Gotham - S3E14 - Mad City: The Gentle Art of Making Enemies

Previously on Gotham, “Smile Like You Mean It”

This is the episode where chaos reigns in Gotham as Jerome blows up the power plant and puts the city in darkness. GCPD is stretched thin, attempting to queel the anarchy all over the city and trying to keep the city from imploding. Gordon is dead-set on finding Jerome, thinking he can put a kibosh on all of this mayhem. And the episode jumps off the deep end with all of our characters not knowing how the night will end.

Penguin goes after the men that captured Nygma just to find out that there weren’t any; Nygma captured Nygma. It was all a ruse to get Penguin alone so that he can finally confront him about killing his lady love (well, his second lady love… Nygma killed the first one on his own).  As Nygma is tying Penguin to Isabella’s wrecked car, he finally admits to killing her. Penguin says he should be thanking him because if he had not he would have killed her like he did Ms. Kringle. Nygma says they will never know.

Even after Penguin professes his love to him, Nygma does not care and just wants to try out his very bad idea of a killing device. The scheme does not work, of course, because a very convenient cop just happens to be passing by and saves him. And just when he thought he was safe and ready to retaliate against Nygma, Penguin comes home to Butch and Tabitha looking for Ed too. They take him to Barbara, who everyone under estimates due to her “great beauty,” and she tries to convince him to help her find Nygma. Penguin discovers what love really is and is now ready to sacrifice himself for Ed.  Which was also all part of Nygma’s plan. (Was that before or after he found out Penguin escaped? But I guess we are supposed to not think about that.)

Because Penguin shows he loves Nygma, now he is not sure what to do with him. But in the end, as Penguin tells him he will never be the same if he kills him, Nygma shoots Penguin in the gut and pushes him off the pier.

Gordon goes to see Thompkins, who is still a little upset about her husband getting killed, and she remembers Jerome talking about the last thing he remembered before dying: he was going to kill Bruce Wayne. Jerome is already in Bruce’s house and he is just going around breaking things that don’t belong to him - like the crystal owl that they stole from the Court. He wants to kill Bruce in a very public way. So, where does he take the young billionaire? To the circus! After seeing all kinds of interestingly creative deadly games, we get to see the climax of the show, the killing of Bruce Wayne.  But after the arrival of Gordon, Alfred and the GCPD, Bruce finds a way to get out of Jerome’s trap and as a hero would do, he goes after him.  He wants Jerome to pay for what he has done. And he does with Bruce learning something about himself too. In the process, Jerome gets his face knocked off by Gordon but only after Bruce loosens it up first. And in the end, Bruce cements his first rule of being the Caped Crusader, he will not kill.

Best Scene: I know it is a little demented, but I liked the carnival scene with all of Jerome’s acolytes playing carnival games with real people. The BB gun game with the living target and the whack-a-mole with people’s heads was hilarious.

Best Line(s): Gordon asks Bullock what he thinks Jerome wants out of all of this. Bullock replies, “How am I supposed to know? A puppy?”

Honorable Mention: Bruce: “You won’t get away with this.” Jerome: “Already have.”

Most Ridiculous/Funny Scene: Holy melting ice, Batman. Nygma shows Penguin how he is going to die, using his block of ice and acid trap. This is certainly a throwback to something out of the 1960s Adam West “Batman” show.

Honorable Mention: Gordon and Bullock talk about the “dumpster fire” that is now Gotham.  Bullock’s phone is ringing off the hook and all he can do is pick up and hang up and pick up and hang up and pick up and hang up.

Honorable Mention: Butch and Tabitha are letting Penguin know he is finished in Gotham and now he is coming with them to look for Nygma. Butch gets tired of hearing Penguin giving him lip and decides to knock him upside the head to shut him up. Tabitha points out how that may have not been the best idea because now Butch has to carry him around. Very much a Homer Simpson moment.

Best Super Hero Moment: “Face it, kid. Gotham has no heroes.” And with that, Bruce now knows that he will have to be the hero Gotham needs.          

Well, Gotham Jerome-style was very entertaining. With the city in the dark and people just going crazy, it let the creators of the show be creative with what they will do with bedlam. In that, we got the best examples of classic Batman schemes and plans that always seem to go wrong. We also got to see the best examples of how our future protagonist discovers what he needs to do and what he needs to be to become the hero for the city. The episode ends with the Court knocking on Gordon’s door with a friendly face, Bruce getting to work, and Nygma killing Penguin… supposedly. Overall, the episode was completely entertaining outside of a young Bruce beating a grown man. But other than that, the episode was a good one.