Penny For Your TV Thoughts?: Gotham S4 Ep. 3 Thoughts & Easter Eggs

"They Who Hide Behind Masks"

Gotham strongly pushes forward with yet another incredible entry for the new season giving me the impression that upcoming comic book series will have quite an uphill battle in competition. It's a bit early to say, but I feel as though we just might be witnessing the rise of a new face for the genre wiping off popularly discussed titles from the slate. With this week's appropriately titled episode, "They Who Hide Behind Masks", the series finally dives into one of Bruce Wayne's biggest strengths, Ra's Al Ghul's mission, and the return of a fan favorite villain. Let's breakdown what the 3rd installment of the season does very well as we continue to venture through the "Dark Knight" story arc.

Ra's Al Ghul's Mission

We first open our episode with what I can officially consider as one of the most cinematically beautiful shots of the series as a mysterious man wanders through a battlefield of corpses during 125 A.D. in Arabia. I can go on for ages about the impressive visual direction during this scene being that several frames came across as an oil painting depicting the aftermath of an ancient battle. Upon his search, the man discovers none other than Ra's Al Ghul (or the corpse of the man who would later take on that title) laying beside a pile of dead soldiers. Here, the mysterious wanderer identifies him, takes him to the Lazarus Pit, and resurrects him in order to pass on his life's mission. It's a fantastic scene as it perfectly lays out our season villain's origins without losing the element of mystique that makes him such an intriguing figure.

They could have easily went further back showing Ra's Al Ghul's life before the battle, but instead they decided to introduce him after his death and eventual resurrection. By having him be presented as someone being ultimately chosen from amongst the dead with a specific destiny, this adds on a larger than life scope towards his intentions for Bruce. On the surface, Ra's could simply come across as just another mustache twirling city dominating psychopath, but what Gotham has superbly done in this flashback sequence is showcase a man motivated by something that is beyond even him. This is what uniquely sets him apart from the other main antagonists and why Season 4 has already successfully built up such a fascinating villain.

The quest to find his heir is given to him by his rescuer via the embalming knife from the Tomb of King Balahsi. We learn this through Bruce and Alfred from a history book after their recon mission pins the mysterious knife as a strangely high valued object of interest. What's great about this particular scene, aside from the geek out worthy implications of Bruce and Alfred doing recon missions, is the idea of Ra's Al Ghul's history being expanding upon through documented ancient events. The illustration of a man who was healed by mystical waters which Bruce recognizes to be the Demon's Head himself displayed a conceptually compelling supernatural component to the character. Ra's is suppose to throw you off questioning his background and capabilities which the talented writers of Gotham flawlessly presented in this episode.

The Many Masks of Bruce Wayne

Ah yes, the classic "I'm rich, spoiled, and above everyone else" Bruce Wayne disguise...but where did it start? Alright, so those of you who frequently read the Penny For Your TV Thoughts reviews for Gotham will know that I constantly gush about any little detail regarding the origins of Batman's many character traits. What's interesting here, and what even die hard Batman fans might easily overlook, is that we dive into not so much the cape crusader's antics but the masks that Bruce himself wears in public. There has always been the age old discussion about superheroes wearing masks on the inside and/or which side to the character is the "real" individual at heart. With Batman, it's clear that Bruce is no spoiled rich playboy at heart...but he sure knows how to play one when necessary.

Following our appropriately brief Al Ghul 101 course, we get an incredibly shot scene of Bruce in his new vigilante suit watching over the docks on a mission with Alfred. Honestly, just saying those words bring joy to my geeky little heart knowing that we're essentially in Batman territory imagery-wise. I loved the dynamic between the two characters here as Alfred reminds Bruce about his mask not being bulletproof to which Bruce jokingly replies that he won't get shot in the face. This is the type of fun banter that I'd hope to get since previous seasons teased the idea of Bruce taking on criminals. I also like the fact that he blindly chases after a thief going against Alfred's orders that thieves stealing from each other isn't worth the risk. Remember...baby steps right?

