Warning: Spoiler Alert
For the first time in over a month, the FOX series “Gotham,” returned to Television, with a new villain in tow and lots of outstanding issues, seeking resolution. Although Gotham City Crime Bosses, Carmine Falcone and Sal Maroni, sat this episode out, the criminal element, was still well represented, by Oswald Cobblepot, Fish Mooney and Dr. Francis Dulmacher. Their exploits, along with young Bruce Wayne’s search for Alfred’s mate, turned assailant, Reggie Payne and Gordon and Bullock’s search for the GCPD’s dirty little secret, lead to an entertaining episode.
We start the evening, on the island that Fish Mooney and countless others find themselves imprisoned on, serving as an endless supply of parts, for wealthy patrons looking for organ transplants. Dr. Francis Dulmacher’s, the sadistic genius, running the operation, nicknamed “The Doll Maker,” for his bizarre experiments, using random body parts, to create a new hideous being. Mooney’s ingratiated herself with Dulmacher to an extent, but has yet to earn his total trust. His instincts are good, as Mooney’s looking for a way to escape her prison.
In the hospital part of the facility, Fish peers outside a lace-curtained window, seeing the landscape covered with snow, bordering an ocean with a ship not far away from the dock. After making promises to patients, she looks out a pair of French doors, seeing a helicopter, feet from the building. She breaks the padlock on the doors, setting off an alarm, then casually saunters towards the chopper. A bunch of jeeps containing a bunch of guys, with a whole lot of guns, quickly arrive, including the man known as the “Catcher,” head of security for Dulmacher. Fish tells him she thought she could roam outside and apologizes, he responds her next mistake will be her last.
Our next stop, stately Wayne Manor, as young Bruce gets a visit from Detective Jim Gordon, wanting to know if Wayne and Alfred lied, about not knowing Pennyworth’s assailant. Remembering Alfred’s words, that a man doesn’t squeal on a mate, he attempts to squirm out of answering. Gordon tells him, that if Alfred wants to handle this affair, it’s one thing, but Bruce needs to stay out of it for his safety. Wayne, replies he understands what Jim’s saying.
Gordon’s riding high on his victory over GCPD Commissioner Loeb and his recent installation, as President of the GCPD Union, meaning he’s ripe for a fall. Jim’s pride gets the best of him, as a uniform flatters him as a role model, to convince Gordon to take on an abandoned case. He says he was a first responder to find the body of a young woman named Grace Fairchild, down by the river, she called her mother from the South Village District, four months before her body got discovered. Jim’s got no idea of what he just undertook, a case that could change his life forever.
Gordon heads to the forensics examining room, to meet Lee for their date, but she she’s him carrying a case file and asks if it’s new? He says he’s picked up a cold case, Lee says this happened near where she lives and thanks her boyfriend to taking on this case and catch the man she refers to as a monster.
Fish heads down to the prison part of the facility, her friend Kelly’s back in the population, one kidney lighter. He spits at her what do you want, when she tells him they’re escaping. He asks if she’s serious, she responds, or die trying.
Alfred’s back at the manor, but his breathing’s labored as he walks about the library, gathering things. Bruce asks what he’s doing, the butler responds he’s going in search of Reggie, saying he’s gone to all the bars by now, he’s likely at a shooting gallery. Bruce says fine let’s go, Alfred starts to tell the boy’s he’s not going, when he feels a sharp pain in his side, his wound’s reopened.
Our old friend The Penguin’s attempting to become a silent partner, in a dive bar/restaurant, with an older woman named Lydia, but she doesn’t want his money. However she wants her granddaughter to return home, as she’s living with this guitarist, the woman calls Lucifer. Cobblepot promises her home for Sunday Mass.
GCPD Scientist Ed Nygma, arrives with a list of watering holes in the South Village District, including speak-easies, that apparently have become in fashion there. Harvey senses something’s wrong and tells Jim that flying too close to the sun gets you burned, but he agrees to help his partner with the investigation.
Fish meets with five of the most hardened criminals in the facility, to aid her with breaking out. She tells them they’re taking the boat, one of the guys says they should take the chopper, she asks if anyone can fly and gets met by silence. She says the gates are unlocked, she’ll get the keys for the craft from Dulmacher’s office.
Jim and Harvey interview, the woman behind the bar at a speak-easy and she recognizes the picture of Grace Fairchild, though she visited about four-months earlier, because her date was hot. We then see a flashback of the beginning of the relationship between Jason Lennon and Grace. She asks him how he’s still single, as he’s charming, good-looking and has money. He says what he wants scares people, unconditional, intense, undying love, she grabs his hand and says that’s easy.
He brings her back to his loft and she says the place must be buzzing with women, he replies he hasn’t brought anyone there for a while. He then thanks her for taking a chance on him, she responds she could definitely stay there, for a night.
