“Spirit of the Goat” is not without its problems (namely the clunky dialogue that has become Gotham‘s trademark), but it is easily the best episode of this show so far. Gotham wisely decides to expand the role of two of its side characters, and the result is an unusally strong hour.
“Goat” focuses mainly on Bullock, which is good, because Donal Logue can carry shit like this in his sleep. The episode begins ten years ago, where Bullock and his partner Dix (Dan Hedaya) corner a serial killer known as the Spirit of the Goat. What the Goat is, we’re never told, but the episode does open with the killer, Randall Milke, declaring, over and over, “I am the Spirit of the Goat,” which is such obvious, unimaginative writing that I’m not even going to bother making fun of it. Regardless, the Goat case really affects Bullock, whom Logue plays (in flashbacks) as the kind of let’s-go-get-em Boy Scout he makes fun of Jim Gordon for being.
So it should come as no surprise that Bullock is pretty upset when a copycat killer shows up in 2014 (or “copy-goat,” as he insists on saying). Also, Edward Nygma shows up to tell a shitty version of Fargo‘s fox-rabbit-cabbage riddle. I found myself thinking, with Nygma’s penchant for riddles, which has earned him department-wide scorn, it is going to be really obvious who’s behind the mask when he starts committing crime as the Riddler. “Who could have done this dastardly deed?” “Are you fucking kidding me?”
“Spirit of the Goat” was shot very well, and utilized some counterintuitive camera angles that, for the first time, hinted at some ingenuity and experimental leanings behind the camera. The city of Gotham has been portrayed countless times in movies and TV shows, so if you’re showing it to us again, you better bring something to the table. Director TJ Scott acquitted himself nicely, and proves to be a good fit for this material.
It’s nice to see Gotham finding its footing, and a Bullock-centric episode seems to be what the show has been missing this whole time. We got to see more sides to the man, and Logue stepped up to the plate when he got the chance to humanize his character. Bullock is a corrupt prick who gets royally pissed when he finds out that Gordon didn’t kill Cobblepot, but he still pays for his ex-partner’s nursing home accomodations (and this porno mag subsciptions), and is still a competent enough detective to trace the Goat killings back to a scheming therapist who seeks to punish Gotham’s wealthiest for their opulence (although, as a therapist to those same rich people, one wonders if she wouldn’t be in the 1% as well).
Now, I’ve said that “Spirit of the Goat” is not without its problems – which is true. Any time spent in the Goat’s murder chamber comes across like a cheap attempt to be Hannibal, and Barbara Kean continues to be problematic (she wants Gordon to “let her in,” like every cop wife in every cop movie ever made). Montoya and Allen are still one-note antagonists, and Montoya’s previous relationship with Barbara, while canonical, still rings hollow. And the less said of Cobblepot’s pseudo-Oedipal relationship with his mother the better.
But I’m letting that slide (for now), and I’m usually pretty harsh on Gotham. “Spirit of the Goat” was a promising step forward for the series, and if the show can maintain this level of quality from week to week, it stands a good chance of becoming pretty damn good.
A Few Thoughts
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How stupid of the 2014 Goat to use the same lair as the 2004 Goat
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Selina Kyle snuck into Wayne Manor. I don’t know what she was stealing, but she definitely made off with my interest, because I am 100% over Camren Bicondova and her uninteresting silence
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Sean Pertwee (as Alfred) was great in his one scene tonight
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I like that the GCPD’s file room hasn’t been digitized. That was a nice touch
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“Spirit of the Goat” was written by Ben Edlund, who created The Tick
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Update: as pointed out by Vulture, “Gotham” comes from a Middle English word meaning “Goat’s Town,” so the Spirit of the Goat, and therefore Dr. Marks, could be acting as Gotham’s spirit or conscience
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