Together Again, Sort Of - Legend of Korra - Season 4, Episode 9

Well, we find out the new Fire Lord's name.  And that Wu is still considered some sort of rightful ruler of the Earth Realm, while Korra is left on Air Temple Island to amuse herself.  And, Zaheer can still fly.

Turns out, someone got the awesome idea of hiring air benders to guide visitors to Republic City through the city's spirit wilds.  The post of tour guide has gone to none other than... Riu!  Out of his parent's basement, but never out of his mother's hovering, Riu has dyed his hair and made some note cards of the important features of the wilds he takes a group of about eight tourists through.  Did we know that the creature Unalaq became was named UnaVaatu?  We do now!  Riu recites his notecards while his charges take pictures and ask annoying questions.

No questions allowed!

The tour really only gets interesting when one of the vines decides to do more than just grow around buildings, and actually snakes its way to Riu's group.  When a vine reaches up to the group like a tentacle, the tourist taking pictures everywhere thinks it wants to be poked with a stick.  Even Riu knows that's a terrible idea, but said poking never happens because the vine quickly wraps itself around the tourist, and snatches him up into the air.  Riu's Mom is excited when Riu sends his other charges out of the way and tries to slice the vine with air bending.  Instead, other vines, now also totally more active than they should be, snatch up the rest of the party, including Riu.  The only thing left behind is one broken camera.

Korra would be wasting time, if playing stone bending with Naga could be considered that.  Instead, it's a fun game that challenges her reflexes and Earth bending.  Korra only cuts it short when Opal approaches, still upset that her family is still prisoners of Kuvira, while world leaders can't figure out how to stop her.  Korra's comforting is interrupted by Jinora, who backflips into a landing from the air, disturbed by spiritual energy feelings from Republic City's Spirt Wilds.  The three investigate immediately.

I guess... we're looking for anything weird?

Jinora is immediately suspicious that they haven't run into Riu and his tour group.  Korra thinks they could just as easily be at the mall.  Opal worries Jinora just has an upset stomach.  But Jinora won't be dissuaded; wondering how Korra can't feel something horribly wrong with the world's spiritual energy.  So, standing among the spirit vines, Korra decides to place her hand on one, hoping to see whatever the world's spiritual energy wants to show her.

She gets the horrifying sight of Kuvira's Mecha Soldiers slicing their way through the Banyon Grove Tree, in the Great Swamp of the Earth Realm.  The tree is trying to defend itself, but the Mecha Soldiers are winning, slowly accumulating spirit vines in enormous glass and metal containers.  When Korra reports this news to the others, they know it must get to President Reiko right away.  Korra and Opal take off, while Jinora offers to stay behind, to find Riu.

President Reiko, Tenzin, Fire Lord Izumi, Chief Lin Beifong, and "King" Wu, fricking Wu, are gathered in Republic City's main council chamber, empty of spectators, with City guards and Mako keeping an eye on their own charges.  Wu thinks his genius ideas of luring Kuvira with a fake island vacation sweepstakes win, or military-grade badger moles could work.  If they don't, they can always try to find out if Kuvira has any allergies.  Reiko argues to attack Kuvira right away.  Lin Beifong, who's sister is Kuvira's prisoner, is all for it.  Kuvira broke her promise to relinquish power; that's enough for Lin and Reiko.  Tenzin won't attack someone who hasn't attacked other nations.

Korra, you think my ideas could work, right?

They are all a little disturbed when Korra enters, as the Avatar was uninvited.  Which, she quickly figures out.  Wu blames Reiko for Korra being uninvited, and Reiko keeps his game face on, sure of himself as usual.  It's Tenzin who tries to smooth things over, worrying that perhaps she needs more time to rest. Korra's still insulted that the most useless person ever was invited, and not her.  Reiko tries to scold Korra for interrupting his meeting, but Bolin and Varrick have no use for his lecture either, as they find this moment to return to Republic City, and storm into Reiko's totally secret meeting.  Bolin is frantic, everyone is shocked, and Reiko wants both new intruders arrested.  Bolin cries out, while being dragged away, that they have top secret information.

We could all die.  Right.  Now.

Reiko, wanting to hear this top secret information, keeps the doors to the meeting room totally open so that Bolin can rant incoherently about booms and rattles.  It's on Varrick to explain to the others what a super weapon is.  The whole idea is foreign to the others, but Korra correctly guesses that it requires spirit vines, which Varrick confirms.  He also informs the whole room, and anyone who could be outside the doors, that the spirit vines have enough energy to be disastrous if turned into weapons.

Reiko thinks this is enough to launch an attack on Kuvira's forces.  Tenzin refuses to participate in a pre-emptive strike, and Fire Lord Izumi stands as she agrees with Tenzin.  She reminds Reiko that her people's history is full of fighting "nonsense wars", and she implies that any war started against Kuvira would be that.  So, Reiko backs down, and he and Fire Lord Izumi agree to fortify the United Republic's defenses against Kuvira's eventual strike.

Opal leaves, having nothing else to do at this meeting, but Bolin doesn't want her to go before hearing his heartfelt and earnest apology.  For everything.  Opal's diplomatic as she tells Bolin that sorry isn't going to fix things.  Sorry won't get her family freed.   And it won't get rid of Kuvira from the Earth Realm.  Lin emerges from the meeting, shooing Bolin away so she can tell Opal that they're on their own in rescuing their fellow Beifongs.  Bolin at least gets greeted happily, all forgiven, by Korra and Mako.  He's sorry for everything, but Mako is more than happy to let it go, perhaps because Bolin was wrong about Kuvira but still right about Wu.  And Korra feels responsible for the whole mess because she's still unable to defeat Kuvira herself.  Bolin, so overwhelmed by the fact that he's not in jail and his friends have forgiven him, that he can't resist asking for another hug.  And his friends can't resist hugging him again.

We're used to you being an idiot, so don't worry

Bolin wanders off, and Jinora is still trekking the Spirit Wilds, looking for signs of Riu.  When she finds the broken camera, left behind earlier, the vines decide to attack her, too.  She expertly evades them, with flying, flips, and air bending.  So, it takes several vines to capture her.  Luckily, she gets off a spirit projection 911 call to Korra, who is still with Mako in the City.  They go to the entrance to the Spirit Wilds immediately, but they're not the only ones who know something is going on.  With vines snapping out of the wilds randomly, Lin has had the Wilds closed down and cordoned off.  She will only allow Korra and Mako inside.

The two wander around, and are soon attacked as well.  They work together to stay free, and find an abandoned building to take shelter in, with Korra earth bending a barricade the vines can't penetrate.  Mako turns to find that their shelter is also where the missing have been imprisoned.  The room is lit with an eery glow coming from the spirit vine structure in the middle of the empty space.  Pods dot the structure, and Korra finds that each pod contains one of the missing, their spirits now entrapped, for some reason, in the spirit world.

Korra decides to meditate to find their spirits, and gets right to it.  She slips out of her world instantly, but she soon realizes that the spindly plateau in the middle of a canyon she's in isn't the Spirit World.  Instead, it's Zaheer Fear World, where she has to face him again.  He's exultant in his expected victory, while Korra tries to insist that he's supposed to be defeated.  When he, once again, puts her in his choking air bubble, she cuts the meditation, coming to in a cold sweat.  But, at least she knows who is keeping her from recovering.

Korra requests that Tenzin let her see Zaheer in whatever prison he's in.  Tenzin immediately refuses. They debate it out, right in front of the entrance to the Spirit Wilds.  Korra worries that Tenzin has no faith in her anymore; Tenzin just doesn't want to lose her as well as Jinora today.  But Korra says she needs to face what she's fearing, especially if Zaheer is somehow keeping her from recovering.  So, he reluctantly agrees.

Bolin has found Air Temple Island, gotten a bath and new clothes and now, just needs his fire ferret.  He and PabPab reunite, giddy with joy to see each other, as usual.  Bolin explains his Opal situation to Pabu, and is totally sure that Pabu's squeaks are an enthusiastic agreement to help get her back for Bolin.  And maybe they are, because Opal is later reading outside when a frantic Pabu gets her attention, and Opal can't resist opening the note tied to his collar.  She runs to Bolin's aid, only to find he hasn't broken one leg, much less two.  Instead, Bolin has prepared steamy buns and tea on a picnic blanket, and wants Opal to enjoy the outdoors with him and Pabs.

Opal's much less diplomatic as she lays into Bolin, telling him that steamy buns aren't going to get her family back, either.    She's only sorry that Pabu had to watch his human get set down so horribly. Bolin realizes getting Opal back will be a little more complicated than he thought.

Varrick's getting the homecoming he wanted, at least.  We finally see Asami, but not reunited with all her friends.  Instead, Reiko summons them both, despite his obvious dislike for Varrick, to find a way to defeat Kuvira's super weapon.  He calls them his brightest minds, which is true, but Asami's still sore about Varrick sabotaging her company so he could take it over, and reminds him that he's bombed a building in Republic City.  Varrick counters that he owned that building, so he's allowed to blow it up.  Reiko pleads with them to work together, and Asami agrees, but only after a painful handhold that confirms to Varrick that she will not be bamboozled again by him.

The White Lotus escorts Korra and Mako through Zaheer's mountain prison.  First, there are the massive metal doors, as tall as City buildings.  Mako asks Korra if she really wants to do this, but Korra is still hoping that just seeing Zaheer locked up for herself will convince her mind that he's really defeated, and she's really safe.  Then, it's down via elevator to a large, way underground vault.  The White Lotus guards metal bend massive chains that pull open the first door of a windowless vestibule beyond.  Inside, there is only another door controlled elsewhere.  Korra convinces Mako to let her go in alone, despite the obvious security weakness.  He looks more hopeful than convinced as the vestibule door closes on Korra, leaving her alone as the second door is also lifted open.

