HOLLYWOOD—It has been totted as one of the most highly anticipated TV premieres in years, and to be honest, I couldn’t wait to see the debut of FOX’s “Gotham.” At first I was more intrigued by a series chronicling the life of Bruce Wayne, but once that was dismissed the intrigue of the series examining notorious villains and famed characters took front and center.

The series revolves around a young Detective Jim Gordon portrayed with finesse by “The OC” alum Ben McKenzie. McKenzie is perfect casting for a character that has a bravado and commanding lead.  The setting for the city of Gotham is one not to be missed on a visual front, but it proves to be a slice of reality for those big time cities that are convoluted with crime and corruption.

The opening of the series highlighted Catwoman, or her alter ago Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova), who proved her ability to be a cat burglar at an all-time high. In an interesting development, we are introduced to a young Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) and his parents, who ultimately pay with their life from a brutal street thug.  It was indeed a bloody scene to say the least, and watching Kyle see all the action take place was an interesting twist.

Back at the Gotham Police Department, a frazzled prisoner holds a cop captive, and Detective Gordon rescues the day. While Gordon is a rookie, his partner Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue) teaches a few important lessons.  Gordon attempted to comfort a disturbed Bruce, as Harvey was skeptical of having to solve the mystery of who killed the Waynes. At that moment, we’re introduced to the level headed Alfred (Sean Pertwee) who eases Bruce’s pain to a degree.

It’s apparent the partnership between Jim and Harvey is quite rocky, not to mention that their boss Captain Sarah Essen (Zabryna Guevara) is hard as nails. The audience is also given to their first look at Edward Nygma (Cory Michael Smith), who as a forensics investigator will eventually become The Riddler.

Now the character of Carmine Falcone (John Doman) not many are well aware of, but we are also introduced to another badass in crime lord Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith), who is a treat in the villainous role. She has wicked one liners, but that accent is quite annoying to say the least. It’s apparent that Harvey isn’t the good cop that we think he is.  She’s definitely one to watch. We also encounter Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor) who gets a bit of a thrill letting out his frustrations.

With all the chaos in Gotham, our hero has some down time with his fiancée Barbara Kean (Erin Richards). An interesting development, led our partners to the doorstep of Mario Pepper, and a very young, Ivy Pepper (Clare Foley), who will eventually manifest into the seductive Poison Ivy. The hothead, and brute Mario, led Gordon on a chase where he nearly paid for his life, but Pepper didn’t commit the crime, it was his boss Fish Mooney, who works alongside Falcone. So who spilled the beans, of course, it was Mooney’s sidekick Oswald, who gave the goods to Harvey and Jim’s co-workers.

Small world, Renee (Victoria Cartagena) is close friends with Barbara, who divulged that her fiancé may have set-up Mario Pepper. She eluded that Barbara had some secrets that she didn’t want divulged; I’m dying to know, what it is. Gordon made it apparent, that he’s no pushover, we’ve always known the character to be a bit soft, but the series is showing a darker edge to Gordon. Harvey was not too pleased to learn that Fish framed them and they had to keep things on a tight leash.

Gordon decided to see Mooney alone and found himself on the receiving end of a beat down and a butcher house, but Harvey came to the rescue. This placed Fish in a twisted situation as she suspected a leak in her organization. She knew that Oswald was the snitch who needed to be taught a lesson. This woman is wicked to the core, which explains if you double-cross her, she will nail you to the coffin. She called his bluff, and whacked him with a chair. It’s nice to see a woman in a villainous role for a change on the small screen. Pinkett is fascinating.

Falcone played with Gordon’s mind on just who is responsible for the murders of the Wayne family. It became apparent that this organized crime lord has more pull than one can imagine. Harvey informed Gordon that he had to take out Oswald to prove his loyalty.  Tons of threats were made and Gordon was put in a situation where he was forced to take a life.  He made his partner believe he killed Oswald, but allowed him to escape.

For a first episode, it’s apparent that Gordon is a damaged character. He may have saved a life yet again, with a fearful Bruce.  He divulged that his parents were not killed by Mario Pepper, but he planned to uncover the truth. I can say I’m officially hooked and “Gotham” has made its way into my TV schedule.  “Gotham” airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on FOX.

By LaDale Anderson