Gotham this week may focus on Barnes’ newfound strength and allowing himself to go with Alice’s blood, but the subplot; the love triangle between Gretchen, Ed and Oswald was just as interesting. “Mad City: Blood Rush” saw Barnes’ anger issues go right off the chain.
There is another triangle, the James Gordon, Mario Falcone and Lee Thompkins one that earns Jim a punch in the face from Lee’s fiancé. Not quite as amusing as the Penguin’s problems with unrequited love but still noteworthy.
Barnes is unsuccessfully fighting off the effects of Alice’s blood. When the stuff takes over, the captain is all veins and bulging bloodshot eyes. He is also incredibly strong; like Hulk strong without all the green. He rips the head of Paulie Pennies off with his bare hands and later slams the facelifting plastic surgeon Symon through the wall.
The captain has always had a tendency to get angry at the drop of a hat. Now he goes right past angry and enters rage territory, all the while muttering “guilty” under his breath.
Now that the virus is taking over Barnes is acting like a more violent James Gordon, beating the truth out of Gotham’s criminals. Sticking a broken bottle into the face of Toad, who whines, “But you’re a cop,” Barnes is hearing voices now.
“Have you heard the voices yet,” asks a chortling Mad Hatter. Barnes is and the straighter-than-straight cop will soon be running with them. After the captain stops Symon from removing a young lady’s face and brings the surgeon in he is able to calm down a bit.
While Barnes and Bullock welcome Jim back onto the force, Ed comes unglued when Gretchen wears her Kris Kringle glasses. He decides that leaving his new love is the only way she will be safe. Nygma asks Oswald for help.
The mayor is only too happy to help his loved one out. Oswald goes to see Gretchen and tells her it is over. Ed is relieved and he returns home to find that Gretchen has not left at all.
She has made herself up as Kris Kringle and convinces Ed that he will never hurt her. Later, Nygma returns to the mayor’s home and tells his boss that things are just fine between him and Gretchen. Penguin is less than pleased with this turn of events.
Don Falcone throws a huge engagement party for his son and Lee. James is not invited, nor is Barbara Kean, Jim’s ex, but she crashes the party easily. Barbara tries to get Lee to confess that she still has feelings for Gordon.
Oswald decides that he knows what is best for Ed and has another goon take care of the riddle loving librarian. The last we see of Gretchen she and her brakeless car are heading for a nasty collision with a train.
There has been a splendid irony in all of the storylines in Gotham over the last few episodes. Captain Barnes’ infection turing the “by the book” cop into a monster is the first example. Oswald discovering he loves Ed, and his decision to tell him being sabotaged by the arrival of Gretchen and James going back to GCPD so soon after Lee returns are all amusingly ironic.
The move to bring Gordon back was a good one. James as bounty hunter felt too much like he was trying to be Batman without the cape and all those cool toys.
Next week it looks like Barnes and Gordon are going to be confrontational. The previews show the captain pointing a shotgun at Jim and the newly returned Gordon has a pistol pointed back at Barnes.
Gotham “Mad City” airs Mondays on FOX. Tune in and see if Jim really shoots Barnes and to see what happens to Gretchen.
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
- Jamie Chung – Valerie Vale
- Cory Michael Smith – Edward Nygma
- Morena Baccarin – Leslie Thompkins
- Benedict Samuel – Jervis Tetch/Mad Hatter
- James Carpinello – Mario Falcone
- Maggie Geha – Ivy Pepper
- Chris Chalk – Lucius Fox
- Chelsea Spack – Isabella
- Leslie Hendrix – Kathryn
Guest starring William Abadie as Dr. Symon and Peter Patrikios as Paulie Pennies.
