In the season 2 finale of Gotham, “Wrath of the Villains: Transference,” Bruce learns that there is a secret council running Wayne Enterprises and the entire city, Fish uses her new talents to influence Ms. Peabody, and Professor Strange loses control of Indian Hill.
When we last saw our heroes, things weren’t looking too good. Bruce and Mr. Fox are locked in an empty lab inside Indian Hill, being interrogated by Ed Nygma. And if they don’t spill all they know about Professor Strange and his experiments, the room will be flooded with poisonous gas.
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Clayface
Elsewhere, Gordon meets Basil Karlo (aka Clayface), who possesses the talent of shapeshifting into anything he — or Strange — wants. And right now, he looks like Jim Gordon. Bullock has sent in the cavalry, but can they get there before Professor Strange blows Indian Hill to smithereens?
The GCPD arrives at Arkham and are just about to storm the place when Jim Gordon appears. We know it isn’t the real Jim Gordon, but the cops don’t. It won’t take Bullock long to figure out that something’s amiss, but time is of the essence here because what would a lab that performs horrifying experiments be without a huge bomb tucked away in case of emergencies? Clayface gives the all clear and lures the team back to headquarters.
When he encounters Bullock, the acting Captain is curious to know how Gordon came up with nothing on Strange. Gordon says Strange is connected to people they can’t cross. When Bullock questions who, all Gordon will say is that Bullock doesn’t want to know.
A Secret Council
Professor Strange injects Gordon with some sort of truth serum, and its effects are immediate. Hugo takes this opportunity to dig into Gordon’s mind. Jim had daddy issues, he feels guilty about Lee losing the baby (are we sure she did?) and, yes, he still loves Lee and wants to be with her. Hugo questions why Gordon isn’t with Lee, and the former detective states that he’s put her through too much already.
Strange instructs Gordon to close his eyes and imagine that Strange is God, and he absolves Gordon of all of his guilt. He lightly taps Gordon’s shoulder and says it’s all gone. Suddenly, Jim feels … better.
Strange finally gets around to asking Gordon what he knows about his little lab, Indian Hill, and Gordon responds that Strange is building monsters for military use. Strange states that he’s doing much more than that and pushes to see if Gordon has any clue who is really running the show. Who really controls Wayne Enterprises? Who controls everything in Gotham behind the scenes? Gordon is clueless, and when Strange mentions a secret council, Gordon confirms that he knows nothing about it.
Gordon has one last question for Strange, asking if the Professor believes Jim should have gone after Lee. Strange says without a doubt. Guilt has compelled Gordon to sacrifice his heart to his conscience, but guilt is useless. “Love is our guide.” Strange then informs Gordon that he has only a few hours to live.
Although Bruce and Fox can’t see Nygma, Fox recognizes his voice. He tries to reason with Nygma, explaining that the police will come looking for them, but all Nygma wants are answers. He asks them who runs the laboratory, Indian Hill? Fox thinks it’s Strange, but Bruce says Wayne Enterprises, which is the truth. The next question isn’t so easy, and it’s one neither Bruce nor Fox can answer: who runs Wayne Enterprises? I think we know that after seeing the shadowy woman with an owl’s mask, it’s the Council of Owls. Bruce hasn’t become acquainted with the super-secret society.
Lucius is convinced that it’s the board of directors running the company, but Bruce guesses that that’s not correct. Fox argues that he’s worked for the company for 10 years and has no reason to believe otherwise and gives Nygma his answer. Unfortunately, that is incorrect. A gleeful Ed releases gas from the ceiling. Bruce and Fox quickly collapse.
But Nygma is a trickster, and when Lucius and Bruce come to, Gordon is locked in with them. Gordon remembers being drugged, and he’s still under the influence because he apologizes to Bruce for promising to find out who killed his parents. He says he was arrogant and naive. Gordon tried to do the right thing, but he’s been arrogant and naive. Fox wonders what kind of drugs Gordon is on.
The Monster Mash
Ms. Peabody is in charge of getting all of the test subjects ready for their transfer upstate, and this includes Fish Mooney. This isn’t Fish’s first time at the mad scientist rodeo, and scientific miracle or not, she wants out. Fish tries to lure Peabody close enough to touch so she can use her new powers of persuasion but comes up just short. Fish warns Peabody that she’s messing with the wrong woman. Don’t we know it!
Strange extends his gratitude for Ed for his help, saying that if Nygma wasn’t a madman, he could be an excellent addition to the staff. Then two orderlies shove Ed into a cell.
Strange reports to the mystery woman that Wayne, Fox and Gordon know nothing. He claims that their secret is safe. She takes a few seconds to consult with others, whose voices are an indiscernible murmur, and orders Strange to kill them anyway and continue with the evacuation. Releasing Galavan was a grave error on Strange’s part, and she orders that no more of Strange’s test subjects are to see the light of day under any circumstances.
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Will the Real Jim Gordon Please Stand Up?
At the precinct, Bullock surmises that the people Strange is connected with must be pretty heavy to make Gordon back off. Bullock suspects something is up. It’s not a huge leap, given that Clayface keeps smiling this huge, bizarre smile and is generally acting extremely un-Gordon-like.
A frantic Alfred arrives and wants to know where Lucius and Bruce are. Gordon swears they’re on their way back to Wayne Manor, but Alfred says he’s just come from the mansion and there’s no trace of them. Gordon suggests that maybe the twosome stopped off for a “snack.” Alfred demands to know what’s going on, but all Clayface can come up with is that it’s “complicated police business.”
