Gotham - S3E21 - Heroes Rise: Destiny Calling

Previously on Gotham, “Pretty Hate Machine”

It is the finale, y’all! Let’s get hype! I am going to go at this episode all positive and with happy thoughts. I figure it can’t be that bad. We have a host of characters and we get to see one of my favorite Batman villains all in a two-hour Gotham season finale (episode 21 and 22). So I chose to think lemonade and hope for the best. We start the episode where we left off last week. The Alice Tetch virus is out and Gotham is going to go mad with all kinds of dangerous desires and anger issues. Speaking of, Bruce is all upset about his teacher of two episodes, The Shaman, getting killed by Alfred. Gordon is trying to find his evil love Thompkins, while Fish has plans for Penguin. A fun time will be had by all. Let’s get this party started!

We find the city in chaos. I mean, wow! The burning train screaming by was a nice touch; with little old grandma all happy with her life savings as the city is ripping itself apart. Gordon is trying to fight the virus and Bullock asks him for his gun, but not his badge. Gordon knows Lee is just waiting for him to give himself over to the virus, but Harvey has faith that Jim can fight it. Lucius discovers that Strange was working on an antidote for the virus, but Alfred and Harvey let him go last episode. So now Gordon and company will have to find Strange in a city gone mad. But before they go searching, Lee checks in to see how Jim is doing. The Morticia Addams look is really working for her. She tells Gordon to listen to the voices and they will lead him to her.

Meanwhile, Bruce is all locked up and brooding, practicing his Batman look. Alfred wants to talk him off the ledge before he turns completely from the light. But while Alfred is out getting beat up by virus infected cops, Bruce escapes and finds the demon’s head door The Shaman told him about. Ultimately, he finds his new mentor, Ra’s Al Ghul. Looks like Ra’s is looking for an heir. It is interesting that even though Bruce will ultimately not be his heir, his child and Ra’s grandchild, Damian, will be. Now all Bruce has to do is kill the man who loves him the most in the world.

Nygma and Barbara are enjoying the “flames of hedonism” as Barbara sees opportunity all around. She wants to take over the city, but all Nygma wants to do is kill Oswald. Barbara offers to help him but first she wants him to use that “big, beautiful brain” of his to help her. He tells her she can have a day. And while Barbara is doing brain teasers, Tabitha and Butch are assessing where they will go from here. Betray Barbara or not? Barbara has enemies all over the place with a now supercharged Lee with a mean streak coming after her as she lays waste to Butch and threatens to rip Barbara’s head off her shoulders… literally.

It looks like Barbara is not the only one who wants the city. Fish catches Strange before he can skip town. And now she wants Strange to make her an army so that she can take over Gotham. Oh, and she wants the virus too. She runs into Gordon and Bullock, and she opines what I guess everyone has known except for Gordon himself… that he really is a dark, dark person. Fish and company get away with Mr. Fries’ help. As Fish and Penguin follow Strange to his antidote hideaway, the league of assassins make their appearance. This is really both an awful scene and cool scene at the same time. The CGI was okay. The best part was the frozen ninja breaking, but the ninja’s ducking and playing limbo with Fries and Firefly was terrible! Let’s not even get into Gordon’s swordplay being better than trained ninjas from the League. Yes, my eyes were rolling. And then, Gordon kills Fish for no other reason other than there are too many monsters on the show at one time. She drops the antidote as Gordon stabs her. But before she dies, again, she tells Penguin to burn the city to the ground.

Best Scene: Believe it or not, I really liked the opening scene with the little old lady just wanting her life savings from the bank and the bank not wanting to give it to her. She finds a way to change their minds and then as she makes her way out we see a shot of the city in bedlam. The shot of the subway train on fire was really nice and set the mood that no one is safe and people are dying out on them there streets.

Honorable Mention: Thompkins showing up Butch and Tabitha in their own club. Lee really does make a good villain. I kind of see her Deadpool character in there just a little.

Most Ridiculous/Funny Scene: Hugo is all tied up and his children are not very happy with him. They want to play a game of how many body parts can they cook and freeze off before he dies.

Honorable Mention: Harvey gives Gordon back his gun. He says, “Just don’t shoot any innocent bystanders… and don’t shot me. Especially me.”

Honorable Mention: “Hugo, is it true that you are the only one who can stop this virus?” Strange replies with a questionable look on his face and a “Hmmm?”

Best Line: “Whaaat?” Strange replies as Penguin agrees that torture may be the best way to get some information out of Strange. Oswald says he was tortured every day at Arkham. “Oh, well that was therapy Oswald… therapy.”

Honorable Mention: As Penguin puts the “lava in your brain” machine on Strange he states that he will tell him where the antidote is. Penguin replies, “I know, but not just yet.” As he turns the machine on.

Geek Out Moment: The Lazarus Pit…which was pretty cool.

Overall this was a good episode with a few great scenes and some really bad ones sprinkled in, which is the opposite of what is the norm for this show. And to top it off, there were some sweet surprises as well. I was not expecting Fish to come back just to get killed off again. But who are we kidding? Fish has come back before. And then the really big surprise of Bruce killing Alfred to prove himself to Ra’s. Bruce or at least the actor who plays Bruce, has tried to kill off a few characters this season; lets not forget that clone Bruce tried to kill Selina. But this is just the first half of the finale. Let’s hope the show can make a nice sturdy landing with the next 60 minutes.

You can find my review of the second part of the finale here.