The question is simple. Is it worth your time to indulge in a Batman television series when the show starts off with the death of the one vigilante most of us see as an unstoppable, unkillable force? The answer, unlike the question, is a bit complex. The short answer is yes. I’ll tell you why.
Over the years, we have had a plethora of different actors playing the caped crusader, and because of that, we have seen many different takes on the hero. However, Batman is not the only one who has been brought to life on the big screen more than once. We have seen a handful of different versions of the Joker, who is known to be Batman’s true nemesis. Still, as entertaining as the duo is, there is one threat that many have never seen or even heard of before that the Dark Knight considers a greater foe than the Joker. They are known as the Court of Owls, and until Gotham Knights, their only existence was that of the world of cartoons and comic books.
The pilot of Gotham Knights kicks off with the shocking death of Bruce Wayne, who is revealed to the world as Batman by the murderer who leaves a message behind stating, “We killed your Bat.” You quickly find out that he was murdered by the Court of Owls. Moments after the murder, a group of three teenagers are roaming around Wayne Tower on what they believe to be a simple burglary that they were paid handsomely for. Unfortunately, they were led to the exact spot where Bruce was pushed out of a window and were then spotted by a Gotham Police Department helicopter. The helicopter spots them, and from there, the three kids become the primary suspects in the cold-blooded murder of the beloved billionaire orphan. They attempt to flee, and while doing so, they demonstrate their impressive fighting abilities and conniving wits as Cullen Row deceives the police by impersonating two officers having a conversation into their radios after they are rendered unconscious by the assailants. Ultimately, they end up being captured and arrested by Gotham PD.
Shortly after the chaos at Wayne Tower, DA Harvey Dent must visit Wayne Manor to inform Bruce Wayne’s newest adopted son, Turner Hayes, that his adoptive father has not only been murdered in cold blood but also that his father was Gotham’s protector and both have unexpectedly fallen in just one night. Turner is both shocked and perplexed. He wonders how Bruce was able to keep such a big secret from him for the entire time he raised him. He struggles with the loss of his father like anyone would, but luckily, he has his friend, Stephanie Brown, to help him through this difficult time. He is left in the care not of Alfred but of a woman who assumed the role of the new butler/caretaker, Cressida Clarke. As if struggling with the loss of a parent wasn’t bad enough, Turner ends up being framed for killing him. At first, Harvey Dent defends Turner, telling everyone that he is basically his uncle, that he knows him better than anyone, and that he would never do something like that. However, as more evidence starts to pile up, it seems irrefutable. Harvey’s hands are tied after the police discover that Bruce had changed his will shortly before his death, cutting Turner out of it, providing a clear motive for Turner’s alleged actions, and as a result, he is taken into custody.
Turner is placed into a police transportation vehicle, which also holds the three perpetrators from Wayne Tower, who were also arrested for their alleged involvement in the murder. The three teenagers consist of two siblings, Cullen and Harper Row, and their accomplice, Duela, aka the Joker’s daughter. They confront Turner, pressuring him to tell them why he has framed them for the death of his very own father, which they use as a distraction to keep the officers in the back with them to realize that they are breaking free from their restraints. Once the officers recognize the danger, a fight breaks loose, causing a car crash. The kids get out of the vehicle with minor injuries, and they clear the air by Duela telling Turner she knows he could not possibly be the mastermind who framed them. As they are chatting, an officer whom they met earlier gets out of the vehicle and confronts them, aiming his weapon at the group. Turner tries to reason with the officer until the rest of the group helps him realize that the officer is corrupt and knows he is innocent. As they all think they are about to meet their end, a miracle appears out of nowhere! It’s a bat-a-rang! But could it be? It certainly seemed possible, knowing Batman’s reputation for cheating death. Unfortunately, we were not that lucky. However, it’s Robin!
You may be thinking there is no way it’s Dick Grayson if Batman has adopted yet another son. That timeline just doesn’t add up, and you would be right. You might be thinking, “Hmmm, maybe Jason Todd?” Wrong again! You come to your final conclusion, which is, “No way. It’s Damian Wayne, finally! Sorry folks, three strikes, and you’re out. This series takes full advantage of adding new characters and new adaptations of previously existing characters, such as Robin. Instead of the original three Robins that we are familiar with, it is revealed that Robin is now a teenage girl named Carrie Kelly, who Turner met at the beginning of the episode at his party at Wayne Manor. She wears a suit that suggests that she has been doing this for a while, but not so long that she was able to obtain an official Robin suit. However, that did not stop her from being able to aid the other teens in their escape from Gotham’s finest.
