What I do know, is that Jim Gordon is figuring out that if he takes a risk, he's got the smarts and strength to make it work. And I love seeing the parallel arcs of Jim and Penguin. One is advancing in the GCPD despite the fears of his bosses. One is advancing in the crime world by manipulating two major crime bosses. Both are extraordinary stories. And this episode shows them briefly interweaving.
Falcone starts the episode, apologizing to his latest victim. It's not clear if he's business-as-usual, bored, or tired as he walks away before the guns are fired.
Johnny Cash opens the action, with the refrain from "God's Gonna Cut You Down". The original meaning is that God will eventually punish the world's sinners. I like to think it reminds us that our karma catches up to us all eventually. We pan to Irwin's Electronics, a warehouse of sorts, mostly fencing stolen merch. The word is out on Gruber's escape, and the warehouse owner knows exactly who's breaking in the second his assistant is fried while answering a knock on the door. The door swings open and the assistant crumples against the door frame as Gruber enters, to Warehouse Owner's terror. He shows Gruber and Gruber's new assistant, Aaron, the equipment he stored for Gruber while the guy was locked up. But it doesn't save him. Gruber ends up lobotomizing him, too.
The police are on the case, busy watching a slide show of the two escapees, when Jim, dressed for detective work, meanders in. Captain Essen is shocked, and Bullock tries escorting Jim out before Police Commissioner Loeb can see him. This is Loeb's first appearance, and he's an uptight bastard, who's main point is that Jim should have followed his Dad into prosecuting crime, not gumshoeing. Jim gets the Commish to agree to reinstate Jim as a Detective First Grade if Jim can apprehend Gruber and Aaron. In 24 hours. Bullock is incredulous, and just plain deflated when he finds out that Jim is ecstatic despite having no idea how to start looking for Gruber.
Guess what? I love getting sent to the principal's office!
Falcone flashes back, distracted by some memory of his mother, while on a stroll with Liza. O Mio Babbino Caro plays during his memory, and fades while he tries to offer Liza an independent life, set up in some small business that will give her freedom and a chance to start her own family. Liza, while wearing her white headscarf and picking a magenta daisy, demures. She confides that Falcone makes her feel safe, and they part after planning on the dinner she'll make for him, Liza's picked flower in Falcone's coat pocket. Falcone, despite recently killing one of his lieutenants with baseball bat at lunch, looks like he feels old.
It doesn't take long for Liza to be kidnapped off the street, but it turns out that it was cover for Mooney's play. Liza thinks it's an extreme way to make contact, but Mooney is ready to go. Is any of this related to whatever secret Liza helped her uncover in that desk drawer? That whole episode appears irrelevant as Mooney calls in a kidnapping notice, enlisting Liza to play along, which she does. Falcone hangs up after quietly insisting Liza should not be harmed.
Back at the precinct, Bullock grouses that Jim is a human roller coaster always on the downhill, but Nygma comes to save the day. Since Gruber's name at Arkham turned out to be an alias, he checked Gruber's fingerprints with multiple databases, discovering that his real name is Jack Bukinsky, and he has a long rap sheet of robberies. Jim and Bullock figure out that Gruber would have had a friend give him a new identity to get him into Arkham, but are stuck on who that would be. And where are his old partners in crime? Nygma also insists that they wear galoshes, which turn out to be more like hiking boots, but with thick rubber soles, which will prevent them from being struck by any electricity. Bullock turns up his nose; Jim takes the boots.
Plus, your feet will totally stay dry!
When Gruber's ride from Arkham turns up, Jim and Bullock are on the scene and checking out Irwin's Electronics, where they find Warehouse Owner has been assigned an essay, which is writing "I will not betray my master" over and over again, even if he doesn't have anything to write on. Jim and Bullock realize they are offically on Gruber's trail.
They get another helping hand when Dr. Thompson, now wanting Jim to call her Lee, wanders through Jim's precinct with a doll. But, not just any doll. Dr. Lee, shyly but happily, describes to Jim how her Pagan Sorceress patient gets barter payments from other Arkham inmates to stick these voodoo dolls with her magical powers. And Dr. Lee just happens to have the doll Gruber bartered for stabbing. It's named Mr. M. Hmm...
