After a one week break Gotham is back! Episode 20 starts off with a new story arc leading into the season 4 finale in two weeks time. Gotham promised a twist and they certainly did deliver, I apologise if I repeat my week after week in my recap of these episodes but Gotham really is exceptional television show. What plans does Jeremiah have now that Jerome is gone? Has Penguin managed to gain control of Gotham’s underworld? Did Jim put Lee in Blackgate prison after she got caught robing a bank?
A familiar sound of a thunder storm rolls through the sky over Gotham. A flyer moves around in the wind with Jeromes face on it, a gathering of Jerome supporters stand around his headstone in a cemetery. The inscription reads “Here lies Jerome Valeska. Second time is the charm.” A young man who seems to be the leader of the Jerome supporters raises a alcohol flask and they toast to Jerome. A sound of a small motorbike arrives in the cemetery, the person which to me looks female is dressed in a dull in colour jesters outfit. She sounds a horn and a recording of Jeromes voice comes over on the speaker. Jeromes tells his supporters did they think they would get rid of him so easily, well they did Jerome is dead but he wants to throw one last party. Jeromes next instruction is for his supporters to dig up his coffin, which they do with great enthusiasm.
Captain James Gordon stands alone looking through the frosted glass door of an interview room. Leslie Thompkins waits at a table in the interview room alone. Detective Harvey Bullock asks Jim what is he going to do? Jim answers with a question what can he do? Harvey suggests the back door but Jim is adamant that he is not going to let Lee go. Harvey considers himself good at looking the other way. Lee robbed a dirty bank and Harvey knows people in Gotham that have gotten away with worse. Jim gets angry with Harvey when he mentions that they both have gotten away with much worse, as Jim doesn’t want any of his past thrown in his face and tells Harvey to leave.
Jim enters the interview room Lee says to Jim “I didn’t imagine this was how our story ended.” You can see by Jim’s body language he is torn in what to do as he really does want to help Lee. Jim gives Lee options, give up Nygma, return the money and ask the DA for suspended sentence, Lee refuses to give up her friend. The people of the narrows may call her The Doc, she fights gangsters and rob banks but Jim knows Lee Thompkins and thinks all this is just a way of helping people, which Jim does understand. Who wouldn’t to be a Robin Hood but Lee is still breaking the law. Lee thinks that Jim wishes what she is doing he could do, helping people without the straight jacket of the law. The question Lee puts to Jim does the law mean anything in Gotham anymore? Jim defiantly answers that if the law has lost its meaning then its down to people like Lee turning their back on it. Lee isn’t going to deny anything she has done and is happy to go to Blackgate Prison, but Jim doesn’t want to send Lee to Blackgate. He wants to let Lee walk straight through the door of the GCPD but he can’t. Lee asks what is holding Jim back. Maybe if Jim let Lee go he would let himself go too. There is a silence between Lee and Jim and Jim admits that there are so many things that he wish he could change the things he has done. Lee can see Jim is being serious and prompts Jim to tell her but they are interrupted by a knock on the interview room door.
Harvey apologises sarcasitly for sticking his face in Jim’s business. Lucius Fox is holding a purple box with a big green bow on the top, he has inspected it for booby-traps. The label reads “To Jim Gordon from Jerome Valeska.” Lucius has set up a monitor in Jim’s office to play the VHS tape which has a sticker on the front saying “play me.” The video is the last will and testament of Jerome Valeska, as the tape begins to play Harvey questions that maybe Jerome is still alive. Jim is confident that he isn’t by the autopsy report. The video starts with Jerome saying “hello Jimmy” which had my suspicion senses tingling as Jerome normally calls Jim “Jimbo”. He has one last request from Jim as Jerome wants Jim to throw him a wake at The GCPD. Jerome doesn’t want Jim to worry about the guest list as he has already sent the invitations. Ending with his signature laugh, in the background at the GCPD there is the sound of horns and people cheering. Jim looks out the window and can see the leader of the Jerome supporters juggling three knifes and a large crowd gathering. A car pulls up with Jerome’s coffin on the roof rack. Jim instructs Harvey to lock down the GCPD.
