Viper (Gotham)

"Viper" is the fifth episode of the television series Gotham. It premiered on FOX on October 20, 2014 and was written by Rebecca Perry Cutter and directed by Tim Hunter. In the episode, detectives Gordon (Ben McKenzie) and Bullock (Donal Logue) are investigating a new street drug that causes euphoria and then death. Meanwhile, Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor) works his way deeper into Maroni’s (David Zayas) inner circle and Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith) continues to plot to take down Falcone (John Doman).

"Viper"
Gotham episode
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 5
Directed byTim Hunter
Written byRebecca Perry Cutter
Production code4X6655
Original air dateOctober 20, 2014
Guest appearance(s)

The episode was watched by 6.09 million viewers but received mixed reviews, mostly for lack of character development.

Plot

Bruce (David Mazouz) plans to find a way to speak to the board members of Wayne Enterprises to learn their connections to the Arkham District Project. Later, a street player who received a toxic drug with a viper logo on it consumes and becomes super strong, attacks one of the street stores, and steals an ATM. A new drug called "Viper" (which is a prototype of Venom) is hitting the street, which endows the user with super-strength, but eventually kills them. Maroni plans to rob a casino owned by Falcone (John Doman), and Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor) reveals his past which results in Maroni assaulting him, and Frankie confronts Gordon, telling him to come with him or else he will reveal that Cobblepot is still alive, which would be an embarrassment for him when Falcone knows it. Gordon (Ben McKenzie) learns that "Viper" is being distributed at a charity event held by WellZyn and Wayne Enterprises. Gordon shoots the canister on the roof and former WellZyn employee Stan Potolsky (Daniel London) is exposed, jumping off as he suggests they check out Warehouse 39, where Gordon and Bullock later find nothing. As Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith) makes plans to conspire against Falcone with her lover and Russian mob boss Nikolai, a disguised Liza (Makenzie Leigh) visits him in the park where she shares her opera music with him.

Reception

Viewers

The episode was watched by 6.09 million viewers, with a 2.3 rating among 18-49 adults.[1] With Live+7 DVR viewing factored in, the episode had an overall rating of 10.12 million viewers, and a 4.0 in the 18–49 demographic.[2]

Critical reviews
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Rotten Tomatoes (Tomatometer)62%[3]
The A.V. ClubC[4]
Paste Magazine7.0[5]
TV Fanatic[6]
IGN7.8[7]
New York Magazine[8]

"Viper" received mixed reviews. The episode received a rating of 62% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes based on reviews from 26 critics, with the site's consensus stating: "While 'Viper' adds some much-appreciated Batman mythology to its origin story, Gotham struggles to figure out what kind of show it's going to be."[3]

Matt Fowler of IGN gave the episode a "good" 7.8 out of 10 and wrote in his verdict, "Gotham is still figuring itself out but I think setting Wayne Enterprises itself as possibly the 'big bad' of the series was a nice step. The gang feud continues to interest me while the cases-of-the-week continue to more or less feel arbitrary and, at times, unnecessary. But at least this week's played into the larger Wayne corruption angle while also introducing the important visual of green serum and green gas to the show. I hope that the series will find the confidence to, at one point, take a break from some of the stories and not feature everything/everyone in each episode."[7]

The A.V. Club's Oliver Sava gave the episode a "C" grade and wrote, "The show has offered tiny crumbs in regards to these questions: Jim has a strict moral code forged during his time as a hero soldier; Harvey is complacent because he's afraid of what would happen to him if he wasn't; Fish and Oswald are both disrespected and condescended to by their superiors. But Gotham needs to give us more, and every week we get another fantastical mystery of the week instead of the grounded character development a successful cop show needs.[4]

References
  1. Kondolojy, Amanda (October 21, 2014). "Monday Final Ratings: 'The Big Bang Theory', 'The Voice' & 'Gotham' Adjusted Up; 'Jane the Virgin', 'The Originals', 'The Millers' & 'Castle' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 23, 2014. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
  2. Kondolojy, Amanda (November 10, 2014). "'The Big Bang Theory' Has Biggest Adults 18-49 Ratings Increase; 'America's Next Top Model' Tops Percentage Gains & 'The Blacklist' Tops Viewer Gains in Live +7 Ratings for Week 5 Ending October 26". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 12, 2014. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
  3. "Arkham". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  4. Sava, Oliver. "Lack of character development diminishes the plot's steps forward". The A.V. Club. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  5. "Gotham Review: "Viper"". pastemagazine.com.
  6. "Gotham". TV Fanatic.
  7. Fowler, Matt (October 20, 2014). "Gotham: "Viper" Review". IGN. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  8. "Gotham Recap: What's Altruism?". Vulture.
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