Gotham S3 Ep. 17 Thoughts & Easter Eggs

"The Primal Riddle"

This week's episode of Gotham was what one might consider as being a great set up episode altogether. There is quite a bit that takes place here as we see various characters being thrown into interesting places and positions pushing things forward towards the several highly anticipated events teased earlier in the season. So, this being a villain heavy episode for the most part, let's dive into the different antagonists being spotlighted here and what each of them have to offer in the overall picture.

Mr. Freeze Returns!

First let's talk about the opening scene which is arguably one of the greatest openings of Gotham thus far. Seeing Penguin and Ivy journey through a heavy snow storm eventually stepping into Victor's hideout was absolutely stunning to look at. The atmosphere and imagery of Victor's lair felt like a comic book panel or even the classic Batman animated series come to life. The set design quality of the series, which is usually incredibly displayed, is at its peak here showing icicles forming out of every corner of Victor's lab amongst lab equipment and various frozen specimens. I honestly couldn't have asked for more regarding the series finally giving us Mr. Freeze's lair which lets me know that the producers aren't afraid to go above and beyond with its "comic booky" settings.

Speaking of amazing designs, the aesthetics of Victor Fries himself was notable such as the glowing blue eyes, frost covered hair, and pale blueish skin making him seem much less human than before in just appearance alone. When Penguin attempts to recruit him, Victor quickly threatens to kill him after being casted out amongst other meta humans during Penguin's reign as mayor. It's nice to see them recall the fact that, during the beginning of the season, Oswald did issue out the extermination of all "freaks" in the city which is ironic now being that he's attempting to recruit them for his army. After offering up his suit and the promised resources needed to continue his experiments once he becomes mayor again, Victor joins his cause without much hesitation.

Do I love seeing Mr. Freeze again? Of course, Victor was one of the highlights of Season 2 for me. However, I'm a little worried as to how the writers might use him in the future. Much like another villain that I'll be talking about, Mr. Freeze is one of the perfect examples of saving up an amazing "villain of the week" episode for future seasons as the character has his very own compelling standalone story worth diving into. It would be disappointing if they decide to keep him in a henchman-like role till the end of the series. We'll just have to wait and see, but for now, I'm pretty excited to see him in action as one of Penguin's partners in the forthcoming gang war.

Firefly's Partnership

Now, let's talk about what was one of my favorite villain debuts back in Season 2 aside from Mr. Freeze, Firefly. Firefly was one of those characters that I never found myself to be overly excited for, but I did find her introduction and development to be fascinating as a cool side villain story establishing a new baddie for the Gotham universe. Much like the Mr. Freeze two-episode arc in the previous season, I was quickly able to see the potential of her progressing forward as her own spotlight villain of the week in the future, but was disappointed when she basically became one of Hugo Strange's henchmen. However, after the finale made certain that Strange was out of the picture regarding the two, speculations for her future were left up in the air giving fans like myself hope for a solo grand return.

In this episode, we see Bridget being met by Penguin and Ivy in another one of their recruitment offers. It is here where we get to see her attempting to live a normal life outside of Gotham by working at a job that makes use of her peculiar traits which I admired from a character development standpoint. Now, I have to admit, seeing a different actress in the role almost completely threw me out of the viewing experience, but after a while of settling in with the character, I was able to get pass it in the end. Most of her body is covered up by the suit making her severely burnt face our only look at the actress, so it's not an entirely different appearance on the surface.

As much as I enjoyed Michelle's iteration during Season 2, I can safely say that I already like Camila's take just from the added layer of personality that she offers to the role here. The conversation between her and both Penguin and Ivy was one of the more fun and surprisingly heartfelt villain interactions on the show. There's a natural feeling of levity injected through some of Penguin's dialogue and reactions as well as a sincere look at Bridget's character being a tragic and lost "freak" at the end of the day. We don't necessarily get to see her do much other than kill off her boss with a handful of molten metal as well as nearly squaring off with Mr. Freeze. However, as far as re-introducing audiences to the character, I think this episode did a fantastic job at utilizing her.

My only nitpicks would be that they hopefully upgrade the suit later on as well as have her eventually go off on her own. I'd hate to see her acting as yet another bodyguard type role. Perhaps they can turn her into a pyromanic criminal by the end of the season as the character is usually known to be in other iterations. Firefly has "spectacular villain of the week" potential written all over her, so hopefully the series makes good use of it.

