Gotham, Season 2, Episode 20: Unleashed
What an insane ending! Azrael continues to be a lot of fun, and even while trying to take this incarnation of the character more seriously by throwing an identity crisis his way, Azrael never stops being this hammy, insane fucker who goes around going all "I require a holy weapon for my quest!" and goes around immune to bullets and shit. There's just something absolutely insanely fun just watching this particular plotline on a previously super-serious and dour television.
No, the plot probably is utterly insane as Hugo Strange's big plan of reviving people from the dead and sending them out doesn't hold water, since Gordon and Bullock almost immediately confronts Hugo Strange about it and only a paper shredder ended up saving him from being arrested. His master plan involves 'eh, Azrael and the cops will probably kill each other anyway'. But Azrael is fun! He brings out other characters like Tabitha Gallavan, Butch and Penguin out from where they have been hiding, and it's a lot of great hamminess going around. The bit with the crypt and Tabitha getting stabbed was hilarious as it just throws away any attempt at a serious drama regarding Theo Gallavan's identity crisis. Tabitha and Theo never really had much going on other than some antagonism so the show absolutely spits on Tabitha's attempts to try and coax out some sibling memories. Stabbed through the gut, you under-developed flat character!
And the Penguin showing up to perform an 'we both want this fucker dead' moment with Butch (Tabitha having killed Gertrude notwithstanding) is a nice, fun moment. Butch hasn't done a damn thing other than being lovesick over Tabitha, and it's fun to see the duo pop up in the end and finish off Azrael.
Azrael's assault on Wayne manor is absolutely awesome. From the prolonged swordfight with Alfred, to Bruce ramming him with a (non-Batmobile) car, to Gordon getting stuck in traffic and arriving late... and then Penguin shows up, umbrella in hand, talking about how you need the right tools for the job. I legit thought that we're going to see the genesis of the Penguin's trick umbrellas... but nope! Butch waddles in with a goddamned bazooka, the background music swells up with some crazy rock beats, and then kaboom! Azrael got blown to bits! And then exit Penguin and Butch after a one-liner as the rock music continues, while Alfred just half-heartedly replies the wave.
Man, that was such an insanely fun ending!
The little sub-plot with Nygma trying to escape out of prison while Bruce convinces Selina to sneak in was nowhere as crazy-fun, but it was decent. Selina gets to sneak in and see what I think is Killer Croc (who I don't think will be allowed on the show because, y'know, Warner Brothers). I do like how Selina is super-motivated to save her buddy Bridget... who has been brainwashed fully into Firefly. The episode ends on the cliffhanger that Firefly just blasted Selina and turned her into roast kitty while Hugo Strange and Peabody watches, but we'll see. (Also Selina changed her hair again into straight blonde.)
Bullock gets a great moment where he stands in for Barnes as the GCPD's leader, with everyone literally just looking at him for instructions. Barnes isn't dead, and apparently neither is Tabitha -- both are just super-wounded in a hospital, which is TV-speak for 'will return in a couple of episodes'. Seriously, Azrael, get a better sword or some shit.
But oh my god, this episode is just a fun episode to watch. I don't think I laughed so hard at an episode before, and it's definitely entertaining. It might not bode well when Gotham actually does get serious as the season nears its end, but man, Gotham really should learn to embrace the insanity that is their source material instead of trying so hard to be glum and pessimistic and 'oh, look at how cleverly and subtly (Read: NOT) we are hinting at the Batman lore hurr hurr' all the time. This is fun stuff. I'm liking this episode for all the wrong reasons, but come on! You can't watch this and not realize how little they take this plotline seriously while still making Azrael badass.
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