Gotham season 4, episode 2 review: The Fear Reaper

Reviewing season 4, episode 2 of Gotham.

Season 2 of Gotham opens at a dark and creepy house. We soon find out that James Gordon and the GCPD are at the Crane residence investigating the “fear scene”. Later, we see Bruce Wayne locked up behind a holding cell at the GCPD precinct following his fall into a Penguin-licensed robbery. When James asked “Why were you on the roof?”, while it was cunning detective work on his part, it was nerve wrecking for Bruce and Alfred. Luckily, Bruce’s quick thinking gives him a free “get out of jail” card. However, Lucius Fox doesn’t buy Bruce’s rock climbing excuse.

Jonathan Crane, now known as Scarecrow, appears in the warden’s office at Arkham Asylum to find the warden frantically burning evidence of Crane. Scarecrow unleashes fear gas on the warden and, of course, he has a fear of clowns. Scarecrow creates an army of nightmares as he releases his fear toxin on the Arkham inmates.

Penguin wobbles into the precinct with the press to humiliate Gordon and reiterates the GCPD’s incompetence when it comes to protecting the people of Gotham City. Penguin taunts Gordon with a 24-hour deal to find and capture Scarecrow which Gordon accepts. Gordon quickly finds out that he’s the last man standing as the entire police department and Harvey Bullock turn their backs on him. Harvey puts his foot down saying “never is today” and Gordon sets out on his own to defeat Scarecrow.

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An opportunity awaits Selena and Tabitha as a docile Barbra Kean greets them at a well-armed mansion. Selena is intrigued by the offer to join forces with Barbra, but Tabitha is burning with rage. Meanwhile, Bruce gets ready to head out as the trench coat vigilante against Alfred’s wishes.

Gordon carefully enters the asylum armed with a shotgun and flashlight. Crane, monitoring the asylum’s surveillance cameras, remembers Gordon as the man who killed his father and triggers a switch trapping Gordon with the other inmates under the influence of the fear toxin.

Penguin, Ivy, and Victor Zsasz pay Barbra a visit to explain his tax program. Just like in episode one, Penguin’s shows his short temper with Ivy as he yells at her to shut up. Penguin ends his visit by threatening Barbra as he suspects she’s working with a very powerful benefactor. Can’t a recently dead girl stumble onto a fully furnished mansion with military grade weaponry hidden in the walls?

Back at Arkham, Gordon enters the warden’s office and finds the new asylum warden, Scarecrow, as he is attacked by fear gas. We are taken along for the ride into Gordon’s darkest nightmare and see Lee Thompkins in a bathtub of her own blood. She has slit her wrist wide open and Scarecrow whispers into Gordon’s ear to do the same. Anxiously we hope that he doesn’t and our prayers are answered as James wakes up from the illusion defeating the fear toxin.

Luckily Bruce doesn’t have a fear of heights as he’s seen on a rooftop following the robbers from the other night. Unfortunately, Bruce takes the bait and is trapped in the robbers’ apartment. We see the classic Batman quick thinking as Bruce maneuvers out from under a pistol, use an aerosol can and torch to stun the robbers, and a rope to swing through a window and out of the apartment. The robber catches Bruce off guard up and pins him down outside the apartment, but Alfred is there to save Bruce.

Selena tries to convince Tabitha to give Barbra another chance when Ivy walks in. As predicted, Ivy is tired of being mistreated and underestimated by Penguin but Tabitha kicks her out. She accepts partnering up with Barbra with a sinister expression on her face.
Gordon figures out that water is the cure, other than concurring your fear, for Scarecrow’s fear toxic, but Crane escapes while Gordon is preoccupied. Bruce and Alfred argue in the kitchen about his excursion when they are interrupted by Fox who presents Bruce with a bulletproof uniform. Rock climbing just got a whole lot easier.

Selena and Tabitha return to Barbra’s place to accept her offer, but Tabitha has a Hammurabi condition when she takes out a butcher’s knife demanding Barbara’s hand. Barbra’s gamble paid off as she put her trust in Tabitha who did not collect any limbs. While alliances are made, Ivy takes matters into her own DNA as she drinks two lethal potions at a local herb shop.

The biggest highlight of the episode was Ivy. As was stated in Pax Penguina’s review, Ivy is the wildcard. Tired of being pushed around and not being taken as a threat, she took action and became a threat. I’m excited to see the effects of the potions she took in later episodes of the season.

The biggest lowlight of the episode was Lee committing suicide in Gordon’s fear. In the season 3 finale, we saw that Gordon’s darkest self was the murderer he thought he was. So naturally, the only thing that can scare Gordon is Gordon. It was surprising to see that wasn’t the case in this episode.

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The biggest takeaway from The Fear Reaper was Penguin’s suspicion. Barbra is back from the dead, but her resurrector is kept under wraps for now. Possible suspects, that we know so far, include the scientists from Indian Hill and Ra’s al Ghul.

Episode 2 of Gotham definitely reaped rewards in my grade book. I’m giving The Fear Reaper a 4 out of 5. We saw action, suspense, tension, and surprises as expected in an excellent Gotham episode. In a preview of next week’s episode, tensions continue to thicken as Gordon seeks an alliance with Carmine Falcone.

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