Zaheer's chamber has no daylight, no access to fresh air.  Instead, glowing crystals illuminate a long-haired man in chains but still floating, and meditating instead of suffering.  Zaheer isn't surprised at all.  And he reveals no emotion as he tells Korra he knew she'd come eventually.    Korra, sounding more like a teenager and less like an Avatar, announces that she's only here to tell him that he can't hurt her anymore, and she's totally over being afraid of him.  So, now Zaheer knows that Korra is still afraid, and zooms at her so ferociously, she lunges back and he is yanked back by his chains.  Korra blames him for making her a powerless Avatar.  Zaheer says that something inside Korra herself is doing that.  He informs Korra that he already knows she can't access the Spirit World, as he has been there constantly during his imprisonment, and heard the spirits bemoaning her absence.

Korra is perplexed by the fact that Zaheer can reach the Spirit World but not her.  But she wants Zaheer to also know that his actions have created the perfect chance for a dictator to arise and try to control the Earth Realm, and Zaheer finally looks disappointed.   He'd heard rumors, but now Korra has confirmed that his vision went horribly wrong.  Since he doesn't want a dictator in the Earth Realm any more than Korra, he offers to guide her through her blockage into the Spirit World.  He reminds Korra that she's in his cell because nothing else she's tried will work.  So, she sits and joins him in meditation.

Instead of the Spirit World, she is still trapped in her visions of Zaheer killing her;  Zaheer instructs her to let the vision play out; stop avoiding it, get through the memories, just like she got through the attack itself years ago.  She's been consumed by the fear of the fact that could have died; instead of remembering that she survived despite the long odds against her.  She's forgotten how others cared enough to aid her, how she was strong enough to hold on until they could, and that she has power Zaheer can't defeat.  She crashes through the canyon, to find herself, finally, in the Spirit World, Zaheer waiting for her in her field.  He disappears, telling her his work is done, and it's Raava's turn to emerge, glowing from within Korra, finally.  Korra is so relieved that Raava has returned, but Raava informs Korra that they were never separated.  They were only blocked, never cut off.

Apparently, Raava couldn't send an email or something, either

Raava whisks Korra through the Spirit World, traversing vast spirit distances in seconds, to where the imprisoned spirits have been kept, in a bubble emerging from an old tree trunk.  Raava wants Korra to bend the energy keeping the spirits prisoner, but Korra reminds Raava that she can't bend when entering the Spirit World by meditation.  Raava tells Korra she's not going to bend elements, but the spirit energy surrounding her and imprisoning her friends.  Raava once again instructs Korra on using her own spirit energy, connected to the Spirit Worlds', and Korra reaches out to the bubble, and it glows yellow before opening.

Spirits float away, including Jinora's and Riu's and Riu's tour group.  They all wake as their imprisoning pods melt away, leaving them feeling like they just napped.  They emerge, unharmed, from the Spirit Wilds as Tenzin was anxiously waiting.  Jinora informs him that it was Korra that freed them, so he will know that Korra did solve her problem by visiting Zaheer after all.  She and Mako emerge from Zaheer's prison, in daylight once again.  Mako wants to know if Korra can now forget his murder attempt.  Korra gently tells Mako that that's not what she needed to do.  She needed to fully remember his attack.  She needed to remember that she did survive.  And she thinks that she's ready for action again.  But, no one's answered the question of why the spirits wanted those people in the first place.

Lin and Opal have chosen their sky bison, who is reclining with a runny nose while they pack the last supplies they'll need for the trip to the Earth Realm. Bolin comes from behind, for one last message to Opal.  He totally understands that Opal hates him, and that he can't win her back.  But that he loves her so much, that he won't stop trying.  Which is not what a stalker would do at all.  Opal, instead of being annoyed that the guy who helped Kuvira take her home has just announced that he's now stalking her, is silently touched.  But, she's still got some sense;  she tells Bolin that he could win her back.  And he excitedly begs her to name what he has to do.    Opal turns, telling him that he can come with her to Zao Fu, to rescue her family.

Bolin looks shocked at the request, but only for a second.  Because Determined Bolin shows up right away.  He'll literally do anything, or fail spectacularly at trying.

Desperately Seeking Selina - Gotham - Season 1, Episode 10

Oh, what an episode.  Alfred and Bullock race a new killer to find our precocious troublemakers.  Jim loses what little ground he has when he loses one stupid fight.

Wayne Manor is in full bloom, and one of Bruce's gardeners finds a lost daytripper.  She doesn't listen when he tells her she can't be there, because she's too busy killing him, having him sliced open by an assistant, and then smearing his blood on her forehead.

Inside, unaware that Ms. Copperhead is on her way, Bruce and Cat have a balancing lesson.  On a rail of Bruce's Grand Staircase.  It's good clean fun, until Cat brings up climbing to the top of one of Gotham's bridges for yet another chance to kiss her.  Bruce doesn't look enthused about either idea, but Cat says it's better than continuing to obsess over the death of one's parents.  Bruce wants to know why Cat is so obsessed with the idea of them kissing.  He's convinced Cat has some ulterior motive, pointing out that Cat isn't a nice person.  Cat doesn't know what to make of that, but their newest tif is broken by the door bell.

Alfred opens up to Copperhead, this time dressed as an innocent driver, who looks, thanks to the blood on her forehead, like she's been hurt.  Alfred invites her in, offering to call anyone for her, but one look at the kids who've come down to satisfy their curiosity, and both Copperhead and Alfred are battling it out in the foyer.  Alfred only has time to send the kids running.

So, it's not pizza?

Cat and Bruce evade Copperhead and her assistants by using a secret passage through the house, but Bruce isn't ready to flee his home, not when Alfred is back there and now kicking butt in the study. That changes when Copperhead and an assistant manage to follow them out of the house.  Cat and Bruce scram, helped only when Alfred gets his gun and manages to nail one of Copperheads' assistants.

We've seen, since the first episode, that Alfred is as much a bodyguard as a butler.  Since his accent isn't from Britain's aristocracy but it's meaner streets, we know that Alfred is just the guy to protect Bruce.  This episode finally delivers on the promise of showing just what he can do.  Let's just say, he only needs a gun for long distance blows.

Alfred's next step is to call the cops.  Jim is pacing around, trying to deflect Alfred's anger at putting Cat in the same house with his young ward.  He's also trying to figure out which neck to wring over the obvious leak that led assassins to Wayne Manor.  Bullock appears, and he's finally figuring out just how much Jim's kept from him when he finds a picture of Cat, a mug shot, off the assassin that Alfred shot.  Alfred and Bullock, furious at how Jim's investigation is going, decide to cut him out of finding Bruce and Cat.  Maybe realizing they're the only two not floundering here, they decide to team up and find the kids.  Jim will find the mole.

Bruce and Cat are currently making their way through yet more abandoned industrial scrub, long grown over and perfect for a confidential conversation about what to do next.  Cat convinces Bruce to keep going.  She also convinces him that it was him the assassins were after.  She promises him his phone call if he'll just follow her.

Oswald's day starts off pleasantly, kidnapped by Falcone, his secret boss, and accused of helping Maroni try to steal from his armory.  Oswald looks scared for about a minute, but his vicious side soon emerges when Liza appears briefly.  He begs that Falcone kill Fish Mooney immediately.  But, Falcone's not willing to give up on someone who's made him a lot of money.  Yet.  Oswald promises that the mole who spilled on Falcone's cash at the armory will be found.  And it will be a mole of Fish's.  He kisses Falcone's ring on it.

Why is it always me?

Being driven away by his own guy, Gabriel, Oswald explains why he didn't give Liza up then and there; she's going to get herself implicated soon enough.  Better to let the bomb explode with no warning for Falcone or Mooney.

Jim starts his investigation of his own mole in Dent's own office.  Dent still sounds eerily in control as he eventually admits that he did, in fact, tip his hand when he did a background check on Jim.  From there, it was probably an easy paperwork search, showing Jim's past interest in Cat.  Dent deflects Jim's anger much better than Jim did Alfred's.  He's not defensive, he quickly cops to his mistake, and he offers Jim the joy of a long bawling out once the kids have been found.  He's 110% sure Lovecraft ordered the hit on the kids, and gives him a condo address that he knows is Lovecraft's.  Jim is off.

Bullock and Alfred investigate their first lead, a street kid who knows Cat.  Bullock is sure he can intimidate the name of Cat's new fence, who she might flee to, from the kid.  But Alfred, probably seeing the kid isn't a hardened criminal yet, just offers him money.  The street kid doesn't have a name for the fence, but sends them to Fish Mooney for it.

Somebody has to go down for the robbery at Falcone's armory.  It turns out to be a lieutenant named Banyon, who Falcone solemnly shoots in the head at the next company lunch.  Fish and the other lieutenants are freaked at the table, and desperate to conceal it.  Does Mooney feel any guilt for someone else taking her fall?  Probably not, as she recovers her poise pretty quick.  Falcone says he doesn't even know if Banyon was a traitor or just incompetent.  He just was in the position to pay for Falcone's loss.  And so are Mooney and the other lieutenants, who will have to cough up the money to replenish Falcone's reserves.  The other lieutenants balk, but Mooney needs to keep up the facade of loyal lieutenant, and insists that Falcone has spoken and they will comply. Because.. family!  And what's better family time than enjoying lunch with a dead body at the table?  Nothing!

Finally in Gotham, Bruce leaps on the first pay phone they find, until he realizes he has no coins.  Cat gives him one, but asks why he's got to call his butler.  When Bruce insists that Alfred is his family, Cat feels the need to tell Bruce that she lied earlier.  She told Bruce he was the target, yet knowing she was, because she's not nice.  And they might have some fun in the city together.  Bruce is maybe the first character in the history of television to openly point out that another character just used convoluted reasoning.  TV history, everyone!  Cat wanted this last fun day, as she informs Bruce that there's no way she'll ever testify in court about his parents' murders, and tries to vanish on him.

