S01.E18: Everyone Has A Cobblepot

[ratgirlagogo]

 

I like Fish's new look . . . though I'm sure Jada could've rocked an eye patch if needed. Also liked how the show is willing to be lunatic, what with the head transplant and the reveal of the "Doctor's" headquarters

Yes, I was giggling at the eye transplant too, especially since we were all being so serious on these boards regarding the organ transplant business the Doc has going, and the realities of how human organs have to be stored and transported in order to remain viable.  Fuck it!   We're transplanting entire eyeballs now!  And heads!  And brains!  Maybe we'll save Hitler's brain!  We're in a comic book!

Edited March 5, 2015 by ratgirlagogo

[Dobian]

I liked the episode.  They sure didn't waste any time getting Fish her eye back.  No pirate eye patch for her.  It's even an upgrade with multi-color irises, makes her look cool.  The best part of the episode was the murderous old couple, and seeing Cobblepot get back on his game again after floundering the last couple of episodes.  And the guy's head on the female body was both hilarious and disturbing.  Frankenshemale!

Edited March 6, 2015 by Dobian

[Jlina]

 

We're in a comic book!

 

 

This is how I've decided to approach the show :)  I've even made a genre for it:  comic book gore.  I was getting increasingly disturbed but realized if these people were vampires I wouldn't care at all.  I love vampire gore; nothing on Trueblood ever disturbed me.   Then I quickly made the leap to comic book gore. 

 

Glad someone else caught it even quicker!

[Camera One]

Did Gordon learn nothing from several weeks back, about working with Oswald?  I did like him keeping the Commissioner in his back pocket, but I found him a little too sure of himself and seemingly blind to the consequences of owing the Penguin in this one.  

 

I was interested in seeing Bruce try to find out what Alfred's friend was up to with Cat's help, though that subplot just disappeared halfway through.  I guess it was mainly setup for what's to come.  This Wayne Corp stuff is moving at a glacial pace.  I expected it to pick up once the mob arc took a break.

Instead, we have Fish and her adventures on Organ Island.  As others said, it feels completely disconnected, and I'm starting to wonder what the point is, in the bigger picture.

 

I usually don't mind setup, but this was a whole lot of setup, mostly unsatisfying.  

[Lii]

Tbh, Fish's arc played out and we didn't need any more of her. There is too much going on on this show as it is... things need to be trimmed out, not stuffed in. Take out the eyeball island stuff and the show has time to breathe, minutes to devote to character moments, and plots that actually need developing. Quit adding, Show. Sort out what you've got first.

[jhlipton]

Kringle's boyfriend isn't going to stay long, right? Poor bastard. At least he's friendly to Eddie.

 

 

That cop probably stole that "riddle" from a bubble gum wrapper.

I gave the new boyfriend just for knowing the Ed liked riddles, and at least trying. If Ed really likes KK, he should be happy she's dating a nice guy.

[Kel Varnsen]

Funniest line of the episode was probably Selina to Bruce when she said "You know where to find me". My reply was "no he doesn't". I mean she is a street person and he is not yet the world's greatest detective. 

[Philbert]

 

I've been assuming that she's the actual mastermind behind Flass's drug operation.

 

With this show being the way it is, you never know. Most of the audience seems to have been assuming that Ed is going to finally snap at being rejected by Kristin and go ahead and kill her...setting up him becoming the Riddler. I think with this show, it's just as likely that she's a criminal mastermind and will turn him to the 'dark side' herself. It's clear (to me anyway) that at this point she's stringing him along-she seems to know EXACTLY which of his buttons to push. I mean really, you pick a guy who likes riddles? Seriously?

[Slovenly Muse]

I liked this episode quite a bit, but boy, the female gender didn't exactly come out on top this week in the episode-specific side plots! So many coded messages!

 

Dollmaker's underlings who don't measure up, get punished with girl parts! (Women are icky!) (Yes, this was actually very disturbing and it worked... but it wouldn't have had half the impact if his former right-hand had been a woman who got Frankensteined onto a body of man-parts.)

 

"You should have seen Margie 20 years ago.  Hot to trot!" (Old women have outlived their appeal!) (I'm hoping this was a reference to the actress's previous roles, rather than just a weird, gross comment.)

 

Don't bother shooting at a woman in a firefight, chances are she'll knock herself out for you! (Women are clumsy and inept!)

