#domestic gobblepot

[it-happened-once-in-a-meme]

Yes, I can 😁 (let's say, Jim can't go out because he needs to stay undercover/is injured):

Jim: So, I want a beautiful strong woman who likes to stay at home safely and can kiss away the horrors. ☺️

Oswald: Freak in the streets, how can I help you?

[A few weeks later]

Oswald: Ja-ames, I'm home, look at the sandwich I grabbed for us. The guy wanted to throw it away just because of "peanut allergies", can you believe that? 🥰

If you have different ideas for this, let me know cause just aesthetically alone, this screams comedy appartment episode 😙😂

Do you see the vision

Gotham, episode 2×17 and 4×15

[trophywifejimgordon]

ok fuck the ten year time jump me and my homies HATE the ten year time jump and i swear after this post i’m never acknowledging it again. but. i have been sitting on this gobblepot sequence of events surrounding it,,,

:). so basically,

oz & ed commit some crime, or they’re framed for it. or ed does something on his own and tries to bring oswald down. or their pardon is just generally ignored/abused.

whatever happens, they get arrested.

jim sees this arrest and knows it’s not right, but gotham’s new management really wants them put away. he says it’s not right. they threaten him. he fights back. they threaten everything he stands for. well....

he gives in. just another thing to feel guilty about forever, right?

they’re both going to be put in arkham indefinitely.

jim campaigns against this. he doesn’t waste time on ed (can’t, if he wants to sustain credibility), but vouches for oswald’s sanity, citing the certificate of recovery from his first stint in arkham, his mayoral campaign, the illegality of his second arkham visit, and his custody of martin.

he does not get oswald a pardon. he does get him 12 years at blackgate.

10, with parole, if he’s good.

jim prays he’ll be good

he keeps the news of his mostly failed campaign under wraps as much as he can, because he doesn’t want oswald to feel obliged to him for something that didn’t even save him from prison, and in fact probably made things a lot worse. as a result, all oswald ever hears about it is, “jim gordon had you sentenced to blackgate.”

he’s furious. he vows to Kill Jim Gordon

oswald goes to blackgate.

jim tries to visit him exactly once. oswald is so furious that the guards have to physically restrain him. he does not visit again.

oswald has enough of a reputation (and is smart enough to have earned it) that he is not touched in prison. in fact, he makes somewhat of a name for himself, and, while he doesn’t enjoy his time there by any means, it IS better than arkham. he’s at least comfortable; he eats well, he arranges poker games, he makes skillful connections that will last him years, and he keeps information flowing to him on the inside.

he starts writing passive aggressive letters to jim with thinly veiled threats on his life inside them. they keep getting returned to him unopened, and eventually he stops sending them. he keeps writing, though. eventually, these evolve and become not the threats and barbed comments that they were meant to be, but more love letters to a jim gordon of a bygone year, an idealized jim gordon that oswald knows never existed. he keeps them in a neat stack beneath his cot. 

oswald does not tell anyone about these letters.

jim looks into what happened to martin after oswald sent him away, and he gets the news that cobblepot lost custody entirely. apparently, he’s been jumping from foster home to foster home because he scares the people who want an undamaged kid and lashes out against the people who are just in it for a check from the state. all of them think they can get him to start talking. he draws disturbing pictures of them dying in creative ways. apparently, there’s talk of getting him sent to a correctional facility.

jim has him moved to a gotham-based orphanage, and visits him. initially, martin won’t acknowledge him at all. jim tries to explain that he didn’t want oz hurt, gets into their history a little, and after bribing him with books and things he hasn’t had since he was in oswald’s care, jim starts to win his trust.

he visits martin about once a week. what really wins him martin’s trust is that he gets it set up so the orphanage will allow him to visit oswald in prison regularly, on the condition that he doesn’t let oswald know who’s behind it. martin more or less behaves himself at the orphanage from then on.

those visits are the highlight of oswald’s week, and they keep him going more than anything else in those ten years. he starts learning sign language in his spare time.

on the other side of things, jim bumbles his way through learning it, too. they’re all accidentally a family without any actual interaction on oswald and jim’s side.

when barbara lee gets older, jim introduces her to martin. she asks why he doesn’t come live with them; jim tells martin it’s an option--he’s hesitant. jim understands, and doesn’t pressure him.

barbara lee is the highlight of jim’s life, and the only thing that really keeps him going. he’s worn out by the crime in gotham, by the way he’s been working for over 15 years and hasn’t made a single dent. he’s unfulfilled in his marriage, and watches barbara kean get better every day while he falls into familiar despair.

he starts taking risks. he starts going out into the field for the thrill of it, and leslie files for divorce.

in jail, oswald hears about jim getting hurt and worries, despite himself. he hates jim for making him care.

he writes more letters.

jim hears that bruce is returning, and feels that his time is finally done. he’s not actively suicidal, but he wants to die, and well... hm. everything is winding to a close. he turns in his resignation.

penguin is released from jail on parole. neither of them are surprised when oswald appears in the back seat of jim’s car. neither of them are surprised when they end up at the docks.

jim’s resigned to oswald shooting him. he decides that whatever happens, he’ll probably deserve it. 

but oswald can’t shoot him.

he doesn’t want jim dead. he wants jim to understand how much he’s been hurting for the past decade. jim sees this, and he jumps in the river--not to save himself, really, but to spare oswald the tumult. and because oswald’s very personal rage suddenly puts the arkham breakout in a new light.

in all the chaos, he doesn’t report the incident. 

martin is out of the orphanage now, going through college at gotham u, paid for by an anonymous source, perhaps tangentially connected to the wayne foundation. oswald comes to visit him, and during their reunion, martin lets something slip about jim.

troubled and frantic, oswald chases the thread. he ends up unraveling the whole thing, down to transcripts of jim fighting so hard for his acquittal. 

he confronts jim again, in tears. asks him why he’d let oswald hate him for so long--why he’d let oswald kill him--over something like this. jim just tells him he figures he’d deserved it. he treated oswald like shit for so long, everything now is too little, too late.

oswald hates him for this explanation.

he loves jim gordon.

they kiss. probably marry. oswald gives jim the support he needs to continue on as commissioner, jim doesn’t feel like he’s compromising his principles quite so much when he looks the other way while oswald reestablishes his empire. oswald eventually gives jim the love letters, and jim admits he’s been thinking about the ones he sent back unopened for years; he knew how much oswald hated him at the time, and the masochistic part of him wanted to read the abuse, but he thought it would be better for oswald if he could just get it out of his system and forget about jim. martin is best big brother to barbara lee. everyone pretends that they don’t know that batgirl is kind of totally threatening to beat up her beloved stepfather. 

the end :)

[theblackarticfox]

Jim trying to be crafty in Oz's mansion

Oswald: Jim! For the last time, let's call a worker to fix that window!

Jim: I can do it just fine- woah! (falls out of the window)

Oswald: JIM! (Looks out the window)

Jim: ...OK, yeah, let's call someone

Oswald: You're lucky we're in the first floor, you idiot!

[softskwiddraws]

with gotham almost over i've reverted back to drawing characters in my own designs and letting them do whatever the fuck they want bc dc has infinite universes and nobody can stop me

my oswald is getting to that point in his life where he's just kinda Over It and as his relationship with Jim develops over the years he becomes more and more okay with having (mostly) legal business dealings and just focuses on being happy for once in his life

also yes i stole his hair from Tom Kenny's Penguin

[glitch-in-space]

All Fandoms I Write For

If you want to request a fic, please keep these rules in mind. Full list of fandoms I currently write for, with favoured characters, ships & tropes to write in brackets (feel free to request others though):

9-1-1 and 9-1-1: Lone Star (Buck, Josh, TK, Mateo; Buck/Josh, TK/Carlos; firefam, Buck & TK, Buck & Hen)

Arrowverse (Oliver, Barry, Constantine, Rip; anything slash)

Criminal Minds (Reid; Hotch/Reid, Reid/Ethan; team as family)

CSI (Greg, Hodges, Nick; NickGreg, Henry/Hodges, Greg/Hodges, Greg/Henry; Lab as family)

Danny Phantom (Danny; Danny/Sam/Tucker, crossover pairings; eldritch!danny, king!danny; mostly crossovers)

Gotham (Oswald, Ed, Zsasz; Nygmobblepot, Oswald/Zsasz, s1 gobblepot; Oswald & Ed, Oswald & Zsasz, Zsasz & the Zsaszettes, Oswald & Ivy, Oswald & Cat; Freaks as family; Oswald, Ed &/or Zsasz continually adopting strays like Ivy etc)

Grimm (Nick, Monroe; Nick/Monroe; Nick & Hank)

