DC's Pennyworth

I'm still a little disappointed Gotham wasn't the adaptation of Gotham Central it appeared to be at first.

"The difference between reality and fiction is that fiction has to make sense." - Tom Clancy, paraphrasing Mark Twain.

Two and some of three. For me it actually got worse as it went along. Worst-written show in television.

But alas, that is only tangential to Pennyworth. Pennyworth intrigues me, vaguely. We'll see how it goes.

Edited by Gaon on Jul 22nd 2019 at 9:37:56 AM

"All you Fascists bound to lose."

Ah. Funny. I remember most of the Gotham thread loving the show. I liked it up until halfway through Season 2 and just tolerated the insanity as it went on.

I liked how it developed Bruce Wayne but everything else went way off the rails.

I'M MR. MEESEEKS, LOOK AT ME!

Honestly, if anyone else in the Bat family besides Batwoman was going to get a TV show, it would be Alfred.

Edited by Weirdguy149 on Jul 22nd 2019 at 10:08:58 AM

Jason has come back to kill for Mommy.

I just saw the first episode of Pennyworth and...dear god, it's so much better than Gotham, while still keeping that "holy crap what craziness is this" that Gotham did so well.

Part of it — okay, most of it — is the fact that other than Alfred and Thomas Wayne, this show has practically nothing to do with Batman. Replace the names and the show would be entirely Batman-free and nothing else would have to change. And, really, that's for the best: there's no need to rehash any origin stories, no need to shove in any Batman villains or side characters, no "wink wink nudge nudge hey, it's a Batman reference" that plagued Gotham for years.

Instead, it's just a good story. And the characters act smart, too. They don't fall for traps. When Alfred's girlfriend is kidnapped and they demand Thomas Wayne in exchange, Alfred knows that they aren't simply going to have an exchange, that they are going to try and kill them all. He isn't stupid and he doesn't act stupid. And neither does Thomas Wayne, actually. It's a little jarring seeing that he isn't a doctor, but rather a forensic accountant, but, again, this isn't really a Batman story.

The breakout role, however, goes to Paloma Faith as Bet Sykes, the henchwoman of the Big Bad. She just oozes menace every time she's on screen and it stands to reason that she's the final bad guy that Alfred has to face. I kind of wanted to see her get away so she can pop up again throughout the season, but arrested isn't dead.

Actually, I was surprised by how little death there was. Yes, a lot of mooks died, but both of Alfred's SAS friends — both of whom I had marked for death — survived, even if one just have a gut shot. I'm glad, too, because they were a lot of fun — although I still think one or both are going to die during the season and maybe Esme, too, considering that Gotham Alfred isn't married.

In any case: an extremely fun show so far.

Saw the pilot now. Not bad. Not bad at all. Quite fun actually!

Just one question: Who was the guy dragged away at the very end, screaming "I'll be back?"

Certified: 48.0% West Asian, 6.5% South Asian, 15.8% North/West European, 15.7% English, 7.4% Balkan, 6.6% Scandinavian

That was the leader of the fascist secret society.

Aah, ok. Guess I didn't recognize him after being roughed up.

EDIT: Ah, he was the same bloke in the scene with the Prime Minister, eh? So I guess the Prime Minister might be the real Big Bad.

Certified: 48.0% West Asian, 6.5% South Asian, 15.8% North/West European, 15.7% English, 7.4% Balkan, 6.6% Scandinavian

I can't have been the only one smiling while that smug bastard Jason got scared shitless by Alfred's friends, right?^^

Certified: 48.0% West Asian, 6.5% South Asian, 15.8% North/West European, 15.7% English, 7.4% Balkan, 6.6% Scandinavian

I've gotta admit, I love this version of Martha Kane. Especially since a lot of adaptions/stories seem to go way heavier on how awesome Thomas Wayne was, it was nice seeing Martha be a badass.

C'mon now, really?

I was digging this series so much.....and now they have to go with the tired old Stuffed Into A Fridge shit?

Certified: 48.0% West Asian, 6.5% South Asian, 15.8% North/West European, 15.7% English, 7.4% Balkan, 6.6% Scandinavian

Wait, really? I'll have to watch the ep to judge for myself but there's nothing I hate more than pointless shock value deaths

Yeah, its pretty bad. And a real waste of a character.

Certified: 48.0% West Asian, 6.5% South Asian, 15.8% North/West European, 15.7% English, 7.4% Balkan, 6.6% Scandinavian

They killed Bruce's mom already? This went off the rails faster than Gotham did.

I'M MR. MEESEEKS, LOOK AT ME!

Well clearly Esme is the real Martha Kane, Martha will die and then Esme, being rich and rebelling against her father, will fall in love with Thomas Wayne and take on Martha Kane's name.

So within two episodes Alfred kisses Martha Kane and has a one night stand with Sandra. That feels a bit off the rails.

It's from the people who made Gotham.

I fully expect the finale to include a costume party where Thomas Wayne wears a Bat-costume, but then passes it off to Alfred, so Alfred is the proto-Batman fighting against British gangsters and having sex with Martha Kane and Alfred is actually the true father of Batman, while Thomas Wayne has an affair with a woman named Valeska and it turns out that he's the real father of the Joker.

We have to go further back then. To the time before Gotham was even made. A show about Jeremiah Arkham, the Laughing Man, and the origin of the bat species itself!

I'M MR. MEESEEKS, LOOK AT ME!

I did not realize it was from the people who made Gotham, if only because here Martha Kane does stuff while Gotham stressed the importance of Thomas Wayne but seemed to act as if Martha did nothing important but be a mom.

If they actually go all the way back and adapt All-Star Western, with Jonah Hex and Amadeus Arkham investigating murders in Old West Gotham, I would love that.

The plot is really picking up pace!

Can't decide what I wanna see resolved more, the The Dog Was the Mastermind storyline or the one with the creepy Satanists (what the hell was the deal with those)?

Certified: 48.0% West Asian, 6.5% South Asian, 15.8% North/West European, 15.7% English, 7.4% Balkan, 6.6% Scandinavian

So, now they're throwing in occultism? Not sure that works.

Good episode anyway.

Certified: 48.0% West Asian, 6.5% South Asian, 15.8% North/West European, 15.7% English, 7.4% Balkan, 6.6% Scandinavian

Wow. Wow. Wow. WOW! This season finale literally ended in a bang!

I thought that Harwood's defeat was too easy to be true. But I didn't expect THAT! Curse you Mr P.! Hope the Queen is alive. Not too worried about Thomas, for obvious reasons.

For some reason, the moment that shocked me the most during the episode, was seeing Undine Thwaite hanging in the streets. It was just so....shockingly realistig. Damn fascism!

This whole Season has been a blast and I sincerely hope it gets renwed.

EDIT: And why the fuck doesn't spoiler tagging work now?

EDIT 2: Thank you

Edited by Forenperser on Sep 29th 2019 at 4:44:11 PM

Certified: 48.0% West Asian, 6.5% South Asian, 15.8% North/West European, 15.7% English, 7.4% Balkan, 6.6% Scandinavian

You can't spoil tag multiple lines like that. Each line has to have its own individual spoiler tag.

Renewed

https://tvline.com/2019/10/30/pennyworth-renewed-season-2/

Certified: 48.0% West Asian, 6.5% South Asian, 15.8% North/West European, 15.7% English, 7.4% Balkan, 6.6% Scandinavian