“Gotham” continues its midseason Jerome arc with “Smile Like You Mean It.” While the main plot had me grinning, the side stories were more of a frown.
Turns out Dwight didn’t already have custody of Jerome’s body so, as “Smile Like You Mean It” begins, he sets out with a band of followers (who, I didn’t mention last week, kinda remind me of the Jokerz gang from the “Batman Beyond” animated series) to retrieve it from the Wayne Enterprises facility where it’s been inexplicably parked. Lucius is able to figure out where Dwight’s Indian Hill annex is by tracking power surges, though a mole at the precinct tips Dwight off. So, with the cops bearing down on him and having had some hiccups resurrecting Jerome, Dwight goes with Plan B – cutting off Jerome’s face (a shout-out to a Joker storyline in the comics a few years ago) and wearing it as his own. Presenting himself to the at-first skeptical followers, he sells them on the idea that “We are Jerome!” and they set out to rally the city to their crazy cause by taking a local newscast hostage. I really liked the small touches in the show’s portrayal of the cult – a gang member fanboying out when he meets Gordon, the mole sermonizing about how Jerome changed his life, Gordon realizing that Dwight is just parroting back things Jerome said to him last year, etc.
Unbeknownst to Dwight, he was actually successful in bringing Jerome back to life as our favorite (if faceless) ginger Maniax comes to in Leslie’s lab at the GCPD. What follows is a fun scene where Jerome – his bloody visage wrapped in bandages – has a nonplussed Leslie catch him up on what he missed being dead. My favorite moment was when Jerome demanded to know who beat him to the punch killing Galavan (who, we’re reminded, betrayed and murdered Jerome) and Leslie casually asked which time, heh. Anyway, by this point, Dwight has been foiled by Gordon and Bullock, but Jerome manages to sneak him out of their custody. He then broadcasts his own message, inviting citizens to take part in a “The Purge”-esque night of mayhem and murder, before blowing up the city’s power plant with Dwight (who he doesn’t forgive for cutting off his face) inside. The episode ends with Gordon on the roof of the GCPD, seeing the explosion and then watching all the lights in Gotham go out. Very cool cliffhanger.
Backtracking to Leslie, I really loved her in this episode. She may have had Falcone call off the hit, but she’s still grieving and she still hasn’t forgiven Gordon. The tension between them comes to a head when, with hilarious nonchalance, she strolls into the interrogation room where Gordon and Bullock are trying to punch information out of the mole and sticks him with a needle of sodium pentothal. And when Gordon goes after her, she dismisses his self-pitying declaration that he’s okay with her hating him (she doesn’t need your permission, douche!) and shuts down his hypocritical warnings about bending the rules. It’s more strong work in this section of the season from Morena Baccarin.
Meanwhile, picking up from last week, Cole Clemons – Maria Kyle’s old criminal acquaintance – shows up at Wayne Manor demanding money. He tells Bruce and Alfred that unless they pay him two hundred grand, he’ll give the cops enough evidence to get Maria locked up for decades. Selina is angry about the whole situation, first Maria’s suggestion that she skips town again, then Bruce’s agreeing to pay the blackmail. Initially, it’s weird to see Bruce and Alfred – who have dealt with assassins, mad scientists, and secret societies – kowtow to such a low-rent operator.
But there’s more going on than it seems as we soon find out that Maria was in on the scam. As does Selina, who disowns her mother. It’s a disappointingly one-dimensional use of this cornerstone character of Selina’s backstory; there’s so much more, richer drama that could have been mined from the Kyles’ relationship. Ivana Miličević’s performance was also rather lackluster in this scene. Later, Selina takes her anger out on Bruce, who admits that he suspected Maria was up to something, and it brings on yet another schism for these two. Gotta say, I’m on Selina’s side in this one as Bruce has been a bit mansplain-y in these winter episodes, making decisions for her instead of with her. I did like the short physical scrape they get into, though, a hint of the kind they’ll have a lot of when they’re both wearing masks.
Finally, Barbara continues plotting against the Penguin. She shows up at his mansion, pitching herself as a friend and “warning him” that his mayoral meltdown has also shaken the criminal underworld’s faith in him. So she advises him to do that “disco vampire thing” with his hair (heh) and come to a meeting of the mob families. He agrees, but just when I’m getting annoyed at how easily Barbara’s playing him, Oswald calls her out on her scheming. With Tabitha’s help, though, Barbara turns the tables again, convincing him that Nygma has been kidnapped by a rebelling subordinate. Penguin goes on a rampage, tearing apart his own empire and leaving Babs and Tabs poised to pick up the pieces. Still not feeling this storyline; something about the pacing and the plot points aren’t working for me.
Did this week’s “Gotham” make you “Smile Like You Mean It?” Let me know what you thought in the comments section.
