Gotham 1.22 - "All Happy Families Are Alike"

It has finally come! The Gotham season finale! I expect big things to happen: character deaths, intriguing discoveries, lots of fighting, and answers to season long mysteries. Or, at least, that’s what I hope happens. Gotham got off to a rocky start and still feels like it is trying to find its way, even now. I’m really counting on this season finale to cement the show in greatness (hopefully), so that we can all look forward to the show next year.

******SPOILERS BELOW*******

By this point, we all know Jada Pinkett Smith won’t be returning for Season Two, but for now, Fish Mooney is back in Gotham, arriving via boat and looking crazed. Selina Kyle and her band of chic homeless friends seem impressed. And then we get a two week time jump! Wow, alrighty then.

The gun-mob family war has been going on for two weeks and old Carmine Falcone apparently thinks it’s safe to go visit and talk to a chicken. Has he lost it? Well, of course, he gets attacked and almost blown up by two of Maroni’s men. Jim seems annoyed and on edge by all the war. He yells at a young officer for saluting him. Calm it down, Jim.

Actually, don’t calm it down because Barbara is in Lee’s office with Lee, acting straight up ridiculous. She has finally recovered (physically) from the Ogre incident, but Lee wants Barbara to go through trauma counseling. Barbara insists on doing that with Lee at her apartment, which is wildly inappropriate. Barbara insists and Lee relents. That is not right, professionally or personally, especially since Barbara secretly knows about Jim and Lee’s relationship.

Harvey reports to Jim that Falcone was hit and Maroni’s men might have control of the city, which apparently is the worst case scenario. Falcone awakens in a hospital, but he is suspiciously tied to the gurney. Before he can react, Oswald and Butch arrive with flowers and a machine gun. How nice! Oswald reveals all his dastardly deeds to Falcone as he fondles a knife. Before he can do anything terrible, Jim shows up and orders them under arrest for attempted murder!

Jim releases Falcone, agreeing with him that Gotham would fall apart without him. Falcone is apparently the least worst option. Oswald, now tied to a pole, vehemently tells Jim he is making a mistake. Jim notices the hospital is abandoned and calls Harvey to tell him what he is up to. Harvey, of course, disagrees with Jim and tells him to get out! But Jim SHAN’T because he is Jim Gordon and he doesn’t back down from evil! Jim plans on sneaking Falcone out of the hospital, but agrees to bring along Oswald and Butch because he owes them a “favor” and they are under his protection. Whatever, Jim. He should’ve left them.

Commissioner Loeb arrives and tells Jim to go, but Jim calls him a disgrace and thus the gunfight begins! Harvey arrives and the whole gang manage to escape the hospital in an ambulance. The ambulance pulls into a warehouse, where Falcone assures everyone that no one knows about. So, sure enough, in walks young Selina, hair perfectly coiffed, holding a gun. She is followed by Fish. It just got real.

Fish and Butch reunite. He still seems confused and a little off. Fish calls Maroni and makes a deal, trading Falcone’s head for her old territories. Falcone, Jim, Harvey, and Oswald are all tied up and Jim tries to get Selina to help him, but she doesn’t bite. How rude of her, especially after all Jim did for her. Fish boasts about herself in front of everyone and promises Oswald a slow and painful death for what he did to Butch, who has to excuse himself to lie down. SIDENOTE: If these “villains” would stop making grandiose speeches and just kill their enemies, things would be so much easier. Take note: Fish, Oswald, Maroni, Falcone. No more speeches!

Meanwhile, Barbara and Lee have their first “therapy” session at Barbara’s apartment. Barbara just yaps and yaps and yaps. Poor Lee! She later brings up Jim, asking if he ever hits her in passion. Um, what? She reveals she knows that Jim and Lee are dating. It’s sufficiently awkward, as is expected of Barbara. She is clearly unhinged.

