Another episode, another case of the week on Gotham. At least this time it has the potential to affect the overall storyline, which is more than you can say for the fucking Balloonman.
Gotham is being overrun by a drug called Viper, which gives you superhuman strength and a godlike euphora, before it, um, kills you. Thankfully – surprisingly – someone on the show (Captain Essen) asks what the audience is thinking, namely, who would make this drug? The first guy we see who takes Viper steals an ATM from a convenience store, then when he’s confronted by Gordon and Bullock his body starts shutting down from the inside, killing him. The makeup effects here are pretty good, especially when the poor bastard’s jaw unhinges.
There’s no question that this will get resolved by the end of the hour, and indeed, Viper’s distributor, Stan Patolski, is dead by the time the credits roll. But Patolski – who enjoys philosophy, like every villain (how original!) – is trying to make a bigger statement, calling Wellzyn (a Wayne Enterprises subsidiary) to the carpet for making Viper in the first place…before developing it into Venom, a more refined version of the drug (and also the drug that Bane takes to make himself super strong, so consider that clock ticking). Malfeasance and chicanery on the Wayne Enterprises board is nothing new, but David Mazouz as Bruce Wayne does a good job of looking both shocked and disappointed in his parents’ company.
Elsewhere, Fish is training her protege as a honeypot meant to seduce Don Falcone (who likes opera – also original!), and Maroni robs one of Falcone’s casinos with Cobblepot’s help. Everyone continues to call him Penguin, and no explanation is ever, ever given. Gotham is a pretty uneven show, but that is by far its most annoying aspect. Also, a kidnapped Gordon lies to Maroni in order to save his and Cobblepot’s lives, so now it seems that he’s going to be getting called upon by both of them. If Gotham wants to be truly original, it should have Gordon give in to the corrupt lifestyle that other cops, like Harvey “But it’s lunch time!” Bullock, have embraced so fully.
A Few Thoughts
- Hey, Gotham, you don’t need to show us the Waynes’ deaths on every “previously on.” WE FUCKING KNOW
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So I’ve determined that Bruce doesn’t go to school. He’s always at home, so I thought, hey, maybe it’s summer. But it rains in Gotham all the time! What’s the climate like there? Is that accurate? But if it’s a humid rain, why is everyone wearing coats all the time? Not to mention Bruce’s perpetually-lit fireplace. These are not the kinds of questions I should be asking
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Edward Nygma was more tolerable tonight than he’s been in any other episode so far
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