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Gotham: Episode 2 Recap

By Margeaux Johnson · October 1, 2014

The second episode of Gotham premiered with a bang. It had all the necessary ingredients: crime filled city. Good cop versus entire police force. Brooding pre-teen destined for greatness. This episode gave Cat (Selina Kyle) more airtime and a glimpse into her troubled youth. 

Young Bruce Wayne opened Monday’s episode with a test of endurance. He has been cutting and burning himself in an effort to build his threshold for pain. Alfred is a nervous wreck – what can he do with a kid like this?

Meanwhile Cat and her homeless friends are approached by a couple offering them food. Cat isn’t too sure about them, but the others are happy to get a free meal. As they are lured near the company van, the couple starts stabbing them with long needles. The kids drop like flies, but Cat manages to escape. 

On the other side of the bridge, Oswald Cobblepot is on his own. He hobbles down a country highway until someone stops to give him a lift. Two young guys pick him up and tease him, but Oswald is just happy to make new friends. One of the guys tells him he walks like a penguin, and of course Cobblepot goes bananas, killing one and capturing the other. 

Gordon wants to investigate the missing kids, but his police partners don’t really care. Kids that no one wants are not on their priority list, especially when there is no under the table money involved. Fish has a meeting with Falcone and he confronts her about Cobblepot’s allegation that she is trying to overthrow his underworld power.  She denies it but Falcone is no fool. “Men who are about to die are very honest,” he says of Copplepot. To remind her of who’s boss, Falcone has her lover beat up in front of everyone. After Falcone leaves, Fish vows to kill him. 

The dynamic (and meddlesome) duo of Montoya and Allen are searching for Cobblepot. They visit his mother and are convinced something happened to him after he tipped them off on Pepper being a scapegoat. Back at Godon’s apartment, Barbara gives an anonymous tip about the missing kids. Gordon doesn’t want her meddling but admits she did the right thing, as the police don’t seem to care. The next day, the kidnappings are front page. The pressure is on to find out what happened to those kids. 

After a short pursuit, Bullock and Gordon find the kids. Everything seems to be good until the Judge gives a press conference announcing that the rescued kids will be sent upstate to a juvenile correctional facility. He believes the street kids are responsible for the rampant pick pocketing around the city. Gordon challenges the Judge and makes an enemy; nonetheless, the kids are still going to be shipped off.

Cat finds herself among the group headed for the correctional facility. She tries to talk her way out of it, but it is no use. When the bus is preparing to leave, she recognizes the attendant as the lady who had attacked her friends in the beginning. In fact, the bus has been taken over by the kidnappers. Once they get to a shipping building, Cat sneaks away. Meanwhile, the news of the rogue bus has everyone up in arms. The police must do something, their reputation is on the line – who let’s kids get kidnapped TWICE?

Cat tries to escape but comes face to face with the crazy kidnapper. Gordon comes just in time and the kids are once again saved. Unfortunately, they don’t mention what the weird kidnappers wanted with the children. They mentioned “Doll Maker” a few times, but what did he want with the children? As we'd expect, resolution will be revealed in later episodes. 

Alfred asks Gordon for help with Bruce. He doesn’t know what to do with him and he will not take him to a psychiatrist (it’s against his father’s wishes). Alfred is trying to maintain the Wayne code in letting children make their own choices, but he can’t let Bruce continue to hurt himself. Of course, Gordon goes to talk to him and Bruce is more concerned with the wellbeing of the homeless kids. He wants to do something for them, marking the beginning of his career in philanthropy. 

Penguin rents a trailer and tries to extort money from the family of the guy he kidnapped. Alas, the family doesn’t want to pay the ransom, the Penguin may have to figure out another way to make money. As the episode comes to a close, Penguin is daydreaming about Gotham, obsessed with news headlines, while Cat also reveals a big secret. She tells Gordon that she saw who really killed the Waynes. Yet again, Gordon has another issue on his hand – what does Cat really want? Can she be trusted?  We’ll find out soon enough.

 

Episode 3 Teaser Credit