THREE GOOD ONES // “GOTHAM,” “HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER,” “FOREVER”

THREE GOOD ONES // “GOTHAM,” “HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER,” “FOREVER”

Pilot episodes of television shows are often hit or miss; either the show will grab the attention of the viewer immediately and keep it, or the show will be just a passing thought as they change the channel. This fall, however, television has two home runs: “How to Get Away With Murder” and “Gotham”.
First up is “Gotham”, which aired on September 22, showed a pre-Batman Gotham, when the dark avenger was just a boy, freshly scarred from his parents’ murder. Detective Harvey Bullock and his new partner, Detective Jim Gordon, are put in charge of the case-much to Bullock’s dismay. Haunted by Gordon’s promise to young Bruce Wayne that he would find his parents’ killer, Bullock and Gordon go on a chase, following shallow leads and come up empty, until they find a piece of very incriminating evidence in the apartment of a suspect. This could be the big break they needed to crack the case, or could it be false evidence planted by mob manager Fish Mooney? This and other plots made ‘Gotham’ a smash in my book. The characterization of the classic Batman franchise characters is superb, and the villains in their baby stages are timebombs that I can’t wait to see explode. Verdict: “Gotham” is definitely a show to catch this fall. You can watch it on FOX network, Mondays at 7 pm, or on the website ate www.fox.com/gotham.

Next up is “How To Get Away With Murder” from veteran director Shonda Rhimes, who brought us ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and ‘Scandal’. The pilot episode, which aired on September 25th, opens with four college students arguing about getting rid of evidence, which is a confusing opening at first. Then, we’re introduced to Annalise Keating, a hardened defense attorney who teaches at a law school. She nicknames her class “How To Get Away With Murder”, and her reputation precedes her as she puts the class through the ringer to help her win a case. How far will the students go to win? Well, we find out that sex, lies, and illegal acts aren’t off the table. A roller coaster from start to finish, “Murder” starts with a punch, and ends on a cliffhanger so mysterious, one has to watch the next episode to get their fix. “How To Get Away With Murder” has definitely caught my attention and killed it on the network. Catch the show on ABC, Thursdays at 9 pm.

“Forever” aired on September 22nd and will definitely last on television. Dr. Henry Morgan is a star medical examiner in New York, with a heavy secret-he’s immortal. As he helps the police solve cases, Henry is also trying to solve another mystery: the mystery of his own immortality. Henry gets a scary wake-up call in the form of a phone call from an old “friend” who claims to know his secret because he’s also immortal. With this on his shoulders, and a curious but trusting detective on his tail, Henry has a lot on his plate. Thankfully, he has his best friend and confidant, Abe, to help him out. Starting with a bang-or a crash, rather-and ending with more questions than answers, “Forever” is a good contender to be a smash hit. Catch it on Tuesdays at 9 pm on ABC.