I feel like after season one of Gotham aired, The Powers That Be told the showrunners that they wanted their Batman show to be more like the uber-successful Batman movies. And I feel like the showrunners heard “Take a page out of Joel Schumacher‘s book!” and just ran with it. And so they did. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing; Uma Thurman‘s campy Batman and Robin performance was one of my first girl crushes, which says SO MUCH about the women I’ve dated. But that’s a tale for another day.
We open with Bullock and Gordon playing bad cop/bad cop on some lowlifes in an effort to avenge Essen’s death. This involves screaming in people’s faces and then tossing them out windows.
We jump to the Galavan Penthouse, where Tabitha is all leathered up and ready to head out. A post-coital Barbara slinks over to Tabitha, wearing a robe and some serious sex hair, and kisses her. Look, I’m all for pretty ladies kissing each other on TV, but I feel like all we know about Tabitha is that she A) likes leather B) is a lesbian and C) murders people. Barbara asks her to grab them some bagels, but Theo wheels in a breakfast cart full of toast and totally kills the mood. Tabitha kisses Barbara again, as if staking her claim, and storms out.
Theo makes Barbara some toast and tells her his origin story: his ancestors built Gotham City and never got any credit for it, so he’s ready to burn the city down and reclaim it as his. He promises a larger role for Barbara in the next big plan, and promises to help her destroy Gordon.
Back at the GCPD, Bullock wants Gordon to call Penguin for help, but Gordon is concerned with the whole “killing a guy” thing. Instead, Gordon runs around the precinct yelling at cops to work harder, and reminds them that they lost 9 cops and Essen to the Maniax. He also refuses to let them take the crime scene tape down from Essen’s office. He even bitches out Lee, which is uncalled for.
Lee tries to convince Gordon to take a break by inviting him to a Children’s Hospital Gala she’s spearheading. She promises him there will be a magician. For the rest of the episode, everyone keeps promising each other magicians and everyone else rolls their eyes because magicians are the absolute worst. I feel like the word “magician” is said at least 30 times. Gordon is in no mood for magic, so he blows her off.
Remember Cicero, Jerome’s blind fortune-telling father? Well, it turns out he’s been holed up in Gotham. He comes home to find Jerome and Tabitha waiting for him, ready to frame him for the Arkham prison break. He tries to talk some sense into his son, but Jerome is too far gone, and besides, he’s got a new daddy in Theo. When Jerome asks Cicero to tell him his future, he reveals that Jerome will birth a legacy of madness and death for Gotham.
This father-son reunion is cut short by the arrival of Gordon and Bullock, who bust into the apartment to find a can of knockout gas and a dead Cicero. Jerome taunts a woozy Jim before making his escape. Instead, Tabitha kicks Gordon and the face and the two make their escape.
It’s the Gotham Children’s Gala, a star-studded fancy shindig! Now, as any Batfan knows, whenever there’s a classy event, there will be A) a begrudging appearance by Bruce Wayne and B) some villain to crash it in a bold, theatrical manner. It’s like, the first rule of Batman. Sure enough, Bruce is dragged there by Alfred in an effort to appear normal. They meet Lee, and Alfred is instantly attracted to her. I liked him better when he was flirting with Lucius Fox.
Bruce sees Selina sneaking around (in a truly hideous hairdo) and goes to follow her. Selina is, of course, pickpocketing the wealthy partygoers. Bruce tries to talk to her, but she blows him off. #StoryofTheirLife
Backstage, the Great Rudolfo is getting ready for his big magic act. JK, Rudolfo is stuffed in a trunk and it’s Jerome in a bad fake beard and an even worse Italian accent. He’s joined by Barbara, who is posing as the magician’s assistant. Uh Oh.
Meanwhile, Theo and Tabitha mingle with Deputy Mayor Caine, who wants to know more about Gotham’s latest billionaire twinsie duo. Tabitha makes a joke about Theo being great in bed (gross) and Theo sends her home. Ugh, this is gonna turn into some creepy incest love triangle with Barbara, isn’t it? DO NOT WANT.
Alfred continues flirting with Lee, talking about his adventures as a British royal marine vs. butlering. He compliments her eyes and offers to take her out for a swanky dinner. Lee (like a woman after my own heart) is not so into flirting but is down for a free fancy dinner. Bruce comes over to cock block Alfred and demand they leave.
