I think this was a very strong episode. There was so much happening, but all the threads converged into a spectacular story. The writing was clever and thoughtful, achieving a great deal of storytelling without seeming labored.
1. Sleeping with the Fishes
Oh. My. God. Fish Mooney transcends femme fatale archetype in this episode. Instead of being defined solely by her sexuality, she is enhanced by it. We see her using her physical prowess, her calculating slyness and her razor-sharp intellect to position herself as a queenpin before we ever get a look at her using her womanly wiles. This is rolled out in such a way that we are able to see her ability and willingness to use her sexuality to her own advantage as just one more tool in her belt, not the only leg she has to stand on.
In addition to her own affairs Mooney is creating a new ‘secret weapon’, instructing Liza on how to become the perfect bait for her trap. She is the Mr. Miyagi of seduction. Seeing her teach her young ingenue the ropes reestablishes Mooney as a master manipulator and reinforces the idea that she understands and exploits the laws of attraction. The women’s interactions are unsettling and utterly captivating.
2. The Butler Did It
I’ve been hesitant to say it, but I have not been completely sure of Alfred (played by Sean Pertwee) before now. I thought he was perhaps a little too rugged to be the sterling-mannered, Shakespearean trained butler that I have come to love and expect. I cannot see Pertwee donning a pencil-thin mustache, you know what I’m saying? However after this story, all that changed. He wasn’t playing Alfred as I knew him, because he hadn’t become that version of Alfred yet. It’s subtle, but that change happened in this episode. He has cared for Bruce, but it hasn’t come across in the ways I was expecting. He’s been moody and unsure of what to do with Bruce, a bit reluctant to accept his role as a parental figure in the boy’s life, perhaps.
The change in Alfred’s character is played quietly. He starts out this episode by chiding Bruce for his continued dedication to solving his parents’ murder, which allows for the all-important moment that changes everything. Bruce gives him an order. It doesn’t sit just right at first, a petulant teen bossing a father-figure around, but it puts things in the order that the pair can recognize. Maybe Bruce wins Alfred’s respect through that exchange. Later, when Bruce’s life is threatened, Alfred puts taking care of the boy ahead of taking care of himself; draping his jacket over the boy to protect him from a gas that has been released. This gesture of care is quick; if you blink, you miss it. However, I believe it does a great deal to establish the nature of the pair’s relationship.
Then, near the end of the episode, Bruce is back at work reading files and mining for clues. In a gesture of solidarity, Alfred sits down and opens a file himself. This is the beginning. Bruce could never be Batman as we know him without the support of Alfred. I found this to be sweet, and sort of moving. Alfred won me over, and I feel better about Baby-Bruce after tonight as well.
3. What’s Altruism?
Oh, Harvey, I love you, so. I just can’t get over how much I enjoy watching Logue play Bullock.
As Gordon and Bullock work the Viper case, they exchange witty banter, interact with important characters and shed light on the motive behind the seemingly random distribution of the deadly drug. Their detective work leads to one perfect moment in which the procedural becomes aware of itself. James has been interrogating a co-conspirator about the Viper plot, screaming his questions as the man loses consciousness. Matching Jim’s tone, Harvey asks his own burning question. Breaking the tension and revealing the detective’s humanity, this exchange will make you smile. I promise.
4. Sliced Prosciutto
Sal Maroni is a man on a mission, and he sets a mean table. The crime boss’s interaction with Penguin, as he insists on calling Oswald Cobblepot, are some of the most interesting moments in this episode. He is at once warm and completely ruthless when it comes to Oswald. Maroni sees Penguin’s promise, calling him a ‘player’ multiple times during their exchanges and giving him opportunities for advancement within the organization, he proves that he has an eye for potential. Tensions between Maroni and Falcone continue to escalate, and Oswald’s former ties to the Falcone family become an undeniable asset to the Maroni. Before he can be welcomed into the fold officially, though, Oswald must be vetted. How does Maroni go about this? He sends a career into the heart of GCPD to threaten and retrieve Detective James Gordon, obviously. Maroni has flair, you have to give him that.
Continued belowSeated at a dining table at Maroni’s restaurant, Jim is told to recount the story of his ‘assassination’ of Oswald. Of course, if he doesn’t tell the right story, he will be killed. So with some of McKenzie’s finest acting on the series to date, we get the quick version of what happened between Jim and Oswald. Oswald cannot contain his enthusiasm, bursting with interjections. Maroni first threatens him with a lobster claw and then a deli slicer, keeping the death threats colorful and entertaining. Every cylinder is firing in this scene. The actors performances are all high-quality, the dialogue is pithy and the stakes are high. It’s a real highlight.
5. Bane Seeds
Yes. It’s that Venom. The perfected version of the drug viper is indeed the stuff that makes Bane super-strong and highly irritable. This earlier version of the drug that hits the streets is nasty stuff with terrible side effects, like, for example, death. Viper makes its users incredibly strong, and gives them a feeling of invincibility before lysing all the calcium from their bones and causing them to literally fall apart. The come-down from this high is really rough.
