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sunlitroom · 7 years

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Gotham - s3e19 - All Will Be Judged

As I watched it, and some random observations here and there.

Previously on Gotham:

Lee and Mario’s very short honeymoon at the cabin from the Godfather II. Mario could have lived a normal life! Barnes wants to judge Jim. The court has a virus. Kathryn orders what must be the 100th hit on Jim Gordon. Does she get a fabulous prize? Bruce never left that alley. Selina is defenestrated again. Ed just doesn’t shut the fuck up. Jim and Oswald have a tense conversation in an alley.

As always, long post will be long - reaaally long. There are likely to be rambling digressions. Gobblepot may appear (although I welcome all shippers and non-shippers alike :)). There will be naked favouritism and naked not-favouritism. Broader comments at the end on plotlines and parallels and general direction.

Oswald and Ed in matching cages in a Court building.

Oswald

Oswald turns slowly, rage making the turn of his head jerky.

You're alive

Oswald walks closer, and smiles briefly – before making a grab for Ed through the bars

Ed looks terrified, and lurches backward. He sounds furious that Oswald dared to survive his punishment. Oswald grins venomously – Ed gave him something to live for: revenge.

Ed - being Ed – needs to check he’s real, and smacks his head. Oswald fulminates.

(An aside – this will pretty much set the tone for the rest of their interaction. It’s virtually all played for comedy – squabbling children who hate each other)

Ed says that Oswald’s habit of survival makes him more cockroach than penguin. He also tells Oswald:

Don't you dare call me Ed. I am the Riddler. I became him when I killed you.

It sounds massively silly when he says it here – and I’d pay good money for Oswald to see a hallucination of Fish right now, waving one long fingernail and asking him what the hell he was thinking?

As it is – Oswald rolls his eyes. He’s not dead, though. Ed concedes this. Oswald says he came back from dead to kill Ed – although Ed points out he wound up in prison. Oswald says he has him where he wants him. Ed hits the bars of his cell - not for long

Wayne Manor, where an alarm is sounding. Selina has broken in. Bruce2 smiles – it might sound strange, but he’s glad she’s alive –Selina says that is strange, but she came here to do one thing. They brawl – and she calls him a freak – a cheap knock-off – and stabs him, but he won’t bleed. Alfred tries to split this up as Selina screams that he’s not Bruce – but this temporarily gives Bruce 2 the advantage, and he hits Selina on the head with a poker.

Alfred goes to an unconscious Selina’s side and says they need a doctor. Seeing Bruce 2’s weird non-bleeding wound – he realises the truth. Bruce2 says that Bruce is serving a greater purpose than himself, as is he. He says Alfred was always kind to him - even when he thought he wasn't Bruce, and – despite his begging – wallops Alfred over the head.

Bruce is back in Gotham with dreary guru guy. Zzzzzz.

Lee sits dozing in front of a fire on a stormy night. Mario wakes her. She tells him she was having the worst dream. There was a virus loose in city – that brought out the darkness in people, and he had it. And there was this boring love triangle with Jim and Valerie Vale - and Ed and Oswald were trapped in a tedious ooc storyline totally disengaged from the main plot, and Victor Zsasz was hardly in it at all!

Mario – though – is only interested in what darkness the virus brought to light in him. Lee tells him he was jealous of Jim

But I'm taller than he is

(An aside – lol)

Lee continues – right up to Mario’s death on their wedding day.

He reassures here – I’m right here

He tells her to take her medicine and go to bed – voice soothing – before slitting his wrist, draining the blood into a glass. Lee watches, and then says

I'm so sorry

Mario’s face is the virus face now – and his voice is distorted

I know - now drink

Lee wakes up for real, and knocks her wine glass from the table.

GCPD, where Jim is looking at the court's holdings to identify where the bomb is hidden. He thinks he’s found a secret room in a secret house. Harvey wants him to get information from Kathryn -who trusts him.

(An aside – right: I’m fucking mystified by that one. Harvey thinks Kathryn still trusts Jim? But...but - the dead talon? The fact that Jim evacuated the hall where the bomb was detonated – and was seen doing so by several witnesses? The fact that no-one was infected or hurt in their test detonation? Why would she still trust Jim? If anything – she has ample evidence of his treachery. Has she just not looked yet?)

