While overseeing the beating of a man in an alleyway, a thug asks a young Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie), “How do you like Gotham so far?” Jim replies, “Well enough.”

That’s how I felt about the pilot for FOX’s ‘Gotham.’

Written and developed by ‘Rome’ and ‘The Mentalist’ creator Bruno Heller (two shows I never watched so I can’t speak to his talents), ‘Gotham’ is being described all over as a Batman story without Batman, but as the title implies, what it really is (or what I’m hoping it will be) is the story of the city itself. The pilot, directed by Danny Cannon, is an intriguing and never boring hour of TV that’s unfortunately saddled with the unenviable task of introducing a lot of characters and backstory – which it does in ways that, for the most part, feel forced and unnatural. But because this is a big network TV pilot that needs to appeal to as wide an audience as possible, this is a necessary evil that, if dispensed with quickly, can hopefully make way for something more subtle and nuanced later on. For that reason, and because Heller has stated in interviews that it will be toned down going forward, I’m willing to accept the early heavy exposition, knowing that this show isn’t in a position to be written like the first episode of ‘The Wire,’ which threw you head first into a world with little to no explanation for what was happening or why.

The pilot opens with the murder of Bruce Wayne’s (David Mazouz) parents, which everyone has seen about a thousand times before in comics, films and cartoons. What makes this version stand out is the frank depiction of the violence, blood included. The twist here is that the fresh-on-the-job Gordon (and his partner Harvey Bullock, played by Donal Logue) is the detective assigned to the case. The investigation leads to encounters with a number of characters who will definitely maybe become supervillains someday, including Ed Nygma (Cory Michael Smith), Oswald Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor) and Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova). The pilot also introduces crime boss Fish Mooney, a character created specifically for the show and played by Jada Pinkett Smith, who’s clearly having a lot of fun.

To get more specific than that would be spoiling some of the more interesting aspects of this new interpretation. Gotham City has been depicted in the past (most notably in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy) as a town ruled by crime and corruption, but usually at a point where Bruce Wayne is in a position to do something about it. What interests me most about ‘Gotham’ is seeing what Gordon—intent on cleaning up the city—does that ultimately makes things even worse. He’s always been depicted as the last honest cop in the city, and I like the idea that by the time Bruce puts on the cape and cowl that he’s become as jaded and cynical as Bullock as a result of his failure to save the city.

That’s a pretty dark way to go, but I think the fact that the show is even dancing with the idea is an achievement. There’s a palpable sense of potential and possibility in this pilot. Seeds have been planted that could pay off handsomely during the season. By the end of the hour, Gordon has already made some choices that will no doubt come back to bite him in the ass. For a moment, I was briefly reminded of the pilot for ‘The Shield,’ which is probably the highest compliment I can pay to the show. I’m hoping the writers can generate some serious tension by having Gordon (and Bullock) get into trouble, make some questionable (but not stupid) decisions and compromises, and then figure out clever ways to get out of it. I also hope that everything in between—like anything involving future villains or Barbara or young Bruce—is interesting enough that it doesn’t just feel like the show is including these elements because it feels obligated to.

While we’re on the subject of the Batman-ness of it all, any and all nods to what forensic scientist Nygma and low-level grunt Cobblepot become in the future were awful and completely unnecessary, expressed in cringe-inducing dialogue that didn’t sound the least bit natural. Dialogue was easily one of the pilot’s weakest links. I didn’t keep a running count but I’m pretty sure Gordon introduced himself as James or Jim Gordon to every single person he came in contact with throughout the episode.

But the casting is top notch, regardless. As protagonist and audience surrogate, McKenzie is rock solid as the future Police Commissioner. He maintains a soldier-like demeanor and speaking tone that makes me wish Heller didn’t tell us that Gordon was a war hero, and instead allowed us to infer that from McKenzie’s performance. Tiny nitpick aside, Gordon provides ample contrast to the rest of the characters, specifically Logue’s gruff and weathered Harvey Bullock. The actors playing villains or future villains are going a little broader, which may put some off but should be expected when watching anything related to the Batman universe.

On the technical side, ‘Gotham’ looks good, with the visual influences ranging from The French Connection to Seven to Blade Runner, and as such there’s a timeless quality to the look of the show that is probably the right way to go with a project like this. The pilot also takes advantage of shooting in New York, as it feels like the action is actually taking place in a city and not just a series of sets. There are a touch too many sweeping shots of skyscrapers, and a couple of dolly shots (I think) of McKenzie during a chase sequence that were distracting, and immediately reminded me of a similar chase from the ‘Arrow’ pilot.

Flaws aside, I’m cautiously optimistic that ‘Gotham’ could become a tremendously entertaining cop drama. The 75 years of comic book mythology provides the necessary pieces to put together a fascinating world that would be worth visiting every week. My only fear is that Heller draws too much from said mythology too often, introducing characters from the comics too soon or who serve no purpose other than to remind you what’s coming in the future (a future we’ll most likely never get to see onscreen). I’m also hoping that Heller has a plan in place for the more tired elements that he’s already brought into the show, namely young Bruce and Barbara (Erin Richards), who I’m already worried is going to suffer from what I’ll call the Laurel Lance problem – being a love interest who can’t sustain a compelling subplot on her own. In order for ‘Gotham’ to really shine it’ll have to find a way to make all of this work and not just half of it because, as another cop show I mentioned earlier proved so well so often, all the pieces matter.