Gotham “Burn the Witch” picks up after Bruce Wayne’s kidnapping by the owl lady. Kidnapping aside, this episode was really all about the ladies of Gotham City. It may have boiled down to Penguin versus Fish Mooney at the end, but it also took a look at just how many strong females there are in the series.
Valerie Vale, the newest addition to the current line up of powerful women already in the show, proves that she belongs here. Her double-cross of Gordon was pretty impressive. Apparently Jim thinks so too as he moves to kiss her later on.
Fish and her team of “monsters” overpower the GCPD, although five do go down, and she manages to find Hugo Strange with the help of Harvey. Her muscle girls kidnap Bullock and he leaves his badge behind as a clue.
Gordon and Barnes realize that Mooney is going after Strange and they both head out to save Harvey. Vales is not far behind and they are joined by Cobblepot, Butch and an angry mob.
Ivy comes out of the bay disheveled and very different. The Pepper girl has grown up in the blink of an eye. She has also turned a tad protective over plants. Her savior, the guy who gives her a class of water and his former wife’s clothes, ends up on the floor with a flower pot upside his head.
Fish forces Hugo to help her. As the police and Barnes hold off the angry mob, Gordon sneaks into the mansion via a side door. He orchestrates an escape for Mooney with Penguin. As Oswald leads his mob in an attack on the front door, Fish, Strange and Marv sneak out the back.
Penguin catches Mooney dead to rights and she manages to talk him down. “Umbrella Boy” lets her go in the end but he does tell her never to return. After the mob force their way into the mansion, the two muscle girls end up dying. Even with all their advantages and superior strength, they are no match for the sheer number of angry Gotham vigilantes.
Jim Gordon and Valerie Vale lock lips later as Leslie “Lee” Thompkins returns to Gotham. She looks sizzlingly hot in steam as she disembarks from the train.
As well as all these powerful women in Gotham, Bruce Wayne has to promise that he will stop investigating the corruption of Wayne Enterprises, Indian Hill and the murder of his parents. Alfred guesses correctly that other people were threatened.
Later the two are talking about dancing lessons when the Bruce doppelgänger enters the mansion through a window.
It looks like the new lookalike will become part of a bigger plan, perhaps to get around the agreement that Master Brucee was forced into. There could still be shades of “The Man in the Iron Mask” this season.
By the end of the episode, Penguin versus Mooney finishes with Fish getting to live. Cobblepot is a hero to the people and Hugo may wish he had never given Mooney those powers.
Right now the big question is whether Jim will stick with his new playmate Valerie now that Lee is back in town. Although it may not be too much of a struggle unless Vale decides to fight for Gordon.
It has to be said that Barbara manages to practically steal the entire episode with her “baby carriage” dream. Disturbing but oh, so funny.
Gotham airs Mondays on FOX.
CAST:
- Ben McKenzie – James Gordon
- Donal Logue – Harvey Bullock
- David Mazouz – Bruce Wayne
- Sean Pertwee – Alfred Pennyworth
- Robin Lord Taylor – Oswald Cobblepot
- Camren Bicondova – Selena Kyle
- Erin Richards – Barbara Kean
- Jessica Lucas – Tabatha Galavan
- Drew Powell – Butch Gilzean
- Michael Chiklis – Captain Nathaniel Barnes
- Jada Pinkett Smith – Fish Mooney
- Jamie Chung – Valerie Vale
- Cory Michael Smith – Edward Nygma
- Maggie Geha – Ivy Pepper
- Morena Baccarin – Leslie Thompkins
