Airtime: Mondays at 8PM on Fox
Episode: Season 2, Episode 17 (S02E17)
Tweetable Takeaway: Gordon breaks his frame, clears his name, and almost returns to GCPD on #Gotham
Tweet
Gordon chases Nygma “Into the Woods” on this week’s GOTHAM. This is one of those metaphorical titles and episodes that make TV so much fun. It’s all about Nygma committing to his darkness full time, Penguin is pushed by his step-family back to his criminal roots, and Barbara Kean is released simply because Professor Strange is curious what she might do.
One is dry and the other is more dry
One of the most successful elements of Gotham’s second season is its ability to pull off separate story lines. Cory Michael Smith is extraordinary week after week with his Penguin journey. It reminds me of the two episodes The Walking Dead dedicated to The Governor. Life has been unkind to Oswald Cobblepot. He was introduced to a kind, tolerant, loving father and then just as quickly, the man was taken from him by a greedy, petty, stepfamily. Grace, Penguin’s stepmother, starts pushing from the moment Elijah’s funeral ends. First, she wants him out of their house. Then, she allows him to stay, but only as domestic help. She, and her nasty little offspring, is mean to him as often as possible and constantly bagging on his cooking.
Things change when Penguin finds the carafe used to poison Elijah. The next time he serves Grace dinner, he gives her a choice of roast. The first one she tries, she says is dry. He lets her try the second sample, which she says is worse. Then, he informs her that her son Charles was the first selection and Sasha the second. He cries out she was definitely juicier before killing Grace with the carving knife. Welcome back Penguin, no one will ever put you in the corner again.
With a little help from his friends
Bullock helps Gordon out by night while taking shots from Captain Barnes during the day. Donal Logue and Michael Chiklis can both carry their own shows, any time they cat and mouse on screen is incredible. Barnes stands by his code of legal process, Bullock by his bulletproof loyalty. Eventually, Gordon and bullock realize his frame had to be constructed by someone within GCPD. Gordon steals the recording from the tip-line (actual tape) and takes it to Nygma’s apartment to be analyzed. Gordon figured out Nygma did it, even before the chime of his cuckoo clock, but he didn’t know why. Nygma monologues his confession after shooting Gordon in the leg.
Gordon limps over to Selina’s place where he is surprised to find Bruce. They been hanging out together and stealing from the crooked rich while Bruce would turn around and give most back to the poor, minus burger money. Bruce stitches Gordon up and calls Alfred for more professional help. Together they form a plan to bait Nygma into leading Gordon to the place where he buried Miss Kringle’s body. The plan works and Nygma is surrounded and apprehended by GCPD after monologuing his confession. I’m sure Professor Strange will be happy to get his hands on the new guy.
A return to GCPD
Barnes apologizes to Gordon and wants him back at work as soon as possible. Gordon says he isn’t ready. He wants to look into the Wayne murder and find out who hired Matches Malone to kill Bruce’s parents. Barnes also wants Gordon to call Lee on his down time. Gordon can’t quite bring himself to talk to her yet but he tries. Then, Barbara arrives at his door looking all sweet and reformed.
Bruce decides to stay with Alfred. It isn’t that he misses his posh bed. Alfred makes a solid case that Bruce is using Selina while Selina has been nothing but a good friend. Alfred will continue to help him with his quest for vengeance, but not if Bruce involves The Cat. Again, there’s no shortage of interesting stories in Gotham.
——————————————————————————
Eric lives in a world where the television is great, the smiles are warm, the pizza is hot, the puppies are playful, and the zombies are slow and meander while he reloads.
Twitter: @etom2012
Keep up with all Eric’s reviews here.
Follow all of our TV content here!
Eric Rodriguez | Contributor
