Since day one, Gotham has refused to shut up about the upcoming mob war, but instead of showing us the war, it gave us episodes about balloons. (#NeverForget.) Well, the mob war is finally here, and it’s a good thing too, because the show seems to finally find its footing. “Penguin’s Umbrella” is a confident, fast-paced episode, and if it and last week’s installment are any indication, there’s hope that Gotham is seriously turning itself around.
Gordon is quickly finding out just how spectacularly bad an idea it was to let Cobblepot live, as not only does he get cold-cocked by Bullock (who then points a gun at him – all this happens in the GCPD locker room), but two of Fish’s goons show up to Barbara’s apartment, under orders to bring Gordon in alive. One of the men is kinda rapey, obviously, but luckily Gordon’s arrival diffuses an uncomfortable situation that Gotham is in no way ready to handle. The men leave after Gordon shoots one of them (which I thought was pretty badass), and now Gordon and Barbara are on the run.
Well, Barbara’s on the run. She gets on a train, and Gordon No Country‘s her by saying he’ll meet up with her when everything is sorted out. Has that ever actually happened? I’d love to see a movie where everything works out according to plan. No one else would, though. Anyway, Falcone’s goons (lot of goons this episode) pay a visit to the precinct. They’re led by Victor Zsasz, played creepily by Anthony Carrigan, and in a well-shot, tense scene, Zsasz clears out the station house simply because everyone there knows who he works for. This is such a simpler, more elegant way to show the viewer how corrupt and spineless most Gotham cops are; in previous episodes, we’ve been seriously beat over the head with this information.
So anyway, the mob war: it’s Falcone vs. Maroni, who do ya got? They both get some licks in, but as Fish correctively intuits, Falcone’s preternatural calm throughout the whole situation leads her to believe that he knows something that nobody else does. Which he does – namely, everything. See, Cobblepot has been Falcone’s rat this entire time; he squealed about Fish’s plans, about her relationship with the Russian Niko, and has been feeding Falcone intel about Maroni’s operation since day one.
I like this development because it shows that Cobblepot (who really emphasizes the Penguin gait that I guess earned him his nickname) is a savvier operator than anyone gives him credit for; further evidence of this comes in a great scene in which Cobblepot kills Maroni’s #2, Frankie Carbone, after paying off Frankie’s henchmen. (I told you, there are a ton of goons in “Penguin’s Umbrella.”)
This was another solid episode in what I hope is a string of them. I really don’t want to see Gotham backslide. But the table is set for more mob war, and for Gordon and Bullock in City Hall’s crosshairs after they arrest the mayor. It’s great to see something this well-executed after this show got off to such a rocky start.
A Few Thoughts
- Maroni and Cobblepot make for good asshole buddies. David Zayas and Robin Lord Taylor have a nice dynamic
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Montoya and Allen are Gordon’s buddies now, which is going to be awkward down the line, because Montoya has made it very clear that she’s still in love with Barbara
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