Despite some really badly done trailers, Gotham Knights turned out to be an enjoyable show, even if it only lasted one season. One of the things I enjoyed about the show was that they created a new spin on Gotham, bringing in elements from many different versions of the Bat-mythos. They bring back a very obscure character from one of the movies, as well as advancing the group’s struggle with the Court of Owls, in “More Money, More Problems.”

The episode opens with a protection racket in a bar, but no caped heroes step in to save the day, and a small fire hints at something ominous as it burns. Elsewhere, we see a slice of Carrie’s homelife. It’s hard being a teenage vigilante who goes to school and lives with her mother. Then again, the original version of Carrie had a couple of potheads for parents, so this is at least better, if harder on the secret identity issue.

In the conveniently never-used belfry at Gotham Academy, Stephanie comes in with some ideas about what they should look into next. After bribing the others into action, or at least attention, the team debates the true nature of the bizarre killer they have tangled with, and the finances behind Cressida, Turner’s supposed guardian who turned out to be a Court of Owls asset. Finally, they agree on a plan of action. Harvey’s election campaign is in for some complications as we learn a bit about his past and things take a turn for the soap operatic.

The group of teenaged refugees arrives at the suspicious company they’ve uncovered clues about. Harper ends up knowing about the place, and the people who run it, and then has to reveal some more details about her past exploits. Harper is embarrassed and Duela is thrilled and intrigued. Regrouping back at the belfry, Harper has to reveal a few things, and Stephanie gets enough information to lead to a few more clues. When her hacking only gets them so far, Turner comes up with a plan crazy enough that it sounds like something Duela would have said.

Carrie gets brought up to speed, and has some grave (and understandable) doubts about this plan, but doesn’t have anything better to suggest. Stephanie would rather join them on the dangerous mission than deal with the parent luncheon at the Academy. Carrie has similar feelings about it, but is better equipped to actually help the team with field operations. Concerned about some issues he’s realizing are getting worse, Harvey goes to consult with a psychiatrist he knows. This turns out to be Chase Meridian, who made her first appearance in Batman Forever, the Val Kilmer-led Batman movie that generally isn’t regarded as one of the better in the franchise.

While Harvey tries to get a handle on some of his issues, the group eyes the enemy stronghold they need to find a way in to. Harper and Duela have some dueling innuendo moments, and Carrie tries to focus on the task at hand. They end up falling back on an action trope to get inside that I’ve never been convinced would actually work (yeah, I know, stop inserting logic into these things). At the Academy, Stephanie suffers through the Parent Luncheon on her own, and we can see why she was worried about her mom showing up. Steph isn’t risking her life, but family can be every bit as stressful.

The kids get inside, Harper and Turner bicker over tactics (this group really needs a leader but I don’t see it happening), and then Harper gets to showcase some of her breaking and entering skills. They’re actually managing to go stealth so far, which is impressive, especially with Duela along. And a stealthy robbery in Gotham makes me think of Catwoman, another Bat character there’s been no mention of, along with Dick Grayson and the Gordons. Duela makes her own discovery which leads to some moralizing from Carrie, and brings up another of those points I’m probably not supposed to think about. How is this group supporting themselves? Carrie and Steph still live at home, but the others are hiding out and hoping no one remembers the Academy has a belfry, I guess. They covered showering, more or less, but how are they eating and getting their clothes clean? The ill-timed argument lets the bad guys get the drop on them, and Harper has a difficult reunion with her ex.

Stephanie, slated to give a speech at the big lunch, struggles on despite the distraction of a parent doing stuff they’re really not supposed to do. No one could blame Steph for being distracted, but she soldiers on impressively. In session with Dr. Meridian, Harvey reveals both the extent of his current problems and some tragic background, because everyone in Gotham has the Dark Secret flaw on their character sheet. It’s an interesting view of Dent, who I don’t remember a lot being written about in his pre-DA days. Chase Meridian makes some questionable choices in her course of treatment/diagnosis, and justifies it by what the city needs right now.

Finishing her speech, Stephanie gets a lot of issues added to her already understandable anxiety. Her mom is stumbling further down the path she shouldn’t be on, and ignoring Stephanie’s attempts to help her. Then, to make things worse, Carrie’s mom stops Stephanie, asking about her daughter. Steph is trying to cover for Carrie when we see things get worse as a teacher brings up Carrie’s absenteeism, which Mom didn’t know about. Poor Stephanie looks on helplessly and is no doubt considering following her mother’s choice of escape, at least for a moment. I wouldn’t blame her, although I’m hoping she avoids this trap.