Harvey snarks a little about Lucius being smarter than him before they head to the secret house.

At the Court safe house, Harvey grumbles about why these can’t ever be in places he’d like to go, like a brewery, stripjoint, or a casino?

(Another abandoned bike in this room – like outside Jim’s apartment. Are bikes inherently sinister?)

Harvey lucks out at a control panel and opens a secret door to a room containing a glass owl. They discover that when the light shines through it – it reveals a map with markers, which they hope denote similar safehouses – which might contain the bomb.

They’re interrupted by smashing glass and a grenade, and......

Oh, dear. Barnes looks silly as hell

He knocks Harvey and Jim out, and reiterates his promise of punishment.

Wayne Manor – where Alfred can’t get Jim on the phone. Selina has related the whole story to him. He tells her she should see a doctor – but quickly accepts her refusal and says she’s going to going to help him find him. Selina says she won’t. Alfred goads her, asking if she’s still angry at Bruce because her mother was a con-artist. He becomes irate – saying that Bruce is a good, loyal friend, and she won't lift a finger.

(An aside - did Alfred not listen very carefully when Selina presumably told him that Bruce 2 pushed her out a window specifically to stop her coming to tell him about Bruce’s abduction and the Court’s plans?)

Selina’s face is sullen

What good will it do me?

He rounds on her. He tells her that she’s a disgrace, that’s she’s just like her mum – and that she should run away and never come back.

Selina doesn’t look at him as he leaves, her face hard.

(An aside – I know Alfred is panicked, but his lack of any understanding here seems glaring. Selina would have been dead if not for Ivy. She’s probably hugely traumatised.)

At the crime scene a very odd witness gives information on the van Barnes escaped in. Harvey tells officers to look out for that van – and find Jim Gordon.

Oswald is whittling a blade while Ed critiques it. They snipe back and forth, Ed demanding that Oswald not call him by name – while Oswald does so repeatedly. Ed snarls enough – and then calls Oswald pathetic. At least he got here because he wanted to know who runs the city. Oswald’s just here because Ed didn’t love him back. Get over it, he spits.

Oswald acknowledges this – but says that’s not why he here. He’s here because Ed destroyed his empire and shot him. No-one does what you did and lives.

They snipe some more. Ed attempts an escape, Oswald foils it, and then passes out – blissfully smiling at the sight of Ed being beaten by the guards

More of this new age stuff? Locking away pain again. Bruce is to put his mother’s pearls in the safe – but can’t do it. Boring guru says it’s time he knows the truth, his truth.

Jim is chained to a chair in an abandoned courtroom. Barnes and Kathryn are very disappointed parents. Jim made a fool of them, they had such high hopes. How can he insult them both by lying to them? Kathryn wants to know who else Jim is working with. She’s already figured out that Hugo played turncoat, and Harvey is obvious.

Jim sneers – and asks if this is an exit interview. Kathryn pushes, but Jim reminds her that the Court ordered his father murdered and drove his uncle to suicide – trying to prod justice-obsessed Barnes into action. When it’s not enough – he pushes harder, calling him a lapdog, and telling him he used to stand for something – even still did, despite his lunacy

(An aside – Jim and Barnes had such an interesting relationship – but it’s really hard to fully get at the pathos of that relationship when Barnes is wearing smokey eyeshadow and has an axe on his arm)

Kathryn reiterates that Jim is an enemy of Gotham, and that Gordons were always stubborn. She also repeats that this is the end – the city will fall – and leaves

Barnes sits at the bench and spouts the appropriate legal talk. Jim’s trial will begin.

Arkham, where Lee is visiting Jervis. Jervis delivers an appropriately creepy and unpleasant rhyme, and waits for her to talk – with some glee – pointing out her tired appearance. She wants to talk to him about something that seems funny to her – and Jervis does love funny things.

She tells him that she never blamed him for Mario – because he’s insane. She blamed Jim instead. Jervis is disappointed. He concedes that’s wise - but not funny. Lee continues – and asks why her infected Mario – and not her – if he meant to hurt Jim.