The Hobbit/LotR (Bilbo, Kili, Fili, Thranduil, Lindir, Haldir, Gimli, Legolas, Aragorn; Bilbo/Kili, Bilbo/Thranduil, Gimli/Legolas, Sam/Frodo, rare pairs; company bonding, Thranduil & Legolas, Aragorn & Legolas, followship as fam; cultural differences)

Kingsman (Eggsy; any slash; Roxy & Eggsy)

Lucifer (Lucifer; Maze/Linda, Maze/Ella, Lucifer/OMC, crossover pairings; Lucifer & Maze, Lucifer & Linda)

MacGyver (2016) (Mac, Murdoc, Bozer; MacDoc, Mac/Bozer, Mac/ OMC; Mac & Bozer, Mac & Jack, MacFam)

MCU (Tony, Peter Parker, Bucky, Loki, Matt Murdock; Ironwinter, Frostiron, Tony/Bruce, Winterfrost, Interwebs, Tony/Rhodey, Frostmaster, Michelle/Shuri, Matt/Foggy, Loki/Tony/Bucky; Iron Dad, domestic avengers)

Merlin, BBC (Merlin, Gwaine, Lancelot; any variation of those 3, Murther, most other slash, Morgana/Gwen; Merlin & knights)

My Hero Academia (Izuku, Aizawa, Mic, Shinso, Denki; Izuku/Shinso, Izuku/Denki, Izuku/Shoto, Shinkami, Erasermic, Erasercloudmic, most poly, most rarepairs; Izuku & Faculty, 1-A as family, Dadzawa, anti-bakugo)

Night at the Museum (Ahk, Larry, Jed, Oct; Jedtavius, Tablet Guardians; Museum as family)

Nobody’s Looking | Ninguém Tá Olhando (Uli; Fred/Uli, Uli/Miriam, anything slash; note I can only write in English)

Numb3rs (Charlie; Colby/Charlie, Larry/Megan; team as family)

Our Flag Means Death (Stede, Ed, Lucius, Jim; Stede/Ed, Lucius/Pete, Olu/Jim, poly crew; Stede & Everyone, Lucius & Everyone, crew as family)

Pacific Rim (Newt, Hermann; Newmann)

Primeval (Connor, Becker; Connor/Becker, Connor/Stephen; team as family)

Prodigal Son (Malcolm; team as family, Malcolm & Martin; NO Malcolm/Dani)

Project Blue Book (Allen Hynek, Quinn; Allen/Quinn; Allen & Quinn)

Psych (Shawn; Shassie, Shawn/Gus; team as family, Shawn & Gus)

Stargate SG1, Atlantis & Uni (Daniel, Rodney, Ronon, Carson; Daniel/Jack, Rodney/Ronon, Rodney/Carson, Rodney/Daniel; team as family, expedition as family)

Shadowhunters (Alec; Malec, Simon/Raphael, Dayknighter; Institute as family)

Star Trek TOS, TNG, Voy, DS9, Ent, AOS, pre-S3 Disco (Spock, Bones, Chekov, Data, Harry Kim, Julian, Quark, Trip, Michael, Paul, Hugh; Spones, Spirk, McSpirk, DaForge, Qcard, Data/Will, Julian/Data, Garashir, Qodo, DS9 ‘crack’ ships (e.g. Quark/Julian, Julian/Martok), Miles/Keiko/Kira, Miles/Keiko/Julian; crew as family, Miles & Julian; all the trans HCs your heart desires)

Teen Wolf (Stiles; Stiles/Peter, Stisaac, Stiles/Danny; pack as family)

Torchwood (Ianto; Janto, Ianto/Owen, Ianto/John Hart, Tosh/Owen, Ianto/Doctor; team as family)

The Umbrella Academy (Klaus; Klave; familial Hargreeves)

Travelers (Philip, Trevor; Philip/Trevor; team as family)

X-Men (Peter Maximoff, Alex Summers, Charles, Nightcrawler; pretty much anything slash; team as family)

[panevanbuckley]

I used to watch Gotham a while ago but I never finished it and now your posts are making me want to watch it again 😂 The Valeska twins used to own my heart. And Gobblepot!!!! AHHH!!! 🥺

omfg amy please, you are my fandom twin I sWEAR!! 😂 it feels like no matter which fandom I slide over to, you're right by my side simping over the same dorks and I love it 💜

the valeska twins are my babies!! especially jerome...idk why, I just adore him and he was wronged in life. he deserved better and that's that.

gobblepot?? do NOT get me talking about these two holy hell- I had no plans to ship anything (okay I maybe still kinda shipped jim/jerome from my summer obsession but idk why), and then these two flew outta nowhere and knocked me clean off my feet! their dynamic is everything I adore - crimelord and lawman married and domestic?? huh...kinda sounds like boyd and raylan...

sorry, I'm literally trash for this show atm I apologise

I'm gonna leave this gobblepot edit here though because everything about it keeps making me wanna cry they're so soft and sweater weather is my favourite damn song 😭

[terranatior]

Katie has once again killed me with soft domestic Gobblepot.......

I’m WEAK

@lankybrunettepartdeux

[sunlitroom]

Gotham – s4e10 – Things That Go Boom

As I watched it, and some random observations here and there.

Previously on Gotham:

Jim got his tainted captaincy from a tainted man by tainted means.  Oswald knows that Sofia paid off the mayor, but only asks that she never betray him again.  Oswald wants Ed back from the narrows.  Barbara shot Cherry.  This is Lee’s turf!  He’s eating cooking them.  Martin is in danger.  Jim arrested Pyg. Sofia will never be Jim’s enemy.  Martin told what he saw.  Oswald says Sofia will pay for what she’s done.

 As always, long post will be long.  There are likely to be rambling digressions. Gobblepot might appear (although I welcome all shippers and non-shippers alike :)).  There will be naked favouritism and naked not-favouritism.  Broader comments at the end on plotlines and parallels and general direction.

Arkham, and the usual parade we get.  Thanks, show. Strolling over to the gramophone player, Pyg changes the record to Ave Maria and does some Hannibal-esque hand movements in front of it, eyes shut.  He’s such a tool.

The other patients seem ok with the new music - except for one who doesn't like the song.  His mother used to beat him to it, and it was playing when he killed her.  He tells Pyg to turn it off or he’ll do the same to him.

Pyg smiles nastily and walks towards him.  In a mocking tone, he asks why his mother beat him – was he naughty?  Did he soil his trousers?  Did he stutter?

The poor man, visibly struggling, swings a punch at him.  When Pyg reels away – we see a close-up of his face, which looks strangely distorted.

Telling the man he wishes he hadn’t done that, he pops his jaw back into place.  He comments that he paid a fortune to look this good, deliberately flicking the record back on again.  When the man rushes towards him, enraged, Pyg stabs him in the gut with the cracked record, and then slits his throat with the other half, and we see the man die to the tune that tormented him.

Pyg goes back to conducting. I start to ponder who I’d like to kill him and how.

 At GPCD, where Jim and Lucius are examining an x-ray.  Pyg apparently has titanium plates under his skin, altering his appearance, as well as having had his fingerprints burned off.  Lucius says he must have had multiple surgeries.  Jim says this makes no sense – Pyg is a ‘glory hound’, a classic sociopath: why doesn’t he want the credit?  He asks Lucius if he could reconstruct Pyg’s original face, and then leaves.

 Harper catches him on the way up to his office, and tells him he has a visitor: Sofia.  He thanks her.  Entering the office, he asks Sofia what she’s doing there.  Sofia says that she hadn’t heard from him in a few days. Jim looks askance at her, and remarks that he didn’t know he was meant to call.  Sofia replies that after the other night, she thought they were seeing each other again

(An aside – yeuch. Really, Jim?)

Sofia is very bright and smiley.  She thinks Jim’s worried about Oswald, and tells him he doesn’t have to be – she told him. Jim’s eyes widen

You did what?

Sofia claims that she has it under control – she’ll remove Oswald, and then they can be together.

Jim shifts uncomfortably. He tells Sofia that whether Oswald is in the picture or not, they’re not going to work.  He doesn’t see a way forward for them.  Sofia’s face shifts into a huffy, affronted expression very similar to the one she wore when Carmine told her she wasn’t ready for Gotham.

(A lengthy aside.

Ugh.  I’m really hoping that we find there’s more to Sofia in the next episode, and that she was playing Jim here as much as she has apparently been playing Oswald.  There was plenty about her that was interesting early on.  The fact that we view her in a parent/child context due to her being Falcone’s daughter, her manipulativeness, her sulkiness at being overlooked, her ability to seem non-threatening: these were all characteristics that gave her a certain kinship with Oswald, the man she was in town to overthrow.  That gave their relationship room for nuance – would she empathise with the man she was planning to ‘remove’?  Feel conflicted?

Her close relationship with her brother meant that she had ample cause to resent Jim and want revenge, even though she was seemingly in town to help him out, as well as sleeping with him.