Bruce isn't having it, and he manages to keep up with her among Gotham's roofs, until Cat leaps over an alley.  Bruce resists jumping at first, and Cat thinks she's gotten away, when Bruce backs up and makes a mad dash for the jump.  Cat looks like she can't believe what idiot thing he's doing now, but she's also there to catch him when he lands on the ledge and needs to be pulled to safety.  Bruce, out of breath, admits he can't chase her anymore.  She relents, but only on the grounds that Bruce is going to have live like a proper Gotham street kid.  She nixes the idea of a phone call, telling Bruce that they're going to disappear.  They do that by trying to blend in at an abandoned building (just how many of these does Gotham have?) now being used by street kids as a mall.  They've got shopping to do.

Fish Mooney and First Mate fret over the thickening plot.  Mooney instructs First Mate to reach out to Falcone's other lieutenants, see how unhappy they are about the hiked Falcone tax.  He'd love to proceed, but Bullock and Alfred are there to follow up on their one lead.  First Mate tries to send them away, bringing Mooney's attention to the matter.  For someone who's not involved, she sure knows a lot about Cat being a guest at Wayne Manor and having a new fence.  She doesn't want to help Bullock, but Alfred blows some smoke up her ass.  Maybe she likes being flattered for a change.  Maybe she realizes that letting a billionaire kid get murdered in her neighborhood will go badly for her.  Maybe she loves Alfred.  I don't know.  All I know is that they leave with the name of Cat's fence.

I'm a sucker for a man who thinks I'm a good person...

Cat would love to meet them there, but they're holed up in Street Kid Mall getting Bruce some old clothes.  He now looks like a normal kid, which relieves Cat.  We finally see Ivy Pepper again, missing since the first episode.  With dad dead and mom who knows where, Ivy was sent to a new family that she's quickly run away from, and Bruce is face to face with the daughter of the man framed for his parents' murder.  They both share a common obsession for knowing who set up Mario Pepper, but Cat gets nervous about lingering around Ivy, and yanks Bruce with her to find Clyde the Fence.

Jim gets to Lovecraft's condo and quickly finds him.  Lovecraft isn't so much the cocky rich guy from last episode.  He's now a scared little man, who admits to just being a cog in someone else's wheel.  All Jim gets from him is that there were some questionable trades around Wayne Enterprises stock right before the Wayne murders.  Like someone knew change was coming.  Lovecraft says he, too, is a target, just like Jim's witness.  He turns out to be right when Copperhead enters.  Lovecraft tries to flee, and Jim tries to fight.  And both fail.  Jim is knocked out, and wakes up later to find his gun in Lovecraft's bathroom.  After being used to shoot Lovecraft in the head.  Jim can be placed all over the condo, and his gun will have his prints only on it, and be identified as the murder weapon.  One lost fight will undo all the work he's done to date.

Clyde the Fence turns out to be in yet another shadowy Gotham building.  Doesn't it seem like most of Gotham's crime problem could be solved with better zoning, or even just demolishing the abandoned buildings? Anyway, Clyde's offer for stuff Bruce recognizes as his own insults both Cat and Bruce, who can describe how valuable the loot is in detail.  Cat realizes she's got an expert to help plead for more money, but it turns out Clyde's already accepted a ton of money from someone else.  He has Cat and Bruce locked in a large storeroom, complete with its own skylight.

Wow.  Locked in a room full of stuff we can use to escape

The two waste no time, immediately stacking furniture for climbing up to freedom.  Cat manages to get the crank that opens the window functioning, but Copperhead and Co. are already on their way up, after paying off Clyde.  What no one knows is that Bullock and Alfred have chosen this moment to arrive, and Alfred immediately enters shooting.  Bullock says something useless, but  funny, about backup before joining in.

Bruce and Cat realize they're not getting out before the killers will find them.  But they leave the window open anyway, hoping to run away while everyone is obsessed with getting up to follow them.  From there, it's only a matter of time before Alfred and Bruce get into their own version of Marco Polo, shouting to each other in the darkness.  Cat tries to get Bruce up to the roof, but he sees Copperhead on the floor below, and makes the mistake of stopping to try to hit her with whatever debris he can scoop up at his feet.  Cat manages to get out.  Bruce has better aim than he did at the food fight, but Copperhead manages to grab a leg, point a gun at Bruce, and demand to know where Cat is.

Kid, she's not even your girlfriend, get out of the way

Bruce won't give her up, and Copperhead tells him to be sensible, not brave.  It's Alfred who saves the day, shooting Copperhead and getting to Bruce for the hug.  Jim shows up to look relieved.

It's the only good thing to happen all day, because Mayor James has both Dent and Jim in his office.  He's furious at both, but Dent manages to get less blame, mostly because Jim has been a pain in his ass for months now.  James is now convinced that Jim is coming for him, one day, and demands that one of them is getting blamed as an overzealous law official who drove Lovecraft to suicide.  Since, as James claimes, Dent knows where to draw the line, it will be Jim who gets the worst demotion ever to....

Getting detention from the principal

Security guard at Arkham Asylum.  Whether James actually has the authority isn't mentioned, although he probably just pulled a few strings.  Bullock is indignant.  Despite all Jim's annoying tendencies, they did solve some cases together.  Nygma says he'll complain, but Jim only leaves the precinct alone, Bullock staring long and hard after him.

Bruce is back to staring at his Wall of Dead Parents and Their Empire when Cat once again breezes in.  She's gotten his stuff back from Clyde the Fence, hopefully teaching him an expensive lesson in loyalty that he'll learn as soon as he's out of jail.  Cat declares that she'll be honest with him from now on, and even admits she has even more loot from his place, when she shows him the silver case she lifted from his study a few episodes back.  It's pretty small, but the engraving of a bat is startling enough that Bruce doesn't speak as she leaves.  Alfred, who no doubt is well aware they just had a visitor, comes out to once again console Bruce on his lonely state.  Bruce is still busy thinking about the bat.

We leave the mid-season finale on Jim, entering Arkham for the second time.  Sure, it's a crazy worse job than homicide detective.  But, Jim's known since the fourth episode that Arkham is wrapped in the mob war that involves Wayne Enterprises.   Mayor James was intimately connected with solving the mob war over the Asylum and surrounding land.  Did he put Jim there on purpose? So, how many inexplicable deaths will Jim investigate, and find tied to a deeper, darker, plot?  How soon until he realizes that he is just where he needs to be, just like Copperhead said of herself at Wayne Manor?

Some Screwed Up, Endless Joke - Walking Dead - Season 5, Episode 7

No, it's not gunshots.  It's Sasha's ax, beating the pews of Gabriel's church into boards for fortifying the windows and doors.  Just having lost Bob, she's manic at her work.  Darryl and Tyrese watch as they take apart the organ's pipes.  Tyrese tells Darryl that it's just as well he missed the ugliness two nights ago. while they use the thick, metal pipes as stakes around the steps leading to the entrance.  Gabriel attempts sarcasm when he asks Darryl if they'll take his cross apart, but Darryl tells Gabriel to not count on anything remaining if they can use it.  Notice, Darryl is back, and it's the next morning.

I just hope we all get out of the zombiepocalypse okay

Noah, still limping but at least grateful to have found some other survivors willing and able to help, wanders the outside of the church.  Rick, Michonne, and Carl take the boards Sasha has made and are barricading the windows.  Rick and Michonne are now so well bonded that they see Carl as theirs, not his.  They're deciding who should help rescue Carol and who should stay with Carl and Judith, and Michonne is the babysitter this time.   Judith cries a bit, although why she misses Rick is beyond me, but she's got her own basket to play in while Michonne and Carl finish barricading themselves in. The only other to remain is Gabriel, who looks over the wreck his church has become (from his new friends' "protection") before noticing dried blood all over his floor.  He gets to work, like Lady MacBeth with her own blood spot, trying furiously to wipe it away.

It's not long before Darryl, Noah, Rick, Tyrese and Sasha are cruising back to the city in the truck Darryl found in Atlanta.  Tyrese and Sasha have the back to themselves, surrounded only by the weapons and supplies for freeing Beth and Carol.  Tyrese, having lost Karen as hard as Sasha lost Bob, wants his sister to open up about the obviously shitty way she feels.  She's now wearing Bob's old jacket, but won't talk.  It's all she can do to push Tyrese away to suffer in private.

Abraham's group is realizing their fearless leader isn't much of a leader.  Tara has renamed the group "GreatM", threatening that it will be her next tattoo.  Glenn isn't impressed by her humor but it's that or a breakdown, so he'll take it.  Without Abraham, who is still literally on his knees facing back the other way, the others confab on Eugene's condition.  He's still out cold in the sun, and Maggie nixes moving him, as they don't what was injured and can't risk further stressing his spine.  Tara has helpfully set up water bottles of carefully, equally proportioned water, and Rosita tries getting Abraham to drink.  He's still in Terrible-Twos mode, and swipes the water away, wasting precious drops.  When Rosita looks peeved at how the guy using her for sex is treating her, he leaps up to stare furiously at her.  It freaks out everyone to the point that Maggie calmly points her own revolver at him, sending him back to his corner.  The general consensus has Abraham sulking on his knees while they wait indefinitely for Eugene to wake up.

Beth is holding down the fort at Grady Memorial.  She's surreptitiously keeping an eye on Carol and Dr. Stephen's care.  The guy tiptoes around Beth now, afraid of how awful she knows he is.  Is he worried that Beth will blab to Dawn?  That might be a reasonable fear.  When Beth overhears another officer complaining that Carol's life support is costing electricity, Beth practically takes the mop to him, demanding that he maybe go easy watching DVDs if power for patients is an issue.  The guy ambles off, but only after Dawn has agreed to take Carol off life support and see if she recovers on her own.  Dawn's a little surprised at Beth's forwardness.  But, instead of a new beating, Dawn gives Beth a lingering look before fishing out the key to the drug closet.  She tells Beth to use what she can to help the new patient, who Beth has managed not to reveal she knows.  Dawn then holds out the possibility that Beth may be officer material.  She's not so happy with her current officers' failure to find Noah, so maybe she's looking for someone a little more loyal to the other wards.