 

The Commissioner's wife was actually killed by their daughter in a fit of jealousy! Also she relishes killing birds with her bare hands! (Women are crazy! Women would rather kill their own family than share the spotlight! Women make great bargaining chips for the men who control them!)

 

If Kringle would only give this creepy weirdo the attention he craves, he wouldn't be turning into a supervillain! (Women drive men to homicidal insanity by not loving them enough!)

 

When a couple has been in a loving, stable relationship for over 20 years, and then are asked to fight to the death, the woman is the one who will immediately turn on her husband to save her own skin! (Women are treacherous and selfish!)

 

Fortunately, the regular female characters (Fish and Selina, and to an extend the Captain) were treated much better, but that's because they are actually real, complex characters who've been developed over the course of the season, rather than one-off guest stars who were really just written as devices for episode-specific side plots.

 

So, apart from every single side plot employing a negative trope about women, I actually did enjoy this episode. I like the way things are building! And it's so great to see Colm Feore as the Dollmaker! I adore him and I hope he sticks around for a long time! The writing on this show can be hit-or-miss, but it is the cast that really keeps me coming back, and on that front they've scored a major win with Feore! I am so looking forward to the next ep.

Edited April 2, 2015 by Slovenly Muse

[Actionmage]

::dressed in 50s Beatnik black, with a candy cig dangling between my lips, I snap my fingers in appreciation of Slovenly Muse's post to bongos, due to limitations of upvoting::

 

edited because commas are my kryptonite.

Edited April 4, 2015 by Actionmage

[Danielg342]

Yes, I was giggling at the eye transplant too, especially since we were all being so serious on these boards regarding the organ transplant business the Doc has going, and the realities of how human organs have to be stored and transported in order to remain viable. Fuck it! We're transplanting entire eyeballs now! And heads! And brains! Maybe we'll save Hitler's brain! We're in a comic book!

LOL. :)

Well, to be fair, Dr. Dulmacher is conducting “research”- which, in TV parlance allows the writer creative license to “experiment” with reality and come up with things that, while having no actual basis in established facts, could still happen- like transplanting whole human torsos. I know it's impossible right now, but I buy that, one day, it could be possible. The extent of that possibility is debatable but I'm not sure it's within the bounds of the thread.

To wit, Criminal Minds based an episode this season on something that was purely theoretical- all it took was an idea that an expert asserted could happen and the show ran with it. I don't see much of a difference here, especially because Gotham's reality is far more warped than CM's.

[John Potts]

I'm glad we're starting to see Gordon developing some political instincts. Inevitably, he's also having to get his hands a bit dirty, but that's probably realistic (in Gotham, certainly and probably in the real world). Of course, once the old couple suggested they "Get the keys" you just knew they were going to break out the shotguns - just as well they were utterly incompetent with them.

 

Actionmage  As for Miriam, I was expecting her to know all these "stories" about her Daddy's "friends"; that Miriam was the file, but I guess not.

 

I thought so to, except blackmail's only useful if you can produce the evidence to expose your victim. Ultimately you have to have the "Smoking Gun" to threaten the victim with or your threats are empty and going "my daughter will tell nasty tales about you!" is unlikely to cut it. Also glad Gordon didn't get all the files, because as Loeb pointed out, keeping his daughter out of jail (or Arkham) wasn't worth his own life. I also wondered about whether Gordon would give Penguin his "five minutes" with her - and whether Oswald would regret those "five minutes" (we know what she does to birds, after all).

 

Fish's story did seem rather disconnected from everything (maybe they're planning on having Jim investigate the source of the illegal organ trade in Gotham?). They should have had her in an eye patch for at least this episode (which I get is probably annoying to act in, but I'm sure JPS is a professional). Also, I'm pretty sure her eye went from brown to blue at various points.

 

thuganomics85 Him [Jeffrey Coombs] and that voice of his, deserved to be a recurring villain.  I know his fate was suppose to be horrifying, but I couldn't stop giggling.  All of this is so ridiculous.

 

 

I laughed too. If they were aiming for Body Horror, they really needed to do something - well, horrific to him.

 

Actionmage Alfred, it's been less than a day; sit your ass down!

 

 

Don't know if your timeline is correct (given his attacker had time to clean up and meet the Wayne Enterprises Board), but it's a trope I really hate. I know we're meant to see Alfred as a Determinator, but to me he just looks like an idiot. I'd love it if Selina (since Bruce isn't really the snarky type) had said, "What you going to do - collapse at him and hope he laughs himself to death!?"