If, from those promising beginnings, what we’ve actually ended up with is yet another character who holds Oswald in total contempt for no good reason, and yet another woman who has mystifyingly decided that Jim is her one and only – then I’ll be pretty disappointed.

Another ugh – this ‘relationship’.  If she is sincere, what has Sofia’s romantic past been that a relationship with Jim looks so enticing?  There’s been an occasional fuck after business meetings and lots of mistrustful staring and now she’s starry-eyed?  Am I supposed to be sold on this?  The whole thing has just seemed tawdry – especially from Jim, who seemingly continued things even after hearing Sofia describe Harvey – the guy who saved his neck more than once - as weak, incompetent and a burden.  

It’s never really felt particularly passionate, either.  There’s no trust, no emotional engagement, no romance.  You could at least see emotional neediness at play in his makeshift relationship with Valerie Vale – but what the hell was I supposed to see here? It’s just seemed sordid.  And torpid.  Turgid.  Flaccid. Putrid.  Take your pick.)

 The Narrows - where Lee is holding court over a dispute.  Ed advises, but Lee wants to solve issues peacefully.  Where Ed remarks that allowing one to stab the other would solve the problem, Lee wants them to join forces.  Before the man leaves, Lee asks after his daughter.  He tells her that her fever is down, and thanks her.

Ed looks at her.  He says that

These bums are so lucky to have you

Lee sighs, and says she hasn’t forgotten about him.  Ed, agitates, says she says that, but he’s still a moron.  Lee says that she said she’d fix him, and she will.  

Their conversation is interrupted by a man with a broken nose.  Someone called Samson did this after he refused to pay protection money and told him Lee was in charge. Ed says she has to show him that she can't be pushed around, and she should send Butch.  Lee says she can’t have Butch solve everything while preaching peace to everyone else – it’s hypocritical.  Ed asks what she is going to do, then?

 As Sofia gets home, we hear stormy weather outside, and see Oswald waiting for her.  She feigns a smile, and says that this is a pleasant surprise.  Oswald smiles tightly and assures her that this is nothing pleasant.

Oooooh – Victor strolls into the room.  Hi Victor.  Take me now, Victor.

Oswald continues.  He says he was continually suspicious of her – but she always had the perfect explanation to defuse his suspicions

(An aside – this alone is implausible.  Oswald has played that game before – he knows that too many perfect explanations are suspicious in and of themselves.  It doesn’t wash that he’d have put it to one side.)

He says, though, he finally has proof of his enemy.  She told him she hated Jim, but she is – in fact – his lover.  Martin saw them both.  She tries to deflect, but Oswald says he’s had enough of her lies, their entire friendship - the intimacies they shared: all a pathetic charade

Sofia insists that she cares for him deeply.  Oswald says that he wishes that were true, but he did some digging and found out about Jim’s trip down south just before Sofia arrived in town

(An aside – again, implausible.  We’ve seen that Oswald tends to know Jim’s home address.  He was likely to be keeping a particular eye on him at that time due to their disagreement over the Pax.  Yet he’s only just found out he went on a short holiday?  Nope)

Sofia stares at the floor, apparently caught out.  Victor chips in

Coincidence?  I think not

Oswald says that they were plotting to destroy him the whole time.

Sofia’s face changes, and takes on a shark-like blankness.  She spits venom.

Bravo, Oswald. I was warned you were a mastermind, but you were an easy mark. It’s amazing what you can accomplish with goulash and a good foot rub.

As if things weren’t already weirdly domestic enough between them at the Iceberg Lounge, Victor glances at Oswald’s feet.

Oswald tears up listening to her.

Now I see the real you.  I was blind to your manipulations – but I will correct that mistake

Oswald apparently has decided on a very specific person to take revenge for him, the Dentist – a tall, thin man who appears in the doorway.

 Jim is visiting Pyg at Arkham.  Pyg is pleased his ‘little scuffle’ brought Jim along.  Jim, though, says that he wants to know who Pyg really is

Don't you know, Jim?  I’m a reflection of you

Jim, being almost comedically unreflective, doesn’t get this, and punches Pyg in the face instead. One of the plates shifts.  Jim asks him who is hiding behind the mask. Pyg tells him what he sees is what he gets.  Jim brushes past this – telling Pyg he craves attention, so why not take credit?

Pyg smirks that the whole town is crazy for him – but Jim tells him he’s yesterday’s news,  a second-class psychopath.  Jerome, Fish, Oswald – now they have staying power.

(An aside – Jim, you total nitwit, if you complimented Oswald like that to his face he’d probably have agreed to dismantle the Pax and take you to dinner.)

Pyg gets agitated at this. Jim says he’s already forgotten, and this is his last visit.  He’ll never think about Pyg again.  Pyg laughs at this, claiming it’s just mind games.  I dunno – Pyg, ask Jonathan.

Jim calls the guard, telling him

We're done here

Pyg is irate

We’re not done here

He tells Pyg to have a nice life

Pyg’s accent abruptly shifts and becomes….southern.  Sorry – I can’t do any better than that.

Don't you walk out on me

Jim smiles, satisfied

There you are

 Back at the Narrows, Lee and Ed are visiting Samson.  Lee tries to negotiate reasonably, while Ed bristles at being described as a has-been. Despite Lee’s efforts, Samson remains stubborn – he doesn’t want to negotiate, he wants to take.

Ed recommends using Grundy again, but Lee sees Samson cough blood into a handkerchief and quickly invents an illness – Narrows’ Lung – which she says she will treat in him and his people free of charge.  

Samson laughs at the idea he gives a damn about his people.  His laughing turns to more coughing.  Lee tells him she’ll be back to negotiate in a few days with his replacement, after he’s drowned in his own blood.  She and Ed turn on their heels, but Samson calls them back.  Make it 30% of fight night profits and they have a deal.  Ed whispers that this is too much, but Lee agrees, and tells him to come by the clinic.

 The Dentist is manipulating Sofia's jaw left and right, examining her teeth, which he looks forward to seeing in his trophy case.  Sofia tries to pull the ‘do you know who I am?’ trick, but the Dentist knows only too well.  She’s the daughter of the man who killed his brother.  He turns on his drill, and says he’ll enjoy this.

Sofia turns stone-faced again.  She says it’s true her father killed his brother. She says, too, that she knows the address of the Dentist’s wife and son, and that she learned every detail of Oswald’s organisation

(An aside – either she’s outright bluffing, or a whole bunch of stuff has been happening with absolutely no hint to the viewer – which is irritating)

Sofia essentially says she knows everything about everything and has orchestrated everything that has happened.  If he kills her, then his wife and son will be murdered.  She leans back, smirking, and tells him to drill away.

The Dentist tells his assistant to tighten her restraints.  When he leans in to do so, he murders him.  Sofia tells him imperiously that he made a wise decision, and orders him to untie her.

 Immediately after this, she leaves the house.  However, the car door is locked, and peering inside, she sees her driver is dead.  Tabitha, Barbara and Selina have shown up, and proceed to kidnap her.

 At the gun shop, Sofia is tied up.  Barbara wakes her up, and introduces the curiously boring girl gang.  This recap is taking forever, and I care increasingly less about any of the characters in this scene, so – Barbara wanted to use Sofia as leverage over Oswald when she though he and Sofia were bffs, but now Oswald wants her dead instead.  That doesn’t matter to Barbara, though, because that means Os will negotiate to get her back either way.  Sofia makes more superior noises about her super awesome master plan that only worked because Oswald was suffering an unfortunate attack of ooc again.  

 Oswald is in his office. Martin is in his chair, and a smiling Oswald says he’ll grow into it.  Martin helped him vanquish his enemy, and has a beautiful future ahead. Oswald is going to impart all his wisdom, and if Martin pays attention, all this could be his one day.

Martin shakes his head, looking unhappy.  A worried Oswald asks him what’s wrong.  Martin writes in his pad

I lied

Agitated, Oswald asks what he means – did he not see kissing?  Martin did see kissing, but Sofia wanted him to report this back to Oswald. Oswald is confused for a moment, but then twigs.  She knew how he would respond and wanted this confrontation.

(An aside – does that mean the whole affair with Jim was just part of her plan?)

Victor enters the room and tell Oswald they have a problem.  The dentist has gone – whereabouts unclear, and now Barbara has Sofia.

Oswald yells in temper – asking how Victor knows this.

Hilariously, Victor pulls an exaggerated scandalised shush face, and tells him he knows because Barbara is

On.  The. Phone

Barbara and Oswald talk. She has Sofia – but will exchange her in return for the gun shop and complete autonomy.  When did that become so important to her? Didn’t seem to be an issue when she worked for Ra’s.

Oswald agrees to this, and says he’ll send Victor over to collect her.  Victor smiles.  Oh my.

