Check out Violet’s recap of Episode 20 of Gotham, titled Under the Knife, where Gordon continues to investigate the Ogre while trying to protect his loved ones. Following the recap, both Violet and Josh share their thoughts about the episode!
Don’t need the Gotham episode recap for Under the Knife? Click here to jump directly to Violet’s thoughts on the episode!
To see Josh’s thoughts on this week’s Gotham episode, Under the Knife, click here to get directly there!
Episode Recap of Gotham, Season 1 Episode 20: Under the Knife
Bruce Wayne, Selina Kyle, and Barbara Keen
Selina justifies killing Reggie to Bruce, saying that she saved his life by doing so. Bruce says they still need to figure out who Bunderslaw is and what he wants, though. Bruce says that any secrets Bunderslaw has would be in his safe at Wayne Enterprises. Selina says she’ll steal the key if he can figure out a way for her to get close. She also demands that he not tell anyone about what happened.
In the meantime, Barbara meets the Ogre at a nightclub, and brings him back to her place. While her back is turned, he pulls a knife to kill her, but then changes his mind when he finds out she’s no longer with Gordon. He offends her, and she asks him to leave.
Over at Wayne Mansion, Alfred is up and about. Bruce informs him that he is planning on attending the Wayne Enterprises Charity Ball with Selina. Alfred says he’ll wait in the car while they’re at the ball. Bruce has him send some dresses and shoes to where Selina’s been staying.
At Barbara’s place, she is surprised to hear that Selina is also going to be at the Wayne Enterprise Charity Ball. Just then, Selina’s delivery of dresses and shoes arrive. A little while later, Bruce shows up at the door to pick Selina up for the ball.
At the ball, Bruce and Selina dance, and are on the lookout for Bunderslaw. Bruce chastises Selina for what she did, and he says that’s a line he’ll never cross. They spot Bunderslaw, and Bruce introduces herself to him. While they talk, Selina pickpockets his key and makes a mold of it, then slips the keys back into his pocket.
The Ogre shows up at the ball and finds Barbara. They dance, and he confesses that he made a $10,000 to get an invitation to the ball just so he could see her there. He apologizes for the way things ended the night before. He says he can relate to what she had said about people running screaming from her, and says he knows what it’s like to be one person on the inside and have the world see another. He tells her that the person he is now, he brought into being, and that he can do the same for her. She agrees that she is tired of playing games and hiding. He takes her back to his place, and shows her his torture chamber.
Gordon and Bullock Investigate the Ogre
Meanwhile, Gordon is frantic to find Dr. Thompkins before the Ogre gets to her. He goes to her apartment and warns her about the serial killer, saying that he kills the loved ones of any cops who investigate him. He tells her she needs to leave Gotham, but Lea says she’s going to stay and do her job.
Gordon and Bullock meet up with the detective who first investigated the Ogre. The detective is afraid to help, saying that the Ogre killed his wife, and he still has a daughter. But Gordon guilts him into helping, and he says that the first victim was a nurse at a private medical clinic, a cosmetics place. Gordon and Bullock head there. Unbeknownst to them, the Ogre is tailing them.
Gordon and Bullock question a doctor at the clinic about the nurse who had been murdered, Julie Kimball, and says she was new and had been recommended by a patient, though he won’t give them the patient’s name without a warrant. When they go back outside, Gordon recognizes the Ogre’s car as having been in front of the precinct earlier, and then the Ogre tries to run them over as he drives away.
When they return to the police station, Gordon gets a phone call from the Ogre, who threatens to kill someone he loves. In response, Gordon holds a press conference to let the public know about the Ogre.
Bullock hears from the doctor at the clinic that the nurse had been referred by Constance Van Groot, an old woman belonging to one of Gotham’s richest families. They think she may have had a son, and head over to her house. When they arrive, they find a man trying to hang himself. They rescue him, and cuff him. There are several pictures of the man and his son, but the son’s face has been scratched out in all of them. They soon discover Miss Van Groot’s dead body in her bed, and realize that she has been dead for years.
At the police station, Gordon and Bullock question the Ogre’s father. He tells them how his son thought that he was Miss Van Groot’s secret son, and she led him on. When he confronted her demanding to have her last name and to put him in the Will, she laughed at him and said it was all a joke — so he killed her. His father helped cover it up. However, his father hasn’t seen him since he killed Miss Van Groot. He only heard from him today when his son called to say the police would be coming. The father is amused to hear that the police think his son could seduce and kill women, and show them pictures of his son’s face.
Gordon goes back to the clinic to question the doctor, showing him a picture of the man they suspect is the Ogre. The picture is of a man with a deformed face. The doctor confirms that he operated on him.
Gordon and Bullock report their findings about the Ogre to the Captain. They don’t have a current picture, merely a sketch that the doctor had done. Gordon suddenly realizes that the newspaper article that the Ogre had referred to on the phone had a picture of him in which he was not alone — Barbara was in the picture with him. He immediately rushes over to Barbara’s place. Selina answers the door, and tells him Barbara left with some guy from the Wayne ball. Gordon shows her the sketch, and she says she thinks that was the guy.