Penguin and his henchmen Gabe have the guitar player, cuffed around a pole, he says he won’t give up seeing Lydia’s granddaughter, so Oswald tells Gabe to take off his fingers. He agrees after losing at least one digit, due to Gabe’s clippers.
Lee meets with Jim and Harvey about the autopsy of Grace Fairchild, she says that Fairchild was in great shape, other than the wounds that killed her, which are inconsistent with her being imprisoned for four months. Harvey asks if she possibly ran away, then got killed later on, Gordon says her captor kept her healthy until he was ready to kill her.
Another flashback, Grace wakes up the next morning and gets ready to head off to work, she kisses Jason goodbye, but he holds onto her hand. She soon catches on, that Lennon expects unconditional, intense, undying love from her and she’s not going anywhere.
Fish sneaks in Dulmacher’s office to grab the keys for the boat, he discovers her and asks if she was trying to escape as she grabs the letter opener on his desk, behind her back. He heads to his desk as she says she was just there to ask about supplies for the prisoners, he tells her he hates deceit and points a pistol at her. He says he’s about to put a bullet in her stomach, if she doesn’t tell the truth, she repeats she wasn’t trying to escape.
He looks like he’s going to fire the weapon, she puts her hand in front of her, revealing the letter opener. She says she was attempting to kill herself, to avoid becoming one of his creatures. He says if she tries it again, he’ll revive her from the dead and make her the most monstrous of all his beings.
Bruce left Alfred asleep on the sofa, while he went out searching for Reggie, but can’t find him at any gun ranges. He meets Selina Kyle, who explains that shooting-galleries aren’t gun ranges. She leads him to the seamiest sections of the city, where Payne likely is at.
Lydia’s granddaughter returns, after she embraces the girl and welcomes her back, she gives her the back of her hand tells her to clean up. Penguin and Gabe follow, soon after, Cobblepot smiles and asks should we talk terms? Gabe asks his boss, why he wanted to buy, this dump so badly, Oswald tells him this is the place he’s going to kill Sal Maroni.
Nygma comes up with a missing piece of evidence in the Fairchild case, although it’s just a photocopy of the original, but it’s enough to get Bullock terrified. It’s a small painting of a broken heart, which sends shivers up Harvey’s spine, he tells Gordon it’s the return of a serial killer known by GCPD veterans as the Ogre.
Another flashback, further along in the relationship, as Grace’s trapped in this perverse case of playing house with Lennon. She’s got her hands bound to the dining room table by manacles, as she’s concerned she overcooked the lamb. Jason agrees, gets angry, then says I think things aren’t working out, it’s not you it’s me.
She’s hung up by her arms, blindfolded and Jason takes a picture of her with an old Polaroid camera, he then opens a green toolbox and we see twelve other photographs of women in the same pose. He says he really thought it would work out this time. Just before he kills her, he tells her not to worry, he’ll find Ms. Right, someday.
Bruce and Selina find Payne passed out amongst junkies, Kyle kicks him until he wakes up, then she grabs his stash, which he calls his medicine. Bruce asks who hired him, Reggie tells the boy to stay out of it, let Alfred handle it. Selina walks over to an open window, with the bag saying she’ll drop it if he doesn’t talk. He finally reveals the name of two members of the board of Wayne Enterprises. Bruce tells Selina to give Reggie the bag, she drops it out the window instead.
He then says he’s going to tell the board members that he know their identity, he sees his bag’s on a ledge about two feet below. He hangs out the window to grab it, Bruce tries to force his hands to push Payne out, but his conscience won’t allow it, so Kyle steps in and does it. She screams he won’t tell anybody when he hits the ground.
Harvey tells Jim that the Ogre’s the GCPD’s dirty little secret, as he goes after the loved ones of any cops on his case. He asks who gave him the case and they find the uniform, Len Moore, who tells him that Loeb pressured the officer to flatter Gordon and press the case on him. Loeb’s trying to get Gordon and Bullock killed, while keeping his hands clean.
The Commissioner and the Chief of the GCPD are in the precinct house and Gordon tells Loeb his days are numbered. He’s going to take down the Ogre, then Loeb’s next on his list.
Fish tells her new henchmen the escape’s on, she’s heading back to get Kelly. She tells them to go on ahead and secure the boat and they best not leave without her. Soon the five guys realize that Mooney set them up as a diversion, she gets Kelly and some other victims and heads to the chopper, which she can pilot. However the “Catcher,” shoots her in her abdomen as she’s taking off. She suppresses the scream but Kelly sees the blood oozing out from under her hand as she flies them away.
The Story Continues Next Monday Night at 8:00 pm on FOX.