Back at the warehouse, Maroni arrives and hugs Fish. Oswald tries to get Fish to renege her deal with Maroni because once he kills Falcone, he doesn’t need her anymore. This causes Maroni and Fish to get in a little tiff about “taking orders” and such. Maroni continually calls Fish, “babes,” which does not sit well with her AT ALL. In fact, as he makes a speech about victory and redemption, he calls her “babes” again and she loses it, shooting him in the head! Chaos breaks out!

During the chaos following Maroni’s death, Jim, Harvey and Falcone manage to escape. Falcone tells Jim he is done with the “business” and he is going to leave Gotham and go to a place down south. But they are soon caught by Selina, of all people. She is a tiny girl! C’mon Jim! Back in the warehouse, Falcone tells Fish he is retiring, but before anyone can react, Oswald interrupts everything with a machine gun! Oswald chases Fish up a staircase, as Jim, Harvey, and Falcone escape in a car.

Over at Barbara’s apartment, she is STILL talking. But, suddenly, it gets interesting because she talks about how SHE killed her parents herself, stabbing them and slitting their throats. Lee is all like “whaaaat, no, girl!” But then, Barb grabs a knife and comes after Lee. WHAT! Run, Lee, run! She gets to the bathroom and locks herself in, but Barbara is “Jack Torrance-ing” her way through the door. Lee breaks the bathroom mirror to use as a weapon and soon the two are engaged a full on girl fight.

Jim, Harvey, and Falcone arrive just as Lee manages to overpower and knockout Barbara. Close call, Lee. She runs into Jim’s arms, saying that Barbara just lost it. Um, yeah, she did. Later, Falcone tells Jim that Gotham needs a good lawman and he wants Jim to be that man. Since when has Falcone suddenly cared about the “good” of the city? He gives Jim his knife, which he apparently got from his good friend, Jim’s father. That’s new information. Falcone and Papa Gordon were BFFs? Jim takes the knife, resolute in his beliefs.

Meanwhile, Oswald and Fish are engaged in a down and dirty fight on the roof. They end up both choking each other, before Butch arrives with a gun. Both tell him to shoot the other one and he can’t decide, so he shoots them both. He apologizes to Fish and they both profess their love for each other, but then Oswald knocks Butch out and pushes the wounded Fish off the top of the roof. He then stands atop the roof and “Jack Dawsons” to all of Gotham saying, “He’s the King of Gotham!” Okay, Oswald, calm down. Anyone ever taught you being a humble winner? No subtlety there. Fish falls to her death(?) in the sea below to join her fishy friends.

We also get one small scene with Ed Ngyma – they haven’t forgotten about him. Kristen Kringle discovered his little “riddle” on the Dougherty note. He denies having anything to do with it. Once she leaves, he laughs to himself before going into a deep, mad rage – talking to himself, hearing voices, and being all around crazy. It was splendid and I can’t wait to see more development of Mr. Nygma! I’d actually prefer more Ed Ngyma than Oswald, who is a bit over-the-top and tired now.

And if you think the show forgot about young Bruce, you’d be wrong. He is determined to find out the truth about his father, as Alfred tries to wean him off his obsession. Bruce ends up tearing apart his father’s study because he was convinced he hid something there. All episode he searches. In the final scene, Bruce seemingly gives up but then Alfred says something about “none so blind,” which causes Bruce to think about Marcus Aurelius and stoicism (I didn’t follow). He finds a book, which contains an I-pod/secret device. Bruce clicks the button and sinisterly awesome music starts playing and the fireplace starts receding, revealing a staircase. The Batcave? Yes.

Overall, the finale wrapped up a lot of the story. No more Maroni, no more Fish, Falcone is leaving, Oswald is in charge, Ngyma has gone crazy, Barbara has gone crazy, and Jim is going to be the White Knight who “saves” Gotham. Loved the ending, even if it felt like a different show. I wasn’t a fan of Selina joining up with Fish. The actress can’t pull it off and it’s a bit much for a young girl to be carrying on like that and not helping Jim at all. I want to still care about Barbara in her new found crazy state, but I still dread her scenes. The finale was fun and moved quickly, yet I felt the epic “oomph” was missing. Regardless, excited to see where they take the show next season. I hope they have a set plan and they really execute it in an exciting way.