What's that? You're totally outsmarted by Noah?

Rick, who keeps saying he's not the leader, is drawing in the dust of the floor of some old abandoned building, presumably close to Grady.  He's showing them his plan for invading the hospital quietly, slipping up the stairwell, and taking out the officers one by one, with his team split up and hoping not to be discovered until the odds are in their favor. Rick specifically saves Dawn for himself, implying that they'll have a showdown fight, either in this episode or the next.  Tyrese hates the risk and bloodshed.  Even if they're not ambushed, a lot of people could die.  Tyrese proposes kidnapping two of the wandering officers, and trading them as hostages.  Then, everyone goes home.  Dawn doesn't exactly have a full army, so she'll deal to preserve the officers she has.  Rick isn't convinced, but Darryl is.  Why fight when they can drive home tomorrow morning no worse for the wear?  Rick looks defeated for a moment, and gives Darryl his best Et tu, Brute? look.  But he accepts that Dawn gets to live to fight another day.

Gabriel is still trying to desperately clean his floors.  Carl has placed a wide variety of hand weapons in front of him, and finally stops him from cleaning long enough to lecture Gabriel on surviving.  Gabriel is still horrified by killing Gareth and his Hunters, in his church, but Carl wants him to concentrate on learning the ins and outs of survival now.

Carl's new career as Life Coach

Gabriel is stunned that someone can so matter of factly state how brutal life is these days.  Michonne, tending to Judith in a nearby pew, looks on in sadness and worry that Carl is once again hardening and Gabriel still can't deal.  Gabriel finally chooses a machete, slowly lifting it by the handle, touching it as little as he can.  Carl isn't happy with his grip, getting lost on some point about the hardness of zombie skulls, but Gabriel only stands, says he has to lie down, and wanders off with the machete, back to his office.

Tara, Rosita and Glenn trek off to find water at a nearby creek, with Maggie agreeing to watch Eugene while they're gone.  Glenn's not happy to leave her, but Abraham might snap out of his funk if need be, and they're just going for water.  They pass zombies downed by a telephone pole, in identical outfits.  Utility workers, somehow working through the outbreak until disaster struck?  The three water-bearers don't seem interested in them, pinned down as they are.  Tara actually throws a joke in bad taste at them, musing that there's nothing for them in D.C. anyway.  Rosita gets pissy, as that's been her goal for months now, and even Glenn has to try to stop Tara's burgeoning comedy career.  Tara's definitely the least disappointed of all, and can't hold it against Eugene that he used the one skill he had, lying, to survive.  Glenn will, though.

Back at the truck, Maggie decides the heat isn't helping Eugene.  While Abraham stoically perfects his stare, Maggie manages to get a ladder down from the roof of the fire truck, and haul it to the front, where she stacks it over Eugene, and drapes it with a blanket, protecting him from heat stroke.  Why all the concern?  Is Maggie considering what her father would do?  Maybe not when she marches over to Abraham, and informs him that it's time to get up and face living.  She reminds him that he's not the only one disappointed today, on the verge of tears as she reminds him that they're all trapped in this hell, so he can stop the self-pity party and try being useful.

Dr. Stephen is surprised to see Beth appear at his door.  And confused when Beth wants to know what Stephen would administer to his newest patient, until he figures out that Beth has the drug closet key.  He tries to warn Beth that Dawn could be playing her, but Beth keeps up until Stephen gives her the prescription.  He wishes her luck as she leaves without another word, disappearing into the dark corridors.

GreatM could use some humor when the stream turns out to be contaminated by the nearby slaughterhouse.  Glenn and Tara are bummed, but Rosita's got this.  She makes a filter out of her shirt fabric while Glenn and Tara get Rosita to tell her story.  She met Abraham sometime after he obtained his original truck.  When he helped her group defeat a zombie attack, he showed them Eugene, still in the cab, and asked for their help.  Rosita wasn't so much impressed by Eugene's story, as she was by the fact that a burly fighting man needed her help.  Maybe she's not so sure about that now, wondering if Abraham wanted something else from her for the long journey.  But, hey the water filter that Eugene showed her how to make works.  And Glenn sees something even more interesting- fish.  It's ridiculous that there are fish in such contaminated waters, but he suddenly has an idea of his own.

Noah has attracted the attention of two of Dawn's officers, a woman and someone named Lambson.  They chase him down via car, literally making him collide with the vehicle and fall.  As they get out they carefully hold him at gunpoint while Lambson zip ties Noah hands, taking some care not to get them too tight.  Lambson realizes too late that Noah was shooting at nothing, but he and his buddy are quickly surrounded by Rick, who smoothly takes them both prisoner.  Lambson is an attentive man; he quickly susses out that this ain't Rick's first arrest, and makes Rick squirm a bit by guessing he was a cop.  The moment is spoiled by Lambson's other buddy, another baldie who quickly shoots his car into the scene, picks up both officers and speeds off.  Sasha gets off a shot that takes out a tire, and the gang rushes off to catch up to their prey.

Awesome kidnapping plot!

Only Darryl is left behind when they find the car abandoned, zombie guts stuck in the front wheel.  At a FEMA evacuation point.  And, we get our first look at the gruesome awesomeness that is napalmed zombies.  They are neon orange, in pieces, and melted to the asphalt.  They are littered across the drive.  They can't move, so when Darryl stays behind to check out possibly hiding spots for the third cop, he doesn't put them down.  When the third cop launches himself on top of Darryl, he quickly gets the upper hand and throws Darry down between two zombie heads aching for their first meal.  But, Darryl's not done.  He literally fishes around blindly with his one free hand, yanks a zombie head off from one side, and uses it to bash in the cop's head.  Rick does the rest, having circled back just in time to hold the third cop at gunpoint.  Baldie surrenders, but doesn't look like he's given up, and Rick can't decide whether to spare him until Darryl points out three hostages are better.

Darryl marches all three new prisoners into their hideout, but the cops have their own plans.  They fear Dawn won't trade for them, as Dawn knows she's got a loyalty problem among her own people.  And they've captured the guy who maybe hopes to someday take control from Dawn, Lambson.  The woman suggests that Darryl let them go, and they'll take care of Dawn and free their captors' friends.  That's a terrible idea for Darryl to take.  The cops could just as easily leave, lead Dawn right back to her new enemies, and Team Darryl would be extra screwed.  It's Lambson who calls off the bad idea, saying that he knows Dawn best.  Sasha says they've got the Dawn angle covered.  Lambson says they don't, and they're going to need help.  He's willing to go along if it means everyone survives the day.  So, Darryl takes him to mastermind Rick for more talking.

Meanwhile, GreatM has decided to put down the pinned zombies after all.  Not out of any morals, but for their jackets.  Specifically, the mesh inside their jackets.  It will make the perfect net.  Tara scores a muddy, buried knapsack from one of the dead, and they're all set for an afternoon of fishing.  The three are having their first good time since yesterday,  Glenn asks Rosita how she'd like to join the GreatM, be a part of a team.  They're not saving the world, but hey, the Fish Fries are fun. Off on the riverbank, Tara is enjoying her new knapsack, declaring they're never going to believe what it contains.

Michonne, still trying to talk Gabriel into accepting the new reality, interrupts Gabriel's nap.  He holds the door partially closed as she tenderly tells him that his new roommies just want to help.  He thanks her, but goes back inside to his work, which has been prying up floorboards.  Since the front door has been barricaded shut, the crawl space underneath is his only escape.  Yes, in the south the building would have been on brick piers instead of a proper foundation.  it's the beauty of having no frostline and small buildings.  He limps away after digging out a gruesome splinter.

Beth's got her hands on some strawberries, but she doesn't keep them.   She brings them to a fellow ward, who quickly has a breathing attack, distracting all the officers nearby while she stuffs the needed drug into her shirt and saunters off.  Mr. Cough suddenly gets better, as she passes into safety.  Beth heads right to Carol, setting up a drip just as her dad and Dr. Stephen taught, and taking the chance that Dr. Stephen has steered her right.   Carol is still bruised, and sleeping, but Beth hopes Carol will hear her as she whispers to Carol that she's not alone.  Beth, honey, Carol doesn't need whispers.  She needs you to be ready with weapons.

Sasha finally has it out about Bob. All it takes is a rip in Bob's jacket.  She's been beating herself up that she couldn't put Bob down herself, and she and Tyrese hug it out among the napalmed zombies.  They're touched.

Lambson has some last minute advice for Rick: trust that Dawn will compromise, she eventually always does.  Before Rick goes, he tries to tell Lambson, now Bob (oh, no, not another Bob!), that he is, still, a cop.  But, Lambson says no one is anymore.  Rick leaves him to his philosophical musings.

Gabriel is finally free of his protectors, but petrified of every sound in the woods.  He can't handle the small rustlings of rabbits, and doesn't even catch the zombie coming.  He defeats it by accident when he throws it onto a shard of wood that entraps it, chewing up entrails as the zombie thrashes around on its new point.  Gabriel is all ready for his first zombie kill.  But around her green, oozing neck is a cross.  So, Gabriel loses his nerve, simply leaving the zombie where it lays.

Back in Atlanta, Lambson quietly curses to himself, and when Sasha, left alone to supervise him, describes to her that he recognized one of the napalmed zombies.  Sasha takes the CMU block for a seat, and Lambson eyes her rifle unslung from her shoulders just a moment too long.  And then launches into his story.  There's the sight of someone in the distance, so the assumption is that Sasha's not alone.  Lambson's story is of surviving when he shouldn't have, so Sasha offers to shoot his old buddy, put him down, as a favor.  Is this the beginning of a new friendship?

