Gotham 4x5 : The Blade's Path review

Be warned there will be *SPOILERS* involved in this review. With that being said let's get into it.

We start off this week's episode seeing the former Butch being wheeled out of Gotham City hospital because as the workers put it they have to make room for other patients given that Butch hasn't woken up since he arrived. They drive to Slaughter Swamp (nice nod to the comics) where they dump his body into the water and later he emerges as Solomon Grundy. I thought this wasn't going to work at all at first but man does Drew Powell pull it off well. He comes out of the water to find some homeless guys singing the Grundy nursery rhyme, he proceeds to beat them up before taking some of their clothes, he eventually hears the nursery rhyme and from that Grundy is born. This was a nice way to introduce Solomon Grundy as it was very comic book like. More on Grundy later.

Onto Bruce and we see him in Wayne Manor still examining the knife belonged to Ra's we learn that Bruce has been barely eating or sleeping the past week. That's such a Batman thing to do. He will not rest until he learns exactly what is happening and why. Bruce still blames himself for Alex's death in last week's episode as him Alfred and Jim go to his funeral to pay their collective respects. Bruce overhears Alfred and Jim talking so he decides to sneak into Blackgate with the knife to finish Ra's once and for all. Obviously this doesn't go as planned as Ra's knows Bruce's almost every move and has him taken to the lower levels of Blackgate where they debate about Ra's and how he needs Bruce to kill him to become his heir. We even see Ra's true form and it was hauntingly scary. Skin falling apart, and just an overly look of absolute tiredness from living so long. This next part really threw me as Bruce flat out murders Ra's with the knife. Yes that's right Bruce broke his rule and just straight up murdered somebody. I did not like this AT ALL. Bruce doesn't kill, and I don't care if he isn't Batman yet he made a vow last season after the whole Jerome scenario to never cross that line and he just crossed it here. Poor execution and overall just poor writing by the Gotham writers room. Ra's body turns to skeleton and that's him gone or is it? as earlier he was talking to Barbara and he seemed to somehow transfer some of his energy to her. I don't know what is going to happen but I'm interested to find out. 

More onto Grundy now and he bumps into Ed as he leaves a chemist while looking for something to kickstart his brain again. Poor Ed fooled by a simple doctor. He really has lost his marbles. Grundy hits Ed on the head and takes him to an alleyway where they talk about some stuff. Complete with Grundy saying ''You know Grundy? you must be his friend'' I already love the Grundy character and can't wait to see more of him this season. Him and Ed enter a fighting ring at the end of the episode to make some money and we see that Lee is the doctor there so I guess this is how those 3 become a little group in Gotham. Each helping one another which will definitely be interesting to see. 

We learn more of Sofia Falcone's plan and it involves buttering up Penguin, even going as far as to act like his mother which was a bit odd. I have no idea what her end goal is but surely it has to be her becoming the Queen of Gotham. Her character really isn't doing anything for me though. And the actress is just average at best. The way she acts seems almost a bit too childish at times and I heard somewhere that every show she's been on has gotten cancelled soon or shortly after she comes onto it. Hopefully this isn't the case with Gotham. Penguin deserves a better storyline than this right now in my opinion. Also side note where is Ivy gone? she hasn't been seen since she drank all those potions. And Mr Freeze are we ever going to get proper character development for him? he's such a cool character (pun intended) that's backstory should be expanded upon. He shouldn't be a henchman for Penguin he should be his own man. Capable of really troubling Gotham. But that's just me nit picking like I always do with this show.

This episode apart from the Grundy stuff and Bruce killing Ra's was entirely forgettable. Honestly I had very high hopes for Gotham this season but ever since Scarecrow left it's just been average at best. Next week looks good though as Professor Pyg is coming which should be a unique episode to say the least. C'mon Gotham I know you're better than this!!

★★★