Gotham 4x18 : That's Entertainment review

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

Where to even begin with this week's Gotham? the show has always been crazy and not afraid to hold back on things but this episode just takes the cake (in the best way possible) It begins as we see the newly elected Mayor meeting with some other elite members of Gotham's board. This is short lived however as Mr Freeze and the Mad Hatter enter the room taking the mayor hostage in the process. Side not I like how Mr Freeze has a now more slightly robotic voice it's a nice little touch. Freeze and Hatter take the mayor to a van located outside the building and inside lay Jerome and his crew including Penguin (more on him later), Scarecrow and Firefly. More hostages get taken to the same van soon after and this is when the episode really kicks into gear as Jerome has Scarecrow hit one of the victims with the same gas that we saw end last week's episode. Of course she goes completely bonkers leading to Jerome's now famous laugh. A hilarious way to start the episode indeed. 

It's Bruce Wayne's birthday. Happy Birthday Master B and Alfred invites him to a garage where he tells him how proud of him that he is and how far he's come. This leads to Alfred presenting Bruce with his very own car. Complete with a high quality engine bulletproof exterior and yes it comes in black. First thing that sprung to mind right away is that this is the prototype Batmobile and it's absolutely perfect. Back at Wayne Manor later and Selina shows up to join in on Bruce's cake celebration. She says she never knew it was his birthday but it's obvious to both the viewer and Bruce that she did. I always love watching these two together on screen it's just really magical every time they appear on screen. More on Bruce later. We learn more of Barbara in this episode and man does all that power seem to be going straight to her head as the league of sisters aid in her taking down some random gang members in the sirens club Tabitha's anger and downright annoyance of her begins to truly show and Barbara really succumbs to being the new Demon's Head or so to speak at least. The league of sisters lead both Barbara and Tabitha to Ra's secret room which Barbara can only open with the mark of the demon. Inside lays years of Ra's research and a picture hanging in the middle of the room that really resembles both Ra's and Barbara from century's ago. This is when Barbara really loses it and goes full on villain mode telling Tabitha that she no longer has place for her in her life and that she finally is home as the demon's head. She has the league of sisters toss Tabitha onto the streets almost leaving her for dead. This is when a mysterious figure shows up and has his 2 men drug Tabitha before dragging her to his car. No idea who he is although he does say he follows the true Demon's Head so I'm guessing he's a loyal follower of Ra's? The Dark Archer would be a really cool reveal but I doubt that'll happen. Either way I'm intrigued. 

But I wouldn't be talking about this episode without mentioning Jerome and his plane to drive Gotham crazy (more so than it already is) and boy oh boy does it serve up some genuinely brilliant scenes. As a rock band are playing in the middle of a square in the city Jerome appears on stage and tells everyone of his plan.Complete with all the board members now behind him strapped to a chair with bombs around their necks. Jerome says he is in control of the trigger switch and tells the guy controlling the camera which just so happens to be broadcasting live that he wants Jim Gordon and moments later Gordon arrives. Gordon who met Penguin earlier after Oswald rang him up to tell him that Jerome must be stopped. Penguin's cowardice is shown a lot throughout this episode and it's spot on. The cowardice doesn't sit well with the rest of Jerome's crew however and as Scarecrow and Hatter learn of Penguin's betrayal throw him into a blimp that just so happens to be carrying gallons and gallons of Jerome's gas that he plans to drop over everyone in the same square where he his hostages and a bunch of other people are. Jerome has two requests for Jim Gordon. Hand over his brother and Bruce Wayne or everyone dies. All this is just him delaying time for the blimp to arrive and you gotta admit it's totally something The Joker would do. This is when Gordon recruits both Bruce and Jerome's brother Jeremiah to help and ultimately subdue the lunatic. And subdue him they do not as Jerome offers his brother a free chance to kill he fails leaving Jerome to make his escape. Gordon who is now hot on his tail has Penguin in his ear who is still on board the blimp with the pilot who just so happens to be under Jervis Tetch's spell.Gordon tells him to steer the blimp to the harbor and stay there hovering above the water to which he does. Gordon catches up Jerome on top of a building and it is here where we say goodbye (for real this time) to one of the most beloved characters in Gotham..Jermoe. Gordon shoots him in the stomach and he falls backwards off the building but not before hanging onto a pipe poking out from the building. He questions Gordon if he's gonna be the hero of the villain by letting him die. Jim always has to play by the rules and that Jerome is loved. He doesn't play by any rules, he's not a man, he's an idea. It's all just brilliant to watch and take it all in. As not seconds later he he plummets to his death complete once again with a giant smile on his face when his body is found on the hood of a car. Wow..just the entire Jerome story arc over the past 3 years or so has been incredible and I think this was a really fitting way to end it all.

The episode ends as we see Jeremiah in one piece back in his own house (same place from last week) only for him to find a gift from Wayne Enterprises on his table. He seems to think it's from Bruce Wayne as he had earlier told him that his company would be happy to fund his projects, but it turns out it's a gift from his brother Jerome. It's a jack in the box that sprays him with Jerome's gas. But it's not just an ordinary batch it's extra special. As Jeremiah begins to lose it Jerome speaking through the jack in the box tells him that he will continue on the legacy he left behind, and that he will avenge him. Leading to Jeremiah becoming the one and only JOKER. This episode was like a roller coaster ride that didn't want to stop. It was fast paced, full of action and everything else you could possibly want from an episode of Gotham. Brave indeed!

★★★★★