Martin looks nervous, and Oswald irritably tells him that their conversation is not over.  This poor child.

 Lucius and Jim have a new sketch of Pyg.  Jim tells Lucius to start the search in the South.  

(An aside - All of it? Isn’t it quite big?)

Lucius suggests that Pyg was faking, but Jim is certain it was a slip-up.

(Another aside – Probably not a coincidence that we learn Pyg is from the south in the same episode where Oswald clearly reminds everyone that Jim took a trip south before Sofia’s arrival)

Walking to the clinic, Ed asks Lee why not just let Samson die.  Lee says Narrows’ Lung is made up – he just has bronchitis.  Her smile fades when she opens the door, and sees the clinic trashed. Ed tells her this is the kind of person they’re dealing with.  No more diplomacy – she should take Butch and end this.  

Lee refuses – she’s got a better idea.

 Back at the gun shop – Sofia says this is too easy.  Oswald couldn’t wait to get off the phone, so they need to get out of here.  She tells them she’ll give them everything they want when she’s in power, but Tabitha bridles at Sofia’s assumption of being in charge.  Selina, meanwhile, has spotted Victor in front of the shop with a rocket launcher.

Outside, Victor shoots, and then grins widely.

(An aside, would you shoot that right beside your ear?)

We see that Tabitha, Barbara, Selina and Sofia have escaped through the back door.  Barbara snarls that she’ll break Oswald’s little beak in half. After what Barbara pulled last season, I’d say she had it coming.

 Sofia runs into GCPD, face all smeared with soot and tears.

Jim!

She turns on serious crocodile tears.  She underestimated Oswald, and now he’s tried to kill her!  She tells Jim he won’t stop until she’s dead and he needs to

Use the position I gave you and end this

Jim has an army, she points out.  He should take the fight to Oswald.

Light finally fucking dawns on Jim’s face.  This was her plan all along.  She never had the numbers to start a war, so she schemed to set them against each other – make Jim captain and send him to take Oswald out.

Sofia says his job is to stop criminals, and that’s what he’d be doing.

Jim says it’s not that simple.  It never is with Oswald, eh Jim?

Sofia says they can bring law and order back – this is what he wanted, and it’s his for the taking. He needs to crush Oswald.

 At the Iceberg Lounge, Oswald is telling Martin he betrayed him.  Martin writes in his pad.

She used me.  I'm so sorry

Oswald wonders aloud about sending him back to the orphanage, which is a shitty thing to do, Oswald, so stop it.  

Victor returns, but before he can speak, Oswald dismisses the little spy from the room.  A tearful Martin leaves, and an incredulous Victor watches him go.

He tells Oswald the place went up in flames.  Oswald grins, and tells Victor they are going to unleash a crimewave like the city has never seen to teach Jim a lesson for cheating on him with another gangster aligning with Sofia Falcone. Victor gives Oswald a hilariously smitten smile.

I wouldn't make that call

Jim is here.   He tells Oswald he spoke with a very alive Sofia. Oswald says he has witnesses as to his whereabouts.  Jim says he’s not there to arrest him.  They’ve both put up with Sofia long enough. Oswald knows when it’s time for some sexually-charged antagonism and bargaining, and asks Victor to give them a moment.

Oswald sighs wearily and tells Jim he has his attention.  Jim says that Sofia deliberately put them on the path to war, and will let the city burn to the ground to prove herself to her father.  He can’t allow that.

Oswald asks what he wants from him.  Jim says he’ll put her on a train, and he doesn’t want Oswald involved.  Oswald wants her to suffer, though, and laughs incredulously at Jim’s notion that she’ll meekly accept this betrayal and go home.

Jim says if she returns to the city, he’ll jail her.  If Oswald refuses, Jim will use GCPD to tear him apart piece by piece

(An aside – GCPD is Jim’s personal grudge squad, apparently)

Oswald says that doesn’t sound pleasant, and he is willing to  put aside personal feelings for the good of city, but

Where does that leave us?

(An aside - the shippy stuff just kind of writes itself)

Jim says there can be no more licenses - but he won’t have to worry about Sofia.  He holds out his hand.  Oswald looks down at it and smiles.  He says it’s good to know, after all they’ve been through that they can resolve this diplomatically.  

Jim gives him a smile which can best be described as flirty, and leaves.

 Back on Samson’s turf. He mocks Lee’s Narrows’ Lung ruse. Lee tells him she wants him out of the Narrows by the end of the day – Ed backs her up.  Samson says they’ve dug own graves.  Lee claims to have had Samson’s drinks poisoned, and claims to have the antidote.  He caves fairly fast, and she tosses him the antidote.

 Jim and Sofia at GCPD. Jim says he’s doing this to protect Sofia.  She tells him not to pin this on Oswald – if he’s got something to say he should say it. She kisses him, and tearfully tells him they’re the same, she saw it the moment they met.

(Lord – this shtick again from one of Jim’s love interests)

They both want power, she says, but it’s easier to send her away than confront that.  Jim draws the scene to a brusque close by cuffing her, telling Harper to take Miss Falcone to the train station.

 A fairly relaxed Oswald drinks at the bar of the Iceberg Lounge.  Victor says that Jim did indeed put Sofia in a train, and Oswald amiably remarks

Talk about a turn of events - I didn't see that coming

(An aside – seriously, this is all so domestic.  What did he need Sofia’s friendship for again?)

Victor asks if Martin is to be sent back to the orphanage.  Oswald has the good grace to look regretful, at least, and says that won’t be necessary.

He walks through to his office and begins to apologise before seeing that Martin is gone.  A note of panic slips into his voice, and his eyes widen when we see Martin has left a picture illustrating a kidnapping, at which he panics in earnest.

 Martin is shoved into a car by Selina.

(Hey – remember when Selina was an individual with her own unique moral code, and who would likely never have considered this?  That was good, wasn’t it?)

Barbara comments that Martin is cute.  Selina says he doesn’t talk.  Tabitha says he gives her the creeps. Tabitha, being someone who liked to listen to a confused Gertrud crying and begging to see her son, is quite the authority on creepy.

Sofia is on a train with Harper, who tells her to get comfy.  We hear tickets please, but it’s not a conductor, but Victor.  Hot, hot Victor.  

He knocks Harper out and asks Sofia where the boy is.  She smirks, and tells him he’s alive, and if Oswald wants to keep things that way, he’ll meet her at Crown Bridge in an hour.  Victor shoots her cuffs off.

(An aside, that’s the second child Sofia has threatened to murder in this episode alone.  She also does not seem give a tuppenny fuck at the thought of abandoning her orphanage)

Everyone is under the bridge.  Sofia is using Martin as a bargaining chip.  Barbara, Tabitha and Selina – standing alongside her – are tacitly OK with this.

Oswald promises martin everything will be alright.  Sofia says if he hands over control, then she’ll let Martin keep his head.  Oswald says the Falcone name meant something once, and her father would be disgusted by her actions.  Sofia snaps back that her father would be proud.

Oswald smiles, sensing a raw nerve, and possibly remembering what Jim said earlier.  He tells her it must be hard, living her whole life trying to get daddy’s approval.

Sofia’s face twitches, and we see he’s hit home.

I myself can’t relate, seeing as my parents loved me without condition

(That was downright beautiful, Oswald.  Drag her.)

Sofia’s temper has flared.

Say one more word and I will kill him and execute you.  I am choosing compassion but I am willing to change my position.

Oswald tells her not to kill the boy – he’s innocent.

Barbara smirks.

(Remember when Barbara used be halfway likeable too?)

Oswald says he submits. Sofia releases Martin, who heads straight to Oswald. Oswald tells Martin he's sorry for what said earlier: he does really care about him.  A tearful Martin nods, and Oswald sends him to wait in the car.

Looking over at Tabitha, Victor does a tear down the face motion.

Martin gets in the car as Sofia watches.  Oswald looks at her.

You were wise to use the boy, as you know – my heart is my greatest weakness.  But I will not allow him to be used as a pawn in your game. 

 Lifting his hand, he presses a button on a remote device, and the car explodes.

Oswald’s men start shooting, and Barbara retaliates.  Oswald screams at Sofia

You wanted a war, you got one!

(God - Victor’s shooting stance.)

 At Cherry’s Place, Lee asks Ed why he’s so blue.  He feels useless – he’s not a sidekick, but Samson is right, he’s a has-been.  Lee says that since he trusted her, she’s going to trust him with something.  There’s nothing wrong with Ed’s brain – his ability to guess Samson’s actions proved that. The block is psychological.  

Ed asks how she could have lied to him – looking genuinely hurt.  She says that she was afraid he would simply go back to being the Riddler, and she likes who he’s become – who he used to be: Ed Nygma, her friend.  Ed looks touched.

