Plots “ripped from the headlines” are a staple of Dick Wolf’s Law and Order series, but you’d hardly expect them from super-villains in a show torn from the pages of a different medium: comic books.
In last night’s episode of FOX’s Batman prequel, Gotham, viewers were treated to the horrific inaugural murders of the “Maniax” that could just has easily have appeared on the front page of CNN. In a disturbing sequence straight from ISIS’ playbook, the escaped lunatics from Arkham Asylum captured seven unlucky shipyard workers and tossed them screaming from the roof of the Gotham Gazette just as the managing editor below is demanding juicier front page headlines.
-What the hell is this? "Where is Mayor James? Who is his mystery lover?" No one cares who the mayor is banging! You can do better than this, people. Now go out and get me some headlines, damn it!
-Yeah. All right, all right.
-Oh, my God.
-Perfect. Next. Mr. X. Uh, a little to the right. Okay, that's the spot. Perfect.
-What shall we do with the spare?
-Ooh! I know. Aaron, would you kindly?
-Maniax
-Now, that's a headline.
In ISIS-controlled territories, throwing bound men from rooftops has become a staple method of execution for suspected homosexuals. These real-world terrorists regularly film their brutality and release the shock-tapes to garner headlines around the world. As ISIS’s notoriety has increased, so has their brutality.
The dramatic introduction of Gotham’s Maniax is just the beginning of a parallel media strategy, carefully explained by puppet master Theo Galavan (James Frain) later in the episode. Much like the real world terrorists, Gotham’s Maniax plan ever more ostentatious crimes to keep their names in the headlines and strike terror into the hearts of the city’s residents. (Their next plot involves torching a bus full of high school cheerleaders; fortunately, it is foiled by Officer Gordon).
-Fine job yesterday, gentlemen. We opened big. The whole city knows your name now. So, bravo. Let's give ourselves a round of applause. Now that we have Gotham's attention, it's time for the Maniax to make a grand entrance.
-Wasn't that it?
-That was the overture. Now the audience is hushed, expectant. The curtain rises
-Then what happens?
-Oh, then we confront Gothamites with their most primal fears. Take from them all they hold dear and sacred.
-And then what happens?
-Why, then, we offer them salvation. And then they are ours.
The episode climaxes with a massive attack on the Gotham police force itself, replete with video cameras and twisted narration as the Maniax murder a large group of the same people charged with bringing them to justice. Naturally, they leave the tapes behind for the local media to run on a 24/7 loop as they make their escape from the bloody crime scene.
It’s unclear what the Maniax have in store for the coming episodes, but we can only expect their crimes to become more brazen, ruthless, and brutal as they seek to keep themselves planted firmly in the media spotlight.
