‘Gotham’ recap: ‘Heroes Rise: The Primal Riddle’

Penguin and Ivy are on a mission to recruit an army of freaks so he can take out his revenge on the newly proclaimed Riddler. He first wants to recruit Victor Fries a.k.a. Mr. Freeze. Penguin apologizes for running Freeze out of Gotham and gives him his suit back and will help him if he joins their army. 

Jim meets with Kathryn who tells him that only The Court of Owls can save Gotham and that she wants Jim to prove his loyalty. Jim goes into GCPD and Leslie uncomfortably greets him with the report of Frank’s murder. Leslie knows that Jim is hiding something. She is right. Jim tells Bullock about his plan to get inside The Court. It seems that everyone in Gotham is trying to find out about The Court.

The Riddler is back! He has been busy robbing banks and establishing his name when he gets a visit from Barbara. Barbara and Riddler both want to know more about The Court and Barbara lets in about what she has learned from Jim. Riddler’s plan to find out the secret begins when he crashes opening night at the theater. The Riddler makes a grand entrance and he wants the truth about The Court. He murders the actor and announces, “Riddler is coming!”

Alfred and 514A are having a friendly game of chess and Alfred notices that “Bruce” has been acting weird. 514A blames issues with Selina. 514A starts having nosebleeds and calls Kathryn. He visits The Court and he knows that he is dying. She promises that Bruce Wayne will return before he dies and she hopes he will do his part when the time is right for Gotham to fall.

Jim and Bullock investigate the theatre and open a box from Riddler to find … a riddle. It is written in iambic pentameter (nice Shakespeare reference) and Jim figures out that they are targeting newly reinstated Mayor James. They go and warn him and want to take him to safety but he is being stubborn as usual. He starts feeling sick and they notice he has been taking pills with green  ?  on them. It’s time to go to the hospital.     

It is no secret that Barbara and Tabitha don’t agree with the issue of The Riddler. Tabitha wants him dead, but Barbara wants to use him to find out about The Court. The next step of Riddler’s plan takes place at the hospital as a brawl in the hospital allows Riddler to sneak in and apprehend Mayor James. The Riddler seems to currently be one step ahead of Jim. The Riddler has become quite the showman. He is making a case to be the most clever villain in Gotham.

Penguin’s Army of Freaks recruitment tour continues as he goes to Bridgette a.k.a. Firefly. It’s interesting to me that he goes to visit Mr. Freeze first then goes to visit the complete opposite in Firefly. Ivy does her part to help persuade Firefly to join them. Penguin is assembling quite the Army of Freaks. We still have plenty of villains that could be added to the team. The Mad Hatter? Captain Barnes? Perhaps even Hugo Strange?

Tabitha’s loyalty to Barbara is being tested when Jim visits the club looking for Barbara. He knows about Barbara telling Riddler what he only told her. Tabitha reluctantly refuses to betray Barbara. Butch warns her that power is getting to Barbara’s head. Riddler and Barbara are interrogating Mayor James about The Court. He claims to only know they exist and that he has never met them. Tabitha warns Barbara that Jim knows everything.

The Riddler is holding Mayor James hostage on TV with a bomb strapped to his neck. He demands to know the truth about The Court. Kathryn calls Jim and tells him they can’t be exposed and she wants Jim to deliver Riddler to The Court. Jim calls Riddler and convinces him to come to GCPD and he will tell him the truth about The Court. Mayor James and Riddler both arrive to an empty GCPD. Jim teases that they should just blow up Mayor James. Riddler agrees and attempts to blow him up, but Jim tells him that Tabitha helped him disarm the bomb. Riddler is obsessed with finding out the truth about The Court and agrees to go for a ride with Jim. I truly thought this might be the end for Mayor James. It also seems that the relationship between Tabitha and Barbara is about to take a major hit.

Selina returns to her house and finds 514A waiting for her. She immediately knows he is acting weird and he reveals that he isn’t Bruce. 514A is explaining his story and begs Selina to leave Gotham before things go bad. He tells her that Bruce isn’t in Gotham. Selina wants to tell Alfred the truth but 514A refuses. He quickly shoves Selina out the window and she crashes through and falls to the ground. I’m thinking that this is leading to the set up of on the most iconic characters in the Batman universe.

Barbara storms into her club and gets right in Tabitha’s face. Tabitha reveals that she helped Jim sabotage Riddler’s plan. Barbara screams at her and tells her that she can’t be in control until she takes down The Court.

Penguin returns to his mansion with his Army of Freaks. He tells them they have a busy day tomorrow as he laughs at the news which mentions that The Riddler has escaped GCPD and is at large.    

Selina is lying dead in the streets. We see many stray cats start swarming and surrounding her. It seems that the show is about to get another iconic villain. I would be curious to see where her allegiance would go.

Jim and Riddler are talking in the car when Kathryn and her masked assassin arrive and Kathryn tells Riddler she has the answers he is looking for. Riddler agrees to go with them. Jim almost looks a little guilty about his choice. It seems that he has made the right choice for now as Kathryn introduces him as the newest member of The Court of Owls. He puts on his mask and it is now official. 

Episode grade: B+

Gotham airs Monday nights at 8 p.m. on FOX

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