Gotham – S4 E17 “A Dark Knight: Mandatory Brunch Meeting
“The loonies are outside.”
Harvey’s line takes on several meanings this week, El Predicto turned out to be correct. That being said, it didn’t take a genius to realize Jerome wasn’t going to stay in Arkham forever. And for the record, no one ever accused me of being a genius. As also predicted, things begin to ramp up towards season’s end, and this week’s episode, Mandatory Brunch Meeting, officially kicks it off, much like The Masters officially kicks off spring. Though I shudder at what Jerome would do with a 3-iron. This week, Gordon and Harvey try to stay one step ahead of Jerome as he zeroes in on his next target, Nygma hosts a riddle game show in the Narrows and faces tough competition from Lee, and Penguin goes to see Butch with a proposal.
Penguin hosts a brunch meeting with Jerome, Mr. Freeze, Firefly, Scarecrow and Mad Hatter. Jerome decides to name his group the Legion of Horribles and reveals his plan to turn Gotham City into a madhouse. But what of the underworld, Penguin asks. Jerome doesn’t care and only wants to cause mayhem. It is wonderful to see the contrasting styles between Penguin and Jerome; unlawful order vs. chaos. Penguin wants to control the underworld and profit from it, while Jerome wants to see the world burn for his own amusement. Penguin seeks out Butch with an alliance proposal; while Jerome tears Gotham apart, Penguin, with Butch at his side, can take back the underworld and rule again. Butch rejects his offer as first, but Penguin can be a persistent little bird (see what I did there?) and returns promising to help Butch reverse his condition. Seems Penguin knows Hugo Strange is the only one who can turn him back. Butch reluctantly agrees and tells Penguin they aren’t friends. He might as well included not being brothers nor partners and complete the homage to Nick Nolte in 48 Hrs. What’s interesting here is the vast difference in motives for Jerome, Penguin and Butch – chaos vs. order vs. self-serving. It will be interesting to see the inevitable clash between Penguin and Jerome; Penguin needs Gotham to survive in some capacity in order to rule, and Jerome needs to crumble in order to fulfil his goal.
Bruce arrives at St. Ignatius as the hypnotized Headmaster wears a bomb vest with trigger in shaky hand. Bruce has enough time to lean Jerome was searching for a former student, Xander Wilde. Gordon and Harvey arrive, and Gordon shoots out the clock, presumably to break the hypnotic spell. However, the Headmaster’s pocket watch ticks rather loudly and he detonates the bomb, but not before Bruce, Gordon, and Harvey take cover. Turns out Xander is a hot shot engineer, and Jerome visits his office looking for him. Turns out he never visits the office and messages are conveyed through a proxy. Gordon and Harvey arrive just in time for a nice shoot out, but Firefly provides cover for her and Jerome to escape. In the aftermath, Gordon and Harvey deduce this is personal for Jerome and learn Xander designed Wayne Plaza. A trip to stately Wayne Manor reveals Xander is hiding from Jerome.
Jerome visits Ecco, Xander’s proxy, in order to get her to reveal Xander’s location, as he can be very persuasive. Ecco doesn’t seem too threatened nor scared of Jerome, who remarks she has a very large cage even though he doesn’t see a big dog in the house. Ecco tells Jerome it’s for him, and drops him faster than Tom Brady did his cell phone during Deflategate.
Jerome wakes up in a concrete cell as an unseen Wilde watches on CCTV. Gordon and Harvey arrive and we learn Wilde lives in a high tech, underground labyrinth bunker of his own design. Turns out Wilde is actually Jeremiah Valeska, Jerome’s twin brother. Uncle Zack took Jeremiah from the circus to St. Ignatius to prepare for a future confrontation with Jerome. Jeremiah is the exact opposite of Jerome in every way, and believes he can contain the clown price of crime in his home, which is a hundred acre maze likely located in a hundred acre wood in the middle of nowhere.
Turns out the location isn’t so secret or much of a labyrinth; Scarecrow and Hatter arrive with Arkham inmates and chaos ensures. Ecco is hypnotized to help Jerome escape and grab Jeremiah. Turns out the two are more alike than different; Jerome paid attention and remembered the mazes Jeremiah drew as a child, but Gordon and Harvey break up the party. Jerome et al leave without Jeremiah, who is now in GCPD custody.
Cameron Monaghan gets a major shout out for his dual role as Jerome and Jeremiah in this week’s episode. As much fun as it must be to play a villain, it must be great and challenging to play the polar opposite. An interesting dynamic is revealed between the brothers, as both use their high intelligence in opposite ways. Turns out Jeremiah may have embellished some of the grievances he had against Jerome, which led to Jerome’s beatings as a child. Thus you could say while Jerome was already a sociopath, perhaps Jeremiah had a hand in shaping who Jerome is today.
In the second story, Riddler hosts the game show Riddle Time at the Riddle Factory, formerly Cherry’s. First guest Lars, from the Street Demons, must answer Nygma’s riddle; if he is correct, he moves on to part two, which is to ask Nygma a riddle to solve. If he is successful in both, then he wins cash. If not, then he must spin the wheel of misfortune. As sure as the Patriots have every team’s playbook in a large binder, Lars loses. The spin of the wheel turns up the very unpleasant Rabid Sack of Rats on the Head. Before anyone loses face (see what I did there?), Lee arrives and demands a halt to the proceedings, but the crowd wants more. Lee challenges Riddler; if she wins, the game is shut down. If she loses, she spins the wheel. Nygma’s riddle is solved by Lee, which is a broken promise. See, Lee broke her promise to help Nygma, much like the Patriots promised to stop with the chicanery such as videotaping the opposition’s practices, deflating footballs in playoff games, you get the idea. Halfway to victory, Lee offers her riddle to Nygma, who easily solves it, but it requires him to say the worlds “I love you”. He refuses, knowing Lee is trying to reawaken Ed.
So Lee wins and Riddler loses and the game is over. But the game is really beginning, as she and Riddler kiss at episode’s end. It will be interesting to see how Lee plans to banish Riddler and bring Ed back, considering Riddler comments she is playing a dangerous game as they embrace.
All things considered, a pretty solid episode, even though Freeze and Firefly are still relegated to cameos. I feel the villains will have a grand old time in the coming weeks as Jerome plans to turn Gotham City upside down with Scarecrow’s laughing gas. A few good lines from Harvey, but they are never enough in my opinion. Bruce has another short story for a third week in a row, and I am cautiously optimistic that will continue, but I wouldn’t bet the farm on it. I might be crazy, but I’m not stupid. El Precicto states a showdown over the fate of Gotham will be had between Jerome and Penguin. With Butch on his side, Penguin will likely feel overly confident, probably to the point of arrogance. He can’t help it, he’s the Penguin. It will also be interesting what Babs has to say about all this, now that she leads the Sisters of the League and will want to make a power play for control of Gotham’s underworld as well.
Tune in next week – same Bat-time, same Bat-channel.