The people of The Narrows are wanting to break Lee out of the GCPD, the way they see it Lee helps them and they want to help her. The Riddler is sat on the desk thinking through their request, he wants to make it clear to the people of The Narrows that no one cares more then Nygma for the fate of Lee Thompkins then he does. So The Riddler will not let them bumble their way into the GCPD and he won’t leave Lee in the sweaty palms of Jim Gordon. Riddler has a special team to help him extract Lee with surgical precision. His team are ready with some very strange items, bicycle pump, can opener, metal cord, pickle jar and a fishing rod. Riddler instructs one of the team to follow Jim and if he comes into harm then is told to assist Jim as Riddler doesn’t want any blame put on him if Jim does come under fire. There is another group of people counting the money from the last bank robbery and Riddler assures them he will be back in a few hours as breaking Lee out of The GCPD will be easy.
Alfred takes a telephone call from Jim at Wayne Manor, Jim wants to know the whereabouts of Bruce. Alfred confirms he is meeting Jeremiah about an energy project. With Jim sounding concerned about this meeting Alfred wants to know should he be concerned about this. Jim tells Alfred about Jerome’s supporters rampaging the precinct, Alfred is getting his weapons ready as he asks Jim if Bruce and Jeremiah are in danger? Jim believes that Jeremiah’s maze might actually be the safest place for Bruce, Alfred decides to head over to Jeremiah’s.
With only a wooden plank from stopping Jerome’s supporters from getting in, they are using Jerome’s coffin to try and break down the door. Harvey wants to know what the plan is, Jim decides to open the armoury. Jim places a blueprint of the precinct in front of Harvey, Jerome works on distractions and his supporters breaking their way into The GCPD is not going to help Jim and Harvey figure out what Jerome really wants. Jim’s plan is to let them in the front, fire a few shots and the GCPD make their escape through a service door then they can surround the precinct which will trap them all inside. Jerome’s supporters can blow off some steam then the GCPD can use tear gas to control the crowd, but they still need to figure out who the real target is.
Bruce is with Jeremiah looking at the generators, in which Jeremiah has got working very quickly. The first thing to take note is how normal looking Jeremiah is considering he got sprayed by the laughing gas and his skin soon turned to a pale complexion. Jeremiah turns off the power in his maze to demonstrate how powerful the generator is. With a glow of blue light this impressive project virtually costs nothing to run and Bruce is excited that Wayne Enterprises can help run Gotham with these generators. Bruce assures that no one outside Wayne Enterprises knows Jeremiah’s project exists. Jeremiah warns Bruce it’s the people close that you have to keep an eye on.
Jeremiah was given Jeromes personal belongings from Arkham Asylum, amongst them was a diary. There is a record of all Jeromes fantasies and goals and every vision he ever had. As Jeremiah turns the pages, Bruce suggests that Jeremiah doesn’t spend so much time reading it. Jeremiah turns the page to some drawings which shows Jerome was obsessed with torturing and murdering James Gordon, Bruce and Jeremiah. Bruce puts his hand over the page and reminds Jeremiah that his brother is dead and he needs to come out from his book and join the real world. Jeremiah does agree that Jerome is dead but he has trouble believing it. Bruce’s cellphone buzzes and Alfred informs him about Jeromes followers are kicking off again, Bruce doesn’t say much and Alfred informs him he is on his way to pick Bruce up. Bruce tells Jeramiah that Alfred has changed his plans but Jeremiah knows he is lying. Bruce knows he can’t get away with it and apologises and tells Jeremiah the truth about some of Jeromes followers causing trouble. This puts Jeremiah into a breathless panic as his fear of his brother not being dead and Jerome will come after him again.
Alfred is getting ready to leave Wayne Manor he hears smashed glass from another room and draws his gun. Alfred enters the conservatory, the door closes and all you can see from the camera angle is beneath the door. Sounds of glass, punches, gunfire and someone, maybe Alfred shout in pain.