Riddle Man
Back inside the police station, Ed walks in on Miss Kringle and her boyfriend kissing. After Officer Dougherty leaves, Ed notices bruises on Miss Kringle’s arm. Although Miss Kringle confirms that her boyfriend did it, she defends him.
Ed confronts Officer Dougherty about what he did to Miss Kringle. However, he doesn’t seem remorseful at all, and doesn’t take Ed’s threats seriously. That night, Ed waits in his car outside of Miss Kringle’s home. When he sees Officer Dougherty approach, he tells him to leave Miss Kringle alone, and demands that he leave Gotham. Dougherty punches Ed in the gut. Then Ed stabs him to death.
Cobblepot and Maroni
Over at Cobblepot’s nightclub, he asks a hitman to help him kill Maroni and his crew. The man tells Cobblepot to come by the bar the next day to talk details.
Maroni and his crew show up at Cobblepot’s nightclub. It seems that Maroni has been flirting with Cobblepot’s mother.
Maroni is unsure whether it’s an act or if Cobblepot’s mother is really that stupid to believe her son is merely a nightclub owner. He tells her that her son is a psychopath who has killed people. Cobblepot denies it. Maroni causes Cobblepot’s mother to go into hysterics, and leaves, threatening to dump Penguin’s lifeless body in the river.
Cobblepot takes his mother home, and she demands to know the truth. He insists that he is just a nightclub owner. She seems to know he has lied to her. Just then, there’s a delivery of flowers from Maroni to Cobblepot’s mother. Cobblepot kills the delivery guy.
Violet’s Thoughts on Season 1 Episode 20 of Gotham: Under the Knife
Well, we all knew it was coming. Since we know that eventually Barbara and Jim end up getting married, we knew that this separation between the two couldn’t last forever. They’d have to get back together at some point. It looks like this is how they’re going to do it, with the Ogre going after Barbara, and Gordon’s feelings for her being rekindled when he has to save her. Ugh. Have I mentioned that I don’t like Barbara? I have? Okay, good. Have I mentioned that I really like Lea, and that I especially like her and Gordon together? Yeah? Well, I still hold that sentiment. They have great chemistry together, and I especially liked the scene when Gordon told Dr. Thompkins that he loved her, in his very Gordon-like way. Awww! If they’re going to have Gordon and Barbara get back together, they better kill Lea off. Not that I want her to die, obviously, but I really would not be able to buy Gordon picking Barbara over Lea at this point.
So, what’s the deal with the Ogre and Barbara anyway? It kind of feels like he’s recruiting her to help him or something. She definitely did not seem afraid when she saw his torture chamber. What did he whisper in her ear? It doesn’t seem like he means her any harm, and that he feels like they are just alike. But is it all just a ruse to gain her trust, so that he can then later kill her? I’m not really sure what his angle is.
We also got to see the beginnings of The Riddler, with Ed killing Officer Dougherty. Up until this point, Ed has been weird, but he’s always been a straight shooter, a square. Now that he has killed, how quickly will he go off the hinges? Will he try to go back to normal, or has a switch been flipped, and he will continue down this path of crime? Right now, I’m not sure what else he would do, as the reason for the murder was to protect the woman that he loves. Who else would he go after?
I must admit, Gotham has gotten my attention back with this introduction of the Ogre, and the continuing storyline involving him. I’m actually looking forward to the next episode and seeing what happens next!
Josh’s Thoughts: Gotham, Season 1 Episode 20: Under the Knife
So it looks like this episode kind of confirmed one of my theories. Barbara looks like she might be in some trouble. I am curious to know if ‘The Ogre” has figured out who Barbara is yet. It seems pretty coincidental that He takes up with Barbara right when Gordon gets involved with the case. I am curious to see what happens in that room. To me it doesn’t seem like he has intent to kill her, or maybe it is more than Barbara doesn’t realize what truly will go on in this room. It was a creepy scene though, as Barbara did not have a big reaction to the scene at all.
I am wondering if perhaps Dr. Thompkins might be in trouble still though. Could this be like Batman Forever, where Gordon (rather than Batman) has to choose who lives or dies? That could be an interesting play. It is pretty obvious that she and Gordon are an item considering how he and she kissed right before Gordon’s news conference. That might change how our serial killer decides to mess with Gordon.
I have to say this mini-story arc has been pretty entertaining. I am hoping we get a showdown between Gordon and the Ogre. I want to see if he is as menacing as he seems when Gordon is involved.
Much of the rest of the episode was kind of “meh” to me. It is pretty interesting that we are getting the origin to the Bat Cave. I wonder how much will be going on down in the basement. Hopefully that is pretty interesting.
Scenes from Gotham, Season 1 Episode 21: The Anvil or the Hammer
Here are scenes from the next episode of Gotham,titled The Anvil or the Hammer:
