‘Gotham’ season 3, episode 4 review: The Mad Hatter gets madder

Last week’s episode of “Gotham” proved itself to be a worth introduction to the character of Jervis Tetch a.k.a. the Mad Hatter, and in following that Monday night, we saw matters escalate in a way that was expected, violent, and thoroughly entertaining — at least part of it.

The biggest shocker of the night was the death of Jervis’ sister Alice, the one person he wanted to protect, and the only person who kept him remotely sane. Now that we’ve said this, we gotta remind you that the way he still treated her was horrific. He had a Jaime Lannister thing going on in his head with her, but the feeling wasn’t mutual. Also, at the same exact time he wanted to us her blood in order to continue to carry out his desired missions.

With Alice dead, the Hatter is now off unhinged, and her blood may have one more person it effects: Barnes. While looking at the crime scene at the end of the episode, a drop fell on him from above, and he knew immediately what this meant. Are we going to get a very different version of him moving forward this season? Signs point to that.

Oswald for Mayor – Now, let’s get to the part of this story that is a little more difficult: Oswald Cobblepot winning the election with his “Make Gotham Safe Again” platform that is far too similar to Donald Trump to be effective. Maybe some out there enjoy this; we want to, given that we love Robin Lord Taylor’s performance. Our point of frustration is mostly personal; the political news cycle is so inundated everywhere right now, we’d prefer to be able to watch Gotham without the constant reminders of what’s in reality. Also, this whole story was placed a little too quickly, and the Penguin opted to name Edward Nygma Chief of Staff when he did very little other than tell him to run a clean campaign.

Bruce is back – This time, the real Bruce. After Other Bruce spent some time with Selina, even getting romantic with her at one point, he eventually started to leave the city before being taken by the Court of Owls. This should prove a little more troublesome down the road.

Grade: B. While a certainly engaging episode, it was best when exploring the Mad Hatter mythology and weaker everywhere else. With all of the focus on the ladies of Gotham in a recent teaser, we certainly wish Lee, Tabitha, Barbara, and Ivy all had more to do.

Next week – Get ready for more insanity on the streets of the city.