A Clone's Purpose

The Bruce Wayne doppelgänger arc has been one of the more curious side plots of the season ever since its conception. We've mainly been given brief moments with him in the past either talking to the Court or acting like Bruce around Selena and Alfred. I remembered thinking to myself "I'm enjoying this character so far, but what exactly are they setting up here?". Well, although this episode doesn't exactly give us a whole lot regarding him possibly being more than just a Bruce Wayne decoy, we are given an interesting revelation with his current state as well as a legitimately shocking scene towards the end.

Throughout the episode, I kept wondering whether or not Alfred was about to call him out on being the clone due to his odd behavior. Instead, what we're given is our first implication that, despite being a tool for the Court, he's beginning to develop attachments towards certain people. This is where our emotionless decoy starts to turn into a more three dimensional being during the rest of the episode. The scene where he begins to randomly bleed out and visits Catherine who ensures that he doesn't lose track of the mission was a great introduction to the idea of him starting to understand his mortality and individuality. When Catherine tells him that he's dying due to the flawed experiment that created him, I started to remember the fact that he was indeed initially a science project after all.

It's easy to see him on the surface as just some kid who looks like Bruce without taking into consideration that his origins lies within Indian Hill (Hugo Strange's madhouse of creatures). He's actually a pretty tragic figure to which the series never truly dove into regarding how seriously screwed up his story is. This new side of humanity to the character is developed at even greater lengths when he visits Selena fully revealing his secret to her. The conversation between the two is pretty interesting given some of the statements being shared. For example, in a nice little tease of events to come, the clone mentions the city being judged by the Court without ever really explaining what their plans are. This is also the first time that we see him genuinely emoting to someone telling Selena that he cares about her.

There's also a nice heroic shootout to Bruce Wayne when Selena tells him that the difference between him and Bruce is that Bruce would actually try to save everyone instead of just her. There is a tone of admiration in her voice when talking about Bruce implying that she still might have feelings for the now absent protagonist remaining from their last confrontation. However, the highlight moment here is where Selena begins to talk down to him as a non existing knock off of Bruce which causes him to lash out eventually pushing her out of the window. It's one of the most jaw dropping scenes on the show due to the surprise factor alone.

The dramatic impact from the moment her body gets forced out of the window was powerful due to the incredible use of sound and timing. This impact then carries over to the amazingly presented imagery of her lying dead in the street with the broken glass around her. Never would I have imagined Gotham showing a young girl being pushed to her death, but considering Selena's comic book roots and the cats wandering around her body later on, this was the type of scene that certain viewers were anticipating since Season 1. I wouldn't have connected Selena's transformation to Bruce's clone, but the way in which his character's direction has been going, I actually like the idea quite a bit. 

It's a great way of developing two antagonists at the same time (assuming that Gotham's version of Catwoman will indeed be a villain of sorts). Either way, I look forward to seeing what the writers do with Selena now that they've placed her in an interesting position as well as what will happen to the Bruce Wayne clone moving forward. I've said it before and I'll say it again, "There's always something worth looking forward to with this show". 

The Riddler's Unsolved Riddle 

Starting off this character spotlight on a slightly sour note, I wasn't a big fan of the over the top feel to the Riddler and Barbara's first meeting. It honestly felt like both actors were attempting to outdo one another in a scene eating contest. I also wasn't a fan of the Riddler being able to just waltz onstage during a packed house stage play, announce himself and his demands, kill someone in front of the public's eye, ham it up on stage a little more, then escape with no consequences whatsoever. I do understand that Ed is a genius yet egotistical strategist and all, but there wasn't any sense of urgency to his public appearance which made him seem just a tad bit too powerful in my opinion.

This is but a minor nitpick at the end of the day as I do understand what the writers were going for here in the Riddler's self absorbing sensibilities (a trope widely known with his comic book counterpart). However, I do hope, for future reference, that these sort of spectacular villain public entrances do not slip by without the individual looking at least somewhat pressed for time. Although we are years away from man sized bat flying around scaring the living daylights out of the city's criminals, there's still a station full of capable police officers doing their daily jobs of protecting and serving. Let's not make the GCPD feel completely useless yet. That comes later.

