In this episode of Gotham, “Wrath of the Villains: Unleashed,” Azrael/Theo is reunited with Tabitha, who inadvertently sends him after a new victim. Bruce asks a friend to help him investigate Professor Strange. And Penguin emerges from seclusion to battle Galavan.
Gordon and Bullock storm into Arkham with a search warrant for Strange’s office. Ms. Beatrice Peabody, Hugo Strange’s #2, tries to cut them off at the pass, but since Theo Galavan’s dead body was brought to Arkham and supposedly cremated, they want answers as to how he’s now very much alive. Bullock asks Strange how it’s possible that Galavan was at the precinct last night turning Captain Barnes into a human shish kabob — the Captain remains in critical condition. Bullock also brings up Victor Fries reincarnation.
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Tigress Helps Gordon and Bullock
Bullock barges into Strange’s office, with Gordon in tow, only to find that Strange has shredded bags full of documents. Gordon warns Strange that if he thinks shredding documents is going to save him, it won’t. They are on to him. Bad guys come into Arkham and leave monsters, just like at Pinewood. Strange points out that Gordon is no longer a member of the GCPD, so he doesn’t owe the vigilante crime fighter any answers. Strange does offer to help Gordon work through his anger issues.
Bullock is determined to tear apart every square inch of the facility, but his warrant is only good for Strange’s office. He swears he’ll be back, but Strange makes his own promise. He plans to call the judge to tell him how disruptive it is to the patients to have the GCPD and “others” wandering around Arkham.
After they leave, Strange asks Beatrice if Azrael has returned. Strange’s pride and joy is still on the loose in the city, a fact Strange finds “troubling.”
Azrael has sought refuge in a church. When he’s discovered by a priest, Azrael informs the clergyman he needs a weapon to complete his holy quest. Since it’s a church and not an armory, the priest can’t comply, so Azrael snaps his neck.
The entire GCPD is out looking for Galavan, but Gordon tells Bullock they need to think outside the box. They determine their best lead is Tabitha.
They catch up with the Tigress just as she’s heading out. It appears the resurgence of her crazy brother has her anxious to move on. Gordon knows Tabitha and Theo didn’t part on good terms, and she’s running scared.
Tabitha informs Gordon and Bullock that it wasn’t Theo who stabbed Captain Barnes. It was a 300-year-old assasin called Azrael, a mythical figure worshipped by the monks who raised Theo. Tabitha says someone got into her brother’s head, which is definitely not a safe place to be.
Gordon asks Tabitha for her help. No matter what Theo has become, he’s still her brother. She tells them the sword Theo used on the Captain was a fake. The real one belonged her to her grandfather, an antiquities dealer obsessed with Dumas history. The weapon is said to hold supernatural powers, and Tabitha believes her brother will attempt to steal it. Tabitha’s grandfather is buried in Gotham Cemetery along with all of his treasures.
Bruce Recruits Selina
Bruce is tired of waiting and tired of trusting Jim Gordon. He’s not about to sit around hoping Theo Galavan gets caught, so he goes looking for Selina, the same Selina he gave the brush-off to just a few days prior. Bruce wants Selina’s help in investigating Hugo Strange. Selina’s not interested, until Bruce reminds her that Bridget is in danger of becoming Strange’s next pet project. This comes as news to Selina, who told Bridget to leave town. She had no idea her friend was sent to Arkham.
Bruce wants to break into Arkham. Selina agrees but insists that she go alone. If she gets caught, nobody cares and she’ll just get thrown out. But if Bruce Wayne is caught snooping around, they’ll shut the whole place down or kill him. Also, Selina already knows a way in.
Azrael Targets a New Victim
Tabitha takes Bullock and Gordon to the Dumas crypt where dozens of her relatives are buried. They open her grandfather’s coffin, and the sword is still there. Tabitha says it belonged to Azrael up until the end. He didn’t die; he just disappeared. It seems Azrael is thought to be immortal.
Azrael arrives to claim the sword. He knocks Bullock unconscious and throws Gordon through a door outside. It’s up to Tabitha to deal with her crazed sibling. Tabitha reminds him of who she is and of the happy childhood they shared before Theo was taken by the monks. Theo has some more flashbacks and recalls his mission to kill Bruce Wayne, death to the son of Gotham and all that jazz. While Theo may remember aspects of his old life, affection for his sister fails to register and he stabs her with the sword. He takes her whip, thanks her for the walk down memory lane, calls Tabitha a traitor and leaves.
Bullock comes to, and Gordon finds his way back in, left conveniently unharmed once again. Tabitha is still alive, barely, and she warns Gordon that Theo remembers his vendetta against Bruce. Gordon calls Alfred and warns him that Galavan is after Bruce. Alfred tells him that the last time he saw his young charge, he was in search of Selina.
