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Mud and meanness can sometimes be hidden, sometimes overlooked, and sometimes sought out. Bruce wants to be muddy and mean. But is he ready? Penguin has his mud washed off by Hugo. But he is Hugo’s experiment in meanness. Ed is hiding his mud and meanness. But Jim will soon be covered by Ed’s mud and meanness.
Mud and Meanness Desired:
Bruce has snuck out and found Selina. She provides him with a gun reminding him that it is only for killing. When he returns to the mansion Alfred is waiting with a way to find Matches Malone (played by Michael Bowen). Alfred is not read for Bruce to sink into mud and meanness and makes Bruce promise follow his lead. They find Cupcake a leader in one of Gotham’s gangs. Cupcake’s crew is all about fighting. Bruce dives into the mud and takes the lead. He promises Cupcake money for a lead on Matches. Alfred objects but it does no good. Cupcake wants the money and a fight. So Alfred has to fight Cupcake. All during the fight Alfred is giving Bruce tips and tricks on defeating a bigger man. We know that these lessons will pay off later. Alfred is battered, bloody, muddy but victorious.
After the money is given over Cupcake gives up a lead on Matches and Alfred passes out. In the hospital, Alfred tries to make Bruce promise to wait but it is no good. Alfred is out and Bruce it determined. Bruce heads to the club to find Jeri (played brilliantly by Lori Petty). Jeri and her band are dressed in Joker/Harley fashion. Jeri is in the know, calling Bruce by name. She takes him backstage. She looks into his heart and soul. She sees the steel there and sends Bruce to Matches. She playing god and Bruce being the hand of fate.
Bruce comes in on the pretense of hiring Matches for a job. But Bruce is devastated when Matches does not at first recognize him and remember the job. Bruce wants so much to silence the monster who killed his parents and find out who paid him to do the killing. Instead of a monster he finds a man, sad, broken and ready to be put out of his misery. Matches was made by Gotham but he is tired of the mud and meanness. He even instructs Bruce on how to hold the gun and kill him. Matches has a code (no killing babies and not revealing who hired him) so Bruce will have no answers. Bruce leaves the gun and runs away. As he leaves Jim finally catches up (after questioning Jeri) and Bruce tells it all. But Matches kills himself with Bruce’s gun.
Bruce packs his things and leaves the mansion. He tells Alfred he cannot shoot away the corruption. He must spend time with Selina learning how to live with the normal people among the mud and meanness of Gotham. He has to know what how to live in that world so he can someday make a difference. It was a powerful progression in Bruce’s path toward Batman. It marks another round of fire and forging that will be hard on Bruce, and harder on Alfred, but is required to make the sword of Batman! Just listen to his words.
“You can’t kill murder. You can’t get revenge on evil. You can only begin to fight such things by not doing them. And you can only fight them where they live, not just at Wayne Enterprises. In the streets, in the slums, in the bad parts of town. So that’s where I’m going.”
Mud and Meanness Washed Away:
Penguin has been undergoing Hugo Strange’s treatments. The latest has his beloved mother and even himself fighting against who he has become. The visuals combined with the (proto-Scarecrow) Crain’s formula have worked on Oswald. He is tested by Hugo and Ms. Peabody. Oswald is given ice cream and beaten by a violent prisoner. Oswald doesn’t fight back.
Later, Oswald is provided with the tools that can hurt that prisoner, who is restrained. Oswald frees the man passing Hugo’s test. Hugo proclaims that Oswald is sane, with a certificate to prove it. Oswald is set free with the rain washing the last of the mud and meanness off as he exits Arkham. Ms. Peabody questions Hugo’s judgement and even brings up the lab of modified humans (down in Indian Hill). But lets it go. We will see if Hugo’s next experiment with Oswald will succeed or will The Penguin appear even more fierce than before!
Mud and Meanness Waiting To Explode:
Leslie is concerned because Kristen Kringle’s last checks have not been claimed and no forwarding address has been left. Leslie asks Jim to look into it because she does not want to hurt Ed by asking. Jim has no qualms. He interrupts Ed’s work to ask about Kristen and the former GCPD officer she “ran off” with. Ed gives him a Riddle and shares some info. It raises many red flags when Jim things about Tom’s personality and Kristen. Ed says that Kristen left him a note about going away, but he didn’t keep it. Jim has to rush off but to find Bruce, but Ed is suspicious.
Later Jim apologizes to Ed for not getting to look into it more. But this further enrages Ed. Ed has become a ball of mud and meanness ready to explode. But in true Riddler style Ed plots against Jim quietly at home. But things will not stay quiet for long. Ed emblazons Jim’s photo with a trademark green question mark.
Lingering Questions:
Jeri is a complex character who seems to know Bruce and Jim well. She seems like she sees beyond the outward appearance to the heart of people. Her outward dress reminds me of Harley Quinn but her mind and whit take me back to Dr. Harleen Quinzel. If Jerome was the start of the Joker legacy in Gotham. Jeri takes it on and opens the story to Harley. Will we see her again? How does she know what she does?
Matches Malone may be dead, but his legacy lives on. He has called Bruce a son, caused Bruce to question himself, and spurred him to explore Gotham. Matches was far from a one dimensional character. He had depth, sadness, and strength. But he left questions to be answered about the Wayne’s deaths.
Do Hugo and Ms. Peabody report to others? Is there a purpose for Hugo’s experiments in Indian Hill? What does he have planed for Penguin?
I again must praise the Gotham writers! They have taken character outlines and brought them to life. They have used the gifts and talents of the actors to grow the characters. They have taken the wonderful casting and written well to the actors and challenged them to grow. It speaks so well to them that the one dimensional comic characters have leapt off the screen and into our hearts. Karen and I say it a lot but we sure wish you would share this great show with your friends. We are humbled to podcast on it and truly value your feedback and communication with us!
News:
Gotham Renewed For Season 3: TVLine, the actors and writers broke the news Wed. night that Gotham was renewed for season 3. Karen & I are ecstatic to see the story continue. More than that we are so excited to join you in talking about it on a weekly basis!
Next week’s episode is “Mad Grey Dawn”: Gordon and Bullock investigate a trail of clues left in a museum robbery, which, unbeknownst to them, were left by Nygma in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse. Meanwhile, Gordon’s past comes back to haunt him when an anonymous person threatens to expose his hand in Galavan’s murder. Also, Penguin’s visit to some old friends leads him to meet his father, Elijah Van Dalh (guest star Paul Reubens), and Bruce practices his street smarts. Monday March 21 8:00-9:01pm on FOX
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