Gotham: The Scarecrow Review

The show opens with Fish Mooney abandoned in a rough neighborhood, where she could potentially be attacked and killed, but manages to stand her ground. Dr. Thompkins tells James Gordon she got the medical examiner job, while Bullock investigates another murder. Dr. Gerald Crane is seen injecting himself with drugs, before hallucinating and seeing a woman on fire.

Oswald tells Falcone about Maroni trying to kill him. Oswald is given free reign over the club, with Falcone prepared to take down Maroni. Fish learns she is stuck in a prison, which is run by Mace (Babs Olunsanmokun). Bullock and Gordon head to the university, where they discover Crane was attempting to rid himself of fear.

The pair take the information to Edward Nygma (Cory Michael Smith), who explains Crane is trying to harvest his victim’s hormones. Nygma mentions the new medical examiner and comments on her nice fragrance. Dr. Crane (Julian Sands) continues to hallucinate, until he is interrupted by his son, Jonathan (Charlie Tahan). The doctor insists he will also be able to cure his son of fear.

Meanwhile, Carmine Falcone (John Doman) meets with Sal Maroni (David Zayas). Oswald (Robin Lord Taylor) continues to run the club, as he prepares for opening night. Fish meets with Mace and attempts to make a deal with him, by offering up her skills. Oswald pays a visit to the police station and is followed by Nygma. Edward quickly gets on Oswald’s nerves, before he is sent on his way. Oswald speaks with Gordon (Ben McKenzie), who suggests he doesn’t want him coming around, but Oswald insists Gordon will need him. Before he leaves, Penguin gives Gordon an invitation to the club’s opening.

Meanwhile, Dr. Crane gives his son the hormones. Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) continues his trek through the woods. He slips and tumbles down a large embankment. Dr. Thompkins (Morena Baccarin) attempts to kiss Gordon, at work, but he suggests the action is unprofessional. Meanwhile, Maroni grills Falcone for answers regarding his protection of Oswald. In order to get Oswald off of the hook, Falcone agrees to give Judge Turnball (Muro M. Bonnell) to Maroni. The pair enjoy the sight of Turnball being abused and tortured.

Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue) insists Gordon go back to Oswald and get answers about Crane. The pair investigate the death of Crane’s wife, Karen (Dorothea Harahan). They discover she died in a fire and Crane was afraid to attempt a rescue. With the information, they head to the family’s house. Dr. Crane is forced to calm his son, who has gone out of control.

With his leg potentially broken, Bruce is forced to splint it, before trying to move on. Fish kills Mace, before taking control of the prison. When Bullock and Gordon arrive, the Cranes make their escape. They stop in the nearby woods, where the doctor injects his son with a large amount of hormones. The boy’s screams alerts the detectives, who draw their weapons on Crane, but he begins to fire back. Dr. Crane is shot down, while the boy goes into a seizure.

After climbing back up the hill, Bruce discovers Alfred Pennyworth (Sean Pertwee) has been waiting there the entire time. Bruce says he wants to go home, but Alfred offers the chance to stay and watch the sun rise. The pair agree. Meanwhile, Oswald’s club is up and running, when Maroni enters. His nemesis congratulates him, before he is threatened, with death, when Falcone is gone. In the morning, Alfred and Bruce watch the sun rise. Gordon tells Thompkins about the doctor and his son, before she invites him to the circus. Gordon reaffirms his decision to avoid kissing, while at work. Fish begins to give orders, when one of the prisoners is returned, without her eyes.

Gordon checks on Jonathan Crane and learns the medication had the opposite result. The boy now lives in a constant state of fear.

Review

The Scarecrow was a pretty good episode of Gotham, although nothing spectacular. The biggest surprise of the episode was likely the interaction between Nygma and Oswald. The actors seemed to have good onscreen chemistry and the short scene was definitely impactful. It will be interesting to see how this relationship plays out in the future. The birth of The Scarecrow was definitely exciting. The show continues to pump out villains from the comic book, with nearly every episode.

The episode deserves a 7.5 out of 10.

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