Now a man in Maroni's organization, Oswald strolls down the streets of Gotham.
When Fish learns that Oswald is alive, she tells Butch to bring her Jim Gordon because he didn't kill Oswald as ordered.
In the GCPD locker room, Jim tries to reach Barbara to tell her to get
out of town. Harvey comes in and punches his partner, furious that he
lied to him. he draws his gun and says that his best bet is to kill Jim
and hope Falcone takes mercy on him. Jim assures Harvey that he has a
plan to make things right but needs his help. Two cops arrive,
distracting Harvey, and Jim knocks his partner to the floor and asks
again for his help. Harvey refuses and tells Jim that he'd better hope
that he never sees him again.
Butch and his thug go to
Barbara's apartment and take her prisoner. When she wonders why they
want her, Butch explains that Jim was supposed to kill someone but
didn't, and she realizes that he's referring to Oswald. Jim comes in,
gun drawn, and orders the two thugs out of the apartment. He tells them
to drop their guns and Butch does so, but warns that they're going to
kill Barbara as well as punishment for Jim making things tough on them.
Jim shoots the other man in the leg and punches Butch unconscious, and
tells his fiancée that they have to go. They go to the bus station and
Jim tells Barbara that he'll meet her in a few days. She doesn't want to
go without him, but Jim says that he has to make things right and then
he'll join her. He tells Barbara not to come back to Gotham if he fails
and gets her onto the bus. He then goes back to the station and everyone
stares at him as he gets some blank warrants.
Falcone meets
with his people at a warehouse and tells Fish that they're not going to
start a war over Oswald. He wonders why Oswald is so valuable, and Fish
gives him a vague answers about the snitch knowing too much. Falcone
tells her to ask Maroni to hand Oswald over, before considering harsher
measures. Nikolai objects, saying that they should hit and hit hard, but
Falcone refuses. Fish then informs her boss that Jim has gone back to
work like normal and suggests that she bring him in. Falcone tells her
to send Victor Zsasz instead and makes it clear that it's not a request
and then goes back to checking on chickens. As Fish and Nikolai walk
away, Nikolai fondles Fish and she reminds him that Falcone is still
there. Unimpressed, Nikolai dismisses their leader as an old man, but
Fish worries that he knows something. She admits that her infiltrator,
Liza, has yet to go to bed with Falcone but Nikolai doesn't see any
cause for concern.
Essen asks Jim why he's there, and he tells
the captain that he plans to arrest Falcone and Mayor James for
conspiracy in the murder of the Waynes. He figures that they're going to
kill him anyway so he might as well make them pay. Essen warns him that
no DA will prosecute the men and no one on the force will back his
play... including her. Jim says that he understands that she doesn't
want to put her family in danger, but refuses to leave the city where he
grew up and where his father served.
Victor and two henchwomen
come in and Victor tells the squad room that Falcone sent him to bring
Jim in. He then calls to Jim, saying that he's supposed to take him
alive, but Jim refuses to go. The killer orders all of the policemen out
and they quickly leave. Essen hesitates and Jim tells her to go as
well. Once she leaves, Jim fires on Victor, who jumps for cover and then
returns fire. One of them shoots Jim in the side as he runs to the
stairway door. Jim gets to the parking garage and tries to hide, but
Victor closes in on him by following the blood trail. A uni comes in and
demands to know what they're doing, and all three killers shoot at her.
Jim runs for the entrance but Victor shoots him in the back. As he
moves in, Crispus and Renee drive in, provide cover fire, and then drive
off with Jim. Furious, Victor kills the wounded uni and then takes out a
knife and carves a notch into his arm, saying that makes 28.
When Jim wakes up, he finds himself at the university in the dissection
lab. Dr. Leslie Thompkins. She says that she's friend with Renee and
Crispus, and they brought Jim to her because they couldn't go to a
hospital. Jim insists on leaving and Leslie calls Crispus over, but he
sides with Jim.
Fish meets with Maroni at Bamonte's and orders
him to hand Oswald over. When she says that it's a matter of respect,
Maroni calls Oswald out and makes him apologize. Oswald is glad to
oblige, but Fish realizes that Maroni is toying with her and says that
they'll have war. As she goes, Oswald promises to make Oswald suffer.
A short time later, Butch and his men capture a group of nuns walking
on the street. They then chain them up across a road beneath a bridge,
forcing a Maroni arms-smuggling truck to come to a halt. Butch's men
capture the drivers and take the cargo, and Butch orders the drivers to
pass on the message that Maroni isn't moving anything past the bridge
until he hands Oswald over. Maroni soon hears about the incident but
refuses to hand Oswald over, figuring that he must be valuable to
Falcone. Frankie suggests that they negotiate and Oswald agrees,
figuring that Maroni won't give in. He's right, and tells Maroni that he
knows just where they can hit Falcone back.
