S03.E08: Mad City: Blood Rush

[formerlyfreedom]

Barnes begins to feel the effects of a recent incident and begins to go mad. Meanwhile, Nygma is out of his depth in his relationship with Isabella and Carmine Falcone throws Lee and Mario an engagement party

 

[Lantern7]

Barnes freaking shoved a dude through a wall. Some days, I just gotta love this show.

So Isabella wasn't working a long con, complete with lessons from the Cheryl Tunt School For Keeping a Man? And now she's dead? That's a shame. I was looking forward to the possibility of the most awkward threesome ever.

I like how Barbara can pop in to remind us that she's crazy.

ETA: While I'm thinking about it . . . "LOOK AT ME!! LOOK AT AND CHOKE ME!!!!!"

[Chaos Theory]

Wait!  Is Barnes Judge Dredd?  Well He is taking a turn for the crazy real fast.

I was thinking for awhile Nygma was being gaslit when there was all that talk of people wearing other people's faces but then New Girlfiend goes and gets herself killed so there goes that theory.

Oncr again Erin Richards has very little to do but she makes the best of the little time she has and makes me wish Barbara had a bigger roll.

Poor Barnes.  

[Spartan Girl]

Kind of a shame Penguin killed Isabella before she got yo have an interesting backstory. I guess she really was just a nut after all. Ah well.

So Mario isn't the lone nice guy of the Falcone family. I am so freaking shocked -- not.

Lee is begging to be fridged.

At least Jim seemed happy being back at GCPD, though not as happy as Harvey!

[NorthstarATL]

Did we see Izzy's body? Because that's a waste of a "return" if she's dead. I was hoping for something going on involving vengeance for Ms. Kringle, especially with the holidays coming up!

   I was thinking the face-thief was Professor Pyg, but I guess not. Liked Lee and Barbara's face-off. As always, when someone punches Gordon, I think "Welcome to Gotham, bitch!", because Ben McKenzie.

[Danielg342]

So Chelsea Spack decides that after her character was killed the first time, she'd come back to play a character killed the second time?

Only that her "death" was implied by the fact her car's brakes did not work and she was careening into an oncoming train.

That means we've had Fish, Barnes, Tabitha, Ivy and now, potentially (and hopefully) Isabella as characters whose death was implied by their actions only for them to turn out fine.

Tell me there's a twist here or something.

The main story, though, was Barnes going from law enforcer to just a straight out enforcer. It was pretty cool...if it wasn't 28 episodes too late. I've lost count how many times I've written that Barnes was a dull, one-note character who added nothing to the show in previous reviews. I'll grant that perhaps the writers didn't know what to do with Barnes early on and only got an inspiration later (and "better late than never" and all that jazz), but it's underwhelming that it took the writers so long to give Barnes something meaty to do, only for that "meaty" thing to be little more than a "case of the week" vigilante.

Michael Chiklis played it well, but I'd like to think a man of his talents should play someone extraordinary. Shoving a guy through the wall doesn't count.

Oh well...Carmine Falcone was fun to see, even if it was brief, especially his poignant observation that those who take the law into their own hands are compensating for something. Leave it to Falcone to always make an entrance.

His son, though...so far all he's been is the stock "romantic rival" character to Gordon/Thompkins. I mean, Lee isn't much better, her being simply "the target", but at least Lee kind of gets to do things. Sometimes. Mario? He's really done nothing, and not even the punch can save his character. The writers really ought to get on with killing off Mario otherwise what's the point of dragging on this story to its inevitable conclusion, with Lee back in Jim's arms?

At least I can say that Jim was a spectator in this one. This might be the first episode where he never did dictate the actions, the actions came to him. Which would be a better fit for the character, since Jim's better as a "reactor" than, well, an "actor".

No Alfred, Bruce or Selina. Guess the kids needed to recover from their date...though I doubt they had a nightcap. As interesting as that might have been.

The Bullock Meter- 5

Harvey Bullock was glad that Jim is back, but because this episode played like a rudimentary police procedural, Bullock had lots to do but little chance to actually shine. I'll give Bullock credit for the "I think I saw (the suspect) by the bar" line because it's a nice nod to the character I love, but it doesn't make up for an episode where, like Jim, he was a spectator, which for Bullock is a drag since he normally is the spectator. I get that Bullock largely had to take a back seat to Barnes' development, but since both he and Barnes are "rough around the edges", it might have been nice to see Bullock worry a bit about the changes occurring to Barnes' character.

