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The age thing is a side-effect of making a pre-Batman show that includes Batman characters. The "adult" themes of Gotham would seem silly portrayed by teenagers, right? Either that, or outright jailbaity. In either instance, you lose the seriousness of putting the story in the adult world. Further, mob bosses don't start being bosses in their early twenties. Older bosses, like Falcone, are more dangerous. They've survived the trials of organized crime, have made connections, and are now all but untouchable.

Directly opposed to Penguin, who is starting out, so to speak. Taking the risks, reaping the rewards, establishing his power base... so that he's established by the time Bats puts on cape and cowl.

So all of the villains need to be adults, aside from Bruce's later love interest, Cat Woman. It's just a requirement to make the correct tone for the show.


PS: Also enjoying the show, worried about the pacing, and afraid that it will be cancelled after first season. It feels like they either can't keep it slow enough to be "realistic" or they have to be so fast and heavy handed about things that it will burn out quickly. I mean, the opening arc shows how Penguin takes over Gotham... so where do you go from there in season 2? Penguin creates a stranglehold on the city, more bad guys start showing up, you get a kind of X-Files brand of every show is something new because the villain changes... and then the show dies middle of season 3?

 greatbigtree wrote:
PS: Also enjoying the show, worried about the pacing, and afraid that it will be cancelled after first season.

The first season has been a rousing success (afaik) and a second season has already been confirmed.

Poison Ivy was shown as slightly younger than Bruce, or at least the same age. With them saying they moved the Viper 2.0 aka venom trials to South America we can imagine Bane is already in prison though roughly the same age as Bruce at this point. Penguin and Riddler are typically seen as a older than Batman so that works. Harvey seems to move around as either the same age roughly or a bit older. Have they said how old Bruce is in the show specifically?

I'm still enjoying the show but a lot of the characters just kinda annoy me. I hate Fish the most, I think it's more the actress than anything else though. I hope she gets killed off soon.

I like the penguin, and Alfred has been good, but I always liked that guy in stuff, even mutant chronicles. Gordon is ok, but that's about it for me. I want to like Bruce, but I just don't. He just doesn't seem like a kid that will eventually turn into Christian Bale, or Michael Keaton, or even Adam West. He feels more like a robin than a batman to me.

 greatbigtree wrote:
The age thing is a side-effect of making a pre-Batman show that includes Batman characters. The "adult" themes of Gotham would seem silly portrayed by teenagers, right? Either that, or outright jailbaity. In either instance, you lose the seriousness of putting the story in the adult world. Further, mob bosses don't start being bosses in their early twenties. Older bosses, like Falcone, are more dangerous. They've survived the trials of organized crime, have made connections, and are now all but untouchable.

Directly opposed to Penguin, who is starting out, so to speak. Taking the risks, reaping the rewards, establishing his power base... so that he's established by the time Bats puts on cape and cowl.

So all of the villains need to be adults, aside from Bruce's later love interest, Cat Woman. It's just a requirement to make the correct tone for the show.


PS: Also enjoying the show, worried about the pacing, and afraid that it will be cancelled after first season. It feels like they either can't keep it slow enough to be "realistic" or they have to be so fast and heavy handed about things that it will burn out quickly. I mean, the opening arc shows how Penguin takes over Gotham... so where do you go from there in season 2? Penguin creates a stranglehold on the city, more bad guys start showing up, you get a kind of X-Files brand of every show is something new because the villain changes... and then the show dies middle of season 3?

Ehh, I didn't mean to suggest I had issue with ALL the villains, as obviously the Faclone/Marone thing makes too much sense to have mid-50s or so mob bosses (perhaps Marone is more like mid, late-30s instead? he seems a bit younger than Falcone)

I think that the pacing is fairly good. I mean season 1 has been about establishing and introducing characters, with a little side of showing how Penguin is going to go about consolidating his power. I would think season 2 will be more about him actually doing it.


I remember earlier in thread, we discussed the possibility of the worst supervillain of them all.... anyone spotted any new "candidates" ??

One thing that I think will 'do the show in' is there being too many episodes. The show might have been better off just having 13 episodes or so a season, a bit like The sopranos.

It'd allow tighter story arcs without either having a an infinite filler problem or giving away too much too soon.

 Compel wrote:
One thing that I think will 'do the show in' is there being too many episodes. The show might have been better off just having 13 episodes or so a season, a bit like The sopranos.

It'd allow tighter story arcs without either having a an infinite filler problem or giving away too much too soon.

I don't really get this feeling at all. I mean really, this whole season's "Super arc" has been Gordon's search for the Wayne's killer/justice, with the sub-plots of Penguin establishing himself in Gotham/ Fish being pissed at Penguin/Falcone.

Beyond that it's kind of been a Dr. Who-esque "monster of the week" style show where we can see some precursors to Gotham's main villains.


I mean, we still have Edward Nigma "on the rails" as it were.... and when he goes off them, it's going to be epic!