Funny enough, the thief ends up being Selena Kyle, who is shown also sporting a new mask (one of the many nods to the episode's title), and is chasing after the same item that would eventually connect our major players. What I loved about this scene is the fact that you get to see both Bruce and Selina completely in their element not recognizing one another. There was a part of me that was hoping to see the two kickstart the iconic Batman-Catwoman history of costumed encounters in the field. However, it made total sense that they'd want to save that treat for a much more impactful scenario by just playing this out as a close to the chest teaser. The fight scene between Bruce and the guards were solid and it was a nice nod seeing Selena being just a tail and a pair of cat ears away from being the full package.

Later, we follow up on our "Sorry Alfred" counter as Alfred stitches up Bruce's hand from a knife wound during the fight with the guards. Now, I know this may sound like a nitpick, but it's quite the opposite. I absolutely admire the fact that we see Bruce making mistakes (as repeated as some of them may feel) as it reminds us that we are witnessing a teenager biting off more than he can chew. If Bruce started to effortlessly succeed on all of his missions, then I'd be nitpicking to no end about his progression. I quite like the realistic approach of having him constantly going with his eagerness and impatience as opposed to his logical mind at times as it perfectly showcases the youthful side to his character balancing out the makings of a mature man. Also, I simply love Alfred's "I told you so" moments.

"There are other kinds of masks that

you can wear, Master Bruce." - Alfred

Alright, now let's get to the real connection to the episode's title. Alfred suggests that Bruce's eagerness to revisit the docks isn't done with a mask and tactical suit but a different public identity altogether. We've now entered into Matches Malone territory (a criminal disguise that Bruce adapted in the comics) as our vigilante in training takes up the guise of a street kid looking for his family on the targeted boat. Again, I love the idea that we get to see Bruce slip up just a little as the men on the ship doesn't fully fall for his "Gotham street kid accent" and Alfred has to come in to bail him out. There's just something enthralling about watching these two improvise their way out of trouble that I never knew I was sadly missing from the films and animated series. Kudos to the series for introducing this dynamic.

After getting their minds blown over a centuries old illustration depicting Ra's Al Ghul with the embalming knife, the two decide to bid on the dagger at Penguin's auction. This brings us to mask #2, and our most significant one, as the two develop the "spoil rich kid" guise known in the Batman mythology as Bruce's public facade. When Alfred tells him that it wouldn't be effective to show up as himself, we get an incredible score leading up to the revelation that Bruce's rich background can be exploited for the mission. It's a great moment showing the two looking into the mirror as if admiring their created character, "Bruce Wayne: Billionaire Brat". It goes without saying that Gotham continues to strongly deliver on the Batman origin/character fan service bits.

"Improvisation is an important tool in any actor's toolkit." - Bruce repeats to Alfred

Following this newfound weapon is arguably the most entertaining Bruce Wayne scene that we've seen on the show considering that we get to see the character fully loosen up (even if it's mostly an act). Yep, that's right, Bruce Wayne's having fun acting like a young brat on a shopping spree, and as strange as it is to see, it reminds us yet again that we are watching a teenager here. I'd say that this was an appropriately over the top and light hearted scene that perfectly kept things focus at the same time with the reveal that Bruce himself had his own legitimate plan after all. The idea of "blindly" buying out items at the auction to remove suspicion towards the knife purchase was brilliant enough to even impress Alfred. See, he is learning after all.

Bruce's interactions with both Barbara and Oswald during the auction was exactly what I was hoping for regarding his public guise getting him close to the criminal circles. There's also a brief but pretty intense moment cutting through the lightheartedness where Alfred points out that the knife will lure Ra's straight to them to which Bruce aggressively responds "Let him". It's a nice show of where our young hero's mind is currently at where Ra's is concerned showing no fear to the Demon's Head. It's little moments like these that really amp things up for future episodes. Also, it's great to see Bruce "battle" Barbara in a sense here as he defeats her at the bidding for the knife. The writers are brilliantly showing him fight different battles all at once which is an essential part of the Batman's character.

Selena's Stake In Gotham

Just when I thought the cinematography couldn't get anymore breathtaking, we're treated to one of Gotham's most beautifully atmospheric sequences as Selena sneaks in Wayne Manor. The alluring color scheme, the sound of the howling wind as Selena gracefully brushes pass the fluttering curtains, and the classic noir-like tone to the lighting made for yet another award worthy display of art direction. Filmmaking praises aside, I love the idea of Bruce being patiently seated and waiting as Selena strolls in to her surprise. This is a nice implication of how far we've gotten in our hero's evolution. It's all in the show's brilliant visual storytelling with Bruce having his hands clasp together in a calm demeanor as Selena confusing asks him why he was up waiting and for who.