The main part of the group are in a lot of trouble, as Harper tries to put a spin on all of them being implicated in Bruce Wayne’s murder. Dylan, her ex, isn’t impressed, and brings up the way she ditched him. Cullen tries to help and makes things worse by showing Dylan how little he really knew about Harper, and us how much Harper’s time with Dylan was a solo thing. The sort of improvised couples therapy doesn’t work, things get a lot more physical, and the group ends up with a standoff: they have a hostage, but no way out. It’s not a great place to be for mostly unarmed teenagers facing off against a lot of very much armed gangsters.

Tension, especially of the life-or-death variety, doesn’t exactly make working together easier, and they start showing some fractures in their group dynamics. Harper and Cullen argue about her hiding so much from him. We eventually learn why she did things this way, and get another glimpse of their rotten homelife. Carrie keeps taking the moral high ground and is looking down on Harper for getting involved with Dylan’s mob family. Turner and Duela are the only ones more or less staying on mission, which is an odd combination of actual logic and tactics on one side, and general crazy on the other.

Stephanie finally manages to get her mother to leave, after enduring a lot of unwanted comments about both Turner and Brody. I feel bad for her. Steph’s in an ugly spot and doing her best to both not make a scene and cover as much as she can for her friends. Harvey goes for a ride, because apparently just about everyone in Gotham rides a motorcycle at one point or another, and wrestles with his conscience. Finally, he goes with self-preservation over what he technically should be doing, and actively covers up something he can’t really remember clearly anyway. Gotham seems to have a corrupting effect on just about everyone, eventually. Then, as if he doesn’t have enough to deal with, Harvey gets a very odd phone call to give him more to worry about.

The very boxed-in group tries to figure a way out of their predicament, but even that can get more complicated. While Haper tries to plan and Duela snarks, Carrie is on her phone lying to her poor mother. Parental pressure is a thing. More people arrive, which gives the group some brief hope, and then said hope is dashed as once again, the corruption of Gotham becomes very apparent. Turner makes a decision that isn’t exactly a great one, but no one else is coming up with anything better, and they manage to launch a distraction, make a break for freedom, and pull off something that either hints at someone having powers they’ve never showed before or a decent sized plot hole. There’s a big car chase that turns into one of the most expensive getaways ever. Carrie manages to ease her conscience a bit as they do this, and Duela looks sick. There are definitely some character alignments clashing here.

The news covers at least a version of what happened, and the group finally gets called by the title of the show. The Gotham Knights themselves aren’t hugely impressed with the coverage, and Turner brings up an interesting point. It’s sort of funny that on a show set in Gotham with almost no capes or costumes, the whole group just sort of got a secret identity. Carrie, for her part, barely makes it home in time to avoid parental consequences, at least for now. Stephanie has a much different scene with her mom, and you almost have to wonder if the orphans/ones alienated from their parents have the better deal at this point.

In the aftermath of all this, Cullen begins setting up a website for the “Gotham Knights” because why not? He also talks with Harper and is impressed at how much she does for him without even telling him. While Cullen and Harper share a touching moment, Turner and Duela have a more twisted one, as she gives her own brand of interpersonal advice while sharpening knives. What’s worse is, given her life, she’s not entirely wrong. Harper comes in with both another lead and another problem, but Turner has an idea on how to fix it. And to wrap things up, Harvey finds himself in a very awkward moment without quite knowing how he got there. You have to feel sorry for the man, whatever he ends up doing later.

What I Liked: While it was a bit of a stretch, I’m glad the show title has actually finally turned up “on camera.” I’m still not sure I’d call them a team, but a name is at least a place to start. I like the Harper/Cullen relationship, and how committed she is to her brother, and her unquestioning support of his transition. The escape was creative, and they had a good distraction to set it off. Olivia Rose Keegan is doing a fine job of playing the utterly insane Duela. I’m intrigued by the hints of Harvey Dent’s future, which shouldn’t be a surprise to comic book fans, or even some of the cartoons. I feel bad for her drama with her mother and I like that Carrie is struggling with her secret identity. I’m an old school comic book fan, and I feel like secret identities are an important part of the genre, which too many modern takes ignore (looking at you, MCU).

What I Didn’t: Really, not much. This show is so much better than the previews made it look. There was the big plot hole around their escape, which I thought was kind of glaring, but that was the only major flaw I noted.

I’ll give this a 4 out of 5. It was a fun show, and I wish it had gotten more time.