Gotham: Review: Series 1 Episode 12: What the Little Bird Told Him

Jim Gordon goes for broke in his hunt for the Electrocutioner, and Fish makes her play…

If you’re a fan of Selina Kyle, Bruce Wayne, or Alfred, then this isn’t the episode for you. All three are conspicuous by their absence, and to be honest the episode benefits from a tighter focus. There is a short scene with Barbara, which feels like filler (but probably isn’t). Otherwise, not a moment of the hour is wasted.

The two main plotlines only briefly intersect – and perhaps not surprisingly, the Penguin is the common factor between the two. Jim pushes the Commissioner into giving him time to capture the escapees from Arkham Asylum, and Harvey isn’t best pleased to be caught up in his plans. This leads to some nice scenes in the precinct, since Jim’s plan involves using Maroni as bait, and there is actually a laugh aloud moment towards the end of the episode, which is probably no bad thing given what follows.

The Fish versus Falcone plotline comes to head finally, with Penguin – the little bird of the title – making Fish finally pay for his humiliation. Be warned – there is an extremely unpleasant moment at the end of the episode, as Falcone takes revenge very personally, but it’s a moment that reminds us (as well as his own people) clearly why he is where he uis

Verdict: A strong episode that does alter the set up quite considerably. 8/10

Paul Simpson