Warning: Spoiler Alert
Somehow I get the feeling that given his druthers, Oswald Cobblepot would prefer to go back to fighting Sal Maroni and Fish Mooney right about now. The positive that emerged from episode seven of the second season for the FOX Network series “Gotham,” was the realization by GCPD Detective Jim Gordon that Theo Galavan’s not the knight in shining armor that’s going to save Gotham City. The dominoes finally fell into place for Gordon in this episode as the realization dawned on him that Galavan’s not the city’s savior, instead he’s the most dangerous monster the city faces. The question’s whether Gordon’s revelation came too late as Galavan got elected as the new Mayor of Gotham City in a landslide victory.
The Penguin’s top lieutenant Butch Gilzean arrived bloody and breathless back to Cobblepot’s base of operations last week and told his boss that he found out where Galavan and his sister Tabitha were holding Oswald’s mother’s hostage. He said the pair realized that Penguin sent him to infiltrate their organization as a spy and tortured him but he escaped and if they acted quickly they can save Gertrude.
The two head to a warehouse along with two of Cobblepot’s henchmen and they find Penguin’s mother locked in a cell. Oswald grabs a set of bolt-cutters to free his mother, when the lights come on in the warehouse revealing Theo and Tabitha. Penguin orders Gilzean to shoot the Galavan siblings in the head, however he kills Oswald’s henchmen instead. He then reveals that the mind-control that Victor Zsasz used on him last year no longer functions as Tabitha “fixed” him. Theo tells Cobblepot that the bolt-cutters won’t work on his mother’s cell and says the only way to free her is with the key in his hand.
Penguin says to Galavan he can still be very useful to the man who within hours will get voted in as the next mayor of the city. Theo says he doesn’t think that’s true and Cobblepot says kill me if you must but please let my mother go free. He gets on his knees and begs and Galavan says to his sister she’s served her purpose and Tabitha opens the cell.
Gertrude walks out and embraces her son and Penguin says everything’s going to be fine now, when he feels his mother’s body shudder and realizes Tabitha stuck a large knife deep between his mother’s shoulder blades. The shock keeps his mother from realizing she’s dying but soon she breaths her last in her son’s arms. Penguin begins sobbing uncontrollably.
Galavan tells Gilzean to kill him and dump the bodies anywhere and the pair start to leave the warehouse, but Oswald’s words stop Theo in his tracks. He screams out that Galavan lacks the stomach to take him out himself. Then he says it’s no wonder his family got driven out of the city, he comes from a long line of gutless cowards.
Galavan doubles-back and takes the revolver from Butch then stands toe-to-toe with Penguin and asks if he has any last words and Cobblepot says yes, he’s going to kill him. He grabs the blade out of his mother’s back and slashes Galavan across the throat, then slashes Gilzean and runs towards the windows. Tabitha tries shooting him but the little man dodges the bullets and crashes through the window to safety.
Edward Nygma’s sitting by the side of his bed shaking uncontrollably and reliving his accidentally killing his girlfriend Kristin Kringle last week when he’s visited by his alter-ego “Dark-Nygma.” The sharper-dressed version of himself that appears to Ed tells him he knows how to make a body disappear and when Ed looks on his bed he sees Kringle’s corpse’s gone. “Dark-Nygma” tells Ed that he hijacked his body when Ed fell asleep and disposed of the corpse, he says he’s left clues and we see a purple envelope with a familiar looking question mark on the front. He opens it and reads that the first clue’s hidden at his precinct and he should look for something with Kringle’s initials. “Dark-Nygma” suggests he heads to the precinct before somebody else finds the clue.
At the Galavan estate the TV’s on and a reporter states that Theo Galavan’s expected to win the day’s Mayoral election by a large margin. Tabitha turns off the set and sneers at her brother saying she can’t believe he’s going to be mayor of this “sinkhole.” His ward Silver St. Cloud asks if she can attend that evening’s victory party and Tabitha says her brother promised her fun and asks when they’re going to raise a little Hell? Galavan smiles and says there’s plenty time down the road for fun and parties, right now they have to remain focused.
Theo asks Silver how’s she doing with Bruce Wayne? She holds up her right pinkie and asks Galavan if he sees that finger, then says she’s got little Bruce wrapped around it. Galavan says she’s turned into quite the vixen and he loves it. He says that’s their next move getting Bruce to sign over control of Wayne Enterprises and then meeting his unfortunate destiny. He then says the other issue on the table’s Penguin and his sister responds she’s on it. Theo waves her off and says he’s going to be mayor soon and will have an army at his disposal and he intends to use it.
We sit down with Bullock and Gordon at the precinct watching the election returns on TV talking about Galavan’s apparent record margin of winning and Harvey says that it looks like Jim backed the right pony. Gordon’s got that sick to his stomach look on his face, the one he always gets when things don’t seem to be on the up and up to him. He starts talking about Cobblepot and says to Bullock he’s still having a problem accepting that Penguin’s behind the fires that the Firefly set to Wayne Enterprises properties.