Speaking of villain sensibilities, one of my favorite little tidbits of character development in this episode takes place during the scene where Ed meets up with Barbara and Tabitha. While the two ladies discuss Ed's unconventional methods of progressing with their plans, there's a great moment where Ed essentially reveals the reasoning behind his arguably unnecessary procedures. Over the years, audiences have always joked around and sometimes complained about the fact that certain villains would completely waste their time showing off instead of actually getting things done. This is why I really enjoyed this scene as Ed confidently discloses to the two that he goes above and beyond in broadcasting his plans in order to embarrass the police when he's able to outsmart them.

It's the ultimate answer to all of the "Why doesn't he simply…" questions going forward. Like I said before, the Riddler is known to be a highly egotistical maniac in other iterations who enjoys the thrill of being the most clever guy around. Whether you agree with these overly elaborate and time consuming schemes or not, Gotham's presentation of the character is actually pretty accurate here.

Despite some of his earlier scenes feeling a bit too cartoony for my taste, the rest of the episode makes it up with a great scene showing him get the upper hand against the police. Having him deliberately force the mayor into the hospital where, dressed up as a cop, he was able to kidnap him during a created chaotic setting was entertaining to watch. These are the types of scenes that I was hoping to get when we were given the first teases of Ed losing his mind back in Season 1. The purpose of showing him "kill" the Penguin as well as his hallucinations was to imply that we'd finally get to see him fully unleashed as a standalone entity. I can now happily say that, if given more scene like these, having the Riddler completely unchained might be one of the best uses of a comic book villain on TV yet.

After kidnapping Major James, both Ed and Barbara interrogates him in order to uncover the Court of Owls' identity. What's great about this scene, aside from getting more of the Court's powerful presence looming over through other characters, is Ed's behavior during the interrogation. What makes the Riddler such a fun and interesting character to watch for me personally is his reaction whenever puzzles are being thrown at him. It's always intriguing to see him either insult a puzzle (or the person giving it) for wasting his time or, in some cases, getting excited whenever a mystery seems baffling to him. Ed's excitement while the mayor vaguely talked about the Court being an all knowing power was pretty amusing as you can tell Ed was absolutely enjoying how elusive this secret organization seem.

I love the idea of the Riddler growing more and more intrigued by an unanswered question making him grow weaker as an intellect in his desperation to find it. This is something that is tackled later on in the episode when Gordon tells Harvey that he knows how to exploit Ed's weakness for unsolved puzzles luring him in to save the mayor. I like the fact that we see Ed getting shaken up once his insurance policy with the mayor goes away thanks to Tabitha's surprise partnership with Gordon. It's also cool to see the series present one of it's greatest villains' weaknesses to the audience now as something to take note of for when a certain cape donning vigilante shows up in the future. It's almost as if Gordon is indirectly prepping Batman's villain database for how to take down some of Gotham's most dangerous criminals before he even shows up.

Speaking of Gordon, I loved the scene between the two showing them wait for the Court of Owls to arrive. It's a great scene showing them talk about their previous friendship with Ed stating that he felt betrayed causing him to end things off. It's easy to forget that Gordon was one of the only people that showed sympathy towards Nygma before his turn to villainy, so scenes like these are always appreciated and necessary for fans of the show. When the Court finally arrives, continuing from my earlier statement about Ed being excited about an unsolved mystery, I love the fact that he was smiling yet cautious during the encounter. You can tell that he has absolutely no idea what's about to happen, yet he's also satisfied to see one of his greatest riddles finally being solved.

With Ed surrendering to the Court, I couldn't help but actually feel a little sad for him due to the way Jim looks at him as he enters the car. This is why that conversation scene between the two is so important and brilliantly woven in. It's a great way of showcasing Ed as a clueless and broken individual who is possibly walking into a death trap right before our eyes. I can't wait to see how the Riddler will be utilized during the rest of the season, but I worry that we'll be repeating one of the show's biggest mistakes. Let's not make one of Gotham's greatest villains into a tool for someone else yet again. I like the idea of the Court being this unstoppable puppeteer, but some characters should truly be left alone. That is of course unless we're in for something special with our riddle giving psychopath.