Back at the truck, Maggie's starting to worry, and Abraham looks ready to crack.  Timeout might just be over, so Maggie re-offers him the water bottle, refusing to believe he's not thirsty.  When he still doesn't react, Maggie squats, and asks Abraham if he wanted to be shot, earlier.  Abraham admits being on the fence about living, when a gurgling is heard.  It's Eugene, and he's alive.  Maggie looks relieved tending to him.  Tara, Rosita, and Glenn take that moment to find the road again, with Glenn deciding that Tara's humor might be what they need, as she plays with her new, awesome, yo-yo.

Sasha walks Lambson over to where Lambson can see his old friend.  He steps back so Sasha can take the shot.  But it's not new friend time.  It's ram Sasha unconscious and take off time.  Still ziptied, he doesn't even bother with the gun before scampering.

So, is this the beginning of Lambson's play for Grady?  Would he keep the ward/officer setup?  Or would he try to actually govern a community holed up in the hospital?  Whatever his plan, Sasha's not in.  The episode bounces around a great deal, mostly lining people up for whatever will happen in the mid-season finale next week.  So, stay tuned for stuff even better than napalmed zombies!

Truth v. Good Story - Legend of Korra - Season 4, Episode 8

Wow.  Just as we had settled into the building confrontation between Korra and Kuvira, the show takes a breather.  It's not that I mind Mako finally realizing that he's needed a break from the ladies to find himself.  I don't mind that Korra finally realizes that "Balance" will always be a work in progress.  I definitely never mind Varrick's forays into other people's stories.  I just don't get why this isn't a bonus episode of some sort, instead of an official part of the season.

Since so much of the episode is a recap, I'll stay away from recapping the past three seasons, and I'll stick to the "theme" of each of the three sets of memories we see.  Although, "memories" is a very loose term when describing Varrick's recital.  Varrick's more of a "based on a true story" kind of guy.

Wu, in the present day and still at his cushy safe house, a.k.a. the Sato estate, has decided to learn how to defend himself.  Although, that mostly consists of getting knocked to the ground repeatedly by Mako, who isn't telling Wu how to do better the next time.  Which, leads me to think Mako just wants to hit Wu for a while.  You know, on general principle.  Wu is pretty happy to be knocked down, yelling "Wu down!"  whenever it happens.  Mako thinks that's  terrible tag line.  Grandma Yin wanders in and out, belting Mako herself whenever Wu goes down.  You know, on general principle.

A victory for general principle

Wu wants the story on Korra, especially when he finds out that she and Mako went out once.  For a guy who's been on the Republic City social scene for a few years, one would think he already knew a good bit.  Mako reluctantly tells the tale, starting with meeting Korra as a pro bender, and Wu didn't even know Mako was a pro bender.  Didn't this guy follow the Fire Ferrets?  Mako takes the detour of falling for Asami, and Grandma Yin wonders if Mako wasn't every bit the ladies man Mako's grandfather was.  As Mako delves further along his Tale of Two Ladies, Grandma Yin is completely scandalized.  Mako's version of the three seasons before is one of dating both Asami and Korra, the slightly ugly rivalry between them, and their eventual realizations that Mako was meant for neither of them.  And Mako's realization that maybe he wasn't ready for a serious relationship.

And, maybe you need some relationship skills?

One of the highlights of the show has been Asami and Korra's deepening friendship, evident when Korra could confide in her and not Bolin and Mako earlier.  They've gone from competing over Mako, to becoming close friends, by saving and supporting each other.  When Mako was uncomfortable over sharing an airship with two ex-girlfriends, they could only be amused at the Rivalry That Ended Happily.  Today, in the present, Asami approaches a pensive Korra with tea, while the two stay on Air Temple Island to determine what to do about Kuvira.

This cup will solve all our problems

Korra is despondent over losing to Kuvira.  She really thought she was back, but her fears still haunt her.  And her remembrance leads her to believe that she hasn't brought balance, as she is supposed to. She recalls the brash, impatient, but happy young woman who found herself pro-bending in Republic City.  She remembers how that girl only defeated Amon and the Equalists with her friends helping her, and almost lost most of her bending powers.  She brings up losing her connection to past Avatars, at the hands of Vatu/Unalaq.  She feels so guilty about losing them, not just for herself, but future Avatars. There almost were no future Avatars, thanks to Zaheer, and the victory over him came with a hard price that Korra is still paying.

Asami reminds Korra, in a classic sisters-doing-it-for-themselves moment, how Korra's victory over Unalaq made it possible to bring spirits and humans together again.  She remembers how Korra found her own spiritual energy to defeat Vatu/Unalaq in the end.  She brings up the return of the air benders, and how Korra worked to find them, bring them together, and sacrifice herself for them when called upon.  Korra has many legitimate achievements, but they're not enough to convince Korra that she's doing her job.  So, Tenzin steps in, surprising them in their private moment.  But, he has a gentle lesson for Korra:  balance is never permanent.  If it was, there'd be no need for future Avatars.  Balance is always elusive, and temporary when it does happen. It's the day to day of meeting the needs of others and oneself.  It's the compromises that lead to new laws and treaties.   It is not a final state.  It is never meant to be completed.  Balance is learning from the past, including past enemies.

Still on the boat, headed to Republic City themselves, Bolin and Varrick have been "entertained" by the life stories of their fellow escapees.   Varrick is tired of hearing harrowing tales of bad onion soups.  He's got a new tale, a tale of one hero, destined to defeat humanity's woes:  Nuktuk! Well, not Nuktuk.  Bolin!  Marketed to Nuktuk fans!

This is a star, people.  Trust me.

He outright stages his remembrance as a mover pitch, promising to once again make Bolin a star by grossly fabricating the myth that Bolin defeated Amon, Unalaq, Vatu and Zaheer by his lonesome.  The highlight is a four-way call between a set of giddy villains, who strive to keep Unalaq out of the cool-villain-clique.

Shhhh... don't tell Unalaq that we're all cooler than him!

Bolin's final win is staged similar to Korra's spirit battle with Vatu, only with Varrick claiming it's Bolin in spirit form.  It's impassioned, and filled with Bolin's past loves, including Opal, who Varrick wants to cut out from the mover due to Bolin losing his composure over losing her to his own misplaced loyalty to Kuvira.

No, Seriously, who is that guy who keeps crying?

It's not a bad mover idea, but it has one fatal flaw.  If Bolin defeats all the enemies together in one mover, where's the sequel value?  Varrick, I expected better from you.

The Last Avatar also spent an episode exploring the past, while the team stayed on Ember Island and caught a play telling their story from the side of the Fire Nation's propaganda.  During it, the characters had to wrestle with the fact that their own interpretation of events and themselves isn't what others see.  Even when those others are friends.

With this episode, we see that Mako's been trying to find himself without a love life.  Korra is trying to define her life's mission.  And Bolin just wants Opal back.  Korra, now that she's heard from both Tenzin and Toph that her enemies have something to teach her, could learn what that is now.  Mako, can proceed through life without worrying too much about the future.  And Bolin and Varrick can reach Republic City, ready to help make right what they helped make wrong.  With five episodes left, that's plenty of time to solve the present's problems.  Or, at least, for Bolin and Varrick to get off that boat.

Pastime Paradise - Scandal - Season 4, Episode 9

Wow.  I guessed that it would take about 3 episodes for some Trouble Rowan Could Have Protected Olivia From to happen.  It took three commercial breaks.  The guy literally leaves her apartment, and a night later-  well, first things first.

While Fitz and Jake go at it over the evening's fiasco, Olivia stares into the distance between them, and soldiers invade B-613.  Rowan's office is empty; only a pre-historic skeleton, a nod to his cover, remains in the darkness.  It's a headless aquatic waterfowl of some type, the spine dissolving into nothingness.  It's not the only fossil they find; Maya Pope is dragged out of the underground box and handcuffed to an interrogation table.

She thanks Olivia for getting her out of there, calling Olivia her baby, while Olivia stands off to the side blankly staring at her mother.  Maya is a little cocky as she declares that Olivia is getting her out a free woman.  Instead, Olivia rattles off what Fitz should have her charged with, then instructs both Fitz and Jake to find Rowan and kill him.  She casually strolls out while Maya keeps yelling for her.

Huck has decided the best thing to do when your son sees you kill someone and runs away frightened, is to follow the kid home and scare the shit out of his mother, too.  Kim didn't even know Javi was home, let alone back from seeing Huck, and after she checks on him, she's furious at whatever screw up Huck committed.  As a piano tones ominously, she slams the door on him.  Huck turns to his ride, Quinn, who doesn't even try to hide her pity for Huck.

The next morning finds the West Angolan ambassador, receiving Fitz's assurances that he's not going to screw over her country.  So, that means there's a lot of pressure to screw over her country, especially since terrorists from West Angola bombed the VP's car.  Fitz, while not enthused over invading West Angola, says there has to be some consequences for the bombing.  Cy points out the utter futility of a ground war.

Olivia arrives at Gladiator HQ, and finally charges her phone, and gets a call from Quinn, who's frantic to update her.  Over the phone, where she tells Olivia about Huck killing Kubiak.  Which is kind of foolish, since they know she's under somebody's surveillance.  Olivia finds out that Kubiak was linked with both Lizzy Bear and VP Andrew, and that Lizzy Bear and Andrew are schtupping.  Just as Olivia wants to demand the truth from Lizzy Bear, she storms into Gladiator HQ, demanding the same.  As a betrayed client, she's got a legitimate beef, but Olivia tosses it aside, saying she owes nothing to someone so vile.

Both Olivia and Abby have bombs to drop on the White House today.  Abby informs Cy that someone's leaked the news that he's seen a prostitute to the DNC, which went right to the media.  As Olivia updates Cy, Fitz and Mellie on the relationships between Kubiak, Lizzy and Andrew, Mellie's face sinks as she realizes Andrew doesn't love her, and is much more devious than she ever gave him credit for.  Abby alerts the team to the release of Cy's prostitution photos, and Ethan nearly faints with the sight of his bad boss's private bits.  Abby will go out and successfully fend off questions with stalling tactics.  But, since Cy deleted most of his digital communications after realizing Michael is a spy, that could spell legal trouble for the administration.  Rosen calls Abby, warning her that he may have to investigate.  She hangs up as the team asks Fitz if the White House will go to the mattresses for Cy.  Fitz hesitates, but confirms that's the plan.

