[dropcap]T[/dropcap]his week on Gotham, Gordon and Bullock are on the case when a lethal drug is introduced on the streets of Gotham City.
The episode starts with Bruce Wayne organizing his wall of evidence, trying to understand Gotham. He questions how Falcone and Maroni can get such a large share of Arkham. It looks like Bruce is becoming more and more curious of the world of business in the city.
We move on to a guy playing the guitar. Moments later we see a man drop a vile containing a green liquid in the guy’s guitar case. With no sense of caution, the guy just breaths it in–exactly like the vile said to do. Suddenly the guitar guy is in the store drinking gallons of milk and pulling the ATM machine with his hands and running off with it. Seems like this mysterious drug has a few side effects.
Finally, we catch glimpse of cat girl sliding from a car. She had been watching Gordon. Successfully we might say considering he only noticed her, after she pick pocketed a man talking on the phone. She managed to easily run away. Bullock reminds Gordon that it’s lunchtime. In other words, she could wait.
Meanwhile, Falcone drives up to give his people a speech. He doesn’t want to look like he lost to Maroni nor does he want them to stop seeing him as strong and in control. Mooney plays the good soldier part well, telling them that Falcone is the boss. However, Falcone’s man Nikolai is ready to battle. Falcone reassures them that they are family and have to look out for each other. Nice sentiment, right? Not if we consider Mooney’s secret grin after Falcone’s speech. We might be getting closer to seeing her unleash her plans.
Bullock and Jim question people in the streets to see if anyone recognizes the man in the photo. One girl said she does, and for $20 dollars she tells them where to find Benny (the guitar guy). They find Benny all sick, and acting insane. He tells them they have to find the man with the mangled ear because he needs more of what he gave him. He shoves Bullock and Jim to the floor, lifts the sofa and then collapses.
Bruce has been learning more about Wayne Enterprises, wondering if they might have shell companies with off shore accounts. Alfred congratulates him on his good work, and then tells him that they will be attending a luncheon hosted by Wayne Enterprise.
The crime examiner tells Jim and Bullock that the drug “Viper” activates unused DNA, and causes the body to burn calcium from the skeletal system which is why people need to consume more calcium. This also causes the victim to suffocate and die. Essen wants to know who would introduce this fast-killing drug in the streets and for free. Bullock tells her it’s to cause a demand. They realize it has to be made in a really top notch lab. However, the only multibillion dollar corporation is Wellzyn, which is a subsidiary of Wayne Enterprise.
Elsewhere, Maroni wants to hit Falcone’s Casino. Oswald tells Maroni he knows a janitor that has access to tunnel in the casino. When asked his name, Oswald says everyone calls him the Penguin, but its obvious he’s not crazy about the name. Maroni quickly catches on that Oswald is not simply a dish washer, and wants to learn more about him. Oswald is forced to tell Maroni his real name, his past with Fish Mooney, and her attempts to kill him. Maroni is not sure about this could lead to a potentially dangerous situation. He wants to check out Oswald’s story.
Back at the precinct, the General Council for Wellzyn Corporation comes to talk to the police. Coincidently, Gordon is looking for Stan Potolsky, an employee and biochemist at Wellzyn before he was let go. Supposedly Potolsky made personal care products like shampoo. Turns out the company knew Potolsky was the one distributing the Viper in the streets, but wanting to look innocent, Wellzyn decided they go to the police first. Gordon and Bullock now have to find Stan Potolsky.
Just then, one of Maroni’s men picks up Gordon, and threatens to present Oswald Cobblepot’s head to Falcone. So Gordon goes with him, his face covered. They deliver him to Maroni. There they uncover Gordon’s face, and the first thing he sees is Oswald beat up and seating there. Oswald tells Gordon to tell the truth. Maroni wants to hear the exact story Oswald told him, if not he will kill them both. Oswald is taken to the slicer, just in case the story doesn’t match up. Gordon starts with the Wayne’s death and goes on to say how he was supposed to kill Oswald for Falcone, but he didn’t. Maroni loved it, and suddenly he loves Oswald too. He lets Gordon go, and cleans Oswald up.
When Gordon heads back to work, Bullock wants to know where he disappeared to. It is very unlike Gordon. Bullock asks him if it’s about Barbara, which Gordon takes the lifeline and says yes. Bullock has a picture of a philosophy professor and Stan Potolsky, so they go pay a visit to the professor. The professor tells them Stan didn’t make shampoos, he made Pharmaceutical Weapons for Wellzyn. The first was called Viper, and created for soldiers. Once Stan realized what it was for, he told them to end it. He went to the Waynes, but once the Waynes died, that opened the door for Wellzyn to revive the drug with the Wayne Enterprise approval. Once the professor told Jim and Bullock the story, he ends up using the drug since he’s dying anyway. They keep asking where Stan is going, and after a few of the professor’s babbles about Empty altruism, they finally decipher that he means charity. Gordon realizes Potolsky is going to the Wayne Enterprise event.
Meanwhile Bruce is at the event. He is talking to a lady named Mathis who is middle management. Bruce wants to talk to the board about some irregularities he found in the Arkham project. But more importantly, he wants to know if Wayne Enterprise is doing business with criminals. Although he is assured the company would not be involved in criminal activity, the meeting is interrupted when Stan puts Viper in the vents. Alfred immediately covers Bruce. Gordon is in the roof, and shoots the vapor where it then goes up in the air. Stan breathes it in, and before he jumps he tells them to check Warehouse 39.
They go to the Warehouse 39, but find nothing. Bullock reminds Gordon that it’s Gotham. By now we all know what that means. While they are inside, Mathis is watching from the car, and making sure they don’t get close. Turns out she’s a bad guy working for Wayne Enterprise.
Bruce looks like he is alert and reading information on Mathis. He files that in his personal investigation. Alfred sits down to help Bruce. A sweet moment that puts a smile on Bruce’s face. We love how he has Alfred’s support.
Oswald is taken on the job when Maroni’s men hit Falcone’s casino. Fortunately, they manage to get out unharmed — a relief for Oswald who was threaten by Maroni again if his men didn’t all get out. We find Mooney in bed with Niko, one of Falcone’s men. They are working together against Falcone. Niko is ready to make a move. As for Mooney, she has sent Liza to Falcone. We see Liza humming a song Falcone’s mom sang to him, and her hair exactly like his mom’s. Looks like Mooney’s plan is working perfectly.
With so many devious plans going on, hope you join us next week for another great episode of Gotham on Fox at 8/7c.
[Photo Credit: Fox]
