Gotham Episode Recap, Season 1 Episode 8: The Mask

Episode Recap of Gotham, Season 1 Episode 8: The Mask

The episode opens in an empty office building, where two masked men fight to the death with only materials taken from the office desks. One man emerges victorious. The next day, Gordon and Bullock find the body of the dead man in an industrial area. Ed finds a severed finger inside the man’s mouth.

Cobblepot is walking down the street and comes across a woman wearing a brooch, which he steals from her and gives to Fish Mooney as a gift of friendship. When they meet, Cobblepot tells her that Maroni wants to clarify terms, and that there is to be no blood spilled on either side. When she opens the gift, she uses the brooch’s fastener to stab Cobblepot’s hand. She is still angry at him for betraying her, and says that Falcone wanting peace is the only reason that Cobblepot is still alive.

Alfred drops Bruce off for his first day back at school, despite Bruce’s protests.

Gordon questions the mother of the dead man, Coleman, who had a clean history and worked in a coffee shop. He had been looking for a job in finance.

Cobblepot gives the brooch to his mother, who notices the wound on his hand. He says that telling the boss on this person won’t help. She tells him the story of how she got back at someone. Then it seems she has caught a rat in a rat trap that she has been trying to catch, and makes a comment that she has found out its secret. Cobblepot gets an idea, saying that everyone has a secret.

Bullock and Gordon visit a black market doctor for info about a guy that came in missing a thumb. He gives them a business card for Sionis Investments that dropped out of the guy’s pocket. Gordon brings him in because they caught him in a lie, which angers Alvarez because he had a deal with the doctor. Gordon’s still upset for all the other cops walking out on him. Bullock tries to convince Gordon to play nice. However, Gordon refuses to let the doctor out.

When Gordon returns home, Barbara gets scared and pulls a gun on him, not realizing it’s him. She’s still traumatized from her experience. He tries to comfort her.

At the office building from the beginning of the episode, a few men are standing in cages, and handed masks.

The next day, Ed Nygma begins to examine Coleman’s dead body, until he is caught by the coroner, who kicks him out.

At school, two of Bruce’s classmates ask him about his parents’ murder, but Bruce doesn’t want to talk about it, and walks off.

Liza goes into a confessional booth at a church, where she meets with Mooney. Liza reports that she only cooks and sings for Falcone, and goes on walks with him. Mooney directs her to copy the last two pages from a ledger in the desk of Falcone’s private office. She says it will be locked, and that Liza will need the key from his key ring. Mooney also gives her a vial that will cause him to sleep for 2 hours.

Gordon and Bullock visit Sionis Investments, and notice that all of the employees seem to have bruises on their faces. They meet with the owner, Richard Sionis, whose office is decorated with samurai warrior paraphernalia. He denies knowing who Coleman is. When Gordon accuses him of murdering Coleman, he replies “Prove it.”

When Gordon walks out into the hallway, he notices a trail of blood on the floor, and follows it into the bathroom with his gun drawn. He finds a guy cleaning up his bloody nose. Just then, another guy comes out of a stall with his hand bandaged. Gordon tells the guy not to move, but he barrels into Gordon, and punches him. When he tries to run out the bathroom door, he runs into the door as Bullock enters the bathroom, and the guy falls unconscious on the floor.

At school, the boys from earlier confront Bruce and the main boy makes fun of him for being an orphan. The boy begins to mention Bruce’s mother, which causes Bruce to get angry and slap him across the face.

Cobblepot has Mooney’s new umbrella holder, Timothy, brought to him for questioning. But first, he has his guys beat him up.

Gordon and Bullock bring in Adams, the guy from Sionis Investments, for questioning, since they know it was his thumb that was in Coleman’s mouth. Adams claims it was self-defense. It turns out that as part of the hiring process, Sionis told the top three candidates to fight it out, though it wasn’t supposed to be a fight to the death. The fight was at an old office building, though he doesn’t know where, because he was blindfolded and brought there. Ed Nygma comes in and reports that he did his own examination of the body, and that the man was killed in an office. He also reports that there have been 4 bodies killed with office supplies in the last 3 years. Adams’s lawyer shows up before Adams can sign his statements, and prevents him from saying anything further.

