I you would like to read my review of the last episode, click here.
Synopsis: With Professor Pyg striking fear throughout Gotham, Gordon and Bullock head into the Narrows to look for clues. Bruce Wayne meets a former friend, who convinces him to come along for a night with some old classmates. (IMDB)
Writer: Peter Blake
Director: John Behring
Rating: TV-14
Running Time: 42mins
The corruption in the GCPD has been a long running subplot during the whole series. It has become incredibly stale and repetitive, going through the same over and over again with no end in sight. This season has brought this back to the forefront with Penguin’s Pax Penguina, seemingly dictating the city, and Professor Pyg brought in as a means to dismantle the power structure. Pyg has been an interesting character so it’s a shame that he has been saddled with this storyline. At the end of the last episode, Gordon gave Bullock an ultimatum and he had to stop taking Penguin’s money. Wherever this would lead to ultimately remains to be seen but we got our first look here, albeit in an awkward and contrived way.
The episode started with the GCPD receiving a shipment of severed pig heads, one for each cop excluding Gordon. The officers took this as a death threat and most left. Because most of the officers left, Penguin brought in some help of his own, including a stupid hitman character who called himself Headhunter. Gordon obviously didn’t want his help but it wasn’t up to him and Bullock believed they needed the help. The group was then sprung into action when a trio of officers went missing, sending them to the Narrows, the poorest part of Gotham.
The people of the Narrows weren’t exactly happy to see them and showed their displeasure. The remaining officers as well as Penguin’s thugs treated the people like they were all criminals, beating them up for information which did not sit well with Gordon. They later found two of the three missing cops with one of them already dead. Sofia warned Penguin about his involvement with the GCPD. He was just as much connected to their success as with their failures. Meanwhile, Gordon got some information from the surviving officer while inspiring him to become clean again.
The information brought them to a courthouse in the Narrows where Penguin and his gang immediately took charge. They wanted to go in first and Bullock allowed it, making them fodder for whatever was inside. Pyg then gave Gordon a call, warning him of what was inside and asking him not to go in himself. Gordon of course didn’t believe him until he revealed himself to be the surviving officer from earlier. Nobody else believed Gordon so they went in anyway and were greeted by a trap and Gordon saved everybody as he often did. Vowing in front of the TV cameras that the GCPD were going to take Pyg down got him the favor of the other officers. Pyg gave him a call, telling him that he still had a plan for him.
In other news, Bruce was still reeling after killing Ra’s al Ghul. To take his mind off things, he spends time with some friends from school. They go out to a nightclub that Bruce buys so he can get and his friends can get in and they drink, party and have a good time.
With Ra’s al Ghul seemingly dead, Barbara’s business venture appears to be over. When she delivers the news to Tabitha and Selina, Tabitha unsurprisingly felt betrayed while Selina thought there was still a lot more that the three can do. She then took it upon herself to try and rob a motorcycle gang. One she is over her head, she calls Tabitha for help. Barbara saw Selina as an employee and nothing more but she eventually arrived anyway. Because they worked so well together, their partnership will continue.
The episode ended with the GCPD taking a stand by no longer accepting licences.
Overall, this was a decent episode that advanced the corrupt GCPD subplot in an awkward and contrived way with them now buying into Gordon. Bruce having fun was kind of fun but it just felt weird to watch him like this because he has rarely had the opportunity to be a kid. Barbara, Tabitha, and Selina are pretty much back where they started which kind of makes you wonder what the point of all of that was? What else do you expect from an inconsistent show like this?
Score: 6.5/10
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The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.