 Sofia, Tabitha, Selina and Barbara trudge sulkily into Sofia’s mansion.  She wants to hit Oswald again.  Selina says she lost.  Sofia is still scheming aloud – and Barbara comments acidly that she probably didn’t get told ‘no’ a lot as a kid, and reiterates that she lost her shot.  

Sofia says she’s not done, and she’ll cut them in – telling them they need here.  Oswald might have won the battle, but she’ll win the war.

 At the Iceberg Lounge, we see Oswald alone, looking thoughtful.

Boss

Victor is there with Martin, who - of course – is not dead.

My boy - you did a splendid job of dying

There was an escape hatch in the car.

Oswald tells Martin that Victor will take him to a safe location, and he can never return

Martin shakes his head, and writes in his pad

I don't want to leave you

A tearful Oswald comforts him

There there.  This is what I have to do to protect you.  You’ll understand when you’re older.

Martin steps forward and hugs him tightly.  Oswald hugs back.

Victor is impatient and wants to finish Sofia now, while they have the advantage - but Oswald wants his top man to take Martin to safety.  Victor has a mini internal conflict over the desire to go do some killing, and puffing his chest a little at being described as Oswald’s top man.

Besides, Oswald remarks, he has a better plan for her.

 At GCPD, Lucius says Pyg was known as Lazlo Valentine down south.  His crimes were also very different.  Jim says serial killers don’t change MO.  Lucius then comments that he was never released but escaped.

 At Arkham, walking down a dark corridor, a guard walks towards Pyg’s cell – where we can hear strange noises.  As he enters, he sees the cell is empty, before a noose drops round his neck from above the door, and we see him hanged.

 Somewhere in Cherry’s club, Ed washes his face.  When he glances back up at the mirror, we see his Riddler persona, behaving much like Bad Ed used to.  Ed seems dismayed to see that he’s back – angrily calling out

No!

 Back at Arkham again with Jim – who finds Pyg’s cell empty and the guard dead.  There’s a message on the wall

It's been fun, James – Lazlo.

General Observations

It’s hard to say too much, since there’s obviously a lot to be continued next week.  Some temporary thoughts, then.

I will be surprised and confused if it’s not revealed that Pyg was put in place by Sofia, all part of the same plan to unsettle Oswald and bloat Jim’s ego.

Jim rattled on about sociopaths this week.  If anyone showed a much darker side to herself this week, it was Sofia – blithely willing to murder two children to further her plans, faking tears to manipulate, and dropping into a stone face when found out.  If she’s behind Pyg, then she effectively ordered the slow, painful deaths of several cops – including Harvey.  I still think we might find something out about her next week - maybe from Carmine.

I am so bored by the Sirens. So bored.

Sofia learned a lesson that others have learned before her, Jim will flip his loyalties/attentions back to Oswald when pressed.  How long, you have to wonder, did it take him to edit her out of the picture after he got the captaincy? He just about tells Oswald she’s a third wheel that neither of them needs to be bothered with. Fickle, fickle Jim.

We again have a situation where our main villain – Jim openly recognises how dangerous Oswald is – is more sympathetic than just about anyone else.  Sofia’s a poor creature – all dead eyes and a desperation to please daddy. Jim is…well, Jim.  The Sirens are all smirks and catsuits.  Oswald does terrible things – but again demonstrated a selflessness that we don’t really see elsewhere.  He loves Martin, and he’s desperate for companionship – but he’ll send him away to keep him safe.

Poor Lee is destined for disappointment with the return of Bad Ed/Riddler.

Victor.

Thoughts?

[butterfliesandresistance]

Domestic gobblepot

Based on this prompt. Dedicated to the lovely @stolen-starlord <3 Congrats on studying, here’s your prize! I hope you like it. :)

Jim had been lying in bed for over an hour, reading Brave New World. It was an interesting book, but Oswald being late was on his brain, so he couldn’t concentrate properly. Jim knew Oswald was busy since he’d been elected mayor; he was having dinner with some council members about upcoming projects.

Not much later, he could hear the entrance door open and Jim breathed in, his tense shoulder muscles relaxing. When he appeared in the doorway, Oswald looked exhausted, but as soon as his eyes met Jim’s, his whole face lit up. Jim smiled, warmth spreading in his chest as he watched Oswald silently take off his suit jacket and tie. Facing the bed, Oswald popped open the first two buttons on his shirt and then got under the covers.

Without looking up from his book, Jim raised his arm. Oswald didn’t need any encouragement; he snuggled up to Jim, his right hand on the detective’s chest, over his heart. He sighed with relief and rubbed his face against Jim’s soft tee, inhaling his comforting scent. His eyes felt so heavy…

Jim noticed how Oswald’s breathing slowed down until he was sure that his partner had fallen asleep, his soft breath tickling Jim’s neck. Jim’s heart was suddenly so full of affection that he wanted to hold Oswald tightly against his chest and kiss him until his lips went numb. But he knew Oswald would be incredibly grumpy if he woke up.

Instead, Jim pressed a gentle kiss to Oswald’s hair and smiled.

“I love you.”

[gobblepotgazette]

GOBBLEPOT POSITIVITY WEEK 2018 (RECAP)

Dear readers,

Tumblr has been causing a lot of trouble and it didn’t let me post this recap for the past 4 days. :(

Thank you SO much to all the participants for your fantastic work! We love them a lot! If you missed any of them, find a list under the cut, and please try to give some love and feedback to these creators! :) Thanks again to @thepocetartist for the lovely banner!

See you soon for our summer event!

1. Invade My Space, Jim Gordon! by CobblepotsComfort

2. Oswald and Jim Reminiscence by CobblepotsComfort

3. Rumor Has It by @ladyspock7​

4. More cockroach than penguin by @niishiki​

5.  Holding Hands Through The Years by @mmdgobblepot​

6. Shake Me, Can't Break Me by @facemeetpalm

7. And I’m feeling good by @faerydae-faerydae​

8. The Great Escape by @ladyspock7​

9. Saint Jim's magic cock - an Essay by H. Bullock by @niishiki​

10. I Believe in You by @destielfourever​

11. Half-doomed and Semi-sweet by @lalaurelia​

12. Domesticity Does Not Become Him by @facemeetpalm

[sunlitroom]

Gotham s4e04 -  The Demon’s Head

As I watched it, and some random observations here and there.

Previously on Gotham.

Jim took some stupid pills, and decided that going to Falcone for help in dethroning Oswald was a good idea.  His visit was seized on by Falcone’s daughter – Sofia – who just might have something to prove to her father, and ideas of revenge for Mario.  She manic-pixie-dream-girled Jim, then showed up at GCPD.  Ra’s al Ghul wants his magic knife back.  Bruce wins it at auction.  Ed is defrosted, but seems to have dropped several IQ points.  Barbara and Ra’s kissed.

As always, long post will be long - reaaally long.  There are likely to be rambling digressions. Gobblepot may appear (although I welcome all shippers and non-shippers alike :)).  There will be naked favouritism and naked not-favouritism.  Broader comments at the end on plotlines and parallels and general direction.

At a museum, the magical knife is being examined by a Dr Winthrop.  Bruce says he wants to know as much about it as possible, and Alfred says he should have considered that before spending quite so much money on it. A boy around the same age as Bruce enters the room.  He’s much more childish than Bruce (not in a bad way, in an age-appropriate way), and very knowledgeable – given his analysis of the knife.

Alfred draws Bruce away and points out involving an ‘old geezer’ is one thing, but he’d also be endangering a young boy.  Bruce doesn’t care, though, and simply asks them both to keep this business secret.

(An aside – old people, apparently OK as collateral damage)

We move now to  a room in some abandoned warehouse  - upside down – which is reflective of the mental state of its inhabitant, Ed, who is labouring painfully over some riddles.  He’s frustrated and dishevelled.  He’s also constructed a revenge wall for Oswald. There’s a seeming lightbulb moment – and he pulls out a knife, stabbing a picture of Oswald.  

Tomorrow night is the night you die

(An aside – that’s a great picture of Oswald.  No wonder the citizens are all a bit taken with the dapper gangster who says that he alone can clean up the city).

 Back at the museum, Dr Winthrop has decoded some important information

He who rises from the waters, death shall not touch. With this sacred blade, final savage destiny earth quake, bloods flow, demons head, all tremble,  dogs and cats living together, etc etc.

Dr Winthrop and Alex talk about the knife, and the legend of a man who couldn't die: Ra's al Ghul. Apparently he was a warlord.  Winthrop says that the stories might just be stories, but that people are willing to kill for them, and that Bruce stumbled on something more dangerous than he imagined.

As they talk – we see R’as approaching the room

There’s a knock at the door and Winthrop sends Alex into the office with the knife and tells him to stay quiet.

Ra’s enters the room and smoothly introduces himself.  

