In this episode of Gotham, “Wrath of the Villains: Prisoners,” Gordon receives bad news about Lee while in prison. As Oswald grows closer to his father, Elijah’s wife and stepchildren plot against him. And Gordon struggles to keep hope alive.
Just as Gordon is settling into the daily monotony of prison life, he is thrown a curve ball. Proving himself to be an exemplary prisoner, the warden moves Gordon to F-Wing, aka “World’s End.” Protective custody was a temporary privilege, one that can’t be sustained for as long as his sentence. So Gordon reunites with some familiar faces in general population, some of the inhabitants he put there himself. Also, the warden is good friends with ex-Commissioner Loeb. Things aren’t looking good for Gordon.
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Friends on the Inside
Gordon may worry that he’s been forgotten, but Bullock hasn’t given up on finding the real killer, a fact he shares with Nygma. Bullock pays a visit to his ex-partner. He’s spoken to Harvey Dent, and the prosecutor is looking into reopening the case, but Gordon has to keep his nose clean. That’s going to prove difficult since the warden wants him dead by the end of the week.
Gordon asks about Lee. She was writing him every day for weeks, but all of a sudden the letters have stopped. Bullock doesn’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but Lee lost the baby. Afterwards, she moved down south and nobody’s heard from her since. Bullock tells Gordon to not let this break him and not to give up hope.
No sooner does Gordon return to general population does a very large man with an equally big grudge pick a fight. A young man, Peter “Puck,” tries to play peacemaker but gets clocked for his trouble. Gordon doesn’t fight back which results in him lying on the floor getting the crap kicked out of him. At least one guard isn’t corrupt because he comes to Gordon’s rescue.
In the infirmary, Gordon suggest that Puck leave him alone, but Puck is somewhat of a fan of Gordon’s work. Two years prior, Puck’s sister was abducted and Gordon found her. Puck is serving six years for stealing a car, but he’s determined to serve his time and stay clean. He doesn’t want to die in prison like his grandfather did. Puck’s determination to maintain a pulse makes Gordon that much more persistent that Puck steer clear of him.
Oswald and Elijah Grow Closer
Penguin has been welcomed into the bosom of his family, but they are a creepy lot. There’s Grace, Elijah’s wife, and her two children, Sasha and Charles. It’s apparent that Grace and her children are putting on a happy face, but the presence of Elijah’s only blood relative has them on … edge. Worried about their inheritance, I suppose.
Elijah shares with Oswald stories from his childhood. Dear old Dad didn’t have a traditional upbringing. When Elijah’s father died from illness, his mother kept him at home with her. He wasn’t even allowed to go to school. She felt the need to protect him from the temptations of the city.
Reminiscing about his own childhood causes Elijah to question if Oswald had a happy life. Oswald admits that while his life may not have been a happy one, it was good. Gertrude was a gentle soul who never hurt anyone. Oswald confesses that he wasn’t always a good son, and Elijah finds this hard to believe. Oswald doesn’t offer any details, but Grace is eavesdropping, so she’s likely to do some digging.
Grace is also trying to kill Elijah. He has a heart condition, but the pills she gives him are merely mints.
Penguin is plagued by nightmares of his past misdeeds. Unable to get back to sleep, Oswald ventures downstairs and finds his father sleepwalking. Oswald puts his father back to bed and notices a hefty amount of medications on his bedside table. Elijah says he has a hole in his heart, and apparently it’s getting bigger — he thinks his demons are feeding on it. Elijah tells Oswald that he suspects he has his own demons as well. Oswald finally admits he was a criminal. He even comes clean about committing murder. Elijah forgives Oswald for all his past transgressions, and he urges his son to let them go and live in peace.
The Favorite Son
The next morning, Grace, Sasha and Charles confront Elijah about Penguin. Grace shows Elijah an old newspaper with Oswald splashed on the cover. Elijah informs his wife and stepchildren that Oswald already told him about his past. Elijah’s even a bit impressed that Penguin downplayed just how notorious he is. Elijah swears Oswald has been redeemed.
Since Plan A didn’t work, Grace informs her children that it’s time to take a different tact. Oswald awakens to find a scantily-clad Sasha in Oswald’s room. She’s very interested in getting to know Mr. Penguin, but Oswald swears he’s not that person anymore. Sasha questions if there’s just a little bit of that bad boy left and tells Oswald that whatever he’s got planned for Elijah, she wants in. She’s even willing to squeeze her mother and brother out. Oswald’s about as sexual as a table lamp, so the whole seduction bit doesn’t fly.
