Just over three months have passed since the third season finale of “Gotham” on Fox which showed such a tantalizing tease for the inevitable future of orphan billionaire Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) as a shadowy crusader of justice.
Several other status quos have also been changed as the dynamics between characters, first established in the first season back in 2015 (when the show was more a straightforward crime drama), shift more towards their original DC Comics roots. Now, with Oswald Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor) establishing himself as a top organized crime figure in the city, and other more outlandish criminals in the wings, “Gotham” Season 4 looks fit to start with plenty of action, as some newly-released photos indicate.
Peace under Penguin
Following the two-arc format begun in the second season, “Gotham” season 4 will have its first half subtitled “A Dark Knight,” most likely referencing Bruce Wayne becoming a yet-unnamed vigilante. The premiere episode is also a scene-setter from its title alone, “Pax Penguina” which alludes to Cobblepot (aka the Penguin) beginning his oversight of criminal activity in Gotham from his bar the Iceberg Lounge. Cobblepot also looks to be sporting a new look, with his hair now in a fluffy perm away from his forehead, making his prominent nose all the more obvious.
The Iceberg Lounge also looks to be a hit with patrons both law-abiding and law-breaking. Mostly the guests seem to focus on the icy bar’s main ornamentation, the body of Edward Nygma (Corey Michael Smith) encased in ice.
Almost all characters of note from “Gotham” seem to have dropped in there too by the time of “Pax Penguina”: Gordon and Bullock (Donal Logue), Ivy (Maggie Geha) as one of Cobblebot’s associates, even Bruce and his butler Alfred (Sean Pertwee). The young Wayne does not look quite so young now with his new outlook and calling.
Return of the Scarecrow
The synopsis for “Gotham” season 4’s premiere episode also teases the return of a classic Batman villain who only figured in the inaugural season. Robberies in the city seem to hint to Gordon that the Scarecrow has returned, with spoilers as to his actor being Charlie Tahan, here the son of the original creator of the fear hallucinogen.
This contributes to the many complications of Cobblepot’s idea to “license” crime in the city. Meanwhile, despite the breakdown of their “relationship” in the season 3 finale, Bruce and Selina (Camren Bicondova) still cannot help but be drawn to each other in the Gotham rooftops.
It is a new night in the most crime-ridden city on TV as “Gotham” season 4 “A Dark Knight” gets ready to pick up where things left off. “Pax Penguina” will premiere on September 21 only on Fox.
