A riddle is answered with an exclamation mark. A penguin is left out in the cold. The Cat and The Bat are on the prowl. Gotham’s latest episode, “Under The Knife,†provided a ton of great scenes; however, it didn’t quite measure up to last week’s episode.
It’s hard to remember that this is actually a show centered around Gordon and not about Gotham’s caped crusader, but this episode proved to be great at establishing the latter. Bruce has had some pretty weird and non-eventful scenes up until this point, but now he has decided to go after those that hurt Alfred.
Selina and Bruce’s exploits continue after last episode’s found moment, and things haven’t simmered down between the two at all. The Wayne Enterprise Ball is happening and Selina and Bruce decide they should go to find Bunderslaw and obtain the key to the safe in his office. Alfred is surprised that Bruce wants to attend the ball with Selena, but Bruce was adamant that he and Selina go together, even though they both know that she doesn’t particularly ‘fit-in.’ Nothing money can’t change of course, and she is given a handful of dresses to choose from by Master Bruce himself.
When at the ball, Bruce tries to act like he is there to rub elbows with those in power at Wayne Enterprises, although it’s easy to see through his thinly veiled disguise. Throughout the night, they continually argue about Selina pushing Reggie out the window. The conversation easily shows that this moment, and its meaning, will be the wedge that’s driven between them in the future. Bruce exclaims, “I will never cross the line,†and Selina quips, “Wouldn’t bother me doing it, not one bit.†It was such a powerful scene between the two. Bruce’s inability to keep it quiet could have easily foiled their plan, but luckily no one heard. After finding Bunderslaw, Bruce explains that he’s there to get to know people that work for him; all the while Selina slips the key from his pocket and makes an impression. The scene, while making sense, fell a little flat since somehow nobody saw the two swiping the key. But, what’s more important is who Selina saw at the ball.
The Ogre’s arc continues, and it appears he will finish out the next couple of episodes. We aren’t bothered one bit as he is a great villain for the show, and who doesn’t like Milo Ventimiglia? This week, The Ogre’s victim will hit a lot closer to home than Gordon thinks.
Loeb played on Jim’s morales and knows that he can’t let The Ogre go free, which puts those that he loves in jeopardy. But, as we’ve learned, Thompkins isn’t one to follow Jim’s order to leave Gotham. She explains that if you really want to protect her, find The Ogre, and that’s what Gordon and Harvey intend to do.
After finally finding a decent lead, they interrogate the first person that looked into the case, and he leads them toward a cosmetics office which, in turn has them visiting one of Gotham’s wealthiest, Constance Van Groot. When they arrive, Jacob Skolimski is hanging from a noose; luckily, they cut him down in time. After some interrogation, they find out that his son is indeed the one that has been killing women, but is taken aback when they say he seduces them. Apparently he had some serious scarring on the right side of his face, which leads back to the cosmetic surgery office where they find out his real name. What was most interesting is that before the interrogation, they find Constance Van Groot long dead in her bedroom. Apparently, The Ogre was convinced that she was his mother that when she crazily laughed it off he killed her. And thus, a killer was born.
So with a lead, they are all set to find The Ogre. In sticking with his M.O., The Ogre enjoys taunting the cops, and he calls Jim. The call tipped Jim off that he was wrong all along. The Ogre quoted a newspaper article about The Wayne Enterprises Ball, one well before he knew Leslie Thompkins. Enter Barbara Kean. Jim rushes to Barbara’s place and finds Selina. After showing her an awful drawing of The Ogre from the Cosmetic office, his fears are coming true. The Ogre has gone after Barbara.
Barbara has to be the most depressing character on the show; she often makes a disaster look pretty. Whether it’s her blow up fights with Jim, her family cutting her off or being completely wasted around the youngsters of Gotham, she’s got it bad. In a sense, she and The Ogre are perfect together, as they are both very damaged individuals. Once they go back to his place after the dance, she wants to know what’s behind a room, and he says for her to take a look. It appears to be his kill room, and surprisingly, she looks more entertained than terrified. Similar to how it’s impossible to turn your eyes away from a wreck, I can’t wait to see where this relationship goes.
Two other characters round out the episode: Nygma and Penguin. Nygma, still swooning over Kristen Kringle, has his first adversary in Tom Dougherty, Kristen’s cop boyfriend. Nygma has a knack for walking in on them getting ‘cozy,’ and he continues this trend. After the cop walks out, he notices that Miss Kringle has bruises all over her arms. Nygma decides to confront the cop to save Miss Kringle. The cop quips, “What are you going to do about it Riddle Man?†And later, he explains that women need a firm hand, especially Miss Kringle since she has a big mouth. Oh how those words will come back to bite him. Nygma is staking out her place when the cop comes back stumbling drunk. Nygma gets him to come over to his car and then stabs him repeatedly, all the while saying, “Oh, dear oh, dear.†This scene is great because it makes me question when exactly Nygma turns into a villain. Yes, he did kill someone, but it was to get someone out of an abusive relationship. I can’t wait to see where this goes and how it impacts his well-being.
As for Cobbelpot, he is still trying to find a way to get free of Maroni’s grasp. So, to what conclusion does he come? He plans to hire a gang organization to kill Maroni. Great idea right? Except for the fact that he shouldn’t trust anyone and, I personally believe, the guy he was talking to tipped Maroni off about his plans. Maroni then has drinks with Gertrude and lets her in on all of Cobblepot’s dirty secrets, that he is much more than a club owner. Gertrude asks Cobblepot if it’s true, and he lies, which she can easily see through. Things are only compounded upon when Maroni tries to deliver flowers to Gertrude. You may not be able to shoot the messenger, but Cobblepot surely stabbed this one in the throat.