Alfred hangs up and is surprised to see Bruce has come back home. Alfred calls Gordon and lets him know Bruce is back at Wayne Manor and safe. As Gordon makes his way there, Alfred prepares for a home invasion by Galavan. Why doesn’t this kid have a panic room? Alfred arms himself. He and Bruce split up to lock every window and door — no doubt a time-consuming feat — and turn off all the lights. No alarm system either?
Bruce heads upstairs and finds a broken window. He yells down to Alfred, but it’s too late; Theo has already arrived. He orders Alfred to deliver Bruce, something we all know Alfred would never do.
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A Riddler and a Cat Meet in an Air Shaft
Selina hides herself in a laundry truck and gets through the front gates of Arkham. Next, she uses her cat-like reflexes to climb on the roof and enter the facility through an air vent. Selina finds she’s not alone in the air shafts; along with rats, she runs into Ed Nygma. Nygma found his way out of Strange’s disturbing secret laboratory and is attempting to escape before he becomes an experiment.
Selina agrees to give Nygma directions out as long as he tells her where Strange is. Nygma may not know Selina well — he calls her “Street-Trash Girl” — but he feels obligated to warn her that Strange is not someone she wants to be in close proximity to. She questions why, and he explains that the basement is a little shop of horrors: alive people, dead people and alive-dead people. This doesn’t deter Selina, who is determined to find Bridget.
Butch and Penguin Together Again
Butch visits an unconscious Tabitha in the hospital. It turns out the big guy is pretty sweet on her and weeps at her bedside. He’s interrupted by the arrival of Penguin, who has a new lease on life now that Galavan is back on the scene. Butch is concerned that Penguin has arrived to exact vengeance against Tabitha. She did stab his mother in the back. But Penguin has something else in mind. He wants Theo to pay. Penguin isn’t buying the whole “uber-villain” persona. “If [Theo] wanted to wear leather, he should just wear leather. This is Gotham City. No one cares, right?”
Butch is willing to team up with Penguin under the condition that once Galavan is dead, Penguin will leave him and Tabitha alone. Penguin agrees.
Strange Closes Up Shop
Nygma tells Selina what she wants to know, and she does the same. Her arrival inside Arkham coincides with the discovery that Nygma is missing. Selina finds the secret elevator and heads down to the dark depths of Arkham.
She hides and happens to overhear a conversation between Strange and Beatrice. She’s convinced that Azrael has gone rogue, but Strange isn’t comfortable with that assumption. Beatrice wonders what happens if the police get to Theo. Strange isn’t worried. He doesn’t believe the GCPD will be able to take Azrael alive, and by killing him, the police will be covering Strange’s tracks.
In the meantime, the not-so-secret facility is being shut down and all the test subjects moved to a new location. Selina continues her search and eventually finds Bridget. Like all of Strange’s monsters, Bridget doesn’t know who she is. She also has no memory of Selina. Bridget believes that Selina has been sent to test her. There’s nowhere for Selina to go, and she pleads with Bridget. Bridget’s only response is that her name is “Firefly.” Then she lets the flames fly as Strange and Beatrice look on. We know Selina doesn’t die, but how is Cat going to get out of this one?
We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Gun
Alfred puts up a more impressive fight against Theo than anyone else thus far. Bruce has made his way back to the study to witness their fight. There is punching and swordplay and more punching. Theo/Azrael tosses Alfred through a window, leaving Bruce alone with his would-be assassin.
Bruce heads to the garage. Azrael follows and tells Bruce not to hide; come out and face death. Obviously, Azrael was never good and Hide and Go Seek growing up, since threatening bodily harm is not the way to get someone to reveal their location. Bruce finds the keys to one of the cars and runs Azrael down. His mistake is stopping the car. Bruce gets out and, of course, there’s no sign of Azrael. It’s only after Azrael comes up behind him and ropes Bruce like a steer with Tabitha’s whip does Bruce realize his mistake.
Azrael is just about to kill Bruce when Gordon arrives, gun blazing. Whereas Azrael was impervious to bullets in the previous episode, this time he feels the burn. Azrael may be down, but he’s not out. Gordon pulls the trigger again, but the chamber is empty. Reinforcements arrive — Penguin and Butch. Penguin gives Gordon a tip: always bring the right tools for the job. Butch pulls out a grenade launcher, and now that Theo is blown to bits he should be impossible to bring back.
Nygma may be a lot of things, but one is not a master escape artist. No sooner does he reach the roof than he is busted by Arkham security.
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.