Olivia's solution is for Cy and Michael to marry.  It's quite a contract, but the gist is that they stay married for at least three years, with the option to renew.  Cy basically has Michael under his thumb for the whole three years.   But, if Michael successfully completes a three-year term as Cy's bitch, he gets three million dollars.  If Michael breaks any contract terms, he'll owe Cy a million dollars.  Neither man is happy.  But Olivia tells them that it's just a sign of the love they'll pretend they feel for each other, and that love will be the only thing that allows Cy to keep his job.

Michael can see his freedom slipping away, and he and Cy will have three years to debate whether being a kept man is worse than being married to Cy.  But, Michael reluctantly agrees.   Cy, however, quietly and methodically tears the whole idea apart.  He advises Michael to write a book, star in a gay porn version of his story, and informs him that they're basically strangers.  Michael looks slightly hurt as Cy states that he actually would rather re-live the twenty-year closet he endured pretending to be straight, than fake a marriage that is a mockery of the love he had for James.

Jake's having a fun morning back at the restaurant from the failed capture attempt, getting a flash drive of all the restaurant's cameras, inside and out, for whatever use.  As he leaves, via a deserted alley that definitely isn't a great place to attack somebody, Jake spies someone closing in via a mirror, and whips out his own gun, shooting the man dead with a barely heard gunshot.  Silencers must be really small these days.  But, it gives Jake the chance he needs to search the body for any clues as to where he came from.  Instead, Jake finds a playing card.  He's the King of Clubs.

Is this a nod to the playing cards distributed to soldiers during the Iraq War, to identify targets for capture or killing from the old regime?  If so, who's the Ace of Spades?

Jake goes to Gladiator HQ to update them, and fill in some background.  If B-613 is ever compromised, the contingency is for Rowan to issue a deck of "kill" cards, with agents considered loose ends on the cards as targets.  Jake vows to pursue Rowan; he leaves Huck with the flash drive , to glean what he can and come up with Rowan's latest location. Quinn suddenly looks concerned about something, and declares she's taking some Quinn-time to Huck as she leaves.

She, of course, finds Charlie and lets the lying killer into her car to tell him things he, doubtless, already knows.  Considering that Charlie has always been Rowan's go-to guy for housecleaning, is this a wise choice?  Charlie appears touched by Quinn's concern, and after some holding back, he and Quinn get to business.  Hey, everyone affirms life in their own way.

Quinn returns to the office to Huck confirming that's she's late and Olivia giving her a icy stare and folded arms.  Huck's been busy tracking Kubiak, Lizzy Bear and Andrew via old cellphone records, and the last time were together was, literally, the night Catelyn saw whatever awful meeting she saw, at her dad's law firm.  Since hacking into the law firm's databases turned up nothing, Quinn uses the severed finger of Kubiak and her girlish charm to sneak into Winslow's firm and find out the firm's conference room schedule.  Along with the record, is a client code, which could reveal what exactly these people were discussing.  The only thing Huck gets is.... Waco, Inc.  Quinn is confused.  Is it oil?  Something else from Texas?

With Olivia in her office, Jake quietly arrives and places a powerful little handgun on her desk. He updates her on the kill cards, and informs her that she's going to be targeted too. Olivia is adamant that she doesn't need it, and that Rowan would never try to kill her.  Jake points out that Rowan probably thinks the same of her, yet she's ordered Fitz and Jake to find and kill him.  Together, Jake holds her as he shows her the aiming angles for shots that will either stop or kill an attacker.  When Olivia expresses some exasperation with the scenario, Jake offers to taker her away, and find the sun, wherever it is.  Olivia looks like she's considering it, but she eventually raises her head and tells Jake that the sun set.  And they're in permanent night now.  Jake calmly seems to accept that there's no happy end for them.  But, she does keep the gun.

Let's just kill your dad and get some burgers

At the VP's residence, Lizzy Bear and Andrew forget their worries over Kubiak's disappearance by affirming life.  And at the White House, Cy waits for Fitz to arrive back at his Oval Office, so Cy can offer his letter of resignation.  Cy is disappointed with Nixon's resignation letter, and hopes the one he holds out to Fitz will be better.  And he's got their lines all decided.  He wants to be thanked for his service, so he can tell the President he was honored to serve.  Then, he wants to be met at his office by security who will take his badge, and escort him off the premises.

Fitz is totally unwilling to play his part.  But Cy is ready for that, too.  The ominous keyboard piece from all throughout the serious parts of the episode plays.  He informs Fitz that with this scandal over his White House, he'll probably have to cave and invade West Angola.  He tells Fitz to take Abby's future advice and throw Cy under a bus, preferably one headed back to California.  He's not willing to listen to any other words out of Fitz's mouth than the ones he's already dreamed up.  So, Fitz, after a hard moment where he loses his only friend, has no choice except to play his part.

In between grueling press conferences where Abby is made to answer for her former boss's illegal behavior, she must also appear before Rosen, who's investigating Cy's data purge.  Lionel Richie plays while Abby squirms as she has to confess to Rosen, with whom she had a wonderful, loving relationship, that she spent the night of Cy's data purge affirming life with Leo fucking Bergen.  Rosen sends her away, clearly getting the hint that they're really, finally, over.

Quinn and Charlie decided to affirm life again, this time at her place.  When he's off in the bathroom, his phone rings and Quinn decides to find the damn thing.  She finds it along with another playing card.  Turns out, Quinn is the Queen of Hearts.  What would that make Huck?  I'm thinking Jack of Spades.  Quinn doesn't ask about Huck's card, though, as she insists on pummeling the living crap out of Charlie.  Not just for trying to kill her.  But for having sex with her before killing her.  Charlie explains that he only agreed to kill her under duress. They brawl it out.

Huck, using Rowan's license plate off the footage, kind of tracks his car to a known B-613 safehouse, which it didn't occur to Jake to search before.  He does so now, finding it empty as Rowan opens a bottle of wine just in time to greet Olivia when she arrives home.  She's understandably spooked, but Rowan is at her place to reminisce.  About music.  Specifically, Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life.

Rowan wants to remember the night he played this for her, to calm her anxiety the night before starting kindergarten.  Which raises the question:  how high strung is a kid that she worries the night before starting kindergarten?  Exactly what did Rowan tell her about the place?

Do you remember how scared I made you of everything?

Anyway, back in the present, Olivia tries to kick Rowan out.  So, he pulls out a gun and waves it a bit before placing it the crook of his arm.  He then insists that Olivia sit.  So she does, and they face each other across her dining table as Rowan informs her that she's basically the apple falling close to the tree.  Olivia grouses that Rowan told her he was going to leave her alone, and instead he's still wandering in and out of her life and apartment.   Olivia taunts him with thinking the world can't run without him, calling him sick and lonely.

Rowan screams at her that she's ungrateful.  As she quakes in fear at his outburst, he states that she wouldn't exist, either physically or professionally without him.  He tells her that she's become just like him.  That, since she can't love him, she must not know what love is. And that if she hates him, then she's going to hate herself as well.  He leaves the gun unattended long enough for Olivia to grab it, stand away and point it at him.  It stops his loud rant.  She points it shakily as Rowan calmly waits to see what she will do.  Discordant piano notes run as she shakily breathes, then pulls the trigger.  There's no bullet, just Rowan crying out in betrayal and anger.  He advances on her as he berates her for doing what he never imagined.

I would have been a little pissed and maybe looked to see if I could get the gun my boyfriend just gave me, but Olivia is too worked up to think about anything except how ungrateful and weak her father finds her as he yanks the gun away from her, looks fondly at the old Stevie Wonder album, and slides out. As he goes, he promises Olivia that she'll miss him.

Charlie and Quinn have fought to what must be a stalemate. She's lost her replacement tooth. They're bloody and broken and tired.  Her apartment is a shambles.  Charlie admits he can't kill her, because she's it in his life.  His Granny just died, partly through his benevolent help, and Quinn commiserates, while they try to hash out their horrible relationship.  But, Charlie has a little something something for Quinn.  He has files. He stole them from a storage locker somewhere, and kept some for himself, realizing they'd be good insurance.

Olivia rushes to Maya, demanding to know where Rowan could have gone.  Olivia's been checking something that told her Rowan visited his treasonous, violent wife every fucking day in that hole, and somehow, she must have gleaned something useful now.  Olivia escalates the pushing, eventually slamming the table as she insists that her mother must know everything about Rowan by now, and Olivia will get it, goddammit.  Maya seems resigned to her fate in federal prison, after being an unofficially disappeared person for over twenty years.  One wonders why there isn't anything in the episode about Rosen actually filing charges.  She tells Olivia to cut her strings to her dad.  She reminds Olivia that Rowan would talk about her as much as Olivia talks about her dad.  That they are just obsessed with each other.

What, no obsessive mania for me?

Maya decides that her daughter has turned out just like her husband.  Olivia denies it.  But Maya points out that Olivia serves the President, that she's surrounded by former B-613 agents, that she's now visiting Maya in Maya's new imprisonment.  Will it be every day, just like Rowan's visits?  Olivia looks horrified, and about to cry, when Maya literally rattles her handcuffs, shutting Olivia's tears down.  Olivia's face slowly hardens, and she tells her mother goodbye.  Maya is cocky and sarcastic at first.  But when that door closes, Maya has to face being alone.  For good.