Suddenly Galavan and Gotham City District Attorney Harvey Dent walk into the precinct and head directly into Captain Barnes’ office. Jim and Harvey get up and Gordon asks what the Hell’s going on? Barnes stands in the doorway of his office and tells the two detectives that the Penguin just tried killing the Mayor-Elect.
The five men gather in the office and Theo says that Cobblepot realizing Galavan would become the next mayor just arrived at his house and proposed they form an alliance. When Galavan says he politely refused he says Penguin produced a blade and slit his throat. Gordon doesn’t buy the story and says that reaction seems rash even for Penguin. Dent gives Barnes a warrant for Cobblepot’s arrest and a search and seizure order for the department to confiscate Cobblepot’s property.
Dent then says in light of recent events, Judge Turnbull’s granted the new Mayor special temporary powers. Galavan says as soon as he’s sworn in he’s imposing a curfew and having the GCPD Strike Force conduct a house to house search until the Penguin’s apprehended. Gordon’s face shows concern and he asks Galavan if he’s imposing Martial-Law and Barnes says that they’re conducting a manhunt for a dangerous criminal.
As the men leave Barnes’ office, Theo takes Gordon aside and says he seems hesitant and Jim says he’d describe it as cautious. He says they don’t want to alienate the city, he says people will understand the manhunt for Cobblepot, but they want to maintain their own personal freedom. Galavan says that all of Gotham City will realize that the mayor and police department are working in the public’s best interests. We can see by Gordon’s facial expression he’s not buying it. Just before Theo takes off he says to Jim, remember Detective you’re the one who approached me. If Gordon felt uneasy before that statement took him to a whole other level.
Selina Kyle sneaks into the Wayne family library and Bruce asks her why she hates using his front door? She says it’s not the door it’s the gorilla that answer’s it and suddenly she sees their not alone as Silver St. Cloud enters the library. Silver introduces herself to Selena and then asks her to stay for lunch.
She tells Bruce to ask Alfred to set another place at the table. As soon as he leaves the room, we get our first taste of the real Silver as she quickly threatens Kyle and says if she shows up there again, she’ll make things bad for the girl from the streets. Selena asks Silver who she thinks she is and she replies she’s Bruce’s one and only true friend. Wayne comes back and says Alfred will soon call them for lunch.
After Alfred leaves the three teenagers at the dining-table Silver starts asking Cat about herself and Selena’s blown away by her phoniness and calls her a two-faced slut. Bruce asks Kyle what’s going on and St. Cloud says perhaps she best leave. Kyle looks at her and asks if Silver’s actually crying and then says she’s good. Silver runs out of the estate and Bruce asks Selena what she just did and Selena says she did him a favor, that girl’s no good. Bruce asks Kyle to leave and says he’s a bad judge of character as all this time he truly thought Cat was his friend.
Harvey gets a tip that Gilzean’s holed up in this dive bar and he’s formed his own gang. The detectives drive to the place and surprise Butch and his three goons by walking in with the pizza delivery guy. Harvey asks Butch where Penguin’s at and he says he doesn’t know, Bullock says that Gilzean’s Oswald’s lap-dog and Butch says those days are over. Gordon asks why did Cobblepot go after Theo and Gilzean laughs and says he’s got nothing to say.
We hear a familiar voice shouting from the street outside the bar, it belongs to our favorite psychopath Victor Zsasz whose standing in the street with what looks like a ten-person gang. Victor says we’re here for Gilzean, anybody that leaves the building before we start firing lives, anybody still in the building after we start dies. Gilzean’s three goons say bye Butch and beat feet out of their. Gordon handcuffs Gilzean to a pipe and he says either Butch talks or he leaves him for Victor.
Butch says that Galavan pulled all the strings, he forced Cobblepot to do his dirty-work by kidnapping Penguin’s mother. He then says he didn’t think he’d actually do it and the conversation’s interrupted by the gunfire entering the bar courtesy of Zsasz’s gang. Harvey says to Jim they’re out numbered but Gordon responds not outgunned and the two detectives pick up a pair of machine guns lying against the wall and let loose. When the two officers end their barrage, Victor says he’ll take that as a no and says he’ll see Gilzean later. Gordon turns around and sees that Butch had escaped during the gunfire. Jim asks Harvey if he thinks Gilzean just told them the truth and Bullock responds this is Gotham, nobody tells the truth.
Bruce head’s to the Galavan’s mansion and he has a brief chat with Theo, then tells him he came by to see Silver. Seconds later the teen walks down the stairs and smiles when she sees Bruce. Theo says he needs to get dressed for the party and excuses himself. Silver smiles at Wayne and says, I knew you’d come.
