TV Review: Gotham "Harvey Dent"

by Jen

Welcome to Week 9 of Gotham, in which we delve further into the madness that is Gotham City and see two more epic characters come to life:  Harvey Dent, who will one day become Two-Face but is already displaying his signature dual nature, and Arkham Asylum, which the Mayor decides will be the perfect place to house the criminally insane after Gordon criticizes him for not having sufficient treatment for prisoners with mental illness.

But first, we learn that Barbara has indeed left Jim (though we don’t discover til the end of the episode where she went) but we still don’t know if she plans to return.  In the wake of this loss, Gordon keeps his head long enough to find a suitable, if somewhat unusual, safehouse for Selina Kyle - she’s going to be staying at Wayne Manor, much to young Bruce’s adolescent delight and Alfred’s initial disdain.  Watching these two young actors playoff each other is a delight.

Meanwhile, Gordon and the good cops meet with Harvey Dent, a prosecutor with the DA’s office who is supposedly clean and will help them flush out the Waynes’ killer.  While Dent tries to use his mystery witness to threaten an underworld figure he has long held a grudge against, Penguin discovers Fish Mooney’s secret weapon and tells her she has no choice but to become his double agent if she values her life. 

Fish, we discover, is behind the jailbreak that freed a notorious bomber - and she uses him to strike at Falcone and get rid of a group of Russians.  Alas, the bomber is a most interesting character - something of an idiot savant, like Rain Man but with bombs instead of math - but he begins and ends the episode in police custody.  Here’s hoping he enjoys his stay in the newly occupied Arkham!

Next week will bring the fall finale - what secrets will be revealed in the tenth episode of Gotham?  And what glorious cliffhangers will leave us salivating 'til spring?  I can hardly wait to find out!