Episode 8: "The Mask"
Synopsis: Gordon and Bullock investigate a Gothamite who runs a deadly fight club for candidates applying for a job at his financial firm. Meanwhile, Bruce returns to school and gets a visit from a new friend
Recap: Tensions are mounting as the temporary peace between Falcone and Moroni is tested by a meet between Penguin and Fish Mooney. Obviously, Cobbelpot's secret plans revealed last week involve what could be a triple or quadruple cross against the mob families and somehow involve Jim Gordon. Penguin's obsession with Gordon is only matched by his desire to gloat in front of Fish. After a menacing theft of a broche on a Gotham street, Fish shows her promise to only "spill a drop" of blood is true as she stabs Cobblepot through the hand. There is a lot of menace in both actors performances as the mob story arc continues to be the most intriguing on the series.
The main Gordon/Bullock story this week returns to a crime procedural story about a fight club between business men. Almost exactly as it has opened the past three episodes, Edward Nygma investigates a crime scene as Bullock drinks coffee and complains about how early it is as Gordon arrives late. This time, Nygma discovers a finger bitten off in the mouth of the victim and doesn't make any veiled Riddler references. Add to that the detective's deductive conclusion that because the victim was wearing suspenders means he must have been involved in the world of finance. Bullock's change of heart last week and supporting Gordon's crusade to fix Gotham seems to have shifted the duplicitious cop who now feels like a guardian to his young partner and wants to protect him from the rest of the GCPD who turned on the guy when Victor Zsasz came calling.
Nygma, like he did when he messed with the GCPD filing room, performs the beginning of an autopsy on the victim but is interuppted by the actual coroner. Nygma saved his cheesy riddles for this scene which falls even flatter than usual. But, Bullock and Gordon have enough to go on which leads them to Richard Sionis, the head of an investment firm that may be where the victim died. Sionis is a variation of Roman Sionis who in DC Comics is the Batman villain known as Black Mask. Sionis and Gordon have a not so veiled discussion about warriors, masks, killing, and other cliche conversation points that make it hard to not know he is the villain of the week on the show.
Gordon and Barbara's relationship has shifed despite still having the same trust issues. Before, she couldn't believe him about the Cobblepot issue and now she fears for her life after being kidnapped by Zsasz last week. I still don't buy the relationship as the two actors seem to have zero chemistry together. On the opposite side of the spectrum, Penguin and his mother (Carol Kane) have a twisted relationship that this week involves the mother giving her son advice on tattling on Fish Mooney to Don Falcone, a prospect the young psychopath ponders.
In the sporadic Bruce Wayne storyline, Alfred makes the young future Batman return to school to be a normal kid to which Bruce gives very Asperger-y responses about needing data to prove school is worth his time. He gets a nice smile from a girl in his grade but is also cornered by two older kids who ask graphic questions about the murder of his parents. The boys continue to tease Bruce after class and call him weirdo, orphan, and mock his mother. Bruce slaps the kid like a bitch for talking about his mother. Alfred, surprisingly, supports Bruce's revenge and even drives him to the home of the bully where he gives Bruce his father's watch to use as brass knuckles. The whole subplot seems odd and the motivation out of place for what we would expect from either Bruce Wayne or Alfred.
Fish meets Liza and they discuss her insinuation into the life of Falcone. Liza seems to have doubts, but Fish proposes a plan for the young woman to copy a ledger in the old man's desk and gives her a vial to drug him with. Preparing his tea, Liza drugs Falcone while Cobblepot Takes down Fish's assistant as recompense for his stabbing at the start of the episode. Liza meets FIsh at the club at the end of the episode but fails to produce the ledgers, at first, and says she wants out of the plan. Fish refuses and tells her story of poverty and seeing one of Falcone's men murder his mother. The reveal that Fish has more than just a desire for power but also vengeance makes her character a heck of a lot more interesting, even if the closing scene may tease that she was lying about it all. Cobblepot's torture of Fish's assistant also yields the knowledge that Fish has a mole with Falcone.
Gordon, now getting support from Bullock and the captain, and armed wit the knowledge that Sionis has had four others killed, goes to an abandoned office building where Sionis makes his job candidates fight to the death. There he finds a new victim locked in a cage and is tazed by Sionis. When he awakes, he is betwen three masked men and a PA carries Sionis' promise that whoever kills Gordon gets a job at his firm plus a mllion dollars. As Sionis' staff watches on CCTV, Bullock gives an impassioned speech to the GCPD to help save Gordon. Gordon defeats the three adversaries before Sionis arrives, masked and with a sword, and the fight. Gordon gets the upper hand but does not finish Sionis. With his back turned, as the captain and reinforcements arrive, Sionis makes a final lunge but Gordon knocks him out cold.
The episode closes with Gordon professing to Bullock that he is not going to stop until everyone is behind bars and Bullock telling him to go home. As Barbara's phone rings and goes to voicemail, Gordon learns that Selina Kyle has been brought in for breaking and entering. We also see Bruce admitting to Alfred that he enjoyed beating the bully and then asking to be taught to learn how to fight.
Verdict: 7/10 Gotham PD Badges
This week opened like any other Villian of the Week episode but finished strong as it balanced the developing plot threads of Bruce Wayne's training, Gordon and Bullock's relationship, and the brewing confrontation between Fish and Penguin. The introduction of Black Mask seemed like it could be a cool nemesis in the future but was instead neutered as a one shot baddie. Hopefully they find a way to bring Sionis back for another round in the future. I was bothered by the almost throwaway scenes featuring Selina Kyle as they almost feel forced. They have done nothing worthwhile with Edward Nygma and are still introducing more and more characters like Harvey Dent next week. The best part of the show remains Penguin and the rest of this episode felt like it was waiting to get to those scenes. I wholeheartedly dislike the way Alfred is supporting Bruce's violent revenge urges, especially after spending several episodes trying to quash it. Overall, the episode balanced the numerous plot threads well but still paled compared to last week's great episode.
Next Episode: "Harvey Dent" airs November 17th. Trying to close the Wayne murder case, a young Harvey Dent and Gordon team up, much to Mayor James’ chagrin. Meanwhile, Penguin makes contact with Mooney’s secret weapon, Liza.