Throughout the season, this mischievous group of teens bands together to form a dysfunctional team to clear their names from being at the top of Gotham’s most-wanted list. Each clue they find seems to lead them deeper into the rabbit hole, exposing a conspiracy of the cult that controls Gotham, aka the Court of Owls. Each episode reveals how much influence and control the Court has over the city, and it seems impossible for any of them to ever return to anywhere other than a cell for a crime they didn’t commit. While our protagonists attempt to uncover enough evidence to clear their names, the Court sends their Talon after them. Their Talon is a quasquicentennial being who is essentially their bounty hunter. They are all nearly slaughtered by the masked maniac but manage to escape.
While the kids are getting into all sorts of trouble, Harvey is doing his part to help. For a while, Harvey starts to believe Turner may have done the unspeakable because of the evidence, so Turner is forced to relinquish contact with him to keep him and his new allies safe. Eventually, Harvey listens to his instinct and knows in his heart that Turner is not capable of what he has been convicted of, so he decides to find him and help him. As the show goes on, we start to notice some unusual activity from Gotham’s white knight as he begins to black out and wake up in strange places, oftentimes with evidence of a new crime on him. Terrified of suffering the same fate as Turner and his friends, Harvey decides to make a video recording on his camera in his office to explain that although the evidence is stacked against him, he is innocent, and the ones known as the Court of Owls are behind these actions. While making this video, Harvey finds an unwelcome surprise…himself. Well, his other half, anyway. Dent finds a recording left for him by what appears to be another personality of his that he has repressed since he was a child. This other personality tells him and actually dares him to take just enough pills to go into a deep enough state of sleep so that they can meet in what they call “the middle.” Desperately seeking answers, Harvey follows his counterpart’s instructions, and they meet in the middle.
Harvey learns of his counterpart’s diabolic intentions, and from there, they begin to fight each other to the death. The Harvey Dent everyone knows and loves is triumphant, or so he thinks…and is then resuscitated by a medic. After Harvey thinks he has cured himself of his illness, he gets back to work helping the kids clear their names, but as time goes on, he learns that he has only won the battle and the war is yet to come. Each episode has glimpses of the DA’s fall from hero to villain, which makes the show that much more intriguing and, in the finale, Harvey is forced to let out his dark side, we know as Two-Face, to help him and Duela escape after being captured and tied to a bomb by the Court. A few episodes prior to this, Duela is revealed to be his daughter and not the Jokers. Both Harvey and Duela cannot seem to fathom this information until Duela’s mother explains it to Harvey after kidnapping him and holding him hostage, tasking her daughter to make her first kill to show her loyalty to her. Dent realizes that it must have been his other half and explains his actions to Duela and her mother, but it’s too late. Under the pressure of a parent whose approval she seeks and hasn’t seen in years, she pulls the trigger to make her mother proud.
Although Duela shot her biological father point blank with the intention to kill him, Harvey’s story was just beginning. After he wakes up in the hospital, he is informed that he was saved by a coin used by the Court, which was in his pocket—yet another hint towards the downfall of Gotham’s white knight. After Harvey relinquishes control of his mind to his dark side, that version of Harvey uses his duplicitous nature to convince Rebecca March to release him by telling her that he has finally decided that he is willing to go along with her and whatever she wants to do. Rebecca is thrilled and proceeds to release Harvey from his restraints. However, as soon as he gets free, he makes his move and attacks to gain his and Duela’s freedom. As the fight commences, Rebecca reaches out desperately for anything in her proximity that may aid her in defeating him. She sees a test tube on the shelf labeled, “Hydrochloric Acid”, and smashes it onto Harvey’s face thus officially completing the transition into Two-Face. Towards the very end of the finale, it seems as if Harvey has disappeared, but later on, we see that he went to pay a visit to Duela’s mother, Jane. He confronts her for selling out their own daughter, and in his own way, it is him being a protective father.
It’s understandable why so many Batman fans would be hesitant even to give this show a shot, but it has proven itself binge-worthy. The story was complex yet easy to follow and contained a variety of unique characters and new perspectives on characters we already know and love, such as Robin and Two-Face. It provides a fresh take on who runs Gotham City and how they do it. Although this show may not be for all Batman fans, it is great for the fans who are tired of the same old stories repeating themselves. It does a fantastic job telling multiple stories and developing each of its characters throughout its first season. We are left on a cliffhanger for multiple characters, suggesting promising season two storylines.