Jervis tells her that it was apparent at their tea-party that she still loved Jim – and that love doomed Mario. Jim Gordon does not deserve love, he doesn’t get love, and so he decided to turn Lee’s love to hate by infecting Mario, and making Jim seem blameworthy.

Lee looks ill

Jervis laughs – and tells her that was a funny thing. His face turns venomous, and he continues, pointing out that poor Mario is cold in ground, and she blames Jim – but Lee is really to blame for everything

Now see - that's funny.

Lee agrees that she’s to blame, her face bleak, broken.

I am

Oswald wakes - holding head. My hand hurts – so they snipe some more and agree to work together so they can escape and murder each other.

More bullshit spiritual training. We see guru guy’s truth. We are in a room, where an Owl/talon/whatever is kneeling before past guru. Apparently – the Court exceeded their authority in killing the Waynes. They’re just a means to an end for us – although he refuses to explain who that is when Bruce asks. He does – though – want Bruce to help make the Court pay.

Jim is chained to a chair while Barnes reiterates his fatherly disapproval. Jim points out the virus will infect innocent and guilty alike – but no dice, because Barnes thinks the virus is great. He sneers at Jim’s disbelief – just like Lee Thompkins - and tells him the story of Lee’s visit.

He gets ready to pass sentence. Jim pretends to want to die wearing his badge.

One soldier to another

That never really meant anything to Jim, though, and it doesn’t now either, as he pulls the pin on a grenade on Barnes’ belt as he leans in to pin the badge.

There’s an explosion, GCPD runs in, and Barnes leaps out the window

At GCPD – Harvey asks if there’s word on Barnes

He’s a nutjob in a leather jumpsuit with an axe for an arm! I know this is Gotham, but come on people!

Jim is planning to get to Kathryn before she realises he’s escaped, but she’s been arrested and is being brought in.

Alfred appears – he’s been looking for Jim all day: Bruce has been abducted. Harvey groans. They realise they’ve both been after the Court, and the clone story comes – and yes, why haven’t they talked in - like – forever? Long story short – Alfred rushes off to fetch the broken crystal owl.

Back in the makeshift prison - Oswald wails: Ed has a knife to his throat. It’s all a ruse and they escape.

GCPD, where Jim is interrogating Kathryn. She’s alternately stony faced and smiling poisonously – especially when she tells Jim he knows nothing if he thinks that she runs the Court.

Alfred brings the owl. Harvey says he can't even do a jigsaw puzzle – so they’ll ask the guy who makes moulds of the faces of murder victims. He lets slip that Jim is interrogating Kathryn, and Alfred storms in as Harvey chases him – realising his mistake

Oh god no - not that

(An aside – Harvey’s little moments of comic relief in the background are joy)

Kathryn is scornful at Alfred’s arrival – assuming a good cop/bad cop routine – but is less scornful when Alfred stabs her in the hand.

Meanwhile – Barnes has arrived outside. Harvey hears the commotion, and goes to see what’s happening.

In the interrogation room, Kathryn writhes in pain. Jim tells Alfred that’s enough – but he twists the blade, and Jim remonstrates again. When Harvey returns, he separates Jim and Alfred. They head out – Kathryn at gunpoint.

You all corrupted this house with weakness and compromise. This place was a church to me!

Kathryn calls Barnes for help. Jim tells him they will take him in. Barnes is livid.

You dare threaten me! You destroyed the thing I care most about and - for that - the sentence is death.

A fight ensures Barnes knocks Jim to the floor, and easily takes out Harvey and Alfred. Kathryn screams at him – demanding protection – and oh my God I was not expecting the decapitation

Barnes tells Jim it’s fitting he should die here – a demonstration that no-one will escape sentence. Jim turns and blows his hand off with a shotgun. Barnes screams that he will face judgment. Jim tells him

This place is a church - mine.

He stands alone in the wreckage

An alley, where Ed and Oswald emerge through a metal door, and face off – their 5 hour truce in place before they can attempt to kill each other again.

Ed smugly informs Oswald that Barbara runs the underworld and that they have the gangs of Gotham at his back - while Oswald only has himself - and this, this is where the flimsy plotting and world building really starts to become intrusive for me.