Episode Grade: C+. This was watchable, but it really wasn't memorable.

[Sandman87]

Sorry Gotham, but you're a show based on comic books. I'm not buying that Isabella's dead until I see a body. And maybe not even then. Unless she's just the first in a string of Isabellas who are going to show up to drive Nygma crazier.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I was really hoping that Isabella was Kristin's cousin and she had come back to drive Nygma crazy for killing Kristin. Then she kind of seemed into being choked so I thought maybe he was getting a new partner in crime. I don't think anyone is ever really dead on this show so I guess we'll just have to wait and see if she pops up again. Too bad Arkham is closed or Hugo Strange could have given her some kind of mutant superpower!

8 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

I was looking forward to the possibility of the most awkward threesome ever.

Heh, Mr. EB thought it was going to happen in this episode!

[paigow]

Isabella must be related to Rickon Stark... Serpentine! Steer dammit! Parking brake! 

[Danielg342]

1 hour ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Too bad Arkham is closed or Hugo Strange could have given her some kind of mutant superpower!

Who knows...maybe she already does.

[AConspiracy]

Barnes, you need to make pulling off the bad guy's head your standard kill method. Don't leave them alive to incriminate you later.

[darkestboy]

A great episode. The Barnes storyline feels like something they lifted from a New Batman Adventures episode but it's slightly improved him a little character wise so there's that.

Mario's jealous side showed up pretty fast here too. I can't see him and Leslie actually making it down the aisle to be honest.

Barbara needs to do more than just pop up and annoy someone.

Isabella dressing up as Kringle was creepy but did they really just kill her off like that? Edward isn't gonna be please with, Oswald for that one, 7/10

[Perfect Xero]

I liked Harvey's line to Jim that was something like, "If we had a celebration every time you returned to the GCPD we'd never get anything done."

Kristen Kringle is going to be the Kenny of Gotham, there's going to be an entire lab full of clones and they'll show up and get killed off by Oswald one by one.

[Winter Rose]

*Sigh* I can't say I'm surprised Isabella was brought on just to be killed off or so was implied... maybe? Honestly, I think Penguin's just looking pathetic. But I actually really liked Isabella deliberately dressing herself up as Kringle to make Ed face what he'd done. Sure, it was a little crazy, but I don't think she was any crazier than everyone else in Gotham.

If I thought this would be the end of Mario's jealousy, confront it then move on, I actually think he and Lee might've made it. But somehow I don't think he'll be letting it go. Good on Jim though for his restraint, I have to say. Not sure what was going on in the costume department regarding Lee's look at the engagement party. She's really pretty but her dress and hairstyle were hideous.

I always love seeing Falcone and I enjoyed his talk with Barnes. And I do actually feel for Barnes because despite my finding him to be a frustrating character at times, he did try to stay true to being on the straight and narrow, despite its ineffectiveness. And now Alice's blood is taking over, or at least bringing out Barnes' repressed impulses.

[Chaos Theory]

This show has never done female characters particularly well.  I mean three THREE females vying for Jim and (at least for me) the most interesting one gets about two minutes of screen time an episode.   Nygma has what looks like at least an interesting relationship with both a male and female love interest and the female gets killed off almost immediately.  

For the most part the show writes men exceptionally well.  The show will never win any awards but it tells a great story if heightened emotions and hyperbole is your game but don't expect well written female characters a teenage girl love interest for a future batman. 

[blackwing]

I really hope Isabella isn't dead.  What a waste if she is.  I was yelling at her to use the parking brake too, but honestly, unless the car has a handbrake, I'm not even sure these days how many people even are aware that their car has a parking brake.  In my car you have to awkwardly raise your left foot fairly high and depress that small pedal by the door.  If you're panicking that your brakes aren't working, not sure how many would remember about it.  I do agree she could have just turned the car into a wall.

Barnes going nuts is fun, although it will be interesting to see where this goes, now that Gordon believes that Barnes pushed Dr. Symon out the window.

[Chaos Theory]

Honestly I wouldn't have any idea how to use my parking break.  The only think I might think of doing is jumping out of my car if it slowed down enough but that depends on the amount of time Isabella had.  

Barnes going crazy has a lot of potential mainly because Chiklis is such a great actor.  Watching him become a whacked out vigalante could be a lot of fun. I actually hope it lady's more then a few episodes and I hope this doesn't mark the end of Barnes arc.

[Gulftastic]

I loved all the women at Falcone's party having the big, mob-wife hair, and Lee also joining in.

I too hope that Isabella isn't dead.