Lee takes the stage and introduces the great Rudolfo, who appears with a masked Barbara. He starts doing tricks and everyone is enthralled with his (basic AF) magic routine. Jerome pulls Bruce out of the audience and makes him participate in the old “getting sawed in half” routine. Alfred gets antsy when he sees Bruce about to be bisected, but it’s only a magic trick and Bruce leaves unscathed.
Gordon and Bullock are in the GCPD locker room, recovering from the gas attack. Bullock encourages Gordon to take a break and go to the gala, but he can’t because JUSTICE NEVER SLEEPS.
Back at the gala, Barbara takes a bow and her mask slips off. Lee immediately recognizes her and calls Gordon before she is taken hostage. Jerome brings the deputy mayor up on stage for another magic trick, but instead he throws a knife right into his chest. Everyone screams and tries to escape the gala, but the doors are locked. Theo’s thugs start shooting up the joint as Jerome laughs maniacally. Alfred starts beating up thugs and Selina drags Bruce out of the fray.
Gordon arrives outside the gala and watches the live TV feed of Jerome taunting the crowd. Also, the crazy-haired reporter is back. Hey girl! Jerome makes outrageous demands for millions of dollars and a pony, or he will kill everyone at the gala. Theo stands up demands that Jerome leave the people alone. He offers himself up as a hostage, playing the hero for the audience, before Barbara knocks him unconscious.
Selina sneaks Bruce out the service entrance, but Bruce refuses to leave Alfred behind. Selina refuses to go back, and Bruce tells her that he misses her. Gordon demands that the other cops storm the gala, and they are straight up like nope, so he breaks into the gala the same way Selina did.
Meanwhile, Barbara has put Lee on the spinning knife-throwing wheel and is engaging her in some girl talk. She tells Lee that she’s gonna get back together with Gordon, because they both have dark sides and are twisted soul mates. Sidebar: does Barbara legit want Gordon or does she want to destroy him? Is it both? Not sure if she’s serious or just taunting Lee here. In response, Lee straight up kicks Barbara right in the vadge. Is Dr. Lee my favorite character on this show? SHE IS NOW. Barbara tries to stab her, but settles for punching her in the face.
Jerome calls out for Bruce, who is hiding. When he doesn’t come out, Jerome threatens to kill Alfred. Gordon finds Bruce and they concoct a plan. This leads to Bruce taking the stage and hugging Alfred, whispering that he has a gun in his jacket. Alfred takes the gun, and he and Gordon start shooting. Jerome grabs Bruce and holds him at knife point.
Theo sneaks up behind Jerome and stabs him in the neck. Jerome looks betrayed, and Theo tells him that this was always part of the plan. Jerome dies with a bloody smile on his face as Barbara disappears through a trap door. So long, Jerome, you brought a great threatening lunacy to this show that will be sorely missed.
Across town, Penguin watches the news coverage of Jerome and wonders if he should work on his laugh. Bullock storms in and tells Penguin that no matter how powerful he gets, he’ll always be Fish Mooney’s umbrella bitch. He says he owes him revenge for killing Fish, and that if he hurts Gordon, he’s gonna beat the crap out of him. Well played, Bullock.
Back at the gala, everyone is safe, and Gordon congratulates Theo for his heroism. Alfred continues flirting with Lee, and Gordon’s WTF face is probably my favorite of all Gordon’s faces. As they leave, Alfred sees them kissing and feels embarrassed as Bruce ribs him. Better luck next time, buddy.
Now that Jerome is dead, Gordon removes the crime tape from Essen’s office. The doors and the case are closed. Theo and Barbara watch the news coverage, and Barbara flirts with Theo, kissing his head better as Tabitha watches jealously. I’m calling it now: Tabitha is gonna kill Theo in a jealous rage.
All over town, we see the twisted citizens of Gotham giggling along with Jerome. Two guys like his style so much that they stab a homeless man, and then each other. We hear Cicero’s prophecy of madness and violence play over the gruesome scene as we see the last shot of Jerome, dead but still grinning. The showrunners have said that the character of Jerome is planting the seeds for the Joker, creating an atmosphere in Gotham that will bring rise to the clown prince of crime. I actually think this is a cool idea, and I’m cautiously excited to see how it develops. Here’s hoping that, when the Joker is revealed, Lee will be there to kick him right in the crotch.