We don't have to wait long. M is for Maroni, who is enjoying lunch with a great story of what a bitch it is to get information out of guy whose teeth you've knocked out. Penguin is interrupted by a call from Falcone, who wants him to clear his schedule for helping Falcone get Liza returned. Penguin, gleeful, hangs up and relishes bringing down Mooney. Maroni excuses him to go see his sick mother, but before Penguin can clear out and work for the other crime boss, he's shocked at the door into unconsciousness. Gruber attacks the lunch, buzzing everyone, leaving them with electrical burns and groggy heads.
Maroni tries to look like an innocent citizen attacked for no reason while he recuperates in an ambulance. Jim isn't buying it and correctly guesses that Maroni is not only Mr. M, but a former crime partner with Gruber, who stayed out of jail while Gruber, or Bukinsky, got locked up. He offers Maroni the chance to help them get Gruber off the streets. Maroni's pondering the offer when Penguin comes to behind him, muttering that he needs to get to his urgent business for Don Falcone. And Jim can see that Maroni's got a guy with divided loyalties. Jim has no management advice for Maroni, who probably wouldn't take it anyway.
I was totally just minding my own business, officer.
Instead, Jim and Bullock return to the precinct, with Maroni. Penguin is carried in, too. It's not like he can visit his sick mother right now, anyway. And, this way, Maroni can get to the bottom of Penguin's urgent business with Falcone. Bullock thinks it's a terrible idea for Maroni to be bait for Gruber right at the fucking precinct. But, Jim points out that the precinct is the safest place for them to meet Gruber, and Maroni's already ordering espresso from the staff anyway.
Mooney calls Falcone as herself. Falcone doesn't buy her story that she's been asked to be a go-between for Liza's kidnappers, so Mooney comes clean. And she makes Falcone a fair offer- take Liza and leave Gotham for good. Falcone, with no haggling or whining, accepts.
First Mate is ecstatic. After all their planning and plotting and killing, it only took two phone calls to bring down Don Carmine Falcone. Mooney suddenly gets nostalgic, pointing out that Falcone built the organization she will be taking over, so they're going to play nice now that she's getting it . She and Liza try to puzzle out just how much feeling a girl should have for a man she's been playing. Liza looks torn. She can't decide who she actually wants to be loyal to. That's a death knell on this show. In Gotham, you live by either being loyal to your boss, or only loyal to yourself. Gotham never rewards waverers.
Falcone calls in Viktor, he of the bald head and murderous tendencies. Viktor is sure he can kill Liza's kidnappers, re-establishing Falcone as the boss, but Falcone is wondering if maybe it's time for him to go. After a life of doing whatever it takes to get to the top and stay there, he can't help wondering why he's been doing it. After all, it's never enough. There's never enough money, or power, or control. So why keep going? Viktor assures him it's for the respect that he deserves.
Penguin comes to and barely manages to convince Maroni that his "urgent business with Falcone" is only the babbling of a groggy head. Can he go see his mother now? Maroni reluctantly lets him go, which is the last thing I'd do.
Oh that? That's the PTSD talking!
Once again, though, it's not Penguin's lucky day and Gruber strikes as he's leaving. Again. Gruber, somehow, has gotten control of the electrical feed into the precinct, and is using his shock body suit to send a ton of juice through the building's exposed metal structure. Brownouts and sparks become total pitch darkness as the shock also knocks everyone out.
Gruber enters to a still, dark precinct. Lit only by the moon and streetlights outside. Sleeping bodies are strewn everywhere, and Gruber finds Maroni's. He's foiled by hiking boots. Notably, Jim's hiking boots. But Gruber's not alone, and Jim finds himself duking it out with Aaron while Gruber, like Falcone, asks what Jim's fighting for. Gruber tries to provoke the same existential crisis Falcone is having by asking if Maroni is really worth getting pummeled by Aaron for. Jim replies that everyone is worth his struggles. Gruber's not impressed, and continues to play shrink while Jim eventually beats Aaron to face him. Gruber opines that Jim just can't handle losing. Jim agrees, and instead of trying to fight Gruber, simply tosses water on Gruber's crackling body suit. It shuts down with a few snaps and crackles, and Gruber is deflated. Jim has literally recaptured both men. With about 13 hours to spare. Go Jim!