(Just an aside at the point – his dialogue and manner of delivery are both so much better in this episode, I think.  It’s much lighter and more casual but – if anything – it makes him seem more dangerous. I think the slightly more overblown ‘fantasy’ style just seems daft.  Plus Ra’s has been a man of the world for a long time.  He knows how to adapt.)

Winthrop is suspicious. Ra's is making no effort to conceal himself, and shows off his age and knowledge. He says he's looking for a knife.  Winthrop claims that he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.  Ra’s smiles.

You know, the best liar I ever met ran a brothel in Shanghai. You knew she was lying but, you didn't care – you so badly wanted to believe her.

Glancing over Winthrop’s desk he sees a picture of Alex – and lifts his school hat.

The fire alarm rings suddenly – which also means the police will arrive.  Ra’s asks again about the knife – but getting no further, breaks Winthrop’s neck.  As he leaves the room, we pull away too – and see Alex hiding behind the doorframe, crying.

Back at the museum, we open on Winthrop’s corpse – cold and blue.  Jim is there.  Harper arrives.  Jim asks brusquely where Bullock is, and is told he’s taking a sabbatical.

(An aside – that’s odd that Jim didn’t know that – no?)

Jim’s assiness intensifies and he asks Harper if she’s babysitting him.  She asks him if he needs babysitting.  Apparently so – given that snit he just threw.

Glancing over the visitor logbook – Harper is about to tell us the last visitor was Bruce Wayne, when Jim beats her to it, spotting Bruce approaching over her shoulder.  

Bruce asks what happened, staring wide-eyed at the corpse.  Hayfever, Bruce.  A fatal attack.  What do you think happened?

Jim stops him approaching further and asks if they’d met.  Bruce seems a little discombobulated – but can still answer. He asks when he was killed, and also mentions Alex.  Harper says no-one mentioned a boy being here.  

Bruce quickly starts obsessing over the knife again.  Jim asks him what the knife is.  Bruce doesn’t answer, but says that he’ll come to GCPD as soon as possible.  Jim tells him that a man is dead, a child potentially missing, and this is no time to play detective. What does he know?

Bruce lies and says it’s a very old knife that he paid a lot of money for and wanted to know about, and mentions Barbara bidding on it.  Jim looks troubled.  He tells Harper to find Alex and tells Bruce to go home – he’ll deal with Barbara.

 Barbara's house.  She is looking at something we can’t see – apparently less than happy.  As Ra’s arrives, she needles him for being late.  He apologises, but smiles – pleased to see that his guests have arrived. Barbara doesn’t like them – but Ra’s points out they wouldn’t have been necessary if she’d got the knife.

He approaches the raised platform where Barbara displays guns, and we see a small Sandor Clegane lookalike, and someone Ra’s refers to as a dog – Anubis – but who actually turns out to be a man on a leash.  Ra’s tells him that he’ll let him kill the boy, and pets him like a dog.  That’s quite a lot of nope right there.

At the Iceberg Lounge, Oswald sits at his desk and stares at Ed’s bowler hat. It’s looking in good nick for being stored in ice.

Victor strolls in

Boss

Oswald shuts his eyes in irritation, and reminds him about the conversation they had about knocking. I’d happily trade any other storyline this season to see domestic life at the Iceberg Lounge.

Victor is completely unbothered by this.

Uh huh

It’s essentially like scolding a cat.  

He tells Oswald that ‘she’ is here.

Sofia enters the room. She’s not wearing the gangster get-up she wore to GCPD.  Instead, she’d gone for a much more demure and traditionally feminine outfit – a long-ish dress with a flared skirt.  The long gloves are just weird, though.  

Oswald smilingly welcomes her to Gotham – but he’s just about buzzing with repressed energy in that way that lets us know he’s on the edge of being very, very angry.

Sofia smiles innocently, and says that she learned from her father that when the King of Gotham summons you, then you go as requested.

Oswald asks after Carmine – but Sofia says they should address the elephant in the room.  She claims she’s here to administer to Falcone charities.  Oswald, however, is sceptical and hostile – and says he doesn’t see why these have to be handled in person.

Sofia says his concern is unfounded.  Oswald rises from his chair.  He tells her that her father taught him many things – one of which was a healthy paranoia. Some of Falcone’s old capos went underground.  They may have vanished, or may want a Falcone back.  He laughs

Who knows, but I hear your father’s voice whispering

He leans in close

Be careful now

He tells Sofia that is he finds this is a fool’s errand to reinstate her father then – he nods over to Victor, who quietly says

I'll stab you

Sofia rises and takes a few steps away.  She tells Oswald exactly what she told Jim about being sent away because Gotham was too dangerous, but feeling that it is her true home.  Her eyes have filled with tears.

Is that enough?

Oswald blinks and walks towards her.

Gotham -  mother to us all

He stands close behind her and looks at her side-on.  She can’t see him without turning round, and we see her eyes flickering – wondering if he’s convinced.

Oswald’s face clears

I think we have nothing to worry about.  Give my father your best

He does look after her as she leaves, though.

(Hmmm – ambiguity everywhere.  Oswald seemed reasonably convinced, but the look after her as she left would suggest that he’s not actually settled in his mind.  Sofia recycles the story she told Jim – which might just mean it’s the truth, much better to use the truth when possible if trying to deceive - but hearing it twice, worded identically, does mean the story now seems suspicious, too rehearsed, part of an act. Was she telling Jim the truth in the first place?)

Jim is at Barbara’s house. When he enters, there are lots of punk rockers hanging about, and White Rabbit is playing. 

Seated at her desk, Barbara is calmly playing patience.  She greets him in cool, measured tones.

Jim – what a lovely surprise

Jim gives his usual wary look of suspicion where Barbara is concerned, and comments that she seems to have landed on her feet as usual.

(An aside.  The only time I can think of Barbara seeming to have landed on her feet – would be when she opened Sirens with Tabitha.  Even then, I’m assuming that took work.  The rest of the time, she’s lurched from one disaster and one captor to the next.  Does Jim just try not to think about her attempted suicide or something?)

She smiles, and tells him that a woman has to stay busy.  Jim frowns, and says she seems different.

Do you like this me better?

Jim moves to safer territory and asks about the knife.  Barbara raises a wry brow – but says she was here with witnesses, and asks if they’re done. Jim bristles a little, and says they aren’t.  He wants to know who's bankrolling her.  She’s says it’s a client – but that, while tempting, she can’t give a name.

Bruce appears from nowhere, and mentions Ra’s name.  Barbara has her back to Bruce and Jim, but we see her eyes widen, and there’s a slightly wobble in her composure.  

Jim looks generally unsettled and hauls Bruce out

(An aside – there’s much more in this episode of Jim treating Bruce like a child. I think it works well.  Bruce is a child.  Alfred is way too acquiescent with him. Jim being willing to actually step up and tell him off adds something to their relationship.  It reminds us, too, that Bruce is a child – and lets Jim do something other than just being angry all the time).

Meanwhile, the music plays out, and Barbara turns over the King of Hearts.

(Another aside – I like Barbara’s newfound calmness.  I know some of it comes from Ra’s training/brainwashing/whatever – but I’d guess that Barbara’s upbringing and education must sure have drilled some of that cool composure into her?  The icy Betty Draper thing suits her well.  I know that type of demeanour is often represented as restrictive and repressed – but there’s a power in being able to embody it).

In the alley outside – Jim tells Bruce off for following him.  Bruce insists that he should have let him come with him.  Again, his tone and wording reminds us of his age.  Jim is angry – and asks Bruce who Ra’s is. Bruce starts a lie – but Jim sees through it and tells him to stop.  Bruce spills the beans.  

Jim asks why the knife is so important.  His phone rings – and Harper tells him that they can’t find the boy.  He tells her, meantime, to search for Ra’s.  Jim tells Bruce no-one saw Alex – he must be hiding and scared.  He tells Bruce if he wanted to play detective so bad – then he can help.  What was he wearing, what did he say – there must be something Bruce can give him?

(An aside – and again, much, much better characterisation for Jim here – reminding us that he is an actual detective.  He likes puzzles, he wants to solve things, he thinks.  Can we please have more of this Jim?)

Bruce remembers the room Alex said he was using at the library.  Jim says if he’s hiding, then he may not trust the police.  He takes Bruce with him to put Alex at ease. (Again – actual thought from Jim instead of just barrelling in.  I’m begging – please – more of this)

Oswald is seated at his desk, scowling at two men – sent by Ed – who are about to rap a riddle at him. Everyone saw this clip repeatedly – so I can spare my wrists.  Long story short: Ed’s riddle is dreadful, and Oswald resolves to go meet him and have him frozen again.  Victor is hot throughout.

Jim and Bruce are at the library looking for Alex.  Bruce convinces him to open the door to the private room – but he panics when he spots Jim. Bruce tells him that he can trust Jim, though.  