Following the "Let him" line from the auction, we know that Bruce's focus is solely on Ra's heading to his direction for the knife, so it's great to see him keeping an alert sensibility for his enemy. Yep, that's Batman alright. Now, as far as Selena goes, it is interesting seeing her struggle to get in the good graces of Barbara and Tabitha which subtly nods towards the Sirens in the comics if the trio ever becomes a team. To see Bruce completely stand up to Selena telling her that he won't give her the knife despite her considering it a favor was powerful in solidifying his maturity towards his goal. I did find it strange at first that he calls her out on being Barbara's lapdog, but it does make sense as a means to keep her emotionally distant. We're witnessing a Bruce who is trying his best to stay distraction-free.

Selena's basically trying to find her place in Gotham while Bruce has already discovered his destiny. This is what makes the two characters such a fascinating onscreen dynamic now as one has essentially outgrew the other as far as scope and significance. It is pretty crazy when you take the time to break down the fact that Bruce, the kid that Selena could easily exploit seasons ago, is now the sole target of her boss's boss. However, what's to admire here the most is that it all feels organic which is why I must give huge props to the writers yet again. It also helps that both young actors have truly excel in these leading roles giving the characters a sense of history behind each piece of verbal and body language given.

Gordon's New Dilemma:

The Falcone Legacy

My name is James Gordon. I used to be a spy until...whoops wrong show.
[Reference to the opening credits for USA's Burn Notice]

As Gordon goes out to visit Falcone's getaway home in order to encourage him to gather up an army against Penguin, we get another gorgeous display of scenery and cinematography. The setting of Falcone's home is something that we've possibly never seen on Gotham before. Sun...for one thing, and the imagery of palm trees scattered around a beautiful beach backdrop. This showed us that the series was not afraid to leave its titular setting for story reasons. I've praised the production values on Gotham to death by now since its 2nd season, but when something noteworthy shows up, a critic and/or fan mustn't brush it aside with the fear of repetition. I'd be happy if we visit this setting in a future episode as it quite literally brightens up the show in a very profound but welcomed manner.

Within this new setting is our retired mob boss Falcone who obviously didn't leave things on a happy note with Jim adding tension to their confrontation. What's icing on the cake here is the reveal of Carmine's daughter Sofia as well as the twist of Carmine's nearing towards death. It's one of those big reveals that could easily get shuffled in with everything else taking place in the season, but the episode admirably finds a way to calmly insert it at just the right moment. There's no big musical cue or overly dramatic reaction towards Carmine's condition. Instead, everything plays out as a matter of fact situation brilliantly setting the focus towards the daughter's position.

I wasn't entirely sure what to think about Gordon having yet another lady with a crazy personality and/or background in his love life, but there was something strangely intriguing about Sofia. Unlike Barbara who already had crazy written in her DNA or Lee who became an emotional roller coaster leading to a steroids version of her darkest desires, Sofia plays out as a straight forward individual. Does she come across as a mob boss siren towards Jim? Yes, but she doesn't necessarily hide it which is something that won me over immediately. Her so called "partnership" with Jim is one that I'm actually looking forward to seeing. However, I hope hope that we don't end up rethreading any bizarre relationship territories. What say we keep this one civil huh Gotham? No? Well, I tried anyway.

Gotham's Worst Riddle

Reminds me of the character "Cupid" from CW's Arrow. No thanks.

Alright, remember when I considered this episode as another incredible entry for the season? Well, that doesn't exactly dismiss it from any flaws as they do enter Season 1 territory a bit here. Readers of the site will know that I'm not too keen on the overly campy back and forth tone of Season 1's villains, and just when I thought that sensibility left the show, we get "The Riddlette". Well, it's more like Misery featuring Ed instead of Stephen King's Paul Sheldon character. Now, before you start thinking that this section of the review will be all negative, there is a silver lining at the end of this particular side plot. Unfortunately, the majority of it is pretty much an excessively cartoony and cheesy villain of the week spotlight that would appropriately belong in the rogues gallery of the Adam West Batman series. [Note to reader that I do enjoy the 60's Batman series.]