The Inmates Take Control of the Asylum
As Firefly’s new sidekick, Selina is able to gain access to Bruce and warns him that the whole place is about to be blown sky-high and the whole “circus” is moving upstate. Bruce asks if she can escape, and Selina assures him she can. He urges her to do so immediately and then call the police, but Selina has other ideas. Bruce may think he got Selina into this mess, but she alleviates his guilt by letting him know that she’s the one who’s got him wrapped around her little finger, not the other way around.
Peabody returns to retrieve Fish, and she’s holding a very large syringe. She assures Fish there’s nothing to worry about; they’re just going on a little trip. This provides Fish with the opportunity she was hoping for. Fish is able to take Peabody’s hand and tells her that if she lets her out, Fish will be her friend.
As Professor Strange packs up his office, a red light begins flashing in his office. He heads into the hallway and encounters Fish and Miss Peabody. Peabody tells him she’s doing what Fish says, even though she doesn’t know why. Strange realizes that Fish has some powers he may have overlooked and surmises that she’s got some sort of psychotropic chemical agent on her skin.
Fish has a bus to catch and her destination is not upstate. Strange warns Fish that if she and the other test subjects were to appear in public, they would cause a revolution, an apocalypse of sorts. Strange may love Fish like a daughter, but he’ll kill her before letting her go. Before Fish can lay a hand on him, Strange takes off running and Fish orders Peabody to stop him.
Strange makes a beeline for the bomb and sets everything to destroy the facility immediately. Peabody tries to stop him, but Peabody is an ineffectual henchman, and Professor Strange packs quite a punch. The entire building goes into lockdown, and Fish finds herself trapped.
Barbara Kean Returns
Alfred still isn’t able to reach Bruce or Mr. Fox, and Clayface continues to play a very unconvincing Gordon. Bullock suggests sending the Strike Force back to Arkham, and the former inmate insists that’s not a good idea. Alfred doesn’t know who or what has gotten into Gordon but says he’s acting … weird.
Barbara is back, and she arrives at the station eager to have a word with her ex. She’s keeping company with Penguin now, and he wants to know what the hell is going on at Arkham. News has spread that there’s something going down at the local loony bin.
Clayface is taken with the homicidal beauty, and after he dismisses Lee Thompkins as a “ho,” she realizes that she’s not talking to Jim Gordon. She punches him in the face, and Clayface’s more malleable visage is revealed.
Barbara calls Penguin and gives Penguin an update. Strange is a very, very bad man, and the police are on their way to catch the Professor before he makes his getaway.
Hugo Strange orders Firefly and Freeze to kill all of the captives. Selina wants to know what’s going on, and Strange instructs Freeze to kill her as well. Firefly intervenes, stating that Selina is her friend. This erupts in a showdown between fire and ice. As they battle it out, Selina retrieves Fox, Bruce and Gordon.
Strange, realizing that the inmates are now in control of the Asylum, tries to make a run for it and gets caught in the crossfire. Strange gets slightly singed but is really no worse for the wear. Gordon demands that Strange take him on a tour of the lab. Strange says that in 10 minutes, everything will be dust. Fox points out that there’s radioactive material in the building, and Strange reveals he didn’t have time to remove it. But he calculated that the chance of a radioactive cloud was “low.” If Strange is wrong, thousands of people could die. Strange argues that that’s a better alternative than releasing whatever is left down there.
What Can Be Worse Than a Nuclear Bomb?
Gordon is determined to get into the lab and defuse the bomb, but Strange would rather die than show him the way. Selina remembers that Ed can’t take them. Gordon orders Selina and Bruce to leave, and he, Fox and Nygma break into the lab. When the doors open, Fish finds her way out and takes off in the bus.
After securing Nygma in a cell, Lucius and Gordon have two minutes and zero ideas on how to stop the bomb. Lucky for them, Peabody regains consciousness and informs them that all they need is a glass of water. Gordon dumps it on the device and the countdown stops with one second to spare. It also turns out that Peabody was asking for water to drink, not helping to save the day. Ha!
The GCPD arrives and arrests Strange. Bullock reunites with the real Gordon, who informs him that whoever or whatever was in Indian Hill isn’t there anymore. Bullock sends every available unit in pursuit of that bus, being maneuvered through the streets quite handily by Fish. She attempts to barrel through a police blockade, but Butch, Penguin and a few friends, all heavily armed, unleash all their gun power and the bus crashes.
Penguin mistakenly believes that Strange is on the bus, and he’s eager to make the Professor pay. He gets far more than he bargained for when Penguin finds himself face to face with Fish. Penguin promptly faints. Fish gives Butch a little wink, and he turns tail and runs with his thugs in tow.
Fish also takes off, leaving all the monsters trapped in the bus. She managed to crush all of the cars and the cops inside, so when a bag lady wanders by and hears the muffled yells from inside, she opens the door. What emerges are a lot of growling, odd-shaped shadows. It’s also very likely that Mad Hatter was on that bus, but we only get a glimpse of his eyes. Another monster of note is a Bruce Wayne doppelganger.
Gordon decides to leave Gotham to find Lee. Harvey pleads with his friend to stay, especially with all the monsters on the loose. But Gordon is determined to win back his lady love.
Alfred is hoping for some peace and quiet, but Bruce tells him about the secret council. Ah, bloody hell.
(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.