With her new battle-ready hardness, Olivia pays Cy a visit.  Cy is busy packing for Europe, where gay stereotypes can still find work.  Is he packing his daughter, too?  Olivia looks a little flustered, like a kid, at first.  But when Cy finally stops to breathe, Olivia gives him her all.  She tells the Cy there that she's going to channel the real Cyrus Beene as she starts viciously tearing apart his pity party.  She relentlessly tells Cy that he doesn't get to let the Mean Girls, meaning people who object to hiring prostitutes, get to him.  She pushes and pushes. She gets Cy over his limit.  He counters that he runs the world, that he's the most powerful man in America.  He might actually believe the self-promoting bullshit he's now spouting.  She and Cy end by screaming at each other that he's definitely not a bitch baby.

Which leads to Cy and Michael splitting their loving gazes between each other and the camera.  Cy sells his love as something that erases all his law-breaking and indiscretion.  Pundits bicker as Cy moves back in.  Fitz waltzes in, asking Cy what to do about West Angola and for Scotch.  They gather in Fitz's office, and actually let Abby drink with them, gleefully congratulating themselves on foiling Lizzy Bear.  They're about to be joined by Olivia, triumphantly striding up to the Oval Office.  But she stops.  The three look so happy, especially Abby.  Fitz and Cy finally want her!  She's braved the press, held down the fort, and hopefully gotten Cy cleared from more scrutiny.  And Abby, despite the snubs and pokes and the fact that neither still knows her name, can't help loving her moment.  And Olivia decides not to take it away.  Let the guys fawn all over their new go to girl.  Her work is done.  Olivia slowly walks away, with no regrets.

I'm blowing this popsicle stand

Lizzy Bear storms into Mellie's office, pissy that there won't be a war against West Angola.  Mellie, who has absolutely no authority to declare war, plays dumb until it's time to throw Lizzy's affair with Andrew in her face.  After advising Lizzy to get tested for the clap, and praising Andrew's sex abilities, she tells Lizzy that she's got claws, and messing with her again is going to cost Lizzy more than the price of some antibiotics.

Kim gets home from whatever day she had, to find Huck on her doorstep.  All he asks is that Kim read the super secret, super scary files he got from Charlie.  Because nothing helps your relationship with your ex-wife more than proving you actually are a torturer and killer.

Huck arrives back at Gladiator HQ to find Quinn is back at her research, and she's figured out that "Waco"  is actually "WACO", and it stands for the West Angola Commercial Organization.  They still can't figure out what that has with following Olivia around.

VP Andrew Davis invites himself into Fitz's office.  He tries to coax Fitz into fighting West Angola, but Fitz doesn't take his bait.

Olivia greets Jake at her apartment with every bit of comfort food and beer Jake's every craved.

Welcome to the party!

She's gotten so much food, she tells Jake that he'll need to unzip his pants to fit it all in.  And she's got some great dance music going (Stevie Wonder's Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing).  Jake wants to obsess over his failure to kill Rowan.  She's manic.  She's exultant.  She's done with Rowan.  She's done hunting him.  She's dancing awkwardly, so Jake can't help but to join in.  He re-declares his love for her, but Olivia declares that she's taking some Olivia time, that she's not choosing between either of them anytime soon.  Jake, and this is why I prefer him, accepts this without bickering.  Instead, he avidly seconds her idea that tonight will be about discovering whether a piano makes a good place to affirm life.  He's happily stripping and finding pillows for their life affirmation.

Huck and Quinn figure out that VP Andrew knew about the bombing before it would happen. Jake leaves Olivia alone far too long, and he comes back to find the inevitable kidnapping remains.  Olivia's wine glass is spilled all over her white couch.  It was seconds.  And Fitz figures out that Olivia is taken at the same time Jake does, when VP Andrew asks Fitz what's the one thing... I mean, who's the one person Fitz would bomb a small African nation for?  Jake dashes out the open apartment door as Fitz demands to know what Andrew's done with Olivia.

So, how will Scandal proceed?  With Olivia knocked out of action, how will the Gladiators rally (because they fight, not run)?  Will Jake and Fitz put aside their differences?  Did Rowan know anything, and refuse to even warn Olivia?  Will Fitz beat the crap out of Andrew, Lizzy Bear, or both, demanding to know where Olivia is?  How will Mellie screw up the rescue effort? Will Cy and Michael team up and discover true love while finding Olivia?  Is West Angola screwed?

Cage Rattling - Gotham - Season 1, Episode 9

I get that the season is building towards a confrontation between Fish Mooney and Carmine Falcone.  I get that the season is building towards Oswald foiling the plans of both for his own benefit.  I get that the season is building towards Bruce discovering who ordered the murder of his parents.  I get that the season is building towards Jim and Barbara either getting hitched or breaking up.  I get that the season is building towards Arkham becoming a source of future disturbed villains.

What I don't get, is why Bruce needs to meet Cat.  Or why Harvey Dent needs to appear now.  I don't get why, after building Bullock up as Jim's frenemy, he suddenly gets shoved into the back seat of the show's plot.

Don't worry, Harvey, I feel betrayed too

Cat has always been, literally, leaping in and out of the show.  As the only other witness to the Wayne murders, Jim's been on the lookout for her.  And what she saw makes her of interest to Bruce.  But it sort of ruins her as the wild card she's destined to become.  Both of them will like to fight for those who can't fight for themselves.  But, Batman will never quite figure her out, mostly because Catwoman delights in making it up as she goes along.  Batman has a mission; Catwoman has a passion.  Those differences always foil any deep or lasting relationship they could form.   I don't particularly want to see them bond as kids, or learn to understand each other.

And I would have liked to see Harvey Dent later.  Right now, he exists to drop a few scented hankies for the fans and introduce a new bad guy, Dick Lovecraft.  We already have two crime bosses, a traitorous lieutenant, and Oswald.  Why can't Dent just go after Falcone, like everyone else does?  Jim, Montoya, and Allen have literally just learned to trust each other.  Now, they're suddenly all trusting Harvey Dent?  Who has he put away already that Montoya and Allen should introduce him and get Jim to go along with his cocky plan?

We start the episode at Jim's apartment, where he gets to find out that Barbara has put their relationship on hold, as she's still scared of Jim's enemies, and needs some time to herself.  Her whole contribution to the plot so far has been to make Jim's love life more complicated and act as a hostage, so without her Jim can spend an episode getting things done for a change.  Jim, however doesn't see it that way, especially since he's invited his eyewitness, Cat, to his place.  Cat's impressed by the digs, and can't resist reading the note Barbara left behind.  She also can't resist the ubiquitous milk bottle Jim conveniently has in his fridge.  She keeps asking if she gets to stay in Barbara's loft, but Jim probably doesn't know if he'll get to stay in Barbara's loft without Barbara, so he tells her it's just temporary, until she's met with a police sketch artist.

Their next stop is Wayne Manor, where Jim shows Bruce the sketch from Cat's description,   After waiting so long from information from Jim, Bruce isn't sure to accept that they've gotten a break, but Jim has plans to meet with a Assistant District Attorney picked out by Montoya and Allen, now that he has a witness.  Jim also has a favor to ask;  he doesn't trust a GCPD safehouse.  Would Bruce let Cat stay?  Alfred is against it from the start, but Bruce pulls rank on him, simply and quietly informing Alfred that he's in charge.  After Bruce leaves, Jim explains that whether Cat sticks around to testify could come down to how nice Bruce and Alfred are to her.  Alfred is horrified by the thought.

Bruce finds Cat playing with his parents' (or, rather, his) 500-year-old Ming Dynasty (why is everything from China from the Ming Dynasty?) vase.  Cat nods that she's impressed, but tells Bruce his parents could have just paid five bucks for one in Chinatown.  Bruce, not insulted or put off, insists on shaking her hand and having a proper introduction.

Let's get to the awesome rooftop fights already

Blackgate Penitentiary, apparently, houses the worst of Gotham's criminals, including master bomb-maker Ian Hargrove, being transferred for some reason in an armored truck.  Every precaution is taken with him, but he still manages to get a match book from his mouth to his hands in time to get his special secure gloves placed on.  Ian decides to play with the thing on the trip, and the guard is distracted from getting it out of his hands while new cars appear both in front of and behind the GCPD truck, smashing the truck to a stop.  Armed men appear, and "rescue" Ian.  Thing is, Ian doesn't look like he particularly wanted rescuing.  And he doesn't appear to know anyone pointing guns.  Is this even a rescue?

Jim, in order to pursue his totally secure and secret prosecution of the Waynes' murderers, proceeds to meet with Montoya, Allen, and ADA Harvey Dent right at the steps of the courthouse.  Harvey Dent needs a moment, enjoying himself while offering a second chance to a juvie offender who looks more worried about Dent than juvie detention.  Dent offers him a coin toss to decide his fate, and manages to get a promise out of the kid that he'll shape up if the kid wins.  Which the kid does, correctly calling heads.  Dent sends him on his way, and Jim wonders why Dent would leave the kid's fate up to a coin.  That's when Dent reveals his secret- both faces are heads, and almost every teenager calls heads.  He doesn't know why, he just knows that he likes sending kids home instead of juvie detention.

It also helps me look totally boss

They at least move to Harvey's private office, complete with old-fashioned fan (what, no AC here?), suitably dim, to talk about the case.  Harvey's not as impressed with the sketch from Cat's description, saying that the eyewitness can't tie the murders to whoever ordered them.  He's got a suspect, but still no proof, and launches into describing yet another high-living unsuitable in Gotham, Dick Lovecraft.  He's rich, and has financially benefited from the Waynes' deaths.  He stood for the exact opposite of the Waynes' concern for the good of Gotham, and Dent's sure that he's their man.  Jim doesn't ask, but he looks surprised that they're no longer going after Carmine Falcone.

Jim's also worried about his witness.  He refuses to name her to Dent, and doesn't like Dent's idea that he'll just call in Lovecraft and bluff that he's got a witness that can incriminate Lovecraft.  Since Dent isn't actually going to file any charges, Jim's witness can revel in complete secrecy while Dent rattles some cages and sees if anyone involved cracks.  Montoya and Allen are on board, and seem unconcerned that anything could go wrong.  Jim's not so blase, but shakes hands with Dent as they agree on Dent's plan.

