“What Happened to Don’t Do Anything Stupid?” “I’ve Never Been Good at Taking My Own Advice.”
I’ve been watching DC Comics shows on the CW for so long, that I really don’t pay too much attention to the premise of the shows any more. I figured I’d at least give the first episode of Gotham Knights a try before I decided whether I’d watch any more or not. By the end of that episode, I was hooked and I was along for the thirteen episode ride.
Yes, the show is set in Batman’s Gotham. But the show opens with the murder of Bruce Wayne, which leaves his ward, Turner Hayes (Oscar Morgan) devastated. He’s even more shocked when he learns that Bruce was also the vigilante known as Batman. But things that a turn when evidence surfaces that shows Turner paid for Bruce’s murder. Clearly, he is being framed. And the assassins? A fellow group of teens that include Duela (Olivia Rose Keegan), the daughter of The Joker, and twins Harper and Cullen Row (Fallon Smythe and Tyler DiChiara). The four go on the run together in an effort to stay out of jail for a crime none of them committed. Helping the fugitives are Turner’s friend Stephanie (Anna Lore), an expert hacker, and Carrie (Navia Ziraili Robinson), who was the current Robin. Then there’s DA Harvey Dent (Misha Collins) who is unofficially trying to help the fugitives because something doesn’t seem right to him. But Harvey has his own problems.
The group quickly uncovers a conspiracy involving a secret group that has really been running Gotham for decades. But can they prove it? Or will they be killed in the process?
As I said, I was quickly hooked, and I couldn’t wait for each episode to roll around so I could find out what was going to happen next. The characters were great and the twists compelling. The odds were always against our characters, and I just couldn’t see how they’d go about proving their innocence. Good thing I’m not one of them, right? And yet, we do get a satisfying resolution by the end.
Yes, I lead with that. Going in, I suspected this was going to be a one and done series given the changes that we had at the CW and how many of their shows were being cancelled at the time. It wasn’t too long into the series airing that we found out I was right. Yes, the show leaves some things dangling in an attempt to set up a potential season two. And, while I would love to know what happened next with those cliffhangers, the main driving story for this season is resolved, and I can live with how the series left things.
Given that this is set in the Batman world, that means the show is dark. Not too dark, but darker than some of the stuff I normally watch. Know this, and you’ll be fine.
Also, this was a 2023 CW show. That means we have a large group of LGBTQ+ characters in the main cast. I was rolling my eyes as that was introduced in the pilot since it was not only predictable but felt forced. But I’m glad I didn’t let that turn me off. Yes, some of those themes were explored, but given the plot driven story, we weren’t given that much time to be lectured.
The cast is fabulous at bringing their characters to life each week and making us care about the story and the outcome. I have to give a special shout out to Olivia Rose Keegan who is delightful as Duela. Her character gets some of the best lines and she nails them each time.
If you passed on Gotham Knights, you really missed out. It is worth tracking down the show and enjoying these delightful thirteen episodes wherever you can.
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