It's been 46 years, but Batman has returned to live-action television... sort of.

Gotham premiered last week on FOX to 8 million viewers and favorable reviews. Developed by Bruno Heller (Rome, The Mentalist), Gotham takes place in Batman's fictional hometown, and stars his expanded roster of villains, sidekicks, and supporting cast, just not the Batman himself.

The premise makes sense. One of the Batman universe's strongest features has always been its enormous rotating roster of memorable characters. The 2004 trainwreck 'Catwoman' saw the opportunity for supporting characters to break out on their own, but failed miserably in execution. Warner Bros seems to have learned their lesson though, relying this time on the strength of the ensemble, rather than one character.

Gotham bills itself as the story of young Detective Jim Gordon in a pre-Batman Gotham city, overrun by crime and corruption, verging on anarchy. The character Jim Gordon has been featured in nearly every TV, film, video game, and animated adaptation of Batman so far, portrayed notably by Gary Oldman in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. Ben McKenzie (The O.C., Southland) takes over as Gordon, playing him effectively as the compassionate and righteous, if not naive, do-gooder we all know.





But the show is as much about Gordon as it is the wide world of Gotham. In the pilot episode alone, we are introduced to dozens of recognizable characters, including Selina Kyle (pre-Catwoman), Oswald Cobblepot (pre-Penguin), and Edward Nygma (pre-Riddler), amongst many others.





Some cameos are more effective than others.

Carmine Falcone, played by John Doman (The Wire, Mystic River) brings serious weight to the proceedings. His Falcone makes Tom Wilkinson's look hammy, which is saying something.

On the other side of the coin, Gotham's young Poison Ivy required massive rewrites to the character's backstory just to shoehorn in a minor and unnecessary appearance.





Gotham does a lot of things right. The moody cinematography and elaborate production design are a step-up for comic book adaptations on TV. The show's casting is also a big strong suit. McKenzie as Gordon, Doman as Falcone, Donal Logue as Det. Harvey Bullock, Sean Pertwee as Alfred Pennyworth, David Mazouz as young Bruce Wayne, Robin Lord Taylor as Cobblepot, Cory Michael Smith as Nygma, and Camren Bicondova as Selina Kyle are all exceptional.

The biggest weakness of the pilot is its rushed pacing. It feels like a pilot, attempting to tease every possible season one story arc, even if it means a lumpy episode. The fact that several of the greatest villains Gotham will ever know manage to be tied to one single murder investigation is far fetched to an absurd degree. It's my hope that the show will narrow its focus as the season progresses.





Even with its flaws, Gotham's pilot episode is impressive. Gotham has the potential for greatness. If it can avoid the pitfalls of sloppy cameos and rushed characterization, while exploring the uncharted depths of the Batman mythology, the show could define Batman for a new generation, even if the Bat never makes an appearance.



