Spoilers. Kinda. I guess so.
Alternate title: The Penguin and The Riddler.
There was a scene for me tonight in the show where the Penguin and the Riddler meet. At this point in the timeline, the Penguin does seem to be higher in the power scales but it’s really curious that although Edward Nygma does back off, he has to be told to be so and doesn’t really seem to be scared. It looks a lot more like he’s trying to be polite about it.
Bruce goes on a hike! Because… it’s a certain time of the year where his Dad and him did so and they used to pile stones with their initials on them. Show of hands, who was expecting Bruce to fall into a hole and discover the Batcave? Nobody? Just me? See, I don’t think you can do a show about Gotham City without Bruce. I do think you can do it without him being the lead character, but I do think he has to be there. Something tells me there’s a strict code against showing bats on the show until it’s a season finale or sweeps week. Anyhow… Bruce sprains an ankle (he hasn’t had ninja training yet) falling down a hill but no cave. Eventually he’s found by Alfred and learns the important value of…
Of… what? Yeah, I didn’t get what the message was here. Was it that he was supposed to have asked Alfred to join him? Alfred invited himself. Err… Not be alone at night? Not really a lesson there, if he’s supposed to manage on his own. Ask for help? Is that why Alfred didn’t go helping him when he showed up? Bruce is the ultimate loner anyhow. Is there a point?
Meanwhile the Penguin asks Falcone to protect him against Moroni. Falcone wants to revamp the club. Moroni strikes a deal with Falcone but still lets the Penguin know he’s still a target when Falcone is gone. This song and dance is going to go round and round a few more episodes I guess.
Gordon and Bullock, oh yeah they’re the stars of the show, are still on the same case. At this time Leslie Thompson has more charisma than the top billing. I love Morena Baccarin, but it would be a complete disservice to the character of Barbara Gordon to obliterate her from the picture.
Like I was saying, Gordon and Bullock are still on the same case. Of the guy whose face they saw. They are following up on the death of a teacher. Takes them a while to recognize Dr. Gerard Crane from a school yearbook. In this case they recognize the guy who shoot them and still need to talk to the principal at the school. Crane is a criminal mastermind. He’s hiding in his own house. Ok, the house where his wife died. Still, he’s really barely hiding at all.
Crane’s son Jonathan ends up being the recipient of the nasty fear toxin… Ahem, I guess we can’t call it that yet, but just in case you didn’t quite get who Jonathan is from the title, there’s a scarecrow outside Crane’s house. Wink wink nudge nudge. Say no more. Anyhow, Jonathan Crane seems to be well on his way to becoming his alter ego.
Meanwhile Fish Mooney ends up in a makeshift prison and becomes the person in charge because she stabs one guy. So now she’s doing that thing where she ends up with nothing, has to scrape the bottom of the barrel and finally return stronger.
Highs:
- The Penguin runs into Edward Nygma, the future Riddler. Quite a nice, tongue and cheek scene. I wish there was something more to it but it’s too soon. Still, I do expect these two to end up somehow running into each other again.
- Dr. Leslie Thompson is fun to watch and the only person who smiles without . Gordon needs to work on pulling a different face when he’s angry. I take it that it’s supposed to be humorous but he can’t quite pull awkwardly funny just yet.
Lows:
- Remember the cliffhanger from the last episode? It vanished into thin air. Fish Mooney’s rise back to power needs more oomph and happen gradually. She can’t be giving orders already. We have to empathize with her.
- Sloppy detective work on a case where the detectives already know what the suspect looks like after he shot at them.
- Bruce learns something. We don’t quite get what it is though. He falls off a cliff and sprains his leg but no cave reveal. That means he has to do the same thing and eventually fall again.
- The whole Falcone-Penguin-Moroni dynamic needs something. It’s getting stale.
(Source: FOX Networks)
Never Think Impossible 