I also hope they give Barbara more to do!

Oh, and Bat and Cat, please!

[paigow]

12 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Too bad Arkham is closed or Hugo Strange could have given her some kind of mutant superpower!

 

Actually, Arkham is open...that's where Jervis lives.

Edited November 8, 2016 by paigow

[Dr.Jacoby]

I loved the big hair at the party- and Barbara enthusing about the white hot heat of being with Jim Gordon, Gotham's least charismatic man, was fun. And the green Vertigo lighting in the dress-up reveal was very obvious so I had hopes for a big evil con being played out (I admit, being a romantic I was so hoping that Penguin/Nygma would have a mutual attraction relationship built on trust/shared evil goals- as the show seemed to be hinting towards that initially a few episodes ago- but failing that, that Nygma was being played by nu-Kringle and that would unite them against her. If it turns out she's genuine and Penguin killed her I have no hope for them being together, sigh. There has to be a twist or it's all very unsatisfying! I don't think she's dead- or if she is, another Kringle-alike will appear,  to Penguin's great chargrin)

Edited November 8, 2016 by Dr.Jacoby

[paigow]

5 hours ago, Winter Rose said:

*Sigh* I can't say I'm surprised Isabella was brought on just to be killed off or so was implied... maybe?

There is likely a group of Kringle clones / imposters...

[Gobi]

Why doesn't anyone in a tv show or movie ever put their car in neutral when the brakes fail? Anyway, I don't think Kristabella is dead.

[thuganomics85]

Barnes becoming a crazy, overpowered vigilante, is certainly the most interesting he's ever been.  Michael Chiklis is bringing the same intensity that he brought to Vic Mackey way back on The Shield.  Too bad Jim already finds out, because that likely means he'll end up getting shut down next week.  Although, it would be hilarious if he remains alive and goes to Arkham with Tetch!

Mario shows that he can throw a punch and intimate just as much as the rest of the Falcone men.  I wonder if Lee has any idea about that!  Always great seeing Carmine Falcone and John Doman being his normal awesome self.

So, Isabella ends up being crazy and even dresses herself up as Kringle, to prove to Nygma that he won't kill her.  It works and they are all happy.... only for Oswald to have her parking brakes cut, as she goes barreling down towards a train.  I have to think she'll somehow survive, because it would be a waste to bring back the actress, if her main purpose was to have Oswald get jealous.

Bullock definitely gets line of the night about how many times he has to "welcome back" Jim to the GCPD.  You ain't kidding about that, Harvey!

I totally get why you don't want to crazy loon who almost killed at your engagement party, Lee, but Barbara was looking great in that dress!

[Philbert]

To chime in a bit late, I thought this was a fairly solid episode-not spectacular but entertaining enough. I love Michael Chiklis so it's good to see Barnes become a bit more interesting. Put me down for not believing in Isabella's death either. This is Gotham. Nobody's dead until I actually see the body-and hell even that doesn't always work- see: Theo Galavan. The relationship between Ed and Oswald just gets weirder and weirder-which is all to the good. Those two characters remain the high points of this show. Not so much the continuing tangled love life of James Gordon (who has sadly become the least enjoyable part of the show for me) and the whole Lee/Carmine's son triangle. Vale seems to be out of the picture at the moment for now, which is all to the good.

We seem to be missing Bruce, Alfred and Selena this week but that I wasn't that upset by it. The episode moved along quickly enough. I'd give it a C+ to B-.

[immortalfrieza]

I was really hoping they wouldn't have Barnes go psycho vigilante, blood infection equals superpowered nutjob was a predictable outcome and I was hoping they'd have something more interesting than that, or at least have it take a while for Barnes to get to that point. Barnes' motivation for going off the deep end was predictable too, I mean, normally nice and law abiding guy kills really really despicable serial killer that pushed him too far because the law can't touch them then goes uses that to justify going psycho himself is one of the most cliched vigilante backstories and also about half the plot of about every "alternate reality superhero goes evil" story ever.

Isabella's idea to risk her life dressing up like Ms. Kringle was genius of her, probably one of the most intelligent if risky things I've seen on this show in a long time. There's no more conclusive way to get Nygma past his guilt over Kringle and his apprehension in having a relationship with her because of it than what she did. Well, other than suggesting he do the sensible thing and go to a therapist but considering Gotham's therapists it was probably still the best option. Like others I'm hoping her death doesn't stick as again it would be far too predictable, just fridging Isabella is an insult to both the character and the viewer's intelligence, and the writers using her to drive a wedge between Oswald and Nygma could have been done better and more organically if she wasn't just killed.

