Fox’s Gotham
Season 4, Episode 10: “Things That Go Boom”
Directed by Louis Shaw Milito
Written by Steven Lilien & Bryan Wynbrandt

* For a recap & review of the previous episode, “Let Them Eat Pie” – click here
* For a recap & review of mid-season A Dark Knight finale, “Queen Takes Knight” – click here
Arkham Asylum is a mad as ever, though Professor Pyg (Michael Cerveris) is amongst them to calm with a bit of his favourite classical music in the recreation room. Very soothing. Well, one inmate doesn’t like the song he’s playing for them, taking offense. What we discover is that Pyg’s quite a nasty piece of work, as if we didn’t already know. And he’s got a curious face, to say the least.
At the GCPD, Lucius Fox (Chris Chalk) discovers the Pyg has had surgeries to change his face, metal pieces under the skin, all kinds of stuff. This makes Captain Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) curious as to the villain’s true identity. In the meantime, Gordon’s still navigating his weird relationship with Sofia Falcone (Crystal Reed). The woman is intent on keeping him around, not just as captain; as more than a friend, too. He isn’t thrilled to hear about her plans – first she wants to “remove” Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor), then she wants to be with Jim. Looks like her plans aren’t interesting the new captain. Might wind up ugly.
In the Narrows, Dr. Lee Thompkins (Morena Baccarin) is the new queen. She’s started a court for people to decide things sensibly amongst themselves. Helps that she is the local doctor, as well. Everybody cares for her. By her side is Ed Nygma (Cory Michael Smith), still a dummy wanting to be smart again.
Later when Sofia gets home she finds Penguin and Victor Zsasz (Anthony Carrigan) waiting for her. Not a good sign. The limping crime boss has proof against her, knowing from Martin (Christopher Convery) that Ms. Falcone has been smooching the GCPD’s Captain. All “the intimacies” shared between Sofia and Penguin feel a lie to the latter. He’s wounded, and dangerous.
Gordon goes to see Pyg at the asylum after the most recent events. The Cap wants to know his identity. Pyg only tells him: “I‘m a reflection of you.” We see Jim test out the guy’s metal face a little. He just wants to find out who the villain is underneath that fleshy, metallic mask, taunting him with being a passing fad, nothing compared to the other villains the city has seen, others with “staying power.” Before the Cap leaves, he hears some of the true identity come out, a Southern-sounding accent. Hmm.
Doc Thompkins goes to meet Sampson (Stu ‘Large’ Riley), a local crime boss. She wants to give him a percentage of their fight night at Cherry’s old place. Seems that Sampson wants to take everything she owns, from the clinic to the neighbourhood. Instead of going forceful, Lee sees the effects of “Narrows lung” in Sampson, offering up free medical services to him and all his crew. Although that’s just bullshit – there is Narrows lung, the guy just has bronchitis. She’s a tricky one, that doc.
Left to a horrible fate, Sofia is faced with the Dentist, a man who’ll torture and kill her. She tries playing her Falcone cards, talking a good game to make her torturer believe she’ll use the hand of the mob to take vengeance on his family. Eventually it works, getting Ms. Falcone out of trouble and out of the way of the Dentist’s invasive drilling. But when she does get free, Barbara (Erin Richards), Tabitha (Jessica Lucas), and Selina (Camren Bicondova) drop by to snatch her up. Yoink! The ladies want to use the mob daughter as leverage. They don’t realise the woman was just betraying Penguin, anyway. Maybe there’s some womanly power here that can be of use to everybody.
Alone together, Martin and Penguin talk, the latter discovering the boy supposedly lied. Oh, the limping crime boss is figuring out that Sofia has been orchestrating all his moves for who knows how long. It drives him a little crazy. Worse when he gets a call from Barb about her hostage. He makes a deal, giving the women back their arms dealing privileges in Gotham with “complete autonomy.”
The women let Sofia go free, hoping they’ll be given what they want. She goes down to the GCPD, asking Jim to go after Penguin. But the new Cap knows what Ms. Falcone has been doing all along, she’s setting herself up as the new Queen of Gotham to take back the Falcone businesses her father once ran. This sends Jim over to see Oswald, to make a deal together. That’s a bit of a twist, as usual.
Finding her clinic bust up, Lee goes back to see Sampson, telling him he has to clear out of the Narrows. She says she’s put a bit of poison into the crime boss’s drink, and if he doesn’t give them what they request, he won’t get the antidote. Nice move, doc! She’s playing hardball, not even needing to resort to using Solomon Grundy (Drew Powell).
The women have abducted Martin, all part of their plan. Penguin’s naturally worried sick after discovering the boy gone. At the same time, Sofia’s being sent out of the city on a train, though she doesn’t get far because Zsasz has turned up to find her, looking for the kidnapped kid. Soon, Penguin and Zsasz meet the women. Sofia offers to turn over Martin if Oz gives her keys to the Gotham underworld, which he does to save the boy.
Afterwards, the limping crime lord detonates his car with Martin inside, so that nobody can use him as a “pawn” anymore. Holy fuck. We discover it isn’t real – it was a plot, to keep the kid safe, and to up the ante.
We find out that Professor Pyg’s changed motives before, not exactly par for the course re: serial killers. Lucius discovered he once escaped, fleeing charges. That puts Jim on alert. It should, seeing as how the Pyg is already mounting another escape plan from inside Arkham. His real identity is almost unveiled.
Lots of wild stuff! Lord, I love it. One storyline I dig so much is Nygma’s so it’s nice to see him getting crazier. Mid-season finale “Queen Takes Knight” is the following episode, so buckle up.