Bruce tries to calm Jeremiah down as he isn’t thinking clearly. Jeremiah decides to tell Bruce about the last gift Jerome left him when he got sprayed by the laughing gas. Jermiah repeats Jeromes last words “a special mixture just for you brother.” Bruce slowly steps back as Jerome continues to tell Bruce that he can’t stop seeing Jerome clawing his way out of his grave and coming for him. Bruce suggests to Jeremiah what if he showed him that he is dead and buried, go to the cemetery so Jeremiah could see for himself. Bruce can see that Jerome has taken away Jeremiah’s strength which is his mind and turned it into a trap, seeing that Jerome is buried will free Jeremiah and Jeremiah is willing to try.
Jeromes supporters continue to try and break down the door at the GCPD. Jim is moving the prisoners including Lee, but she is pressing Jim about what he was going to tell her. Jim ignores her and then Lee asks Jim to come to The Narrows. Does this mean she still has a spark for Jim? Lee thinks Jim can make a real difference in the city and make up his own rules. Jim doesn’t answer, seconds later the door is busted open. Jeromes supporters pile in and start climbing over the desks and causing anarchy. Jim tells all the officers to fall back as there is more people then he expected. Lee is with the other prisoners and is pushed back and hits her head on a fire extinguisher and gets knocked out.
Jim goes into the locker room and the leader follows Jim. He is still juggling his knifes and turns sinister as he calls Jim the assassin of Jerome. Jim puts his gun away as Harvey turns up with electric cattle prod and electrocutes the two men with the leader. Jim decides to take the leader outside so they can talk.
There is a lot of blood on the floor in the kitchen at Wayne Manor and Alfred cellphone is ringing. Where is Alfred? Bruce walks through the cemetery with Jeremiah and is concerned that he can’t get hold of Alfred. Bruce walks towards Jeromes grave whilst Jeremiah Is spooked by a snapping sound in the trees. Jeremiah questions if he can actually do this, Bruces encourages him as it’s not much further. Bruce reaches Jeromes grave first and is horrified to see that it has been dug up, Jeremiah runs away as he is terrified that Jerome is still alive.
One of my favourite duos are settling down for some lunch in front of the television. Oswald Cobblepot puts a napkin down the front of his collar and delicately picks up a small chicken leg. He goes to eat it but gets stolen by Butch, Oswald wants to know how long these petty aggressions by Butch are going to carry on. Butch doesn’t have any petty aggressions, Oswald wants to know will he have to starve while he guesses what his resentments are. Butch doesn’t hold back and tells Oswald that because he said that if he joined back up with Penguin they would be back on top. Instead they have been grubbing for Jerome and got played by Nygma. Also Oswald said that he would be able to find a cure for Butch. Oswald admits through no fault of his own their advancement has not run it’s pace. Butch again gets angry as they are swatting in Falcones mansion and they are having to rob liquor stores to buy food, meanwhile Sofia Falcone territory is being carved up. Oswald gives another smart answer they are laying in wait to build a nest egg while less deliberate players show their cards. Butch looks astonished at what Oswald has just said and grabs him by the back of the neck and warns him that if he doesn’t find Hugo Strange and get him cured, Butch is going to crush Oswalds windpipe like a beer can. Oswald hears an opportunity on the television. The news reporter is reporting from outside the GCPD about the Jerome supporters. Butch doesn’t understand how this is an opportunity, Oswald sees confusion as an opportunity and someone showing their cards. Oswald decides himself and Butch should go and take a look.
Jim and Harvey have put the leader of the Jerome supporters in the trunk of a police car. Jim asks if he spoken yet, Harvey opens the trunk and asks if Jerome left any other instructions and uses the electric cattle prod on him. Jim lowers the trunk lid lower so the press nearby can’t see what they are doing. Jim tells the leader he needs to start talking and uses the cattle prod on him again, after a few screams he decides to talk. He reveals it’s too late for Jeremiah and Bruce Wayne. Harvey questions if he is telling the truth, Jim decides to go to Jeremiah’s bunker.