With the right boots, you can achieve anything!
Penguin appears, disheveled and still bloody, at Falcone's. Falcone doesn't ask why his inside man is late, and Penguin tries to assure him that he came as soon as he could after a terrible day. While prostrate before the Don, Falcone updates him again. Penguin erupts, once again reminding Falcone that this is Mooney's play, which Falcone already knows. What he doesn't know, and doesn't want to believe, is that Liza is in on it. But Penguin reminds him that Liza reminds Falcone of his own mother. Does Falcone really think that's an accident? Despite smacking Penguin, we can see the wheels in his mind turning.
When Falcone meets Mooney, as determined, at her club. He manages to force Mooney to produce Liza, unharmed, before he'll sign anything over to Mooney. And he's pretty incredulous that Mooney thinks signed documents will make her actually in charge of anything. When Liza appears, Falcone can't stop caressing her face as he charges her with being a part of the plot. Everyone is sad, and deflated. Except for Falcone. Who has his own goons immediately ninja their way into the club, holding Mooney, First Mate and Liza at gunpoint.
Mooney goes from repentant to vengeful and back again as Falcone realizes he's still got his mojo, and his crime organization. He keeps Mooney and First Mate alive. And he saves his quiet, but menacing scolding for Mooney. In the end, he knows Penguin was right because he's told Mooney all about his mother. And he's deeply disappointed that Mooney used that info to make him vulnerable. And he's deeply sorry to Liza, who doesn't know that she's about to die until Falcone actually strangles her right in front of her boss. He promises Mooney that she's going to suffer before introducing the club's new manager.
The guy's disabled, but not letting that stop him as he emerges from behind Falcone. Penguin flashes his dangerous, vengeful, evil snarl of a smile while greeting Mooney. Mooney realizes she will lose her club to the guy who snitched on her in the first place. Falcone leaves, but not before commemorating Liza by kissing her magenta daisy and dropping it next to her body.
Screw it, I'll serve revenge hot!
Jim gets his badge back in a very public ceremony, with Commissioner Loeb personally returning it for the cameras. But Jim's got a secret for Loeb- the next person to mess with his badge is going to be his next target for justice. Jim realizes that he can win at these power plays. He's got a lot of high profile collars, and a reputation for going after criminals large and small. Bullock can't believe his ears when Jim tells him he's done being careful. Bullock repeatedly asks if Jim thinks he's been careful before. He gets no answer. But he does get an invite for drinks, which Bullock will take as a substitute for answers any day.
Jim's love life looks up a bit, when Dr. Lee Thompson manages to quietly creep into the men's locker room at the precinct, which Jim is using as his personal changing room now that he's been reinstated. Jim confesses that he doesn't have a place to her while Lee stammers her way through some sort of admission that she like likes Jim. They have a kiss. And Lee gets her Pagan Sorceress's voodoo doll back. Lee Thompson has the advantage of being useful, having no known hang ups, and actually being nice to Jim.
Which means the relationship is doomed.
In other love news, Nygma makes a modest inroad with Kris Kringle, but it quickly backfires. His first attempt is a riddle of a live bullet in a cupcake. Kris isn't a riddle-lover, and mocks his gift to him. So, Nygma tries sneaking up on her again, this time to present a poem that ends with the line "A beautiful woman is a dangerous thing". This gets a modest smile from Kris. But, Nygma's moment is totally ruined by Detective Bunchy, taking a break from the Ray Donovan show to be a cop and tell Nygma to get lost. He leaves, only to hear Kris mock him from afar. He's mildly heartbroken.
Unrequited love is in the air...
And Barbara pays a visit to her parents. Instead of returning to an apartment that's obviously been kept empty for her, she shows up at Mom and Dad's, convincing the butler that she should be allowed in for the most awkward tea ever in Gotham. Mom primly asks questions. Barbara avoids answering, and lies about still being with "James". Dad is silent, but doesn't argue when Mom lets Barbara stay until the weekend. Barbara can't decide if she feels humiliated for crawling home for shelter, or afraid her parents won't let her stay. I have to admit, I'm tired of seeing her half-hearted attempts to have something to do with the plot. Either give her the traditional girl-reward-for-the-hero-at-the-end plotline, or get her out of Gotham already.
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