Gotham
Season 1 Episode 19: “Beasts Of Prey”
Directed by Eagle Egillson
Written by Ken Woodruff
Created by Bruno Heller
Starring Ben McKenzie, Donal Logue, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sean Pertwee, Robin Lord Taylor, David Mazouz, Cory Michael Smith, Morena Baccharin, Camren Bicondova, Erin Richards, Zabryna Guevara, Andrew Stewart-Jones, Victoria Cartegena
FOX
Air Date: Monday, April 13th, 2015, 8pm

It’s finally back! Before we get to this week’s review, let’s recap how we got here on Gotham.

It has been a banner first season for Bruno Heller‘s hit Gotham. This Batman prequel series has brought us a myriad of characters from the DC universe as well as a major one invented just for the show. Focusing on how everyman Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) shakes up the GCPD and tries to clean up the city, we have seen how everyone and everything is not black and white, but many shades of gray, including the setting. He and his reluctant partner, Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue) use regular and unorthodox methods to try to bring down the bad guys, including the ones with badges. From Penguin to Riddler to Catwoman to The Joker (Robin Lord Taylor, Cory Michael Smith, Camren Bicondova, Cameron Monoghan), from Poison Ivy to The Ogre to The Dollmaker To Two-Face (Clare Foley, Milo Ventimiglia, Colm Feore, Nicholas D’Agosto), we have been delightfully inundated with future Batman villains. We even got a brand new villain this season in Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith), a powerfully vicious, yet loyal woman who will pluck out her own eye and stomp on it, rather than be controlled. And of course we have young Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz), whose parents were murdered to kick off the season, leaving him in the care of his more-than-meets-the-eye butler, Alfred (Sean Pertwee).

Now with only four episodes left (including this one), I cannot wait to see how it all plays out.

Gotham 1.19 “Beasts Of Prey” review: This episode was so good, I was disappointed that it was over and I have to wait an entire week for the next one. As seen in the tons of anticipatory clips, Milo Ventimiglia guest stars as The Ogre, a serial killer looking for love, that the GCPD will not hunt down. The reason? The Ogre targets the loved ones of any cop that dares to investigate. Ventimiglia shines as both a romantic and a psychotic. Lee (Morena Baccharin) encourages Jim to find this monster, while Bullock is beside himself with dire warnings.

Don’t worry. You get a bit of Penguin in this episode, showing some force. Selina does something while helping Bruce that puts her a little closer to villainy. And Fish plans a near impossible escape from the scary Dr. Dulmacher. We already know Jada Pinkett Smith will not be in Season 2, so this episode brings her closer to that end.

What else can I really say? That this episode, much like every other, has a compelling, thought provoking, yet action filled storyline that captivates from beginning to end? That your favorite characters (my personal fave – Cory Michael Smith as Ed Nygma) live up to your expectations as usual? And that even the guest stars, like Colm Feore and Ventimiglia make you wish they would stay on? I guess I can say all that.

But you know that already.

Gotham airs Monday nights at 8pm ET on FOX.

FOX’s press release:

A COLD CASE IS RE-OPENED ON AN ALL-NEW “GOTHAM” MONDAY, APRIL 13, ON FOX
MON APR 13 8/7c

Gordon and Bullock investigate a cold case involving the Ogre, a serial killer who targets young women in Gotham City. Meanwhile, Fish plots her escape from the Dollmaker, and Bruce and Selina confront Reggie in the all-new “Beasts of Prey” episode of GOTHAM airing Monday, April 13 (8:00-9:00 ET/PT) on FOX.

Videos

Gotham 1×19 Promo “Beasts of Prey” (HD)

Gotham 1×19 “Beasts of Prey” – Monday April 13th, don’t miss this season’s final four episodes. Gotham returns this April with new episodes!

Gotham 1×19 Promo #2 “Beasts of Prey” (HD)

Gotham 1×19 “Beasts of Prey” – Gordon and Bullock inspect a cold case involving the Ogre, a serial killer who targets young women in Gotham City. Meanwhile, Fish plots her escape from the Dollmaker, and Bruce and Selina confront Reggie in the all-new “Beasts of Prey” episode of GOTHAM airing Monday, April 13th on FOX.