I’m not going to recap blow by blow as I did in my first recap. That took an awful long time to do, and I wasn’t able to give you the benefit of my opinion.

First of all, some good news. Apparenlty the series got an extension of six more episodes over its original 22. Good that Fox has faith in this series, on the other hand….that’s a lot of pressure on the writers. Hopefully, they have the guts to see it through.

On to the recapping.

I must say, this was a slow episode. Gone is the excitement of Selina dancing rings around the police and a villain who ties his victims (deserving or not) to a weather balloon.

The episode opens with Barbara Kean (who is awfully friendly to a dude she doesn’t know) swinging the door open wide to Cobblepot, who is there, he says to warn Gordon of the impending war in the city and also to offer his help. Denied the civility of a drink offered by Barbara, Cobblepot and Gordon have their conversation on a dark, rain-soaked alley, where Cobblepot again tries to secure an alliance because of the war coming to Gotham. “If you want to save Gotham, I can help you. I can be your secret agent.”

In a deserted parking lot, an unassuming gent in a trench coat, carrying a briefcase. He idenfies himself as one of constituents. Unassuming gent bids the councilman to put his eye to a metal flute, which stabs him in the eye. (I am so sorry but I laughed a little at this…and isn’t this a little bloody for 8:05 at night?) Down goes the councilman and his aide.
Bullock and Gordon pick up the case and Harvey Bullock gives his comment about corruption, etc. They leave to go work the streets. Harvey, of course, knows just where to start.
Cut to Fish Mooney (yay!) at her club, auditioning a singer. Nice, but kinda boring. Then Fish kicks it up a notch and asks the singer if she likes boys or girls. “Come to me so I can take you in.” (Gotta love Fish, I swear.) “Pretend I’m a boy. Seduce me.” Apparently, she doesn’t do such a great job. We realize Fish’s goal. She’s not looking for a girl, she’s looking for a weapon.
Bullock is using his strong arm bad cop techniques on someone who we all know didn’t do it and Jim tells him so. After looking through some evidence, Jim understand the connection between the Waynes, the councilman and Arkham.
What’s this? The Mayor giving a speech about their vision for the Arkham area and land. But there are opposing views! Whaaaa? The Mayor, however is going with the Wayne plan. Of course.

Cobblepot, world’s nosiest dishswasher, observeres as a meeting about Arkham takes place at the restaurant.
Gordon chats with Alfred about the Arkham site. Falcone is backing the plan now. Turns out the dead councilman was backing Falcone’s plan. Maroni has the opposing plan. Up pops Bruce, talking about what his parents wanted to make a place for the mentally ill. He doesn’t want his parents’ dream to die.

What’s next? Councilmen Zeller as been abducted. One of Maroni’s guys. Uh oh, something’s up.

We get a GREAT shot of the gates of Arkham Asylum. Then the unassuming gent rolls a 50 gallon barrel that is full of Councilman Zeller. What the hey? The gent lights the dude…on fire. Zellers’s last words “Tell Falcone I’ll change my vote.”

Arkham in the daytime. Cops discuss the idea of a war between Falcone and Maroni. Bullock wants to know how Gordon knows so much. Edward Nygma pops up to give his rundown on the evidence. “Is it the same killer, working for Maroni and Falcone??”

Cobblepot is peeking around, snooping and gets caught. Lou, the manager reprimands him. He is totally up to something.
Bullock and Gordon visit the jail, talk to a prisoner with a lovely, luxurious beard. Of course, he knows everything and is able to give a name Richard Gladwell and location. Off they go!

Bullock keeps insisting that Gordon has something to hide. Richard Gladwell works in human resources, ha ha. Gladwell is in some kind of supply place in the office, hiding and putting together his flute. There is a tense moment where we think Gladwell is going to attack Gordon, but it passes. Bullock calls Gordon to Gladwell’s desk, saying that “they got him.” Bullock and Gordon go back to try to get Gladwell, and end up scaring the pants of a secretary instead.