The Riddler turns up with his break out team and did not expect the to see the disturbance outside the GCPD. Riddler sees this as a complication and knows the officers would of moved the prisoners. Riddler turns his head to the left to see a GCPD transport van, he is happy to see this as breaking out Lee might be easier then he expected. Riddler opens the back of the van and sees just male prisoners, one of the prisoners is delighted to see The Riddler as he thinks they are now saved. Riddler asks how did they get out, in which the prisoner tells him it was through the old service door. Riddler shuts the van doors without saving the prisoners much to his disappointment. Now The Riddler has to improvise as Riddler knows they will use tear gas and he needs to get inside the GCPD before they do. Riddler needs a costume shop.
The prisoners maybe in luck as Penguin and Butch open the back of the van this time. This character played by Michael Daly, who is delighted to see Penguin thinks they are saved is my character of the week. Oswald looks at him distastefully as him and Butch are there for the leader of the Jerome supporters. As Butch slams the doors shut another prisoner asks the hopeful prisoner “do you ever get tired of being wrong?”
Lee wakes up and is slightly disoriented for a moment as she looks around the precinct and sees graffiti of Ha Ha everywhere and manages to make her way through the party unnoticed.
Bruce walks into an old crypt calling out for Jeremiah as he thinks they should leave as it’s not safe. Jeremiah wants Bruce to believe him now that Jerome is still alive, but Bruce is sure that his supporters are the ones who dug him up. Jeremiah questions Bruces trust as Bruce doesn’t believe him, but he can trust Bruce as he is Jeremiah’s friend. Jeremiah wants Bruce to be his friend as he no idea what it was like growing up underground, then Bruce came along and offered Jeremiah everything he could of dreamed off. Bruce assures Jeremiah that he believes him as he will do great things for Gotham. Jeremiah is finding it confusing as Bruce brought him to the cemetery and now he wants them to leave and asks why did Bruce suggested it. In all sincerity Bruce thought it would help Jeremiah and they need to leave. Jeremiah fires a gun in front of Bruces feet, Jeremiah is convinced under Bruces face is Jerome. Jeremiah is persistent in telling Bruce that he knows he really is Jerome and fires another shot and tells his brother to turn around as he is going back to his grave because he killed his friend Bruce.
The wake continues at the GCPD as somebody dressed like a clown stands and watches the chaos. Riddler is wearing a red and black wig, big red sponge nose and a blue and yellow all in one costume. One of the supporters opens the coffin and hands Riddler a beer much to his relief. But the question is where is Jeromes body if it’s not in the coffin? Riddler makes his way into his old medical examiner room and is hit on the head by Lee, who realises it’s Ed she has just hit over the head.
Jim arrives at Jeremiah’s bunker he has gun drawn and calls out to Bruce and Jeremiah. The generator is still on making the room glow blue. Jim has a lowers his gun as one of the television monitors switches itself on.
Jeremiah is still pointing his gun at Bruce as they make their way to Jeromes open grave. Bruce is trying to convince him that he is stronger then this. When they reach the open grave Jeromes corpse is slumped against a grave stone.
Jeromes video continues for Jim at Jeremiah’s bunker, Jim speaks Jeromes name out loud. Jerome tells Jim not to bother answering as this is a recording and yes he is dead. Jerome knew Jim would see through all the shenanigans at the GCPD and the strength to follow as it was his intention to bring Jim to Jeremiah’s and now Jim realises he is the target. The jester is back and she points a gun at Jim’s head.
Bruce is hoping now that Jeremiah believes he isn’t his brother. Jeremiah points his gun again at Bruce, he tries again to make Jeremiah see that Jeromes followers are doing this. Jeremiah is studying Jeromes corpse and remarks that he can see the incision where Jerome cut of Bruces face. Jeremiah thinks the dead corpse is Bruce with Jeromes face stitched on, he reaches inside Jeromes jacket and takes out a flick knife, and tries to slash Bruce.
