This week Gordon is on the warpath trying to find Commissioner Essen’s killer, Jerome Valeska and his evil band of Merrymen and women, the Mainiax. Barbara is playing seductress with Theo Galavan and his sister, Tabitha. She is playing a dangerous game with those two, but she is enjoying every minute of it. Theo is planning something big at the Children’s Benefit and it involves magicians and mayhem. His personal vengeance and determination to gain control of Gotham is pretty clear when the night is over, and wants Barbara to be an important instrument in taking down Gordon. Alfred forces Bruce to start living up to his family name and begin to take part of things that his father use to do like attending charities and benefits.
Gordon’s behavior makes his fellow cops a little nervous and cautious after the massacre at the precinct. Lee tries to calm him down and has a little success but he is too angry to completely calm down. Bullock suggests that they talk to Penguin to find the whereabouts of Jerome and the Mainiax, Gordon is hesitant about involving him because of his fragile, shaky relationship with the Penguin. Instead they go and see Jerome’s dad to get some clue as to where his son is. Unfortunately Jerome gets there first. He and his dad have a father and son heart to heart discussion about his troubled and abusive childhood. The physical and emotional abuse he suffered under his father and his mother’s boyfriend shows in Jerome’s behavior. For a brief moment you can empathize and understand Jerome’s anguish and hurt when he confronts his father about this. But it is short lived when he kills him and plants evidence on his father for Jerome’s escape, diverting the police away from the real suspect, Theo Galavan. Before his father died, Jerome gets a troubling and disturbing prediction form him. But Jerome takes this vision as a sign of great things to come. Gordon and Bullock gets there too late, but is gassed by Jerome and is about to kill Gordon when Tabitha steps in and stops him. Galavan wants Gordon alive for something big tonight.
The night is filled with excitement at the Children’s Hospital Benefit Gala. Dr. Lee Thompkins is hosting this party trying to get the high society to donate their life savings to save the hospital. Her major entertainment of the night is a magic show with the Great Rudolfo. Alfred arrives with Bruce who is not so eager to be there. Alfred explains that if he wants to learn how to handle more of his father’s legacy, he needs to get involved with events like these. Bruce sees Selena there and his attitude perks up. But her demeanor towards him is cold. There is a brief moment of awkwardness between Lee and Alfred when he tries to make an advance with her. The magic show starts and the Great Rudolfo begins his act. He picks Bruce to be a part of the act. It goes off without a hitch. Lee notices something odd about Rudolfo and his assistant. She discovers that it is Barbara disguising herself as Rudolfo’s helper. She calls Gordon but gets drugged and dragged away. Rudolfo gets the Deputy Mayor on stage for another act, but it takes a horrible turn when he kills the Mayor right in front of the audience. The magician reveals himself as Jerome and his Mainiax. It is now a hostage situation between Jerome and his Mainiax and the GCPD. Theo implements his plan to become the hero by staging a standoff with him and Jerome. His actions reminds me when Penguin staged a hero moment in Batman Returns. Theo’s performance is little too cheesy, but it is effective, but Barbara slugs Theo from behind knocking him out. Jerome has Lee strapped to a spinning wheel. Barbara takes advantage of this and taunts and teases her about her relationship with Gordon and that they will get back together because they have a connection. Jerome demands to have Bruce brought up on stage, but he is nowhere to be found so he chooses Alfred to take his place. Trying to save his butler, Bruce appears and walks on stage. He quietly hands Alfred a gun, just then Gordon appears. Jerome uses Bruce as a shield, but Theo appears and kills Jerome. Barbara escapes from this chaos. It surprised me when Theo killed Jerome, but he wanted to use him as a patsy in order for him to be the hero. But I think with Jerome’s death, his legacy will echo in the streets and chaos will ensue. Theo’s master plan is taking shape.
Bullock visits Penguin and has a little chat with him. He threatens him to say away from Gordon and if he doesn’t he will have to deal with him personally. He mentions Fish’s mysterious death and him being the last person to see her alive. Next week Penguin takes control of the streets. This should be interesting.