Penguin addresses his soldiers as they prepare to attack Galavan at his victory party and tells them all that Theo Galavan’s his and for everybody else to stay from the Mayor-Elect. Gabe, the first foot soldier that joined Penguin’s gang and his most loyal employee begs his boss to let one of them take the hit on Theo as the cops will never let Cobblepot near him. Penguin says he’s got it handled then tells his men to get dressed for the party.
Ed shows up at the precinct and tries to decipher the message from “Dark-Nygma” that the clue’s hidden in or near something with the initials kk. He suddenly realizes it’s the snack vending machine and sees that selection’s Lady Fingers. Ed keeps shoving money into the machine until he sees Kringle’s hand’s the next one in the slot and he retrieves it without getting caught.
Jim and Harvey are talking at the precinct, when suddenly Jim realizes that Galavan’s orchestrated everything. He arrives in the city a stranger just before Mayor James disappeared then became a hero at the charity ball for the Gotham Children’s Hospital. Then he arranged for Penguin to take out any serious competition for mayor. Bullock says that’s just Machiavellian madness, but Gordon’s convinced he’s right.
Ed goes back to his office and finds a note in Kringle’s hand. Suddenly “Dark-Nygma” arrives and asks Ed isn’t this fun. He tells his alter-ego that he’s not only insane he’s got problems with grammar as he put a period between the letters m and e in the word me. Suddenly he realizes “Dark-Nygma” was referring to the Medical Examiner and he runs to the morgue. He finds Kringle’s corpse in one of the body containers just as Lee Thompkins walks in. Ed’s certain he’ll get caught but suddenly says he and Kringle argued and Lee suggests that she and Ed talk things out over coffee. Ed closes the drawer and the two leave the morgue.
Barnes addresses the precinct about the challenges awaiting them as they try to maintain order at the victory party for Theo Galavan and he tells his officers he knows they’re all up to the task. He then introduces Gordon who goes over duty assignments with the officers.
Harvey Dent introduces Mayor-Elect Galavan at the party as the GCPD try to keep all inside safe. Officer Martinez is on lookout and communicating with Gordon via walkie-talkie. He tells Gordon that Penguin’s gang’s heading over on foot then looks through his binoculars and says he’s identified Penguin. Gordon tells Martinez to hold his fire when we hear the sound of a bullet and Martinez says target down. He tells Gordon there’s a sniper on the roof and the GCPD send an officer up there.
Tabitha’s on the roof and though she killed the man she aimed at it wasn’t Penguin. Turns out that every one of Cobblepot’s henchmen are disguised as the Penguin and walking with a limp so nobody can figure out which one’s the actual Penguin. An officer goes up to the roof, tells Tabitha to drop her rifle and turn around slowly with her hands raised above her head. She’s able to overcome the cop and kills him by stepping on her throat with her stiletto heels.
Fake Penguins dive into the mansion through the windows, killing officers and guests. Gordon, Bullock and Dent are with Galavan and Jim says they need to get the Mayor-Elect to his car so he can get to safety. He tells Dent to alert the driver to bring the car around then asks Bullock to cover them. The pair sprint across the room dodging gunfire until they get to the car.
As Gordon’s about to put Galavan in the car, Penguin greets them holding a shotgun aimed at Theo and he says hello Jim. Gordon tells him that he needs to put down the gun, Oswald says perhaps Jim would feel differently if he realized what kind of man he’s really protecting.
Penguin’s looking only at Theo but he’s talking to Gordon. He says he killed my mother Jim and Gordon says he knows. Penguin then says she died in my arms I felt her take her last breath. That changes a person Jim and suddenly Bullock’s behind Cobblepot and he calmly says put down the shotgun Oswald.
Theo orders Gordon to kill Cobblepot and Jim just ignores him. Penguin says he’s more dangerous than you can imagine Jim. His endgame involves somebody you know and care very deeply for. Suddenly gunfire splatters the area, it’s Tabitha shooting wildly and in the ensuing confusion, Cobblepot steals the limo and drives away.
Galavan shakes his head at Gordon and says he had such high hopes for him. He says I thought you were prepared to do what ever it takes to rid Gotham City of the monsters that plague it. Gordon sneers at Theo and says he does feel that way, he’s just decided that the first monster he’s taking out is Galavan. Theo responds those are dangerous words, Gordon smiles and says desperate times.
Ed returns to the morgue after having coffee with Lee and opens the drawer that Kringle’s body’s in when “Dark-Nygma” comes back and he’s laughing. Ed tells him that “Dark-Nygma” put him in a very dangerous situation and his alter-ego says I wanted you to experience the feeling. He asks him how it felt staring into the abyss, knowing he might get caught and kill again. “Dark-Nygma” asks Ed how that buzz felt and then enters Ed’s body and seems to take over. Ed now with “Dark-Nygma’s” personality says it felt beautiful then gets ready to carve up Kringle’s corpse.
The Story Continues Next Monday Night at 8:00 pm on FOX.