Edited November 9, 2016 by immortalfrieza

[Snookums]

Well, I finally caught up on my Gothams. Yesterday. The last happy moment I'll have for a while.

I'm sorry, I just can't say anything right now. Just that I never noticed until this episode that Ed and Kris/Isabella's glasses are the exact same frames.

[Dobian]

Barnes going off the deep end is awesome.  And I loved the look on his face as he scanned the room for his next targets.

Bruce was entirely missing for the second time in the past three episodes.  But I have to remind myself that this is Jim Gordon's show, not Batman's show.

So is the running gag on this show going to be that we get a new incarnation of Miss Kringle each season to get killed off?  LOL.

Edited November 10, 2016 by Dobian

[Kathemy]

Jim Gordon has always been the least interesting part of the show. That's its main weakness.

http://www.douxreviews.com/2016/11/gotham-blood-rush.html

[Danielg342]

8 hours ago, icemiser69 said:

The writers couldn't be so foolish as to dumb the character down now.

Sadly, I don't put anything past Hollywood writers.

[ratgirlagogo]

First of all, I loved how the writers did Vertigo backwards in haircolor terms.  Complete with the famous green Vertigo mist when Kim Novak comes out of the bathroom with her new blonde haircolor and grey suit (i.e., replacing her actual red haircolor and green shirtdress) this time with Isabella coming out of the bathroom with her new red haircolor and green outfit.  Bravo.

I really hope she's not dead.

[HoodlumSheep]

Still playing catch-up:

• Well, it was a Barnes-centered episode...so it wasn't one of my favorites. Barnes has always been a very hit-and-miss character for me. I'm in the opinion that he's overstayed his welcome; he should have bit it in the Azrael episode, but oh well, I won't dwell on it any longer.
• My bestie bbys are finally reunited! So good to see Harvey and Jim reunited!!!
• kinda wish Isabella could have stuck around longer. We didn't really know that much about her.
• Falcone! Love seeing Falcone.
• I am 100% here for seeing Mario slipping down the slippery slope. Hopefully towards the mob stuff, because that was some of the best stuff in season 1 and I miss it. I miss Marconi. I miss Falcone. I'd be down for the mob stuff making a comeback.
• Liked Lee's red dress, but thought her hair was bad. They floofed it up and it just didn't look good

honestly, this felt like a season 1 episode in terms of story and overall quality.

[TobinAlbers]

Has Donal lost weight? He's looking trim! Jim returns and Harvey hits the bar again? Coincidence?

Did Isabella always wear her hair in her beehive? I know the actress had to wear a wig, but still that sucker was still high and tight at all times.

Ed finds the perfect woman who accepts he killed his previous girlfriend and was in Arkham (she even is okay with Oswald loving him!) and Oswald offs her. Yeah, this definitely has seeded an epic criminal rivalry between The Penguin and The Riddler. In the end what Oswald tries to amass in his criminal empire, Ed will always seek to undermine and destroy.  And Oswald has to live with the one person he loves, will forever hate him and yet he won't ever just take him out because he loves him even as Ed does everything to warp that love to hate.

Mario and Lee move back to Gotham and Lee takes a job at the GCPD knowing full well that Jim still lives there and GCPD is his stomping ground. Why in the world do they feel like he's the interloper? They could've stayed down South but chose to come back. They need to both get over themselves.

'How did I get so lucky?' Well Mario, Jim was arrested and sent to Arkham, Lee bailed and moved down to start over but she lost her baby, and found you on the rebound.

Gotta love how each criminal that came across Barnes' wrath are always 'What's wrong with you? Arrest me! You can't do that! Oh noes you're gonna hurt me!' It really shows how the criminal element thinks the GCPD is a joke. Barnes losing his shit on them and inciting fear shows how Batman's main M.O. works (without the ripping limb from limb). Criminals ain't afraid of the cops, but an unpredictable vigilante who will put the hurt on? They'll start pissing their pants.

Barnes showing his softer side with Lee and Jim was nice to set up the tragedy of how the man is ultimately lost to the beast inside. Still that ramming a guy through the wall, thing? Pretty badass. And seriously? Barnes deeming everyone in that room as guilty? Probably isn't too far off. It is Gotham afterall.

'Lose the jealousy. It's weak.' Jim was speaking, true. And Mario has no clue that Jim Gordon possesses some serious flying fists of fury. He's lucky Jim didn't whomp him back.