Gotham: “Scarification” — Oct. 20, 2015
Photo courtesy of Fox
Things get hot in Gotham that week with the denizens getting a new understanding of the term “risking life and limb.” Our Special Contributor Ralph S. breaks it down for you. — Elaine F.
This week we see that Theo Galavan still has his boot firmly planted on the Penguin’s neck and Penguin is choking as a result. Theo is also revealing more of his grand master plan for taking over Gotham. Plus there’s a new villain who has the potential to start firing things up. Things are getting darker still and more interesting, so…shall we?
Well, we start out witnessing a meeting between Theo and Penguin, who has just delivered a well-worn trunk to Theo’s office. Penguin spends quite a bit of time trying to convince Theo that since he’s proven his trustworthiness, by killing off the candidates opposing Theo for mayor, Theo should consider him a partner rather than a lackey. Penguin also takes the opportunity to ask again that his mother be released. Nope, Theo ain’t having’ any of it. Once again Penguin leaves all broke, busted and disgusted, but not before Theo tells him that he’ll have more work soon. Afterward, Theo and Tabitha open the trunk, inside is a rather sweaty Sid Bunderslaw, the Wayne Enterprises exec who knows under which carpets all the company dirt has been swept. It seems that being in Theo’s presence this week is gonna cost poor Sid an eye. And Sid’s just the first on the list of those who are going to be missing appendages, or more, by the end of this episode.
Things continue to go from bad to worse for our man Oswald. If being kicked around by Theo isn’t enough, Barnes, Gordon, and the Strike Force raid his counting house next and confiscate what probably amounts to a good bit of Oswald’s ill-gotten gains. It’s sucking to be the Penguin nowadays ain’t it? The rough calculation is that they’ve deprived Penguin of around two million of his favorite dollars. Barnes’ curiosity is aroused further when one of Penguin’s thugs tries to retaliate with a rocket launcher. Barnes wonders where he got that kind of fire-power and Gordon is quick with an answer, a place called the “Merc.” So guess what the Strike Force’s next target is? When Penguin hears about his little financial setback, he takes out his frustration on the poor bastard delivering the word. While he may have heard the old saying, ‘don’t shoot the messenger,’ I guess he chose to ignore the one about one about not giving the messenger a sound ass-whippin’ with a fireplace poker. The physical exertion does clear his head. He comes up with an idea. Can’t wait to see what that is.
Theo then decides to go out stumping for political support and his first stop is at Gordon’s precinct house. It seems that Jimbo is president of the Policemen’s Union, and Theo wants his support. Gordon politely declines, saying that policemen and politics don’t mix (that must be some fairy tale world they’re running around in). Theo continues to try to flatter Gordon but still gets nowhere. While Theo’s out rounding up political support Tabitha visits Penguin and gives him his next assignment; Theo wants some particular buildings torched. She leaves him with a list of the buildings and a silver box, the contents of which will apparently aid in the task. Wasting no time in getting to work, he sends Butch out to arrange things. Butch first stops by to pick up Selina, who will be able to vouch for him with the arsonists Penguin wants for the job, the Pike brothers. Selina agrees, for a price, and they’re off to see the firebugs. The Pikes agree to Butch’s request, and one of them heads off to the “Merc” for supplies. It seems that the Pikes also have a sister, Bridgit (Michelle Veintimilla), whom they don’t mind mistreating in front of company. Oh yeah, Butch also hands the Pikes the silver box. Selina leaves Bridgit with some words of comfort telling her to be strong.
The Merc appears to be the Costco for Gotham’s criminal element. If it shoots, slices and dices, explodes, poisons or destroys, they got it. One of the Pikes is strolling the aisles loading up his shopping cart. He decides to apply the five-finger discount to a bar of C4, stuffing it down his pants thus giving new meaning to the term ‘packing’. All of a sudden the Strike Force shows up, heavens to Murgatroyd, it’s a raid! Gordon and Barnes spot young Pike trying to make a getaway and give chase. Finding himself trapped Pike pulls out his gun but the cops get the drop on him. One of Gordon’s bullets hits the explosive, and young Pike blows his load, along with the rest of his body. Poor bastard lost more than an appendage, I’m afraid. This little turn of events leaves the Pikes a man short; Bridgit is immediately drafted to take his place. When she refuses, she’s given the choice of either that or donning fishnets and a pair of lucite heels and earning her keep on the streets. It seems she’ll be starting fires from now on.
On her first job Bridgit torches a building but not before breaking into a safe using the contents of the silver box, Bunderslaw’s eye. She relieves the safe of it’s only item, a rather large Bowie knife. She exits stage right just as the building blows and gets her leg burned for her effort.
She won’t let anything like that happen again. Later she discovers a flame-thrower and some fireproof material. She’s busy working on a suit when Selina stops by for the knife. When she finds out Bridgit is now part of the gang Selina tries to talk Bridgit out of it but she gets strongly rebuffed.
It turns out the knife, which is now in the Penguin’s possession and on its way to Theo, bears the Wayne family crest. To find out why Theo is going to all this trouble to get it, Butch suggests to Penguin that they talk to an old lady in his neighborhood who may know the history of the item. The woman tells him that the knife is part of a feud between two of Gotham’s founding families, the Waynes, and the Dumas. During the feud, the Waynes drove the Dumas out of Gotham in disgrace. This forced the Dumas to change their family name — to Galavan. Penguin now starts to see a way out of his predicament. Penguin tells Butch to go to Theo saying that Penguin has gone nuts and Butch, fearing for his life, wants to work for Theo. Once Butch is in good with Theo he’ll be able to rescue Penguin’s mother, and all will be well with the world. Oh, and just one more thing — a little something to convince Theo of Butch’s sincerity. Grabbing a cleaver Penguin permanently relieves Butch of his hand. That’s how they plan to sell Theo on Penguin’s idea.
Meanwhile, Gordon discovers that all of the buildings the Pikes have burned belong to Wayne Enterprises. He notices a pattern and guesses where the arsonists will strike next, the Gotham City Book Depository. He and Bullock stake out that location with the Strike Force waiting in the wings. Sure enough the Pikes show up, and Gordon and Bullock jump out of the car ready to catch them red-handed, so to speak. The Pikes send Bridgit out in her new fireproof costume complete with the accessorizing flamethrower. When Gordon, Bullock, and the Strike Force confront her things light up. When the flamethrower appears to malfunction a Strike Force member grabs Bridgit but the flamethrower flares up again, and he goes up in smoke. Selina, who’s been watching the happenings from a nearby fire escape, helps Bridgit with her getaway. At the precinct, Barnes informs the Strike Force that the burned officer died, and he vows justice. It just so happens that Theo’s in the house at this time and he and Gordon come to an agreement. If Theo backs Gordon in his efforts to fight crime by any means necessary Gordon will endorse him for mayor. They shake on it. Back at his digs Theo addresses a mysterious monk. As the episode ends, they begin to plot the demise of Bruce Wayne.
So kiddies, it appears that things are gonna get real ugly soon. I’m wondering if Butch is going to be all right with Penguin hacking off his hand even with the “conditioning” he underwent that’s supposed to make him do Penguin’s bidding. Time will tell.
