Warning: Spoiler Alert
James Gordon became a marked man, in the final scene of the previous episode of the new FOX series “Gotham,” when Oswald Cobblepot, whose now referred to mainly as Penguin, showed up at Detective Gordon’s station-house, announcing the Gotham City, he’s alive and well. We found out in this installment, that there indeed was a method to Cobblepot’s madness and got a chance to glimpse just how, devious, manipulative and back-stabbing he is. If there lay any doubt, whether young Cobblepot could morph into the future Super-Criminal, seeing the Penguin playing one side against the other, with an unexpected twist at the end should put those fears to rest.
The episodes over the last few weeks, have grown more complex, making them more entertaining for the viewers, the first couple of episodes framed the story, the last few have fleshed out the characters and our understanding of how Gotham City works. New alliances formed in this episode, older ones revealed and in the words of the Penguin we saw at the episode’s conclusion “That Love Conquers All.”
As we join the action, Harvey Bullock and Gordon are in the station locker room, when Bullock knocks his partner to the ground with a punch to the jaw, then pulls out his weapon, intending to take his partner out, bring his corpse to Falcone and beg for mercy. Two uniforms enter the locker room, see what’s occurring and Bullock screams at them to just walk away, as he does Gordon kicks the gun out of Harvey’s hand and knocks him to the floor while Jim rises. Bullock tells his partner he better never see him again.
Gordon’s leaves his station-house, attempting to reach his fiancée Barbra Kean on the phone, to inform her she need’s to leave the city immediately. However, Fish Mooney’s aide Butch and an associate brandishing a pistol are keeping Barbara company in her apartment. Realizing that something’s amiss, Jim has his weapon drawn, as he enters the apartment and tells Butch to have his guy drop his gun, or Gordon will start shooting, the hood drops his piece on the rug. Butch informs the detective if he joins him and goes to talk with Fish Mooney, Kean won’t get hurt, if there’s a second trip needed she’ll get tortured, Gordon throws the two thugs out of the apartment. Jim convinces Barbara that she needs to leave the city immediately, he’s got things to wrap up and he’ll join her in a few days if all goes well. If not she’s to stay out of Gotham City. He takes her to the train and they go through their tearful goodbye.
Mooney and Nikolai meet with Falcone about Gordon not killing Cobblepot and Fish wants gallons of blood, Cobblepot, Gordon and Bullock, all dead and if necessary Sal Maroni. Falcone asks her if she’s overreacting, letting a nobody like the Penguin start a war, but Fish answers that it’s a matter of respect. Nikolai tells Falcone that he agrees, but the Crime Boss tells Mooney to talk with Maroni before they consider other options. He also tells Mooney that he’ll get his enforcer Victor Zsasz to bring in Gordon. Nikolai whispers to Fish that it’s time to take Falcone out, but she believes the timing’s wrong.
Gordon arrives at the station-house the next morning and gets met by momentary silence as everyone stares at him, then resume their conversations. Jim walks over to another detective’s desk and asks if he’s got those blank warrants pre-signed by a Judge and the detective gives him some, then Gordon walks into his Captain’s office and Sarah Essen’s shocked to see him there. He tells her he’s going to serve warrants on Mayor Aubrey James and Carmine Falcone and she responds he’s nuts, as nobody in the city will work with him. She says she wants the corruption cleaned up also, but she’s got a family.
The station-house doors open and in walks a guy looking like a young Lex Luthor on acid, accompanied by two Amazonian women in short skirts with bad attitudes. The man introduces himself as Victor Zsasz and he’s there to deal with Jim Gordon and everybody else can go about their business. He then starts calling for the detective until he and the captain enter the squad room, then Zsasz informs him he’s taking him to meet Falcone. Gordon replies he’ll meet with Falcone but not that day, Victor then says he’s sorry to hear Jim say that, as now he must get rough. Jim responds there’s 50 officers in the room and Zsasz asks them to leave, when he adds an anguished please, they scatter, leaving just Gordon and Essen, whom Jim tells to leave.
We then go through the obligatory three-on-one shootout, that the hero somehow survives, though takes a hit, he then makes it out to the garage as he attempts to elude the trio. He’s just about to get caught when Crispus Allen and Renee Montoya of MCU, drive up and rescue Jim, as they finally realize Gordon’s an honest cop.
