“Run, RUN!” yells Alfred (Sean Pertwee) to young Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) and Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova) when he realizes the woman pretending to be injured in a car accident is really a professional assassin after either Bruce or Selina in episode 10 of the gritty crime thriller series Gotham.
After Alfred fights off – rather remarkably – the assassins sent to kill Selina, he calls Detective Gordon (Ben McKenzie), who arrives at Wayne Manor with his partner Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue). Alfred tells him what happened and gives him hell for putting Bruce in danger by hiding Selina Kyle, the only living witness to the Wayne murders, on the estate.
Bullock, realizing Gordon has re-opened the Wayne murders investigation behind his back, has a bit of a fit but quickly teams up with Alfred to chase down a few leads on where Selina might take Bruce to lay low and hide. James Gordon heads off to confront the new D.A. Harvey Dent to find out how the assassins knew Selina was at Wayne Manor, believing he may have leaked that information.
Meanwhile, Bruce is following Selina’s lead as he’s introduced to the tough and disturbing underbelly of Gotham City. Not wanting to lose his company – Selina’s been trying to get Bruce to kiss her since the last episode – she lies to Bruce, saying the killers must be after him because they showed up at his home. Scared and a bit too trusting of Selina (it’s obvious he has a crush on her), Bruce agrees to let her be in charge and do what she says as they travel the rooftops and gutters of Gotham, trying to avoid the hired killers.
Suspenseful and extremely well-acted, Gotham episode 10 titled “Lovecraft” ends the first half of season one of the comic book-inspired series with a thrilling fight, chases on rooftops, a shoot-out, a tender reunion, and a sweet first kiss.
Two stand-out performances in this episode are delivered by the show’s younger cast members. David Mazouz and Carmen Bicondova truly shine as Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle on the run from hired guns while awkwardly flirting with each other and starting to become friends. They have great chemistry together and capture charmingly the playfulness and sensitivity kids experiencing crushes exude.
Another first-rate performance in this episode is given by Sean Pertwee as Alfred, who reveals two different sides of Alfred’s personality. First is the lethal hand-to-hand combat Alfred who takes out two of the three assassins trying to murder Selina, and second is the worried, caring guardian/surrogate father to young Bruce, who’s willing to do anything to get to Bruce before any harm comes to him. The scene where the two are finally reunited is tender and touching.
McKenzie and Logue are solid as Gordon and Bullock, the two tough detectives determined to find the kids before the killers do. However, this time the usual two leads of the show take a welcome back seat to the drama and adventure of Bruce and Selina. Finally, the show is spending time again showing the early origins of two of the major players in the Batman universe and their early encounters.
The camera work, set design, atmosphere, and lighting are still some of the show’s best elements, bringing to life a corrupt and dark Gotham City, which still has a long way to plunge down before desperately needing the Caped Crusader to save it.
With strong performances, gripping chases, crisp dialogue, and a strong noir look and feel to the series, it’s going to be tough to wait until January to return to Gotham.
GRADE: B+