Well, if all these people I barely know say it's okay...

Bullock's been holding his own back at the precinct, and he pretends that he doesn't care what's made Jim late this morning,   Jim holds off his questioning by hinting at his relationship problems, with Bullock complaining about high-maintenance women.  Bullock cuts the bonding short, though, by telling Jim that they've got the Ian Hargrove case.  According to Blackgate's records, Ian only got a couple visits from a brother, who Bullock's had dragged into the precinct for questioning.  Other than that, no one can guess who wanted to break him out.  But, both are pretty sure his escape means some bombs will be going off.

Cat's first morning at Wayne Manor has her missing breakfast, and interrupting Master Bruce's boxing lesson.  While Alfred explains his meal schedule, he and Bruce get in sneak punches on each other.  Cat's amused by the idea of fighting with gloves, before wandering off to see if she can rustle up some food for herself.  Alfred is immediately suspicious that Bruce likes Cat, literally calling Cat a cheeky minx, and warning Bruce off of her, like the good English butler he is.

I'm just saying, don't buy her any jewelry

Oswald has decided to act on Timothy's little nugget of information from last week.  Perhaps finding out that Liza has recently been added to Falcone's staff, he breaks into her studio apartment looking for any sign of collusion with Fish Mooney.  His only find is that Liza likes lilac perfume.  He leaves as Liza returns home.  Liza can tell her apartment's been searched, but Oswald escapes.

John Hargrove has no idea where his brother is, and he sounds as if he'd love it if the cops found him.  Claiming that Ian Hargrove never intentionally killed anyone with his bombs, he presents Ian as a mentally ill protester against the military-industrial complex.  Neither Jim nor Bullock look happy that this case just got more complicated.  As John begs for Gotham to finally get Ian the help he needs, Ian is seen assembling a new bomb, beneath straw in a picnic basket.  His new bosses cover the straw with gourmet delectables and present it to the cops guarding the GCPD munitions warehouse as a gift.  The food is so good, they don't hear the ticking until it's too late, and Ian looks horrified as his creation claims multiple victims in the blast.

Another day, another awkward conversation between Bruce and Cat.  Their scenes skirt the border between curt and wordy, with Bruce all civil and disciplined, and Cat full of slang and disdain for his lifestyle.  They now question each other, with Cat wondering what a kid who's already rich has to bother with home schooling for, and Bruce asking about Cat's parents.  Cat assures Bruce that her parents are alive, but when he presses, she snaps that she's got tons of family all over and stalks away.  It doesn't take long for Alfred to decide to contact Jim, asking that Cat be removed.  Jim says he'll come by ASAP to check on Cat, and see what problems she's making.  Beyond that, Alfred can't promise that he'll have her with his young charge.

First Mate and Fish Mooney confer together, when Oswald makes a totally unwelcome appearance.  Which gets even weirder when he suddenly leans in for a long, drawn out sniff of Mooney.  She's insulted, throwing him out despite Oswald claiming it was just a social call and she smells really nice, like lilacs.  He leaves, looking far too happy for Mooney's satisfaction.

While they pore over Ian Hargrove's trial records, Jim tells Bullock the bad news about Barbara, hopefully so he'll back off Jim's distraction and lateness.  Bullock tisks over Jim's inability to control his woman, reassuring Jim that it's a game to speed up their marriage.  Jim isn't so sure, but Nygma's got a surprise for Bullock, starting with startling the detective at his desk.  After barking at Nygma, Nygma gushes about how much he loves video games before informing both detectives that Ian planted a small metal factory plate that survived the explosion, and it leads Jim and Bullock to an abandoned metals factory in Gotham.  And right to Ian, who is all too happy to surrender to the detectives.  He gives them what information he can, including that he's been drafted, or Brother John gets killed, to help his Russian keepers bomb something of Falcone's.  Before Jim and Bullock can save the day, said Russians appear, and a gunfight ensues.  During which, the Russians whisk Ian away.  Jim and Bullock trail behind, running out of the factory in the dim light, pissed that they were so close to closing the case.

Mayor James, still a panicky sort who hates anything that could get him voted out of office or killed by Falcone, wants to unload on Jim.  But, Jim's not having it and he reminds the Mayor that Blackgate Prison isn't the place for the mentally ill.  He also points out that Brother John is now in protective custody, they need only make sure Ian knows this so he'll presumably stop helping his Russian keepers, one of which is now identified as Gregor Kasyanov.  But, who hired Gregor?  Jim would love to know, but there are so many who would love to bomb Falcone, where to start?

Harvey Dent finally gets his sit-down with Lovecraft, and his bluffing seems to have no effect.  So, Dent pulls Oswald's trick from previously and leans in to Lovecraft to freak him out.  Instead of a deep, drawing sniff, Dent gives Lovecraft open threats to rip him open, delivered as if they're in a cage match and not a DA's office.  Lovecraft is genuinely spooked, but before he can react, Dent races back into smooth, cocky lawyer mode, and tells Lovecraft it was good to see him.  The switch is so sudden, so smooth, that Lovecraft probably doesn't know what to make of the guy.

Bruce catches Cat about to bolt from Wayne Manor, and offers to call her a cab.  Cat is a little spooked that Bruce could get the jump on her, and it intrigues her enough to get her to wander around his study, declaring that Bruce's mom looked "nice" from her picture.  Bruce tries to show his intense self-blaming, by admitting that he did nothing when she was killed.  Cat, who also did nothing, tells Bruce that guns beat unarmed bravado anytime.  Bruce apologizes for pressing about her family, but Cat's recovered and gives Bruce a typical abandoned kid story about her mom being a super secret agent on assignment, who will come to get her once the mission is done.  Bruce appears to believe it, but we've seen enough to know he's not really that naive.

Turns out, Gregor's boss was the recently deceased Nikolai, and he's now working with Fish Mooney to have a little explosive fun with Falcone.  At night, they meet, with First Mate handling back up duty, Mooney hands Gregor keys to the truck they'll need to cart Falcone's money away.  Remember, Fish gives him the truck.  But it's totally legit, because she wishes them all good luck.

Cat, the next day, catches Bruce in his new character-building/suicide attempt activity: holding his breath under water for as long as he can, and timing his attempts.  Cat can't resist asking about this, and wondering if he's really worried about getting mugged by a diving board, and he tells her it will build his discipline and will power.  Cat seems less than impressed, telling Bruce he should really be working on his ruthlessness.  But then, she didn't see what he did to Tommy last week.

Nygma enjoys his latest project at work while he answers quiz show questions correctly.  He gets a thrill when his latest project explodes on his desk, and reveals to Jim and Bullock that the explosives stolen after Ian's bomb at the GCPD munitions warehouse are specifically made to detonate iron.  Jim and Bullock can't think of a bank vault made of iron, but Nygma knows the next bombing location: an old, semi-abandoned armory, containing Falcone's cash.   Ian dramatically blows the vault door and Gregor's men are loading the truck, but Jim and Bullock call the whole thing off, no backup required.

Don't worry, we handle everything on our own

Instead of getting Gregor alive and questioning him, the truck is detonated.  Luckily for Ian, he'd already been moving towards Jim and Bullock before the explosion, which he, actually, had nothing to do with.  We see First Mate in the distance, watching the whole thing, and scurrying the second he's confirmed Gregor and his men are dead.  The detectives and Ian stand amid Falcone's floating cash, Gregor's mens' bodies scattered around.  Jim is left with, yet again, nothing to go on, to Fish Mooney's relief.  When First Mate wonders if she's not disappointed to be out the money, she tells him that Falcone will be spooked enough to be rattled.

Oswald can only link Liza to Mooney by the shared scent of lilacs, but that's enough to rattle Liza's cage when Oswald confronts her in his apartment.  Liza gives in to his bluff, not wanting Falcone to realize that Oswald has been to see her, and Oswald, in turn, agrees to let her live and keep her secret.  For now.  Can he turn her into his own triple agent?  He's certainly creepy enough to have the idea.

Bruce and Cat, finally sharing a breakfast together, seem to be happy.  But, Cat decides a food fight is in order, and offers Bruce a kiss if he can hit her with a piece of breakfast.  Bruce is mystified, but Cat is so good-natured as she tosses pastry at him, that he can't resist trying to get her, and a happy war breaks out in the study, food flying everywhere as they use furniture for cover and Bruce shows that his aim is terrible.  Alfred walks in, about to break it up; but he just can't resist the sight of young Master Bruce enjoying himself, no cares in the world, for a change.  When Jim calls him, sorry that he's been unable to come out and get Cat, Alfred calls him off, saying that the kinks have been ironed out.

Dent makes a quick appearance, acting as if his plan is going swimmingly, and Jim makes him promise that any next steps have to be cleared by him.  Dent agrees and leaves before Bullock can see them together and ask any questions.  Bullock announces that Jim's anger at Mayor James over imprisoning the mentally ill has gotten Ian Hargrove transferred to Arkham Asylum, along with busloads of other mentally ill inmates, all being ushered behind the creepy metal gates we've all come to associate with Gotham's worst villains.  Jim's sure that Arkham hasn't been brought up to snuff, but Mayor James is happy to announce to the public that it has and is the best hope for Gotham's criminally insane, including little Ian.

With his cases currently closed or in Dent's hands, Jim now has time to call Barbara and almost cry as he begs Barbara to come home.  Barbara looks a little bored, reclining in silk sheets as she hears Jim declare that he loves her, needs, her and is nothing without her over her voicemail.  Jim's announcing, not just to her, that his work means nothing to him without her there for him.  The idea that Barbara is why Jim works so hard to clean up Gotham is kind of new, since she's been more a hindrance or a hostage than an inspiration.  It's new to Barbara, as well, but she gets no time to decide what to make of it, because her new lover wants her attention.  Or, rather, her old lover Montoya does.  They share a steamy kiss,  already nude, in bed, with a romantic fire behind them.  How long Jim will share info with Montoya when this comes out?