When we enter the room, we can see that Alex is pale and shaky and still plainly in shock.  He looks at Bruce.

It was the knife - did you know it was dangerous?

Bruce lies – and said that he didn’t.  Jim glances at him – plainly not very pleased – but doesn’t say anything.  

Jim promises he’ll protect Alex, but he says that the man (Ra’s) won't stop until he gets the knife. Bruce asks if he has the knife, but Alex says he hid it.

There’s sound of a commotion.  Jim tells Bruce to take Alex to the station.  As they run off, Jim walks through the library slowly, gun drawn. He’s pounced on suddenly by Anubis and Clegane.  He manages to fight the dog off.  He asks who sent them.  Clegane delivers a very long name.

Thanks for clearing that up.

Meantime, Anubis grabs and bites Alex – but is recused by Bruce.  Bruce – however – is nearly killed by Clegane – but Jim topples the bookcases and flattens him – at least temporarily, and yells at Bruce to run.

When Jim gets back to GCPD, though there’s no Bruce – and Harper can find no trace of Ra’s.  Just as she’s saying that, Ra’s himself shows up looking damn fine.  He claims to be the cultural attache to a small country (missed the name).  Jim has heard of this country, much to Ra’s surprise – and he invites him politely to speak in the Captain’s office, all discreet and smooth.

(Again – a broken record, but so much better.  I feel like any other week, Jim would have just growled at him and maybe swung a punch.  He’s not supposed to be a stupid man.  Please let him be smart more often)

When Ra’s enters the office, Jim quietly tells Harper that Barbara must have talked to Ra’s, and Ra’s now presumably thinking Alex gave Jim the knife.  He tells her to call Alfred to try and find Bruce and Alex.

In an abandoned something or other, Bruce is trying to treat Alex’s wound.  Alex is ashamed of being afraid, and of freezing when he was attacked. He wants to know how Bruce stops being scared.  Bruce says fear is normal, and that he froze when he saw his parents killed.  There’s nothing wrong with being afraid, and once you recognise it’s normal you can put it in its place – and then act and fight back.

Alex sits on a step and Bruce sits beside him.  He tells Bruce that he felt bad for Bruce when his parents died – and that all the kids talked about him.  Bruce asked what they said.  Alex said that he lives alone in a big mansion and doesn’t go to school, and flies around in a jet.  They made him sound weird.

Bruce looks sad and tired.

Maybe I am

Alex disagrees and tells him that he’s cool – and says that he (Alex) is weird.  He pauses, and then comments that Bruce is maybe a little weird too, he guesses.

Bruce smiles

Alex smiles too, and adds weirdly cool

They sit quiet for a moment, and then Alex says he’ll take Bruce to the knife.

 GCPD, where Jim offers Ra’s coffee.  Ra’s comments that they both know why he’s here.  He spins a nice story about how the knife is part of his country’s cultural heritage, but is politically loaded and sought-after – hence the discreet bidding. Unfortunately, Barbara failed to obtain it.

Jim listens.

Ra’s says that he understands there’s been a murder.  Jim, still watchful, tells him that it was the museum’s curator

That's awful

Ra’s says he will press a claim to the knife on behalf of his government.  Jim asks why the knife is so important.  Ra’s recounts the tale of the man who could not die, who committed terrible acts and raised a kingdom – but then vanished, promising to return when he had this knife.  He says it’s justa story – but meaningful to his people.

Jim frowns.  Ra’s smiles -and says he hopes this satisfies his curiosity.

Jim looks at him carefully and begins to speak.  He doesn’t bother hiding that he knows who Ra’s is -he’s trying to make a discreet deal/test Ra’s:

My chief concern is that the grandson of curator being hunted – maybe for the knife, or because the killer thinks he saw something

Ra’s smiles slightly

Did he?

Jim says no.  Ra’s sighs in mock relief

Well then - he's safe

Jim plays clever. He’d want assurance before releasing the knife.  Ra’s plays back – he wants to see the knife first.

Uh oh - here comes Alfred. He barges in yelling about Bruce and punches Ra’s as soon as he spots him.  Jim hauls him out of the room.  Alfred tells him that he doesn’t know what he has there.  Jim tells him he’s beginning to – but he needs time, and he needs time. Unfortunately, though, Harper calls his attention to the fact that Ra’s has already searched the bag and left. Jim tells Alfred they need to find Bruce.

The Falcone mansion, where three men – presumably the capos Oswald mentioned – are greeting Donna Falcone. She tells them she doesn’t want to be called that or hear from them.  They persist.  They want Falcone’s return, which they assume is coming now that she’s back.  They want to ‘put Penguin in his place’.  She tells them ‘this is Penguin’s city’ – just as Oswald arrives with Victor in tow.  He smiles – and asks Victor how many graves he dug

Two…but they’re roomy.

 Oswald and Sofia are alone in the room.  We see her flinch and tear up at the gunshots – presumably for show – as Oswald is watching her.  He smiles

There we are - paranoia put to rest

Sofia puts on a little act about being used – but if she’s as smart as she seems – then it’s likely she suspected Oswald would do this.  She says she was the worm on his hook

With one difference, my dear – the worm is usually eaten

She asks if he trusts her now, and he observes that she’s alive, isn’t she?  He advises she plant roses to cover the smell.  As he leaves, she makes an attempt to reel him back in. She says her father wouldn’t have killed those men.  If he’d been in Oswald’s shoes – then he’d have taken her to dinner, had them seen in public – show that he had old order support and then those men would have pledged loyalty – but now…they’re fertiliser.  Her father built on a strength of others.

Oswald watches her. It’s hard to say how much he’s just digesting this information, and how much he is also reassessing her.

Oswald smiles brightly

New city, new methods

And leaves

Sofia smiles slightly, seemingly satisfied, a tear rolling down her face.

Bruce and Alex back at the museum, where Alex hid the knife in plain sight.  He tells Bruce about the legend, and says that terrible things happen because of this knife – and says the man that killed him can’t have it. Bruce promises he won’t let him take it. They hear breaking glass and run.

It’s Clegane-lite and Anubis, hunting them down.

You know, Anubis is actually pretty slow – on account of the fact that we’re not designed to run about on all fours.  I can’t help but feel that an actual Doberman (which looks pretty Anubis-y) would have been better.

Back at GCPD, Jim can’t get through to the consulate and there’s still nothing from Bruce.  Alfred asks why Bruce was tagging along anyway. It’s a fair question – but a bit rich, given what Alfred has been allowing to go on lately.

Jim says Alfred doesn't get to lecture him on honesty.  Alfred weakly says it’s Bruce’s decision to tell – but Jim, rightly, points out that Alfred is Bruce’s guardian – he can violate privacy for safety. Alfred blusters about sticking to the point and asking what he’s doing to find Bruce.

They argue a bit more before somehow searching Alex’s bag again and figuring out where he likely is. Alfred is going to come, but Jim refuses:

The access I gave you depended on trust – you’ve not been honest with me.

He tells Harper that if Alfred tries to leave she should arrest him.  Alfred asks on what ground – and Jim says she’ll think of something.

 At the museum, Bruce and Alex are still hiding.  Bruce is sweating

Oswald is sitting in a booth at the club.  Ed didn’t show at the pier, and has sent another rap riddle.  It’s dreadful again

Honestly, that could be anything

Victor asks if they can’t just please torture them for information

Why not?

Oswald knocks back a stiff drink.

 Back at the museum, where dropping the knife alerts Anubis and Clegane-lite to Bruce and Alex’s location. They run – but Anubis has Bruce. Alex stops and looks back.  Jim arrives in the nick of time, though, and shoots – telling Bruce and Alex to run.

Jim takes on Clegane and Anubis and beats both, tossing a bone out the window for Anubis, and stabbing Clegane with a tusk, I think.

Bruce is still on the ground, coughing and rubbing his throat.  Jim looks at him

It’s time to tell me what going on

Excellent question, Detective

Ra’s approaches – and he has Alex, with a knife to his throat.

He tells Bruce to give him the knife and he’ll release Alex.  He grins mockingly down at him

You'd like that

Alex cries silently. Jim reaches out a hand to Bruce

Bruce - hand me the knife

Bruce doesn’t move. Jim repeats it.

Bruce - hand me the knife

Bruce still doesn’t do it – and Jim stares incredulously.  Bruce blurts out about Ra’s killing Alfred and bringing him back to life – and says that he can’t give it to him.  Jim tells him to hand it over now so Alex will be safe – that’s all that matters.

I can’t

Ra’s smiles – well-pleased by his refusal.

Well done, Bruce. You’re finally beginning to see things clearly.  The question is – are you strong enough?

He slits Alex’s throat. Bruce screams and rushes towards him, sobbing no.  (Not sure what you expected here, Bruce – the terms were pretty clear).

Ra’s lets his knife (the non-magical one) fall and drops to his knees.