Barbara, Tabitha, and Butch murdering key family members like they did would have caused a turf war. A turf war that - really - I'm not remotely convinced they would have won. Let's consider their respective c.vs:

Barbara has about 5 minutes of experience in the crime world and a reputation for insanity. Tabitha has a reputation for cruelty - but no real background in the underworld. If anything, you can imagine them being dismissed as 'poor little rich girls', playing at crime. Butch is known as an eternal second fiddle and worse - in the mindset of Gotham's gangs - second fiddle to a woman, a 'freakish little man', and then two women who don't even have Fish's experience or clout.

As for Ed, he's flashy, conspicuous, and erratic. He has a compulsive need for the attention that organised criminals would strive to avoid. Gangs would see him as a liability. They're also not going to take kindly to his obvious contempt for anyone he deems less intelligent than himself - which is everyone.

So - the notion that Barbara and co apparently rule the underworld with an iron grip is just chronically unconvincing to me. Even if you hypothesize that they murdered every member of the old families - we saw the younger set of gangsters at Oswald's meeting early in season two, who seemed to enjoy the prosperity and stability his brief reign had brought. They apparently just decided to do as they were told? Why? Because Tabitha has a whip and Barbara has a great wardrobe? Nope. Not buying it.

As for telling Oswald that all he has is himself - well, we all know why that comment proves that Ed is much dumber than he'd like to think. Oswald is tough, resilient and - unlike Ed - knows exactly who he is.

In the wreckage of GCPD - Jim holds a bandage to his shoulder – eyes wide as Lee walks in. He asks what she’s doing here. She asks if he assumed that she came to help, and assures him that she didn’t actually know what had happened, and wouldn’t have helped even if she did. She says that if Barnes wrecked this place he loved – maybe it’s because he discovered the truth: there’s no justice here, but she – Lee – is willing to pay for what she’s done.

Jim frowns, confused – and asks her what she’s done, but she brushes him off and walks away. Harvey asks what she wanted – and Jim says he has no clue. They need to find the hiding places, but who is above Kathryn?

Bullshit meditation man - that's who – who induces Bruce to finally place the pearls in the safe. Bruce looks pained – like it’s a betrayal – but does it.

Tell me - how do you feel now when you think of your parents’ murder?

I feel - nothing

He tells a nasty story about how the Talons are taken from orphanages and trained like Bruce has been. He orders the Talon in the room to cut off a finger. They feel no pain but – equally – this leaves their mind pliable, to be moulded by him - just like Bruce’s has been. His face turns malevolent. They will destroy the Court, but Bruce will do whatever he says. Bruce agrees – blank faced.

GCPD – where Jim and Harvey stare at the owl map, before calling in the strike force. Alvarez interrupts them. Not only is Barnes missing – but someone took the virus sample. Jim is momentarily confused – and then remembers that Lee has the combination.

Lee sits alone at the dining table. She holds up the syringe, and injects herself without hesitation. She breathes fast for a few moments, then her eyes darken, and she smiles.

You destroyed the thing I care most about and, for that, the sentence is death.

Barnes claims that Jim destroyed his notion of justice and faith in the law and, for that, Jim must die. Ed took away Oswald’s empire and power – his prize and drive since day one, his tribute to his mother’s faith in him, and he tried to take away Oswald’s life and – hard though that life might be – Oswald holds on to it tightly. For this, Ed must die. Oswald took Isabella away, and for that Ed deems the sentence to be death. Selina seeks to kill Bruce2 – both for his attempted murder of her and his role in Bruce’s abduction. Kathryn took Bruce from Alfred, and Alfred is certainly willing to kill her to get him back. Jim seeks to destroy the Court because they murdered both his father and uncle, and threaten the city, which he loves. Lee’s case is more complex. Jervis has put the idea in her head that she is to blame for everything – and so she sentences her old self to death, infecting herself with the virus – an eye for an eye with Mario’s fate.

I don’t think there’s as much in the way of character development in this epsidoe - they’re largely setting the stage for the finale now. Motivations are being clarified, and pieces are being put into place.

Sundries.

Jervis Tetch plays a very long game.

And still no Victor.

Thoughts?

#gotham commentary #gotham s3e19 #all will be judged

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