Jim is still at gunpoint at Jeremiah’s bunker, Jerome tells Jim not to worry about her as she is there to make sure there is no disturbance during the movie so the twist makes sense at the end. Jerome begins to get strangled by someone as you can only see their forearms and hands. Jim takes the opportunity to knock the gun out of her hand and an impressive fight scene between them. What is impressive about these scenes what is happening between Bruce and Jeremiah at the cemetery is happening between Jim and the jester. Jim does manage to knock out the jester, he removes her mask to reveal it is Ecco, Jeremiah’s loyal assistant.
The hands strangling Jerome belong to Jerome who appears on the neighbouring television monitor. He tells Jim that suicide really takes it out of you and uses a red silk handkerchief to wipe his face, then peels off some of his facial scars. Have you guessed what the twist is yet?
Bruce manages to get Jeremiah in a head lock and is determined to get through to him that he should not let Jerome turn him into Jerome. Jeremiah laughs as he will never let Jerome beat him, behind Bruce some of Jeromes supporters turn up or are they now Jeremiah followers. The follower stood next to Jeremiah is chanting long live Jerome and this displeases Jeremiah who has a gun hidden up the sleeve of his jacket and shoots him in the throat. Blood splatter is over the right side of Jeremiah’s face and Bruce be held by the followers watches in horror. Jeremiah repeats “Jerome vicious are you serious.” Jerome is dead and if they had been paying attention. Jeremiah uses a cloth to wipe the blood of his face which also removes his face make up to reveal his pale complexion the last time we saw him in episode 18. The same reveal is happening at the bunker in front of Jim as Jeremiah on the television monitor comes from behind the red handkerchief pale faced. This scene has been brilliantly done just like Jack Nicholson when he played the joker in Tim Burton’s Batman.
Jeremiah at the cemetery knocks the corpse of Jerome back into his open grave, and tells him that he is the victorious one. Jeremiah is now fully revealed to Jim on all four of the television monitors and he repeats to Jim that “Jerome is dead and long live me”
Bruce is still watching in horror as Jeremiah removes the rest of his face make up. Jeremiah explains that Jeromes laughing gas failed apart from a few cosmetic effects. Jeremiah wanted them to see Jerome for the dud that he was and Jeremiah wore the mask of madness to show people actual greatness. Jeremiah now holds the face of true sanity but looks aren’t everything, he takes out Jeromes diary and refers to them as goals and obsessions and Jeremiah will out do every single one of them. Jerome wanted to turn Gotham into a madhouse but Jeremiah believes to truly build something you must tear something down that is already there.
Jeremiah continues to talk to Jim on the television monitor about how he persuaded Jeromes followers. Ecco wakes up and exits through a side door which slides shut. Jeremiah starts to talk about the generator behind Jim and the amount of impressive energy it holds and he would hate to be in a mile of it if it exploded. The generator begins to pulse making the blue light shine brighter.
Bruce is still be held by Jeremiah’s followers, he thinks the gas has worked because he wants to carry out Jerome’s plans sanely. Bruce asks what could be madder then that? Jeremiah shrugs at madder and opens Jeromes diary and reads what he would like to do to Bruce. Jerome would like to cover Bruce in honey and have you eaten alive by corpse beetles, Jeremiah considers this mad. If Jeremiah wanted to kill Bruce he would shoot Bruce simply and sanely, but he doesn’t want to kill Bruce which displeases his followers. Jeremiah wants everyone to listen as he wants to show Bruce have he has changed and how they have changed things as Jeremiah could not done any of this without Bruces help. Bruce doesn’t understand how he has helped.
The sound coming from the generator is a very bad sound, as it turns red. Jim looks for away out as Jeremiah looks at Jim as his guinea pig. Jeremiah fells indebted to Bruce because without his money the generators that they built work even better as bombs. Jim manages to find a switch under the desk to open the door and runs out with some plans.