Sasha reports back to her mother and brother that Oswald didn’t take the bait. Charles asks if he should try, but Sasha explains that she doesn’t think Oswald’s faking; she just thinks he’s kind of simple.
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A Daring Rescue
Gordon returns to gen pop and gets a warning from the guard who helped him out. The man who beat Gordon, Weaver, is returning after an incredibly short stint in isolation. Gordon notices Weaver and the warden huddled together, and as soon as their conversation ends, Weaver threatens Gordon that his day is coming. A few of his friends are also brutally attacking Puck, but the guards hold him back.
The guard who’s been watching over Gordon finds him doing laundry duty and suggests that Gordon go visit Puck. The kid survived the beating, but he’s not in great shape. Gordon wants to keep his distance now more than ever, but the guard points out that Puck will die in prison, one way or another.
Gordon goes to the infirmary, and Puck looks bad — stomach-churning bad. Puck tells Gordon not to give up. He feels Gordon’s sadness but urges him to choose life. Gordon offers some advice of his own. Puck needs to stay away. Gordon’s not a hero and he’s not his friend; he’s just a convict.
The guard warns Gordon that it’s movie night, which means everybody’s in the main hall with the lights out. He tells Gordon to be ready. Someone better hurry back to his cell and fashion a shiv.
Weaver goes to make his move but is intercepted by another man. He appears to brutally stab Gordon, saying over and over again, “You’re dead.” But he’s just letting Gordon know that he needs to do a convincing job of looking dead. Luckily, the guard who checks his pulse is his buddy and he declares Gordon dunzo.
He’s put in a body bag and ushered out on a stretcher to an ambulance. Short on air, he pops out a bit too soon, shocking the guards. But Bullock is on hand to knock them out. It was his plan — well, his and Don Falcone’s. A retractable knife, some fake blood, easy peasy. Gordon hesitates, questioning if he does really belong in prison, but Bullock doesn’t have time for Gordon’s little existential crisis. He reminds Gordon that the real killer is out there, and whoever that is, they destroyed his family.
Gordon snaps out of it, but before he goes, he’s got one more thing to do. He breaks Puck out of the infirmary. Unfortunately, the warden catches Gordon in the act. He questions who brought Gordon back to life, but all Gordon will say is, “Friends.” The warden questions where Gordon’s friends are now, and that’s when our favorite guard knocks him out from behind.
RIP Elijah
Oswald’s father suffers some sort of attack. The doctor says the hole in his heart has gotten bigger and there’s an infection. It’s time for Elijah to get his affairs in order. Elijah tells Grace to call his lawyer.
Grace isn’t about to sit by and let Oswald swoop in, so she and her devil spawn start to devise a plan to get Oswald out of the picture.
Elijah reveals to Oswald that he lied to him. Oswald’s grandfather was never physically ill; it was more of a mental health issue. He was plagued by dark impulses and evil thoughts of violence. It’s a family trait. Elijah’s father killed himself. He and his mother never spoke of it, and for years afterwards, they never left the house. While Elijah didn’t understand his father’s torment, he suspects that Oswald can relate. Elijah begs him to never give in to the pain. He assures Oswald that he’s loved and not alone.
Elijah decides he wants a drink, against doctor’s orders. He also announces that he wants Oswald to have everything and to keep it as it is. Suddenly, Elijah gets very ill, Grace feigns concern as her husband writhes on the floor foaming at the mouth. He dies in his son’s arms.
Should I Stay or Should I Go?
Gordon meets up with Falcone, who really orchestrated the entire escape. He offers to relocate Gordon out of the country or find him a safe place in Gotham. Gotham wants to find Lee, but before he does that, he’s got to clear his name. Gordon’s torn on what to do, but when he discovers that Puck has died during the span of this brief conversation, that appears to make up his mind.
Gotham airs Mondays at 8pm on FOX.
(Image courtesy of FOX)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Jennifer has worked as a freelance writer in the entertainment field since 2012. In addition to currently writing feature articles for Screen Rant, Jennifer has contributed content ranging from recaps to listicles to reviews for BuddyTV, PopMatters, TVRage, TVOvermind, and Tell-Tale TV. Links to some of Jennifer’s reviews can be found on Rotten Tomatoes.
