Gotham 4x20 : That Old Corpse review

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

I'm going to start this week's review of Gotham off by saying that this episode is an absolute doozy! it begins at a graveyard where we see a bunch of Jerome's followers celebrating his life before a mysterious girl pulls up on a motorcycle. It's later revealed that this is in fact Echo the same girl who we saw with Jeremiah Valeska in a previous episode. She's wearing a mask and a jester like helmet/hat and it's all a nod to Harley Quinn I'm sure of it. She ends up playing a recording of Jerome's last wishes over a microphone. What's his last wishes? well back at the GCPD as Gordon wonders what to do with Lee Thompkins Lucius arrives with a tape for Jim. He plays it and it's ''The last will and testament of Jerome Valeska'' he tells him of his last wishes and it involves all his followers having a wake for him inside the GCPD. Que mass panic and chaos as Jerome's followers start pulling up outside leaving Gordon and Harvey to come up with a plan. They barricade the doors and have the prisoners go out the back door before escaping in a police custody van. More on this situation later.

At Jeremiah's maze we see him and Bruce Wayne talking. Jeremiah has come up with a new clean energy source that has the ability to power the entirety of Gotham City in time but for now he has it powering his maze. Him and Bruce talk and it's clear to see that Jeremiah really isn't right. He tells Bruce that Arkham Asylum sent him Jerome's belongings and included in them was a diary full of his ramblings and ideas of what he was going to do with both his brother and Bruce and the entire city. Jeremiah seems absolutely obsessed by this and it freaks Bruce out as he even lies to him about going to lunch with Alfred which Jeremiah notices right away. When he turns on the news he sees the followers at the GCPD and convinced his brother is still alive flees with Bruce in hot pursuit of him. Bruce tries his best to convince him that his brother is actually dead but when they go to his grave it's been dug up by his followers and this further shoots Jeremiah into the bowels of darkness. 

More on the whole GCPD situation now and as Gordon learns where Bruce and Jeremiah are he goes to the maze but of course as we the viewer know they are gone. Gordon walks into the main room where they both were and is greeted by yet another Jerome led recording on one of the monitors and also Echo who Gordon dukes it out with. He manages to get the better of her and this is when the episode literally pulls the rug out from under everyone. Turns out Jeremiah was the one who has been on the recordings all this time. Jeremiah has planned every little thing that has happened accordingly and Jeremiah is reborn into the clown prince of crime (they don't call him that but it's obvious) at Jerome's grave site he reveals his true plan and purpose to Bruce complete with some amazing lines and visuals of the two future bitter rivals. Cameron Monaghan's performance here is absolutely stellar. As Jerome he was completely manic and just way out there but as Jeremiah he is quite somber and straight to the point it's all just brilliant TV to sit back and behold especially if you're a fan of the source material like I am. 

The episode ends however as that new energy source I mentioned earlier well it turns out Wayne Enterprises has manufactured a whole bunch of them which Jeremiah has just so happened to have turned into bombs (how nice of him) both he and Echo enter Wayne Enterprises as he says it's time give Gotham it's new face. This episode was brilliant. Gotham at it's absolute best. If there's any justice this show will get renewed for season 5! Bravo Jeremiah bravo indeed!

★★★★