The Court's Vision & Influence

This season has done an outstanding job of lacing the entire universe with the Court of Owl's presence and influence. Throughout the episode, we see several snippets of dialogue driven scenes with Catherine speaking to Gordon, the clone, and eventually Ed giving us the implication that everyone shown plays some role in their overall plan. It makes you wonder just how anyone will be able to stop them as well as what their objectives are as we traverse the remaining episodes leading into the finale. With Gordon now proving himself by handing over Ed to their custody, there's a great shot of him finally meeting them at their headquarters and donning the owl mask in his initiation.

What happens next is anyone's guess, but as far as cliffhangers go, this is definitely one of the most engaging entries considering what our hero will have to do in order to take them down from within. My hopes are that we're now able to get a deeper inside look at the Court of Owls society and lore through Gordon's eyes. 

Overall Thoughts

With all things considered, something tells me that Gotham is about to get even crazier than usual now with its forthcoming meta human included gang war, mysterious citywide weapon being unleashed, Gordon's infiltration mission inside of a powerful secret organization, and the possible birth of a feline inspired antagonist on the horizon. As I've stated many times before, there's always something to look forward to with this series, and although this wasn't the spectacular villain invasion episode that I was imagining from the marketing, this was definitely one of the best set up episodes yet with an amazing sense of atmosphere injected throughout. I now look forward to seeing next week's episode with eager eyes. 

Bonus Content

1. Barbara's Conflict

Barbara's war against the Penguin isn't the only thing brewing with the psychotic mob boss. This episode implies a forthcoming battle regarding power, trust, and partnership between Barbara, Tabitha, and Nygma. It'll be interesting to see who comes out on top when the dust settles. Perhaps a new alliance might be forged.

2. Penguin's Army of Freaks

Batman fans should rejoice at the sight of various rogues gallery characters teaming up. You have the Penguin, Mr. Freeze, Ivy (not yet Poison Ivy), and as a bonus, Firefly all in one package. Honestly, I never thought I'd see these characters share the same screen in a live action setting.

3. Lee Is Hell Bent On Destroying Gordon

Just something to keep note of as the previous episode also made it apparent to have at least one scene involving Lee scorning Gordon. I theorize that Lee will get Gordon nearly killed before the season ends...and then probably regret it.

4. Callback To Season 2

During the hospital kidnapping, Nygma's voice can be heard over the intercom saying "Who runs Gotham?" which is a callback to his scene during the Season 2 finale asking the same question to Fox and Bruce over an intercom.

5. Two Face Easter Egg

As Gordon reads the Riddler's first riddle, the words "I am a man who holds a high position who shows two faces…a criminal and sometimes a politician" makes up part of it. If you're aware of Batman's villains, then these words immediately scream "Two Face" considering the villain's persona and history. Gordon even says "Two Face politician" as a nice button seal at the end. 

6. Mr. Freeze's Lair

One of the coolest settings on the show (no pun intended) showcases Mr. Freeze's lair in an unknown arctic location. The beautifully designed imagery of the igloo-like hideout and laboratory felt like it was ripped right out a comic book and translated into live action. Hopefully we get to see this setting in the future as well as more interesting villain lairs down the road.

7. Classic Riddler Imagery

One of the things that sets Gotham apart from its competition is its amazing presentation of character related imagery. Of the many uses of this artistic direction is the iconic green question mark for the Riddler which can be seen plastered over several objects in the episode. This is a great way of keeping the villain's presence alive even when he's not around.

8. Ivy's Look

With Firefly, Mr. Freeze, and even the Riddler now donning their very own super villain costume, it's only a matter of time until we see Gotham's other characters adapting a similiar sensibility. Here we see Ivy wearing a green outfit with flower shaped symbols stitched in. It may not be her "Poison Ivy" look, but this may be a small tease to keep note of.

9. The Riddler's Newspaper Debut

Following up on his complaint during a previous episode about not making the right public entrance with the newspaper labeling him after his chess tournament fiasco, Nygma finally gets his name out to the world on his own terms. 

10. Visual Tribute To Batman Returns?

Selena Kyle's "death" in Gotham shares a similiar visual direction as that of the Batman Returns' version of the scene. With both character adaptations getting thrown to their death, we get a similiar overhead shot of Selena completely laid out in the street eventually being accompanied by the neighborhood cats.

Favorite Shots

Episode Rating: 8/10