Gotham - S3E18 - Heroes Rise: Light the Wick

Previously on Gotham, “The Primal Riddle”

The episode was chock full of characters, which isn’t a bad thing. I have been super critical over the past couple of episodes and I really want to give the show higher marks, but it is so hard with the poor writing as well as the scene borrowing the show runners have been doing lately.

Images: Fox

We open this episode at Arkham Asylum and Barnes wants out. Tetch has a front row seat as Barnes puts a beat down on the orderlies. But Talon and the Court have other plans for him,  and they have a surprise expert taking the stand - Professor Strange. Barnes has the juice they need to cleanse the city and Strange is the man for the job. We find out that Strange is helping the Court against his will, and they want him to weaponize the Alice Tetch virus. The effect is something out of 28 Days Later.

Welcome to the Court of Owls, James Gordon. Seems like a regular company board meeting to me.  Complete with review and approval lists. Nothing exciting here, Jim. Well, except the coming judgment and all that. Gordon is attempting to find out who Kathryn really is and does some real detective work. I wonder who Gordon put on his list? Gordon and Bullock discover Kathryn’s last name, Monroe, and that she is a member of one of the city’s oldest families. Now Jim wants to make a house call, but Penguin has other plans and requests a favor from an old friend. Wow! Everyone is in this episode.

Anyway, Strange has to save the cops from his latest creation and he lets them know about Kathryn having the virus. She wants to test the virus on Gotham’s elite daughters and test Gordon, again, at the same time. But he uses this opportunity to let Penguin know where to find Kathryn. Gordon cannot stand by and see innocent people get hurt so he breaks character and fights Talon, who is watching over him to make sure he does not interfere with the bomb. He is about to get a beat down when Firefly stays true to her name and makes BBQ out of Talon. But the Court has more than one Talon and Penguin is about to find out what happens when you mess with a predator.

Ivy is looking for Selina. Tabitha tells her she fell out of a window and is at Gotham General Hospital. Selina is not getting up and Ivy does not believe in medical science so now it is time for alternative forms of medicine. The treatment works because Selina wakes up and she has some killing on her mind.

The Shaman wants to help Bruce release his pain and rage. The Shaman is some sort of advanced therapist who is attempting to disassociate Bruce’s emotions he has regarding the traumatic event that has shaped his life. How much does he cost an hour? The Shaman seems to be all about training Bruce to be the defender of the weak in Gotham, but wait a minute.. why is he calling Kathryn? And why is she calling him “sir?”

Best Scene: “I can take it away, Bruce. I can take it away…and you can return to Gotham with a power you never thought possible.” The Shaman asks Bruce if he really wants to leave without the real training he can give him to be the defender and protector of his city. The scene was a cliché, but I think overall it worked. The emotion from The Shaman and the music built up to the hero moment.

Most Ridiculous/Funny Scene: Jim leaves the drawer open as he goes snooping through Kathryn’s things. How many times have we seen this on TV? Again my big issue with the second half of Season 3 is the borrowing from others.

Honorable Mention: An aerosol bomb in the middle of a party, complete with a timer, but yet no one questions what it is doing in the middle of the dance floor.

This episode was actually entertaining for the most part. The writing was alright and the action was above average. The plot… well there was no real plot other than the testing of Gordon’s loyalty to the Court and Bruce’s buying into The Shaman’s promise to make him a real live hero. So, why did I like the episode?  That is like asking how many licks does it take the get to the center of a Tootsie Pop. Either way, no one knows and I certainly don’t. In the end, Penguin and Nygma are jailbird buddies, Selina is on her way to Wayne Manor to kill someone, Gordon has pissed off the wrong birds, and the Judge is being unleashed on the city. Oh, and Leah left… if anyone cares.