Fox’s Gotham
Season 2, Episode 10: “The Son of Gotham”
Directed by Rob Bailey
Written by John Stephens

* For a recap & review of the previous episode, “A Bitter Pill to Swallow” – click here
* For a recap & review of the next episode, “Worse Than a Crime” – click here
A woman’s chased in the streets, her purse stolen. Before the thief can shoot her, someone grabs him, and he’s gone; disappeared.
At the same time, the GCPD are burying Officer Parks. After the funeral Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) goes to see Theo Galavan (James Frain) in Blackgate, only briefly, getting no information. He goes back home where Dr. Lee Thompkins (Morena Baccarin) is waiting, trying to talk to him sensibly. He’s busy blaming himself for not killing Flamingo when he had the chance, believing it’s his fault Parks wound up dead. Moreover, he has a “bad feeling” about Galavan, believing something terrible’s going to happen.
The thief is whisked away off the streets. The Order of St. Dumas, led by Father Creel (Ron Rifkin), are ready to “wash away the sin.” They want to cleanse Gotham. Beginning with this guy, whose throat is cut into a font. A chilling omen.
Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) is taking a bit of advice from Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova), she’s trying to help him with Silver St. Cloud (Natalie Alyn Lind) and the Galavans, and he’s determined to find out the truth, whatever the cost. A little troubling is a man called Tom the Knife (Tommy Flanagan) watching the young billionaire closely from a van. Hmm.
At the GCPD, Jim and Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue) are welcoming Captain Barnes (Michael Chiklis) back, even if the man is hobbling on a cane and barely recovered from getting stabbed. They’re also tracking down whatever leads they can, taking them to an interesting massage parlour. They find a gruesome scene and Gordon’s attacked by a masked assailant with a knife. Jim manages to stab the guy, but the dude just eerily hauls the knife out, running away. The detective gets him at gunpoint, before he steps into traffic and lets a truck run him over; one of the St. Dumas monks. This gives Barnes and Gordon more leads, even if they’ve got a lot more work to get done.
Silver calls Bruce, setting a meet after school. He goes to meet her instead of heading for Alfred (Sean Pertwee). But Tom and his lads in the van have the girl abducted. Bruce has to get in, else they kill her. This is scary.
Soon, Jim figures out the monks are using the sewers. He and Harvey head on down to have a look, heading towards the ports, as monks lurk in the shadows just about everywhere.
At the station, Edward Nygma (Cory Michael Smith) finds himself in hot water, between arguing with Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor) about apartment issues like the toilet and “spicy mustard” over the phone and lying to Lee about Kristen’s whereabouts, claiming she left with Officer Dougherty, escaping Gotham.
Tom introduces himself to Bruce with a slap across the face. He explains how things are going to go. It’s all about the deaths of Thomas and Martha Wayne. They need to know what Theo told Bruce about it. Could turn into a very desperate, hideous situation. And it’s about to, as Tom takes the young man to another room for a bout of torture.
Jim and Harvey find the font, the man with the cut throat, the St. Dumas altar. They’re attacked by a knife-wielding monk. In the process, they almost knock the walls down, but they don’t get themselves killed. Nevertheless, “the day of reckoning” is upon them. Whatever the ultimately means.
When Tom finally gets the name Malone out of Silver, we find out it was a plot by Selina and Bruce. Tom’s a friend of the young cat. A business transaction between Tom and the young billionaire. Wow! Maybe I’m dumb, I never saw that one coming. Really good work by young Wayne. Fine work, lad.
When Alfred goes looking for Bruce, he comes across Tabitha (Jessica Lucas). This puts the two at odds. Violent ones. Things go from guns to whips to all kinds of tough stuff. Two bad asses, being bad as hell. Nobody dies, nobody makes it out unscathed, either.
In court, Jim fills Barnes in on the monks while the strange case of Mayor Aubrey James (Richard Kind) plays out. He claims Theo did not kidnap him. He says it was Penguin now, changing his story. Of course we know the difference; all the more frustrating. The case is dismissed, and Galavan grandstands in front of everybody, giving a speech like an asshole. Gordon chooses to slug him rather than shake his hand. That’s when a couple cops slip him out the back, giving him a Taser, too.
He’s taken to the docks, chained up. Theo comes to see him before he dies, apparently. The Mayor explains a bit about the Order of St. Dumas, giving up a few secrets about himself, his family, assuming the detective will be gone shortly. For a bit of fun Theo has Jim cut loose. They fight, one on one. The Mayor’s got moves, though. He’s no slouch. He kicks the absolute shit out of the detective, then orders the others to kill him, slowly.
And then Theo goes to Wayne Manor to kill Bruce. Simultaneously, Jim is saved by a crazed, angry Penguin.
God damn, man. What an episode! A wild ride, and ending with a particularly exciting cliffhanger, too. “Worse Than a Crime” is up next.