“Stop taking ourselves so seriously…”
Gotham’s interim mayor, police commissioner and other prominent city members are meeting to discuss the current chaos. The meeting is very brief as Mr. Freeze and Scarecrow quickly apprehends them. They take them back to Jerome. Jerome is ready for the next step of his plan.
Jim gets a call about the missing people and is quick to try and track them down. Oswald calls and wants a private chat with Jim. He tells Jim that Jerome terrifies him and that everyone is buying into what Jerome is doing. Oswald is hesitant but doesn’t really give Jim very much helpful information. They then find out Jerome was spotted near Paisley’s Square.
The Gotham Music Festival looks like fun until Jerome and his crew interrupt the show. Jerome is holding the entire place hostage and wants Jim to come confront him. This is a very clever distraction because at the same time Mr. Freeze and Scarecrow sneak into Wayne Enterprises and demand that they make more laughing gas. Barrels full of laughing gas. Jim and the GCPD arrive at the festival where Jerome has two empty seats on stage. He wants his brother Jeremiah and Bruce Wayne or people will die. He is not bluffing as he clicks the button on the detonator and we see the police commissioner’s head explode.
Bruce is currently unaware of what is happening. He is enjoying his birthday after receiving the keys to a car from Alfred. I like to think of it as his first unofficial “Batmobile.” They are about to have cake when Selina joins the party. It’s always nice to see these sweet moments between Bruce and Selina. It doesn’t last long when Jim and Lucius arrive and want Bruce to help them with their plan to stop Jerome once and for all. Lucius has a way to disable Jerome’s device but wants Bruce to agree to go on stage. Bruce agrees to help.
Barbara seems to be adjusting to her new role as the leader of The League of Shadows. Tabitha is a little suspect. The LOS suggest that Barbara need to continue Ra’s Al Ghul’s legacy. They take Barbara to the only house he owned in Gotham. They go inside the secret room and it brings Barbara to tears. She knows that she has always been meant for great things. Tabitha still looks concerned.
Jim, Lucius and Bruce go visit Jeremiah and after one of Bruce’s persuasive speeches, he agrees to help. Bullock goes to Wayne Enterprises and finds plenty of frozen bodies and quickly finds out how much laughing gas has been developed. They return to the festival and Jerome is delighted to see Jeremiah and Bruce. Jim’s great plan of having snipers on the roof is quickly foiled as Jerome has been scouting the area the night before. Jerome always seems to be one step ahead.
Scarecrow, Mad Hatter and Oswald go and hijack a blimp. This is how they are going to infect everyone with the laughing gas. They also know Oswald spoke with Jim. They knock him out and tie him up inside the blimp. Meanwhile, Jerome is tormenting his brother. He tells Jeremiah that they are the same and he is just as crazy as Jerome. Then all chaos breaks out as the blimp approaches. They go to evacuate everyone. Jim shoots Jerome. Bruce battles Firefly. Jerome runs off while Jim chases after him. Jim gets a call from Oswald. Jim tells Oswald to steer the blimp towards the river. Oswald battles the pilot and his next mission is to prevent the blimp from releasing the laughing gas.
Jim and Jerome have a final standoff on the roof. He shoots Jerome and finds Jerome barely hanging on to the side of the building. Jerome tells Jim that his legacy will live on. He is an idea. He then lets go and falls to his death. (A scene that is very similar to 1989’s Batman). Jerome appears dead on the car. Bruce thanks Jeremiah for his help and tells him that he will fund his research. Oswald calls them. He is still flying the blimp towards the river. Bullock jokes that they should let him stay up there a while.
Barbara and Tabitha continue to argue about Barbara’s new role within the LOS. Barbara has finally had enough. She kicks Tabitha out of the house. Tabitha does her best to fight back but is quickly outnumbered. This is Gotham so somebody is naturally lurking in the shadows. Tabitha is intercepted by more rogue members of the LOS who don’t support Barbara’s leadership. I’m not sure how I feel about this storyline just yet.
Jeremiah is back at his creepy lab in the woods. He notices a gift on his desk from Wayne Enterprises. He opens the box and is quickly sprayed by the laughing toxin. He hears a voice note from his late brother Jerome who tells him that his legacy will live on through Jeremiah. We quickly see Jeremiah start to transform into the villain that Gotham truly fears…
Gotham airs Thursday nights at 8 p.m. only on FOX.