Captain Essen and Gordon discuss the fact that the city changed for the worse when the Waynes were killed, because they represented a different Gotham. Essen apologizes for not staying when Zaz came.

A frazzled Bruce rushes outside the school, where Alfred is waiting to pick him up. Alfred notices the bruise on his chin, and Bruce asks him not to tell the school about him fighting.

Gordon and Bullock split up to investigate the numerous abandoned office buildings owned by Sionis.

Liza prepares Falcone’s tea, and is interrupted right as she’s about to pour the sleeping solution in, causing her to spill over half of it. When she is alone again, she pours the rest of it in.

Gordon takes a look around an abandoned office building and finds the guys trapped in the cages. Richard Sionis comes up behind him and tazes him in the neck, knocking him out.

Selina Kyle pops out from an underground compartment with some fur coats she has just stolen. Unfortunately, a couple of cops are standing right there.

Alfred brings Bruce to the home of the boy who was picking on him. He gives Bruce his father’s watch. When the boy answers the door, Bruce punches him in the face several times, wearing the watch on his knuckles. Alfred walks up right then, and the boy complains that Bruce tried to kill him. Alfred tells him to remember that next time, and also to remember that he let him do it.

Gordon wakes up in the office building. Sionis explains to the three masked candidates that whoever kills Gordon gets the job, and a million dollar signing bonus. Back at Sionis Investments, the employees are watching the video feed of the fight.

Bullock is worried about the fact that he can’t get in contact with Gordon, so he asks around the police station for help checking out the addresses. However, no one seems to be interested in helping Gordon, so Bullock yells at everyone, reminding them that not one of them stood up to help him when he needed it. The Captain volunteers to help check addresses, which leads to other officers stepping up.

Back at the office building, Gordon is able to knock out all three of the guys. But Sionis comes at him wearing his samurai mask and waving around a samurai sword. However, Gordon is able to get the sword from him, and holds the sword above Sionis, ready to stab him — but he decides not to. Just then, Captain Essen and another officer show up. While Gordon’s back is turned, Sionis tries to sneak up on him with the sword, but Essen warns him just in time. Gordon turns around and punches Sionis square in the jaw, knocking him out.

At Mooney’s club, she is listening to an old woman singing. Liza shows up and tells her that she wants out. Mooney tells her the story of when she was a little girl and lived in a one bedroom apartment with her mother, where her mother would entertain men. One night, one of Falcone’s men killed her mother because he was dissatisfied with the service. Mooney remained hidden until morning. She made a promise to herself never again be powerless, and never again let any man be over her. Liza gives the copies of the pages to Mooney, who says this is a thread that if she pulls, Falcone will come undone. Mooney promises that she won’t let anything happen to Liza, and makes her tell her that she believes her.

Cobblepot questions Timothy, who he has hanging upside down. Cobblepot finds out that Mooney has someone close to Falcone. Then he has his guys kill Timothy.

Back at the police station, Gordon thanks Bullock for having his back. Gordon says that he doesn’t love fighting, but he’s not afraid to, and that if they don’t fight for the city, who will? He says he won’t stop, and that he will get the mayor, Falcone, and every dirty cop.

Over at Mooney’s place, the old woman approaches Mooney and tells her that she heard her telling Liza stories. Mooney replies that a lie with the heart of truth is a powerful thing. It seems like the old woman is her mother.

Jim tries to call Barbara, but she ignores the call, and he gets the answering machine, as she leaves the apartment and and leaves behind a note with his name on it. Just then, Alvarez reports to Gordon that a kid who claims to know him was brought in on breaking and entering charges, and had done a pretty professional job. It’s Selina Kyle.

At the Wayne mansion, Bruce tells Alfred that he enjoyed hurting the boy. He asks if his anger will ever go away, but Alfred says he doesn’t know. Bruce then asks Alfred to teach him how to fight, and Alfred agrees to do so.