Gotham season 3 episode 17 review: Owls, cats, and freaks
As it is, however, things are going to remain a hot mess and we saw that a million times over on Monday night’s new episode.
Let’s begin with the Riddler himself, who spent the bulk of the episode wandering around demanding to learn who runs the city in the Court of Owls. He put Mayor James in jeopardy for approximately the million time this season, killed a Shakespearean actor in what seems to be a perfect twist for someone performing the work of the Bard, and eventually got into a game of cat-and-mouse with Jim Gordon that caused him to debate his own morality. With his uncle gone, he had a chance to join the Court of Owls. However, in doing so he had to turn over Nygma to them rather than let him go behind bars. He obviously did it, judging by the meeting that he arranged and then also the decision to turn up at one of the meetings sporting the infamous mask at the end of the episode.
Ed’s obsession with the Court is mostly fascinating in that there is almost no real reason for it beyond his own innate desire to feel better and smarter than everyone else. Hey, it has driven lesser men before…
The fall of Selina; the rise of Catwoman?
Maybe this is one of the first signs of her transformation to come; Bruce 2 knocked her out of a window after he realized that she wouldn’t keep some of his secrets. For a time, it appeared that she was dead, and the reality is that she really should be. Yet, who knows with all of those cats flocking to her at the end of the episode? That is the sort of thing that this show does well: Weird, freaky stuff that doesn’t make sense in any other realm of reality.
Villain team-up
Here are the people who are together after Oswald and Ivy went out on a recruiting mission — they’ve now got Fries and Firefly on their side for a self-described “freak” alliance, hoping to use all of them against Nygma. Ed may be even more vulnerable now given that his alliance with Barbara is crumbling further because of her own betrayal of Tabitha. For the first time all season, there’s serious tension within the Sirens over Barbara’s own thirst for power superseding her interest to do right by her friend and a promise that was made.
Overall Take
Really, the thing to remember with Gotham is that this is a show that you absolutely cannot take seriously. It’s a comic book, and while it may be dark, it’s supposed to be fun popcorn entertainment in its own way. Monday’s new episode provided much of that, and gives us a good sense that madness is coming by the end of the season. Grade: B.
What did you think about Monday’s Gotham season 3 episode 17? Sound off now in the comments!
Meanwhile, be sure to head over to the link here to preview further some of what is coming up next when it comes to the Fox series. (Photo: Fox.)