Gotham season 3, episode 17 recap: “Heroes Rise: The Primal Riddle”

Tonight on Gotham, the Riddler’s thirst for answers leads him to kidnap Mayor Aubrey James in order to draw out the Court of Owls.

In Gotham‘s “Heroes Rise: The Primal Riddle” episode, the Riddler took center stage (figuratively and literally because he actually did do that in one scene) to find out the real power behind Gotham’s elite. And Penguin and Ivy started to assemble their family of freaks to go up against Barbara and the rest of the underworld.

Spoilerific Recap

Penguin and Ivy venture into the snowy mountains to recruit Victor Fries into their fledgling gang. He’s reluctant and is more inclined to kill Penguin for creating the witch hunt that forced him into this predicament. Penguin makes him a deal: he’ll give Victor the means to cure himself if he helps him. Victor agrees. But what about Victor’s only means of leaving the cold? Penguin has it all figured out, as he hands Victor his cold suit.

Kathryn meets with Jim and wants to know where his loyalties lie. Even though Jim claims to have shot Frank, Kathryn still wants to test him—to see if he’s truly on their side. In the meantime, the Court has taken care of Frank’s body, leaving Jim in the clear.

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At the GCPD, Lee Thompkins delivers the bad news that Frank has been found murdered. Jim’s non-reaction makes Lee suspicious. When she leaves, Jim tells Harvey the real story—that Frank shot himself.

Barbara meets with Ed, who now goes by the moniker “the Riddler,” and wants to know who’s above her in power. She entices him by telling him about Jim’s investigation of a package at the docks. Ed recalls Professor Strange’s mentioning a powerful secret group.

Ed’s first move is to go to the theater, where Gotham’s power elite have gathered. He quickly takes the stage, announcing his intentions to kidnap one of them, and quickly murders one of the actors to get his point across.

The results of a chess game alert Alfred that something isn’t right with Bruce, who we all know is Fake-Bruce. Fake-Bruce tells a story about Selina rejecting him, which gets Alfred to stop prying. When Alfred leaves, Fake-Bruce discovers that he’s deteriorating, prompting him to make a quick call to the Court.

Jim and Harvey’s investigation of Ed’s visit to the theater leads them to another riddle which reveals the next target—Mayor Aubrey James.

Ed pays a visit to Barbara at her club and reveals his plan to publicly embarrass the GCPD and also abduct Aubrey at the same time. Before his plan can be completed, he requests that they detonate a bomb at a local biker bar.

Jim and Harvey try to get Aubrey to a safe location, but he refuses. They soon find out that his pastries were laced with an unknown substance. When Aubrey reaches for his medication, question mark-adorned pills quickly reveal the perpetrator.

At a metal refinery, Penguin and Ivy pay Bridgit Pike, a.k.a. Firefly, a visit. It doesn’t take much convincing before she agrees to join them. She christens her new career by throwing molten metal into her boss’s face.

After being examined by the Court’s doctor, Fake-Bruce correctly deduces that he’s dying. The cloning process was flawed. However, he’s fine with it, as his life and purpose have meaning. When Fake-Bruce questions how many people will die as a result of the Court’s actions, Kathryn grows suspicious that he’s grown soft towards Alfred.

Aubrey arrives in the ER and the hospital’s pager crackles to life with Ed’s voice. Jim goes to investigate, but finds a recording instead. The ER is suddenly inundated with bikers injured from an explosion. A scuffle soon ensues which provides the perfect diversion for Aubrey to be kidnapped.

Jim goes straight to Barbara’s club and finds only Tabitha and Butch Gilzean. Jim gives Tabitha a deal: if she tells him Ed’s current location, he’ll take him down and leave Barbara alone. Jim is alerted to another riddle and quickly leaves. Butch suspects to Tabitha that Barbara has more self-serving plans.

Aubrey, bounded, is threatened with torture. He finally comes clean and identifies the Court. Ed wants to take this answer and force the Court to reveal themselves. Tabitha soon arrives with a bomb collar for Aubrey.

Selina arrives home and finds Fake-Bruce. When she forces him to leave, he admits that he isn’t the real Bruce Wayne.

Lee confronts Jim with evidence of a cover-up in Frank’s murder. When Jim tries to brush it off, Lee vows that she’ll make him pay for everything he’s done.

Ed, holding Aubrey hostage, appears on TV calling out the Court. Kathryn calls Jim, as this is an opportunity to prove his loyalty. She wants Jim to apprehend Ed and hand him over to them. Jim calls Ed and sets up a meeting location.

Jim, Ed, and Aubrey rendezvous at the GCPD. Jim goads Ed into killing Aubrey. When Ed calls his bluff, he discovers that the bomb collar won’t detonate. Jim used Tabitha’s talents to create a counter-frequency. However, Jim still offers to bring Ed to the Court to get answers. Ed’s temptations get the better of him and he agrees.

Fake-Bruce reveals everything to Selina and implores her to leave Gotham City for her own safety. She grows more concerned and wants to know the whereabouts of Bruce. The conversation soon escalates when Selina tells Fake-Bruce of his insignificance. Infuriated, Fake-Bruce pushes Selina out the window.

As Jim and Ed wait for the Court, they recollect better times. Jim admits that he always saw Ed as a friend. However, Ed felt betrayed. The Court soon pulls up with Kathryn accompanied by a Talon. Ed gladly agrees to go with her after she entices him with the answers to his questions. Ed’s apprehension and handover finally prove Jim’s loyalty to Kathryn. Her final parting words hint at Ed serving them in another capacity.

Barbara angrily bursts into the club and learns that Tabitha helped Jim. Furious, Barbara mistakenly reveals her true intentions—acquiring power only for herself.

Penguin returns to his old mansion and happily learns from a news broadcast that Ed has been abducted.

As Selina lies on the street in a catatonic state, multiple cats gather around her.

Jim is brought in front of the Court where Kathryn introduces him as their newest member.

Best Moment(s)

• Barbara taunting the Mayor. Barbara’s insanity is always a joy to watch.
• Selina Kyle being thrown out a window and ending up in a scene that was reminiscent of Catwoman’s origins in Batman Returns (1992). It made Camren Bicondova’s already uncanny resemblance to Michelle Pfeiffer that much more dramatic.

Final Thoughts

It’s now dawned on me that Gotham may be setting up the Court of Owls as an integral part of Bruce’s becoming Batman. If this is true, I really don’t like where this is going. The Court talks about cleansing Gotham City and looking for help to stop the city’s deterioration.

At Bruce’s snowy prison facility, the old man (who’s part of the Court) wants to train Bruce to become a symbol of hope. Could the training entail Bruce evolving into a Talon? Could Batman, in this universe, be a Talon who rebelled against the Court?

As crazy as these theories sound, you have to remember that this is Gotham—nothing is ever too far-fetched for this show.

Next: Catch up with a recap of 'Heroes Rise: These Delicate and Dark Obsessions'

Don’t forget to visit the Gotham After Show where our friends at theStream.tv will give fans a play-by-play of the latest episode. And the fun continues with Welcome to the Batcave, also on theStream.tv.