selena Kyle/Bruce relationship. That stuff was cringey. 'HAVE YOU EVER KISSED A GIRL? YOU CAN KISS ME IF YOU HIT ME!'. It's like holy shit the sexual tension was through the roof FOR 10 YEAR OLDS. WHAT THE FUCK. Alfred was cool though. He actually has character and isn't just a butler.
Maroni, Falcone, and Fish are all great characters. Their story is interesting, because it's weaved through almost every single episode. Either a new development or something happening, even with the villain of a week episodes, there's always something interleaved. But there's strange cuts here and there. Like, in the last episode, there's a strange cut of Bruce and Alfred, they say two lines, and then it goes back to the main plot. It's like a whole 5 seconds and I'm like 'really'. That isn't the first cut like this, but it's the one that just happened so I remember the most clear.
Some of the lamer stuff mostly involves Catgirl. That stuff is more cringe than not. My favorite stuff is with Fish and Butch. They have a great dynamic. Then there's the Riddler and his weird ass obsession with Kringler. But it's a good subplot? It shows how obsessive the Riddler is. And how much of a creep he is. But his arc and devolution into madness is great. The actor who plays him is decent, like a creepier Jim Carrey.
I enjoyed the season. Lots of good small bits, lots of small character moments, there's cringier stuff here and there, but as far as a cut into the Gotham backstory, it came out better than I thought it could be when they first announced it. I would recommend it if you don't care for the comics or care for the 'continuity' of the characters themselves(IE BRUCE AND SELENA KYLE KNEW EACH OTHER FOREVER), and if you enjoy a good crime story, with inklings of Batman within it.