Bruce is having a nightmare about the murder of his parents. Bad dream, he tells Alfred. Was I in it, Alfred asks. “Not this time” Bruce says. Bruce is looking for a connection between the councilman’s murder and the murder of his parents.

Back to the Maroni restaurant where there is a robbery in progress. The manager is shot and the thugs make off with a whole bunch of money before the mobster protection get there. But wait! There’s Cobblepot, hiding in the freezer, protecting one bag of money. All out of the goodness of his heart. Ooops! Lou, the manager, was shot in the stomach. Poor Lou.

Barbara and Gordon. I hate to say this, but I hope they do better with Barbara’s character. She is married to a cop, a detective. She complains about “long hours and late nights”. But….isn’t that the life of a police detective? Again, she’s worried. Not about his life, but that ‘he has secrets from her” . Well, duh, the last secret he told you, you called the media about it. Now, she breaks up with Gordon because he won’t tell her who Cobblepot is. As I said, I’m going to give her character a little leeway but she’s all over the place. Gordon makes the connection between Barbara and Montoya and Barbara admits their relationship. Now Gordon is angry that Barbara lied to him and she apologizes. “I should have told you.”

Maroni assumes that Falcone did the hit in the restaurant. Cobblepot is promoted to Lou’s job in the meantime. “Frankie, get the kid a suit.”

Gordon and Bullock find out that Richard Gladwell is actually dead. The hitman stole his identity. And worked in Human Resources, killed folks on the side with a knife flute. What a life. Bullock leaves to work the case.

Another singer. At first I thought it was the same singer with a different look, but her name’s Liza. Fish likes her. Offers her a job. “You want a job with money, power and respect…like me?” There’s a bit more to the interview – “Seduce me.” Liza kisses Fish, finishes her drink and walks out of the club. Up comes Bullock to ask for help. Thank goodness, because Fish gets to show us a little more. She always has a plan B.

Cobblepot calls Gordon and tells him there’s going to be a murder attempt on the mayor.

At the mayor’s mansion. Why Gordon doesn’t have a raincoat or umbrella is beyond me. And how is the mayor answering his own door? And if someone says “someone is coming here to kill you”, how is your response “I gotta get some things from my safe.”

I kid, I kid. I know it’s a comic book come to life and for that I can forgive a lot. They have to delay until the assassin gets there or else there would be no story. Honestly, between Fish Mooney and Oswald Cobblepot, I’ll put up with it.

A fight ensues between dapper assassin and less well dressed Gordon with the mayor looking on, cringing, not helping. Bullock appears. Action stops. But assassin wont be stopped and lunges for the mayor. Gordon and Bullock shoot him dead
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Barbara and Gordon. Yawn. Barbara doesn’t want any secrets and she wants to know who Oswald Cobblepot is. Gordon tells her it’s work. So Barbara gets mad and breaks up with him. “Make a choice…let me in or let me go.” For goodness sake. Can’t she ask Montoya who Cobblepot is? Anyway, they break up.

Girl fight, fastest on record. Fish wants to see which singer is the best for the job she has for them. They fight it out and of course Liza wins. Too bad they didn’t have pool cues.

Cobblepot visits the apartment – say what? He hired the goons to shoot up Maroni’s restaurant. Oswald shows his gratitude and gives them canolli. Silly fools. 🙂

A news broadcast shows that the Mayor is comprising. Low cost housing AND waste disposal. That…is quite strange. However, Maroni is pleased and bites into a hunk of meat that would make Fred Flinstone proud. Fish is pleased that Falcone took a “hit to the body”. Bruce Wayne and Gordon have a conversation about what just happened. Gordon feels this compromise has prevented a war. Bruce is not pleased. He wanted the asylum because that’s what his parents wanted
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“Do you believe Gotham can be saved?” Bruce asks.

“I believe it’s worth trying.” Gordon answers.

Cobblepot leaves the apartment with a huge bag of money, leaving the corpses of the thugs behind.