Gotham S1E9 ‘Harvey Dent’ Review

MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD

Straight off the bat this week’s
episode ‘Harvey Dent’ fixes one problem I have with the series and
removes Barbara out of proceedings, swiftly. Instead they focus on
the more compelling relationship between young Master Bruce and
Selina Kyle who, after ending up in Gordon’s custody is taken to
Wayne Manor for sanctuary when she identifies the murderer of Thomas
and Martha. And most interestingly we get an introduction to a
beloved member of Batman’s rogues gallery, the episodes titular
character, Harvey Dent, played here with a nice touch of eccentricity
by Nicholas D’Agosto.

The meat of the plot deals with a
escaped arsonist and bomber from Blackgate Penitentiary, and it is as
uninteresting as it sounds. It’s simply there to pad the episode and
I can forgive it simply because everything else here works so well,
from the fleshing out of Selina and Bruce’s relationship to
Cobblepot’s suspicion of Falcone’s new paramour.

After a convicted, but mentally ill
Prisoner is broken out of Prison, his rescuers force the reluctant
man to design explosives for them which they use to kill innocent
people, much to the Prisoner’s horror. Gordon and Bullock investigate
the bombings and discover that they are somehow connected to
Falcone’s organization. It’s pretty generic, it’s tied to the
continuing feud between the families but doesn’t add much to the
story.

The real satisfying parts of ‘Harvey
Dent’ are the interactions between Bruce and Selina. I have
criticized the show’s handling of Bruce Wayne before but this episode
actually justifies his inclusion There is a certain charm to the time
he and the future Catwoman share, be it her feisty attitude or his
awkward attraction, I couldn’t help but smile. There is a real
chemistry between the young leads. And Alfred’s surly behavior really
added to the charm.

But the standout here was Harvey Dent.
D’Agosto imbued him with a quirky dignity and presence which hints at
the instability beneath, instability that in one scene comes to the
fore when confronted by a self satisfied corrupt official. It’s an
interesting performance and while I do think they are being a little
two obvious in foreshadowing the characters fate, he flips the coin
way too much, I do think he is a welcome addition to the cast.

As per usual everybody else from Logue
to Pinkett are on top form but this is really the kid’s show and it
showcases their talents and if the series decides to keep going this
route to flesh out the young characters I’m okay with that as they
were a genuine delight this episode.