Harvey is talking to SWAT team and the officers outside of the GCPD when the explosion happens. Harvey and Harper look at each as they don’t know the location of the explosion. Jeremiah tells Bruce at the cemetery that is one down and announces Jim Gordon is dead. Bruce disbelieves this as Jeremiah explains calmly that progress requires sacrifice. Bruce vows to stop Jeremiah but Jeremiah really hopes he doesn’t as he would hate to kill Bruce. Jeremiah can honestly say that Bruce is his very best friend, he pats Bruce on the shoulder and knocks him out then puts his unconscious body into the open grave with Jerome.
Oswald wants information from the leader of the Jerome supporters with minimal fuss and what he was up to today. The leader will never betray the memory of Jerome, but Oswald does not expect him to do betray the memory of that old corpse but betray whom ever he is currently following. The leader repeats long live Jerome and Oswald rolls his eyes as he refuses to talk. Oswald sits down and Butch decides to take over as he catches the leader staring at him. Butch gets it as he often jumps at glances of himself in the mirror and then he gets angry. The longer Butch looks like Grundy the angrier he gets and the way Butch sees it the leader is preventing him from getting a cure. Butch grabs him by the back of his neck and tells him that makes him even more angry. Oswald interrupts by asking Butch if he reciting his wows to gain their hostage sympathy. But it’s not Butch just wanted to see if he could get him to pee his pants which in a funny moment both Oswald and Butch look down down to see if Butch has been successful. Butch asks Oswald if he should shove some chicken bones up his nostrils until the leader speaks, Oswald loves this idea.
Lee removes Ed red clown nose and asks aloud how the smartest man in Gotham let his heart do the thinking and slaps him on the face to wake him. Ed wakes with an ouch and Lee suspects he was awake the whole time as Ed smiles with glee at being called the smartest man in Gotham. Lee thinks there are better things to aspire too like Ed being himself, she removes his red and black wig. Lee wants to know how they are going to get past the psychos and wonders if Ed brought a costume for her, unfortunately they only had one but Ed does have two gas masks ready for when the GCPD throw tear gas bombs through the windows. The party has calmed a little at the GCPD as drunk people stagger around, the tear gas bombs land on the floor of the GCPD as Harvey enters with the officers to round everyone up, as Ed and Lee make their way through the smoke. Ed and Lee go through the service door and hide under some stairs as officers run down them, Ed is Lee knight in shining armour and she kisses him passionately. Ed warns Lee not to wrap him around her little finger, Lee just smiles and with the coast clear they run.
Harvey is busy locking up prisoners especially one who take a leak on his desk. Jeromes coffin is removed and Harvey takes two beers out of the coffin for himself and Harper. Lucius comes to him with information on the location of the explosion it was Jeremiah’s bunker and Harvey knows that was where Jim was going to look for Bruce.
Jeremiah arrives at Wayne Enterprises the two security guards recognise his voice as he greets them. They ask if Mr Wayne is with him, Jeremiah confirms he isn’t but he is not alone. Before the two security guards can respond Ecco steps out from behind Jeremiah and shoots the security guards. Jeremiah is now wearing a new purple suit with red leather gloves. Ecco and Jeremiah take the security passes that are required and need to be swiped together to enter a room. It’s a room full of generators and Jeremiah is extremely pleased when he sees them as he sees them as gifts of true friendship. He instructs Ecco to get all the generators, which there are a lot to be loaded on the trucks as it’s time to give Gotham city it’s new face.
Crikey Gothamites what a superb episode. A brilliant script by Charlie Huston and Directed by Louis Shaw Milito.
The next episode of Gotham will air on Thursday 10th May. Titled “One Bad Day” As Gotham falls into complete anarchy, a team of unlikely heroes step up to save it. Bullock takes the lead at the GCPD and Bruce’s psychological limits are tested as those close to him are put in danger.
There has recently been another white band trailer released which does contain spoilers of what to expect of the last two episodes of Season 4 Gotham. It’s pretty crazy and so Gotham.