Mooney comes to Sal Maroni’s restaurant to discuss him handing over Penguin, but Maroni’s not taken with the idea and wants to know why Mooney demands this. Fish replies it’s a matter of respect, so Maroni calls Cobblepot over to the table and has him apologize to Fish for any lack of respect he displayed. Maroni thinks that should settle the score, but Mooney tells him the war’s on, she then slaps Penguin and says she’ll enjoy torturing him. She leaves and while Sal and Cobblepot laugh, Maroni’s top aide Frankie Carbone looks less than pleased.
We see one of Maroni’s trucks hi-jacked by Falcone’s soldiers, a loss to Maroni of about $4.5 million and Sal wants to strike back hard. Penguin tells him he knows the perfect spot and Maroni sets up Carbone and Cobblepot to pull the job off. Turns out to be the headquarters of Nikolai the Russian, one of Falcone’s gang-leaders and possible threat. Carbone and his two soldiers shoot them all dead and Penguin says that he knew things would go smoothly, but Carbone decides to express his dislike of Cobblepot.
He tells Penguin, that he’s got Maroni suckered, but not him, he sees him for the gutless little snitch he is and he could kill him then and now and blame it on the Russian. Cobblepot then tells Frankie about his problem, that Carbone’s a skinflint and Penguin now controls Carbone’s former soldiers, who grab Frankie as Oswald stabs him in the gut. As the life ebbs from Carbone’s body, Penguin bends over him says “That Love Conquers All,” and plants a kiss on top of Frankie’s head, drawing puzzled looks from the guards.
Allen and Montoya drive Gordon to the Wayne mansion and Allen leaves the car to try to find Alfred. The butler accompanies the detective back to the car with a dagger pressed against Allen’s neck, when he realizes it’s Gordon, he apologizes and brings them all into the mansion. Gordon talks with Bruce and says he may not keep his promise of finding the boy’s parents’ killer, but Montoya and Allen will. Before he leaves, Bruce hugs the detective as hard as he can and we see that Gordon’s touched.
Maroni and Falcone meet with Penguin and Mooney and arrange a deal, Maroni gets to keep Penguin and Falcone receives a toxic waste dump on the Arkham Asylum property in return. We can see that Mooney’s very displeased with the deal, but with Nikolai gone, she doesn’t possess the power to argue with Falcone.
Jim’s staying at Barbara’s apartment when there’s a knock at the front door, it’s Bullock, incredibly drunk with a female companion. He insults Gordon then tells him that since they’re both going to die, he’ll join Jim’s side. He tells his companion to go find a bed and wait for him and Gordon tells Harvey they’ll arrest Mayor James and Falcone the next day. Bullock thinks he’s nuts but they’ll go out in a burst of glory.
The next morning as the Mayor sits in his limousine, Gordon climbs in back with him carrying an automatic weapon, telling James he’s under arrest. The Mayor says that’s not funny, but Harvey reveals that he’s the chauffeur and he thinks it’s quite humorous. James gets them past Falcone’s guards and the three enter the house, Bullock capturing Falcone’s two security guys on the way into Falcone’s office. Gordon tells the Crime Boss they’re arresting him and Falcone responds they won’t make it down the street alive, but Jim’s already deduced that.
What he doesn’t know is Barbara came back to Gotham City to beg for Jim’s life and he’s got her imprisoned in another room. Bullock thinks he’s bluffing but Gordon believes him and both detectives drop their weapons. Barbara’s then brought out and Falcone says by all rights he should kill the two cops, Gordon believed him which shows he’s growing, he tells them all to leave before he changes his mind.
The final scene shocked this viewer, a rare occurrence watching television these days. Carmine Falcone’s in his chicken coop, seeing if any of his hens laid eggs, when Penguin arrives in the rain of course with his umbrella. The Don addresses Cobblepot as “My Friend,” and says he had just thought about the first time we met. Penguin set this whole thing up with Falcone before Gordon got set to shoot him, in fact he asked for Gordon to get the assignment, as Jim’s the only guy in the GCPD with a conscience and might spare his life.
Oswald then told the old man if he survives he’ll return to Gotham City and be a snitch for Falcone, earning Maroni’s confidence and reporting everything back to Carmine. Falcone agrees to the terms and then asks the Penguin what secret he’s hiding and he tells him that Nikolai and Mooney are lovers, plotting against him and Mooney, will ultimately grab the power for herself.
We realize that Penguin may have gotten rid of some of Maroni’s rivals, the two real big winners are Falcone and the Penguin.
The Story Continues Next Monday Night at 8:00 pm on FOX.