After being taken out of the Iceberg Lounge and thawed out by an annoying and obsessive fangirl, we finally get our Riddler back...only not in the way that I would've liked. Throughout the episode, Ed looks just as frustrated as I am as Myrtle Jenkins checks off all of the crazy fangirl tropes that she could possibly find in the generic character handbook. Fortunately, this does lead to a twisted but satisfying end as Oswald catches up to her in order to find Ed eventually having Zsasz kill her offscreen. I never thought I'd be happy to hear the words "Victor, have fun" considering how psychotic the character is. It's a villain killing a villain. That's justifiably fine right? Right?

Okay, perhaps another silver lining then? We do get the Riddler back at the end of the day and it was interesting to see him struggle to actually solve riddles. This can definitely play a major role in his rise to becoming a criminal worthy of being taken seriously again. Similiar to the Gordon-Sofia situation however, there is the obvious risk of repeating old plot points. Ed getting revenge on Oswald and vice versa sounds like Season 3 all over again doesn't it? Let's just hope that the writers have something much more clever planned for our puzzle solving obsessed psychopath.

Overall Thoughts

We're only three episodes in to the new season and things have already escalated to new heights in storytelling and character arcs. This episode in particular brilliantly utilized a single item of mystery and plot-wise value to connect several of our major players together with the exception of one bad riddle of a side plot. Characters who I wasn't entirely sure of like Barbara have now excelled into something genuinely intriguing given her twist reveal to be a pawn of Ra's Al Ghul. We also have Bruce Wayne progressively continuing on his path to becoming the Dark Knight as other characters transition towards their future iconic roles. With a new Falcone in town, and the Scarecrow still at large, this season of Gotham has quite the bundle of noteworthy content to look forward to.

Bonus Thoughts

Easter Eggs

1. Jamie Harper's Family Legacy

Although not particularly a Supergirl reference, the GCPD's newest detective is related to James Harper in the comics (also known as the vigilante "Guardian"). Season 2 of Supergirl has already introduced this character which leads me to believe that Gotham may not show the armored street level hero. However, never say never when it comes to live action comic book adaptations.

2. Catwoman's Proto Outfit?

Similiar to Bruce, we see Selena adopt the idea of wearing a mask from a mentor figure (this time being Barbara). Yes, there are no cat ears built into the mask, but are we witnessing a tease towards an eventual Catwoman mask? Also, the imagery of her using a blade to pry open her found treasure may be a nod to her getting the iconic metal claws in the future.

3. Iceberg Lounge Ads

Alright, it's not Easter Egg worthy, but I do find it awesome to see the series going out of their way to make the city feel "lived in" with little details such as ads for Oswald's club. It's the little details that I really enjoy when it comes to world building and Gotham is filled to the brim with them.

4. A Possible Easter Egg? You Decide!

Spot a geek out worthy name listed on the docks manifest that Bruce reads? Comment below and I'll place your name and the discovery here in the review.

5. Ra's Al Ghul's Theme

Something that absolutely has to be admired about Gotham is its effort to give each major villain their own theme. With Season 4 so far, Scarecrow has an subtle but eerie score as Ra's Al Ghul has a more standout and profound musical cue. This is something that I feel has been sadly lacking within the genre and Gotham seems to be doing it right so far.

6. Harvey's Wit

You can always count on Bullock for a fun little remark to break the ice. This episode's dialogue of choice is his comments about Sofia being a fox in the hen house to which he apologizes to Jamie who is standing beside him. Harper tells him no offense taken but his idiom is incorrect to which he simply replies "no it isn't" and storms off. Please writers, do not even think of killing this character off. He's a comedic jewel.

7. The Ridlette's Lair

What can I say? I'm a sucker for unique lair designs for villains (even ones that I despise).

8. The Embalming Knife of King Balahsi

The blade remains a mystery, but the fact that Ra's Al Ghul holds it high on his priority list implies that Bruce may be wielding it for a certain future ceremony perhaps. We shall see.

Favorite Shots