Arrest me.

At GCPD, Bruce is seated by a table, crying.  Jim sits down alongside him and gently tells him Ra’s is at Blackgate.  He adds that he is a psychopath, and Bruce is not responsible for his actions.  Jim says he wants to help – but he needs something he can believe, not all the stuff with people coming back from the dead.

(An aside – has Jim forgotten Theo?)

Alfred snidely says perhaps Jim now understands why they held back.  Bruce doesn’t care, though.  He says it doesn't matter what they say – it’s all his fault.  Alex is dead because of him.

I killed him

Ed barges into a seemingly empty Iceberg Lounge, yelling that he waited again, but Oswald didn’t show. He must be a coward.  

Oswald walks into the room

I’m here.  I may be many things, but I’m not a coward.

(An aside – I do love Oswald.  He fucks up, and he does terrible things – but he’s more reflective than most, and open about who he is.)

He tells Ed his riddles suck – quoting one for good measure and telling him it simply describes a range of human behaviour.

(A random aside – Oswald’s limp looks particularly pronounced here.  But then, it seems he’s been particularly busy – so presumably it’s worse when he’s tired)

Ed flails – but Oswald says that he can't make riddles to save his ass anymore.  Myrtle was clearly right-  there’s something wrong with him.  He’s not smart anymore.

Ed says he is too smart: he’s the Riddler.  Oswald rolls his eyes, and asks how long it took him to come up with those riddles – which turns out to be an embarrassing 6 hours.  Oswald is incredulous – and asks if that sounds anything like the old him. Ed points out the damage might be due to being frozen in a block of ice.  Does he want an apology, or something?  He can whistle for that.

He aims a gun at Oswald as he walks away, and tells him he’s going to shoot him.  Oswald tells him he can never truly have revenge on him – because he’s not the man he froze at the pier anymore, only some diminished version. That Ed would have killed himself before writing those riddles.  In fact – he’s barely even Ed Nygma, because he’d have noticed something....

Ed frowns, confused

Doesn't it feel kind of chilly?

Victor Fries shoots the gun from Ed’s hand.  Oswald asks if he’d forgotten

My other Victor

(Hoarding all the hot Victors is greedy, Oswald)

Oswald says he’s going to put him on ice again.  Victor asks if he wants the same pose.  Ed puts his hands up defensively.

Got it  - same pose.

Ed hangs his head.

OK - Oswald.  I'm not the Riddler.  Just do it.

Oswald looks at him, considering.

I've changed my mind. I'm not going to freeze you.  I’d only be freezing Ed Nygma, who cares about that? Better revenge is having you live knowing you’re not him -  and never will be again.  

He smiles, settled.  

Goodbye Ed.

He walks away without a backward glance.

Ed’s been spared – but is still in turmoil – back to the question that continually gnaws at him, but worse now, with the loss of a crucial part of his identity.

Who am I?

Sofia is standing in front of the fireplace in an evening gown.  She’s recounting another tale about her father.  There’s a deliberate parallel here with how she played Oswald earlier that introduces a note of doubt into her interactions with Jim.  Is Oswald the only one she’s fooling?

She was 7 or 8 when she saw her father stab a man in the neck in this room who had been on his knees before him, begging for forgiveness.  The next morning, all the blood was gone, and they had breakfast at this table as though nothing had happened.

(An aside – I don’t know how they’ll develop the character, but given that she must have seen more than one terrible thing, there’s scope to make her an awful lot more unstable than she appears right now.)

She smiles.

You'd think I want to stay far away

But no – this house and the city are both in her veins.  This is her home.  

Jim comments that three of her father’s former associates have gone missing.  She says that Oswald used her as bait (although if Sofia is as smart as she claims, then she presumably knew this was what he was up to from the outset).

Jim is still keen to dish out more blame, though

And you let him

Sofia doesn’t let Jim away with his usual bullshit projecting, though.

Don't act the innocent, Jim.  You came to Carmine Falcone for help: you knew it was never going to be bloodless

Jim frowns.  He says she’s presumably going to get close to Oswald, gain his confidence, but….

What then?  I need to know what you're going to do

(An aside – This is the first time we see Jim seem uncertain about his scheme – seemingly squeamish about what Sofia’s eventual plans might be for Oswald.  He’s been rash and thoughtless, and the lesson Bruce learned earlier might just be scratching at the back of his head.  Oswald’s not an innocent by any stretch of the imagination – but Jim seemingly can’t actually bring himself to voice or accept the next logical step in Sofia’s plan – obvious as it might be: Oswald’s death.)

Sofia tells him that he doesn’t need to know.  If he wants the city back from Oswald, then she can give him that – but he has to trust her.

(An aside – and exactly how dumb is Jim if he thinks that Sofia’s going to meekly hand Gotham back to him and trot off back home after this?  This is just asinine).

For some reason, this motivates Jim to smash a glass and then push Sofia down onto the couch.  

(An aside – I’m… kind of mystified by that bit.  Was he just tense and angry and looking for a release?  Was it an assertion of control?  Was it a ploy to keep her unsure as to what he’ll do next – try and retain some power?  The reason I’m asking is because there just wasn’t really enough heat or chemistry there to justify the sudden sex.  If they’d been eyeing each other, and a definite indication of tension, then fair enough – but even Sofia looked startled by the sudden move.

 Ra's is being led into Blackgate.  He looks disgruntled until he gets close, and then we see him smile.

General Observations

 A strong episode – especially after last week’s mish-mash of storylines.

Bruce has been arrogant of late, rushing headfirst into dangerous situations, and not really caring too much who got hurt in the process. He hasn’t seemed to mind about worrying Alfred, and he glibly implicated Selina in his rooftop escapades.

That all came screeching to a halt this week, though.  He knowingly endangered both Alex and his grandfather in his need to learn more about the knife.  Even seeing the Dr Winthrop cold and blue on the museum floor wasn’t enough to deter him. Jim can try to make him feel better by saying that Ra’s is responsible for what happened – but that’s cold comfort to Bruce, because he knows he made the conscious choice that the knife was more important than Alex’s life.

Hard to say where he’ll go from this point.  He’ll presumably carry on – now feeling a sense of mission, that he owes it to Alex and his grandfather – but probably a bit more chastened and conscious of repercussions.

Jim is due a similar chastening.  When he and Sofia talk at the end of the episode, the blame for the death of Falcone’s three associates might be variously assigned to Oswald or Sofia – but it’s really Jim who has blood on his hands.  Sofia essentially says as much: Jim knew what he was going to get when he went to see Falcone, and he doesn’t get to act the innocent here.  

Jim assumes that Sofia is going to win Oswald’s confidence, but wants to know what will happen next. The logical answer, of course, is that she would kill Oswald and take power.  The fact that Jim is asking at all – I think – points to his first real misgivings.  His confrontations with Oswald so far have been noticeably childish, squabbling over who is seen as the protector of the city.  I don’t think that quite translates to wanting him dead, and I think that might prove to be a sticking point later on.

Or maybe I’m just a hopeless shipper….. :D

Sofia’s hard to read.  We’re in on the fact that she’s playing Oswald.  We’re not quite so clear as to what extent she’s playing Jim.  She told them both exactly the same thing: she belongs in Gotham, it’s her home, in her blood.  She gave them both little anecdotes about her father.  Both ended up letting her off the hook – albeit temporarily.

It’s interesting to wonder what shape her revenge might take – if that’s what she wants.  I’d say that getting Jim to do what Falcone couldn’t – put a bullet in Oswald’s head and become her GCPD stooge - might be a fair shout, but we’ll see.

I’m also interested to see exactly how stable she is.  Who knows exactly what she witnessed growing up.  

Oswald’s most important storyline this week was really his first interaction with Sofia.  His interactions with Ed were more about drawing a line under that aspect of their storyline. It was mostly played for laughs, and was drained of a lot of the angst and noise of s3.  

Not putting Ed back on ice really served two purposes.  First, yes – it is a much more perfect revenge.  Ed’s sense of who he is is something that troubles him at the best of times.  Now that he’s lost his defining characteristic – his distress and confusion is acute.  Secondly – it provides closure.  Keeping him on ice was metaphorical as well as literal: a state of endless limbo.  Oswald doesn’t need that anymore, and it was interesting that he walked away without even a backward glance.

As for his conversations with Sofia – it’s hard to tell how successful her many ruses are.  There are a few moments where he looks at her very hard. I suspect she’ll gain the upper hand, mostly because ‘Oswald fails due to hubris’ basically seems to be a pattern now – but hopefully they’ll try to keep it even-handed and ambiguous up until that point.  Partly because it’s entertaining, but also because – come on – Oswald worked for Fish Mooney.  I’m not buying that he’d fall hook, line and sinker for this. He’s smarter than that.

Thoughts?