“Beautiful women, free booze, and canapés.”
Harvey’s right, that’s the kind of party that takes you where you need to go. The same goes for the majority of Gotham: Mad City; the producers have seemingly placed the gritty cop show on the back burner for a little more campy fun, which makes for more enjoyable viewing. I say for the most part, because while the shift is in play, to use a baseball analogy, sometimes the shift isn’t 100% effective 100% of the time. That said, I applaud the producers for the change in direction and willingness to inject a little more fun into the show. Blood Rush continues in that direction, but this article wouldn’t be this article without a few caveats.
On the good side, Barnes, and by extension Michael Chiklis, gets a lot more breathing room as he is the focus of this week’s episode. Continuing with the madness theme that serves as the show’s subtitle, it seems Barnes’ blood poisoning is now officially out of control. He now spends his off-duty time killing criminals, and he even seeks help from the currently incarcerated Jervis Tetch. Tetch tells him Alice’s blood brings out the darkest parts of a person, and for Barnes that is violent rage at criminals. When he begins to hear voices, the virus has completely taken control.
Here’s the thing; I like that Barnes is suffering. I like that he gets more to do than yell at Harvey and Gordon, though that in itself is amusing. I like that he realizes what is happening; he tries to control it and keep it a secret, much like a modern-day Jekyll and Hyde. What’s problematic here is that, while keeping said secret, Barnes can’t tell anyone how he is feeling or what the virus is doing to him, so he blurts it out to Paulie Pennies, cleaner for Gotham’s criminal underworld, The Toad, criminal go-between, and Doctor Symon, renowned plastic surgeon and face transplant specialist for Gotham’s said criminal underworld. Roughing up Toad and killing Paulie and Symon I totally understand; Barnes is hulking out due to his rage and loses control, but don’t go off on a pseudo-soliloquy about how he’s losing control and the rage is surging through his veins. All that’s left is for Barnes to rip his shirt off to “I am a Real American” – or if you want to kick it old school, “Eye of the Tiger” – and the Hulkamania will run wild on Gotham.
Bringing out one’s darkness is a theme that runs through the episode and its side stories. Nygma in particular is worried that Isabella’s close resemblance to Kringle is what will bring Riddler to the surface. Here is a man experienced with a Jekyll/Hyde conflict and for the most part has managed to keep it under control. Barnes ought to learn from him before he destroys the city. Nygma has reverted to talking to figures in the mirror, but instead of Riddler, he speaks to Kringle.
So distraught is Nygma about killing Isabella, he has Penguin break it off with her. If one could harness happiness and turn it into energy, Penguin’s glee at that moment could have powered Gotham for a week. And off he goes. While Nygma believes Penguin is helping his BFF, we know Penguin does it for self-serving reasons. But this is television after all, and things don’t go smoothly for the planned conscious uncoupling as Isabella refuses to break up with Nygma in a scene worthy of Seinfeld. Turns out, Isabella is determined to keep her new beau and is also clever enough to figure out the source of the problem and Penguin’s love for Nygma. So she does what any crazy woman does, she dyes her hair, dresses like Kringle and forces Nygma to face his fears. He even puts his hands around her neck. Instead of choking her they kiss and spend the night together, much to Penguin’s dismay. Desperate times call for desperate measures, so Penguin arranges for Isabella to have brake trouble and as a result her car is T-boned by a train. Seems like Nygma can’t catch a break, no pun intended, in the love department. Will this be what sends him over the edge, finally transforming him into the Riddler? El Predicto picked up the Magic 8-Ball and the answer was “All signs point to YES”. Will he realize it was Penguin who had Isabella bumped off? Come on, this is television. Of course he will. How Nygma will react will be very entertaining, to say the least. It ain’t subtitled Mad City for nothing.
One minor note; we’ve been discussing how Isabella, in Penguin’s words, “bears an odd resemblance to Kringle, has a fondness for riddles, and a compulsion for neatness”. It is interesting that Blood Rush featured a plastic surgeon whose side business is face transplants for Gotham’s criminals. So the question of whether Isabella is Kringle or someone who took her face is a relevant one.
The minor-ish story was Gordon’s return to the GCPD. He’s all cleaned up, shaven and has lost the gravelly voice. Either it’s less booze or he stopped gargling with Draino. Either way, Harvey is one happy detective having his BFF back, though Gordon seems disappointed there’s no fanfare. “If we had a do for every time you returned to the GCPD we wouldn’t catch any bad guys.” Harvey says. I give two thumbs up for a return of sarcastic Harvey.
Gordon and Harvey crash Lee and Mario’s engagement party, where Mario confronted Gordon about his feelings for Lee and the events that led to Vale’s shooting. Gordon warns him to lose the jealousy or he will lose Lee, after which Mario slugs him. It was also at the party where Lee bumps into Bat-crazy Babs; let’s face it, a party with Babs is way more entertaining, and true to form she doesn’t disappoint. She taunts Lee about how they were both once so close to Gordon, who is at war with the darkness and light in himself. Lee claims she doesn’t miss it, and Babs reminds her denial isn’t just a river in Egypt. A small moment for Babs, but it’s always a pleasure to see her in action.
More tugging at the relationship strings this week, especially the Nygma/Penguin/Isabella triangle and El Predicto states Lee and Gordon aren’t finished.
All in all a decent, if not spectacular episode of Gotham, but I’m adding a half star for more sardonic Harvey.
Tune in next time – same Bat-time, same Bat-channel.
