Gotham “Pretty Hate Machine”

Normally, I am down with whatever crazy thing Gotham is up to, but I am getting rather tired of this virus storyline.  Not because of current events or anything.  I just think it’s overplayed at this point.  People get the virus, say their true selves comes out, and apparently “true self” is “violent asshole”.

By the by, Lee gave herself that silly virus…

I mean, you can tell immediately Lee got the virus because all of a sudden, she’s wearing a lot more eye shadow.  I think she may have straightened her hair too, but I didn’t notice that much before.  Regardless, she’s all crazy now.  You know, like she wasn’t before.  She sure seemed kinda crazy before with her whole “Jim Gordon is the most evil man alive!” bit.  Granted, she then decided it was her fault, not Tetch’s, that Mario got the virus despite the fact Tetch is the one who deliberately infected Mario.

To the show’s credit, Gordon makes that argument.  Gotham is sometimes self-aware enough to point out the very stupid things I sometimes point out before just continuing to take those stupid points to their stupid conclusions.  And yet, I am still incredibly entertained by the stupid…

But then Lee knocks Jim out and buries him alive in the park, where the only way out of the coffin he’s in is to take the virus because now the virus grants the superstrength immediately and not days later like it did other times.

But, like I said, I am kinda tired of this virus storyline.  Bruce is expected to pull the trigger because that Shaman guy said so.  Alfred finds him and the Shaman ends up pulling the trigger anyway.  Gordon gave himself the virus and smacks a Talon around despite the fact a Talon easily knocked Barnes out before.  Good thing this virus thing is consistent.  But I never got the way the Shaman trained Bruce in the first place.  I only know they took out the Court of Owls, and there’s someone else above the Shaman referred to as…the Demon’s Head.

Uh-oh.

Bruce has a destiny with that guy apparently.

But the better plot has nothing to do with the virus.  It’s the Penguin/Riddler plot.  I can get into that because those guys at least aren’t talking about that damn virus.  Also, their feud is somehow incredibly petty and stupid while still showing why these guys are both dangerous and short-sighted enough that a future Batman will be able to smack them around.  Essentially, both still want the other dead.  Nygma gathers up his unwilling crew of Barbara (not a criminal mastermind), Butch (friendliest gangster in Gotham), and Tabitha (who really should have left town ages ago).  Oswold has…Ivy.  Just Ivy.  The others split.  He asks Selina to go find Firefly, but she gets caught.  Ivy is sure Selina would never sell the Penguin out unless they paid her.  Of course they paid her.  Selina is easily the smartest criminal in this entire city.

So, here it is:  a big stand-off.  Nygma will kill Cobblepot once Cobblepot refers to Edward as the Riddler.  Penguin refuses because that’s a stupid name.  You know, not like “Penguin”.  But Oswold had earlier bemoaned the fact that the current crop of criminals had a code they followed.  That’s true.  There’s clearly never been a criminal before like the Riddler.  But all that bemoaning means we get something out of it:  foreshadowing!

So, really, it only makes sense for Fish Mooney to show up and claim the Penguin for herself at the exact right moment.

Butch is right:  that woman sure knows how to make an entrance.

Also, it was nice he at least was happy to see her and the feeling was probably mutual.

So, can we get a cure for that virus now?