Fox’s Gotham
Season 3, Episode 9: “The Executioner”
Directed by John Behring
Written by Ken Woodruff

* For a recap & review of the previous episode, “Blood Rush” – click here
* For a recap & review of the next episode, “Time Bomb” – click here
After the engagement party incident, Dt. Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) is investigating, and his suspicions about Captain Barnes (Michael Chiklis) are, obviously, running high. He quietly talks to Dt. Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue) about it, his partner obviously thinks it’s nonsense, nobody would believe the captain did such a thing. Yet Jim knows something’s “been off” about their boss as of late. The partners go to work, hoping his instincts are wrong about Barnes.
Speaking of cap, he’s continuing his work as The Executioner – three new victims ready with nooses around their neck, as he pontificates about the law, the “whisper” in his head dictating those who are guilty, requiring punishment.
Oh, good! More of Ivy Pepper (Maggie Geha), using her altered age to give her access to more interesting, more valuable things than she had access to before, when she was just a little girl. She tells the latest man intrigued by her about her love of plants, all their interesting uses. Such as the love potion she uses to entrance the millionaire, getting into the room with all his priceless treasures. Love this lady. Get the goods, girl!
In her hideout, Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova) gets a visit from Ivy, surprised by the change in her friend. Not an easy thing to grasp. She calls Bruce (David Mazouz), as well. Ivy’s in trouble with the guy she stole from recently, who’s connected to Luka Volk (Costa Ronin), not a good guy; not at all. Her friends suggest returning what she stole and Bruce will give her a few thousand dollars.
At the GCPD, Edward Nygma (Cory Michael Smith) is shown the corpse of Isabella (Chelsea Spack) after her train accident. Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor) is there offering condolences, and telling Ed that she didn’t suffer. A devious relationship these two have, proving poor little Oswald can’t have one without manipulating the other person.
Over in the captain’s office, Jim almost gets caught by Barnes snooping around, then the two briefly, intensely discuss Dr. Symon’s last moments. The cap tries passing it all off as mob business. Afterwards, he and Jim go for a ride together; alone. In the car, Barnes asks to be interrogated about the party, he plays coy, as expected. Simultaneously he rails on about how the “city is a cesspool.”
Lonely Ed is having trouble in the wake of his new love’s death. His pal Penguin is trying to get his spirits up, as he wastes away. So clearly the little man loves him, though even in death Isabella keeps a hold over Ed, endlessly. When Nygma goes to the scene of the accident to try getting over her, a homeless man confirms he heard screams before the crash. He believes it was Butch who organised her death.
When Barnes and Gordon get to where they’re headed, the cap blasts a guy named Sugar away. He turns the gun on his detective. Shit’s getting real now. Barnes knew Jim was looking into him, plus he so deeply believes himself as the law, the sole entity needed for judging the guilt of others, that his mission is near unstoppable. Will Dt. Gordon wind up framed for another crime this time around? Things soon go haywire, so he escapes the building.
 So, the GCPD are looking for Jim, all over again. Everything’s fucked up, everyone is up in arms. Bullock rushes to talk with Dr. Lee Thompkins (Morena Baccarin), who knows about Alice’s infected blood; the two of them are the only way Gordon might make it out of this manhunt alive. Bullock and other officers get there, armed with guns and the truth. They know he’s infected with the Tetch virus.
Jim rushes Barnes, then the two of them fight. Before long, he gets the jump on his boss. He has to fire on him to stop from being killed, but just disarms the captain. I wonder if they’ll be able to develop a cure soon, or if they’ll have to drop the guy into Arkham a while until then.
Oh, yes. They’re locking The Executioner up in one of those dark cells. He’ll rot away for now screaming to himself of the guilt, the cesspool that is Gotham. One of these days, we’ll see him again. You bet your ass.
An intense chapter of Mad City. Can’t wait for “Time Bomb” next.