In this episode of Gotham, “Mad City: The Executioner,” Ivy goes to Selina for help, Nygma investigates Isabella’s death and Captain Barnes wants to join forces with Gordon to clean up Gotham.
The investigation into Symon’s death is underway, but Gordon already has a prime suspect: Captain Barnes. Dead men tell no tales and all that jazz. Gordon confides in Bullock, who doesn’t think a psychopath who gave face transplants to the mob using stolen faces makes a credible witness. Not to mention that Captain Barnes — until his unfortunate “accident” — was a stickler for the rules. His integrity was non-negotiable. Bullock can’t figure out Barnes’ motive, and Gordon hypothesizes that Barnes saw Symon and basically lost his shit. Now that is why this guy becomes commissioner. Gordon doesn’t even have all the facts, and he’s practically solved the case.
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Justice Served
Gordon doesn’t want to believe that Barnes is guilty, but if there’s the slightest chance, they have to know. Bullock agrees to help but only to prove Gordon wrong.
Barnes took a “sick day,” but he’s really dispensing his own brand of personal justice. He’s stopped fighting the voices in his head and has started rounding up the bottom feeders of the city. He strings up three unsavory characters guilty of everything from sex trafficking to murder and hangs them himself.
Forensics finds Barnes’ prints all over the bathroom, and Bullock wants Gordon to tell the Captain what Symon said so the man can at least defend himself. Gordon wants to do a bit more digging first but gets caught in Barnes’ office by the man himself. Gordon claims to be looking for the Paulie Pennies file, saying Symon’s case could be related.
Barnes interrogates Gordon. He knows that when Symon was found, he was still alive. Gordon was the first on the scene, and Barnes is curious if Symon said anything to him. Gordon denies getting any information from Symon before he died.
Barnes tells Gordon that he spoke to his informant who said when Barnes collared Symon, the higher-ups got nervous. Barnes is trying to write Symon’s death off as a mob killing. The informant also gave Barnes the name of a mid-level guy name “Sugar” who was the guy who did the job. Gordon offers to have a team bring Sugar in, but Barnes insists he’d rather keep it between them. The mob still has their fingers in a lot of pockets, so you never know who you can trust.
Gordon makes a quick call to Bullock, tipping him off to the location that he and Barnes are headed, instructing his partner to get there quickly. During the ride, Barnes says he’s disappointed in Gordon. He is the lead detective on a high-profile case, but he failed to interview all of the witnesses, namely Barnes himself. The Captain decides that now is as good a time as any.
Barnes admits to seeing Symon at the party but denies speaking to him or going into the bathroom before he was attacked. Barnes does confirm that he was in the bathroom but only before it was a crime scene.
Barnes and Gordon have a Freaky Friday moment. All of a sudden, Barnes is pro-vigilante justice and Gordon is taking the moral high ground. If they act on every impulse, even with the best intentions, they’re no better than the criminals. But Barnes makes it clear that he’s had a change of heart.
Poison Ivy
Ivy is using her newfound beauty to seduce the wealthy men of Gotham. She’s been using plants to concoct a perfume that enables her to get men to bend to her will. Her latest victim is an antiquities dealer from whom she steals a necklace.
Ivy seeks out her old pal Selina. In a city as freaky as Gotham, Selina doesn’t doubt that some bizarre circumstances could have led to her friend’s “transformation.” Selina calls Bruce, and they try to get some answers, particularly why Ivy all of a sudden decided to come back. Ivy admits that she could be in trouble and tells Selina and Bruce about the necklace. It turns out that the guy Ivy knocked out woke up, and Ivy barely made her getaway.
Some very intense guys armed with crossbows descend on Selina’s place, and she, Bruce and Ivy are forced to run. They make it out, but Bruce insists that Ivy has to return the necklace. Ivy refuses, so Bruce offers to buy it from her and return it himself. Ivy may look grown up, but she’s still got the mentality of a young girl. She doesn’t even know how much to ask for, so Bruce promises to get her $5,000 in cash, or she can try to avoid the nasty-masked men on her own. Ivy hands over the necklace.
