Fast forward six months. There’s a break-in at the pharmacy. One of the escaped Arkham inmates attacks a pharmacist, throwing him through a window. Outside, Gordon engages with the giant mutant. They engage in a brief fight where Gordon is about to lose. A random truck saves our hero when it runs over the distracted assailant.
Barnes holds a press conference where it gets confrontational with Valerie Vale—an investigative photojournalist. For reasons unknown, the mayor steps in and shows sympathy for the escapees. However, in comes an angry Penguin announcing that Fish Mooney is alive. His message to Gotham: if you want to be safe, hunt down Fish.
Lucius meets with Bullock. He tells Bullock that the inmates are hitting pharmacies for a reason—a drug that they require.
Penguin meets Barbara and Tabitha at their nightclub. He reiterates an offer to protect them. Tabitha promptly rejects it, but Barbara leaves the negotiations open. Butch is still heartbroken that Tabitha left him. Penguin quickly announces a $1 million bounty on Fish’s head.
Selina fakes comforting Butch and pickpockets him. Outside, she meets up with Ivy and unknowingly bumps into Bruce’s doppelganger from Arkham.
Valerie meets Gordon at a bar. He attempts to brush her off with no success. To get his attention, she leaks to him Penguin’s offer of $1 million for capturing Fish.
Penguin visits Nygma at Arkham. He sees Nygma as an equal and wants to know why Fish didn’t kill him that night. Nygma motivates Penguin and tells him to look for the simplest solution.
Fish and her gang, which includes Selina, infiltrate a pharmaceuticals warehouse. Gordon soon arrives on the scene via information from Lucius. He enters and engages Fish and her cohorts. An Arkham inmate ambushes Gordon, allowing the group to escape.
Bruce meets with the board and reveals that he knows about their secret cabal. The board doesn’t take him seriously at first. Bruce gives them an ultimatum: he’ll go to the press with everything if they don’t come clean.
The head of the Court of Owls receives a call from an unknown board member. She sends one of her henchmen after Bruce.
At the nightclub, a gang of men enter and demand payment from Barbara. Her nightclub was built on their property. They rough her up at first. However, both her and Tabitha get the upper hand. They murder the gang and bludgeon the leader.
Selina approaches Vale and offers an interview with Fish. Vale takes this information and meets with Gordon. She proposes a trade: she’ll tell him where Fish is hiding if he gives her an exclusive. He reluctantly agrees. Bullock later provides some unknown information to Gordon. Bruce meets Selina to apologize for being away for so long. She’s visibly angry, but acts like she doesn’t care. He tells her to be careful. Hiding behind a wall, Bruce’s doppelganger spies on them.
Gordon cuffs Vale to her car he used her to get the information and this is the only way to keep her safe. He makes a fake call to dispatch which clears the area of any officers. We find out that Gordon is visiting Peabody, Hugo Strange’s assistant.
Gordon’s plan was to lure Fish out of hiding, knowing that she’d be following him when he sought out Peabody. His assumptions are proven correct when two of Fish’s associates attack Gordon and kidnap Peabody.
When Gordon is about to overpower him, the attacker tries to jump out the window. However, Gordon is able to grab onto him. Vale rushes to the scene just as the assailant sprouts wings. She snaps multiple shots as evidence.
Barnes is furious at Gordon and Bullock. Bullock fells that it would be better if Gordon stayed away for a while.
Ivy expresses her interest in joining Fish’s gang. Selina knows the dangers and denies her the request. When Selina leaves, Bruce’s doppelganger approaches Ivy, demanding to talk to Selina and wanting to know more about Bruce. His forcefulness startles Ivy, causing her to run.
At the nightclub, Penguin questions the gang leader. Barbara quickly deduces that Butch sent the men as a means to get Tabitha back. An annoyed Penguin executes the gang leader and reluctantly allows Barbara and Tabitha to be on their own.
Peabody tells Fish that their bodies are rejecting the DNA. The only remedy to stop the degradation is to cease the use of their abilities. Fish uses her powers on Peabody and demands to know the whereabouts of Strange. Peabody tells her that Strange has been hidden away by officials. Fish, finished with her questioning, has Marv—an inmate with the ability to cause rapid aging—promptly execute Peabody.
Ivy has secretly followed Selina to Fish’s hideout. However, one of Fish’s associates apprehends her. Selina tries to protect Ivy, but Ivy threatens to expose all of them. Marv approaches Ivy to finish her off. She makes a run for it. Cornered, Ivy fights with Marv and falls into an open water pipe. A horrified Selina cries, assuming Ivy fell to her death.
At Wayne Manor, the Court of Owls henchmen attacks Alfred in the study. Alfred puts up a good fight, but is eventually overpowered. Bruce enters and is promptly kidnapped.
Final Thoughts: With Gotham, I’ve always set a low bar in terms of dialogue and storytelling. The first episode of this season seems to have a bit of a better start than previous premieres. The narrative was organized, and we at least know what the seasonal goals are.
Best Moment: Barbara and Tabitha getting the upper hand on three men trying to intimidate them. I think it’s safe to say that Erin Richards is enjoying the insanity of Barbara just a bit too much.