That night, Renee
and Crispus take Jim to Wayne Manor. While Renee and Jim wait in the
car, Renee apologizes for misjudging Jim. He accepts her apology and
they shake, and he assures Renee that Barbara is unharmed. Alfred drags
Crispus back, having capture d him, and Jim explains their situation.
They go inside and Jim warns Bruce that he might not be able to keep his
promise to find his parents' killer. If he fails then he promises Bruce
that Crispus and Renee will continue with the investigation. Bruce
thanks them and then hugs Jim.
The next day, Oswald takes
Frankie and two of Frankie's men to a warehouse where Nikolai is
distributing drugs. They blast down the door and go in shooting, killing
Nikolai and his men. Frankie punches Oswald in the gut, figuring that
he's a snitch. He suggests that he could easily shoot him and claim to
Maroni that Oswald was hit in the crossfire. Oswald calmly tells Frankie
that everyone has a love that can be used against them, and Frankie's
weakness is his love of money. The other two men grab Frankie and Oswald
explains that it all it took was a decent wage offer to the men to
convince them to switch sides. Oswald then kills Frankie with a knife,
kissing him gently on his head as he bleeds to death.
Later,
Falcone and Maroni arrange a meeting on the docks. Falcone says that
they should end their differences, and demands one of Maroni's dockside
warehouses in lieu of Oswald. Maroni refuses until Oswald steps forward
and whispers in his ear. Maroni then offers the Indian Hill warehouse.
Fish confirms that it's in the Arkham toxic waste dump, on top of an old
Indian burial ground. She advises against taking it, but Falcone
figures that it must be something if Maroni is offering it. He accepts
Maroni's offer and the two dons hug. Before he goes, Maroni wishes
Falcone luck in finding Jim.
Jim goes back to Barbara's
apartment and checks every gun that he has. A drunken Harvey arrives
with a prostitute, Marsha, and tells Jim that he's going to back his
play because he's doomed no matter what. Jim tells. Jim explains his
plan to arrest James and Falcone for framing Pepper. Harvey figures that
he's nuts but agrees to the plan and goes to join Marsha in the
bedroom.
The next day, Jim and Harvey intercept James as he
gets in his limo. They drive to Falcone's estate and the mayor has no
choice but to talk his way in. Once inside, Harvey captures Falcone's
guards while Jim serves Falcone with a warrant. Falcone warns them that
they're dead men but the detectives don't care... until Falcone tells
Jim that he has Barbara as a hostage. Jim doesn't believe him but
Falcone explains that Barbara returns to Gotham to plead for Jim's life.
When Jim demands proof that Falcone has Barbara, the don refuses,
saying that he wants Jim to trust him. Harvey figures that Falcone is
lying, but the don swears that he's telling the truth.
In the
kitchen, Liza is making muffins while Victor watches Barbara. He's
disappointed when Falcone calls to tell him to bring her to the study.
When he does, Barbara goes to Jim and Falcone wonders what he should do
with them. He points out that Jim accepted his word and that's a good
first step, and lets them go over Victor's objections. Jim wonders what
the catch is, and Falcone merely tells him to realize that he's right
about how Gotham needs a man like him to keep the city under control.
When they get back to her apartment, Barbara apologizes for coming back to Gotham against Jim's wishes, and he kisses her.
Falcone has a meal with Liza and apologizes for her having to see the
rough side of his business. He then goes out to chicken coop, and Oswald
comes up behind him... and then announces his presence. Falcone hugs
him and says that he was thinking about the night they met.
On
the night that Falcone stopped Butch from killing Oswald, Jim, and
Harvey, he spoke with Oswald privately. Oswald asks Falcone to let Jim
kill him, and will gamble his life that Jim won't kill him. If Jim
spares him, then Oswald promises to infiltrate Maroni's organization and
switch for Falcone. To prove he can deliver, Oswald tells Falcone a
valuable secret: Fish and Nikolai are lovers, and plans to oust Falcone
and take his place. Once that happens, Fish will kill Nikolai and rule
Gotham. Falcone concedes that the information is valuable and agrees to
Oswald's terms.
Falcone is impressed that everything
worked out exactly as Oswald planned, but wonders if it's a mistake to
let Jim live. Oswald assures him that he will convince Jim to switch
sides.
Written by Gadfly on Jun 26, 2019