They arrive at the man’s apartment, only to find him with an arrow sticking out of his eye. So those creepy assassins weren’t working for him after all. Bruce wonders what it is about the necklace that makes it so valuable, but Selina doesn’t care. She wants to be rid of it, so she throws it across the room. The necklace shatters, but inside there’s a key. The three retreat to Wayne Manor until they can figure out just what mess they’ve stumbled into.
The masked men search Selina’s apartment and find a newspaper article about the death of Bruce’s parents with a picture of the young billionaire.
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Barnes Gives Gordon an Ultimatum
Barnes takes Gordon to a different address, so there’s little hope of Bullock saving Gordon’s ass. The two question Sugar, who has a pretty solid alibi. It doesn’t matter because Barnes shoots him anyway and then turns his gun on Gordon.
Barnes knows that Gordon has been investigating him, so he admits to killing Symon and Pennies. Gordon wants to know what happened to make Barnes behave this way, but the Captain insists this is who he’s always been; he just needed something to unlock it. Gordon figures out that Barnes has been infected with Alice Tetch’s virus. He offers to get Barnes some help, but Barnes doesn’t consider himself sick.
Barnes offers Gordon a choice: he can join Barnes or take the fall for Sugar’s murder. Gordon refuses to give in, but one of Sugar’s associates arrives before Barnes can shoot him. It’s just enough of a distraction for James to throw himself through a window and take off running.
What’s Black and White and Killed Your Girlfriend?
Nygma gets a call from the GCPD, requesting that he come to the station. Once there, he’s shown Isabella’s remains. The police believe she fell asleep at the wheel, causing her to crash into an oncoming train when it was really faulty brakes, tinkered with by one of Penguin’s minions. Penguin is very eager to offer his shoulder for Nygma to cry on, and Penguin couldn’t be more thrilled when Nygma literally takes him up on it.
Nygma’s morose attitude is bumming Penguin out, and he urges Nygma to move on, even though his girlfriend hasn’t even been dead for 48 hours. Nygma decides to go to the scene of the accident and say a last goodbye. While there, he comes across a homeless man who heard the whole accident. He recalls Isabella screaming for help, which doesn’t line up with the theory that she was asleep at the wheel.
Nygma checks out what remains of Isabella’s car and discovers that the brake lines were cut. He questions how the GCPD could miss that little detail and is convinced that somebody paid them off. There’s only one person with that kind of money and influence.
Guilty, Guilty, Guilty
Bullock arrives at the precinct and is told that Gordon has gone nuts, shot an unarmed suspect and tried to take out Barnes too. Bullock gets a call from Gordon, who fills him in on all the latest developments. Their conversation is cut short when Barnes shoots Gordon’s phone out of his hand.
Bullock goes to Lee for help. He doesn’t think anyone will believe him about Barnes being infected, but they will buy the news if it comes from the medical examiner.
With his strength and speed, Barnes easily overtakes Gordon. As the sound of sirens grows closer, Barnes tells Gordon that when the cops find his dead body, they’ll believe Barnes when he tells them that Jim Gordon is a killer.
But when the police arrive, Bullock is leading the charge. He and Lee turned the tide in Gordon’s favor. Gordon attacks Barnes, and the two engage in a brutal fight. If there’s one thing Jim Gordon can do, it’s take a licking and keep on ticking. Gordon is able to pull his gun on Barnes, who wants Gordon to let him go. Why condemn the city if Barnes can save it? Gordon has no choice but to shoot Barnes, but he aims for the shoulder as opposed to the heart. He’s carted off to Arkham, which is never good news.
Nygma tells Penguin that Isabella was murdered. Lucky for Penguin, Nygma thinks Butch did it. He figures it was retaliation for Nygma exposing him as the head of the Red Hood Gang. Penguin swears that he’ll help Nygma find Butch and make him pay for what he’s done.
Will Nygma find out the truth about Penguin? What’s next for Captain Barnes? And what is up with that key? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
Gotham season 3 airs Mondays at 8/7c on FOX. Want more news? Like our Gotham Facebook page.
(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.
