Gotham season 4, episode 7 review: A Day in the Narrows

Reviewing Thursday night’s episode of Gotham.

Professor Pyg is still at large at the start of season 4, episode 7 of Gotham. The GCPD gets a special delivery of pig heads, one for every cop except for Gordon. Tension begins to choke Gordon and Bullocks’ relationship as Gordon still remembers that Bullock is on Penguin’s payroll. Meanwhile, Bruce is still struggling with the aftermath of killing Ra’s al Ghul. Alfred tries to give him some advice, but he shuts away his rage and storms away to get some air.

Now that Ra’s al Ghul, Barbara’s benefactor and lover, is gone Barbara is ready to close shop. Selina isn’t willing to give up and suggests that the ladies stay in business, but even Tabitha wants to turn in. Determined to prove that they can still be in business, Selina heads out to rob from the motorcycle gang. Unfortunately, she finds herself trapped in their hideout after a car alarm goes off and we see someone get a serious case of tire burn. Ouch!

Back at the precinct, Gordon is furious with Bullock when he calls Penguin to help them deal with Pyg. Penguin is more than happy to rub it in Gordon’s face that Pax Penguina will prove more reliable than the GCPD. We meet Penguin’s temporary Headhunter, because Zsasz is off visiting family, and you can tell from the start that he’s a little full of himself. The teams of gangsters and cops move out when they get word that three officers have gone missing in the Narrows.

At the Narrows, Bullock reminds everyone of the law of the land— snitches get stitches— and how they need to use fear to get the residents to talk. Of course, Gordon doesn’t agree with this course of action but he is greatly outnumbered. The group raids the apartment building beating tenants, floor by floor, for information. It isn’t until an old and sick witness is dragged out that the cops and gangsters (lead by the Headhunter) raise their weapons on each other. Scared for the old man’s life, a woman from the building gives up a lead on where Pyg took the officers.

At the fundraiser at Wayne Manner, we meet Grace, a student at the school Bruce used to attend. The two of them ditch the fundraiser and head to the house of another student who’s opened up mommy and daddy’s liquor cabinet for his friends. In these short scenes, the evolution of Bruce Wayne starts to take place. The group goes to a hot nightclub where Bruce buys the place, because he can, and ditches his “weird scared boy” reputation as a montage of dancing, drinking, and kissing basically sums up the “new Bruce Wayne”.

The GCPD head to Hoover Island in search for the missing officers, and the find two of the three. One officer had died, while the other was still breathing with an ax in his chest. Gordon accompanies the injured officer in the ambulance to get more Pyg information out of him. He tells Gordon what Pyg kept going on and on about, and figures out where the next location is. He leaves the ambulance and heads to the abandoned courthouse. Another strike for Bullock as he and Penguin, along with the GCPG and the gangsters, show up at the courthouse against Gordon’s wishes.

This just has “trap” written all over, but Bullock insists on going in with Penguin’s men. Penguin is loving the media coverage he’s getting for being the “advisor” to the GCPD. Gordon receives a phone call from Pyg confirming that this is indeed a trap, but no one heeds his warning. We find out that the officer in the ambulance was Pyg in disguise. Inside the courthouse, Bullock shoots who he thinks is Pyg but it was one of the missing officers. The group scatters quickly when two turrets are revealed trapping Bullock, Headhunter, and a couple survivors inside. Gordon runs into the courthouse with a grenade launcher and saves the day.

Tabitha shows up to rescue Selina who’s been in hiding while the biker gang is gathering forces to sniff out their thief. When a tight situation seems to turn hopeless, Barbara shows up with some deadly Thai food to help save her girls. With a smirk on her face, Selina can’t hide her excitement for the new trio emerging from the hideout. These ladies sure kick butt!

Following the aftermath of the courthouse fiasco, Bullock is struggling with his mistakes as captain. The GCPD and the media rally behind Gordon as he declares war on Pyg and Penguin. Fortunately for Zsasz, Headhunter doesn’t make the cut and Penguin delivers his exit interview.

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Big takeaways from tonight; Bruce’s evolution and The Sirens. In They Who Hide Behind Masks, we got a small taste of the billionaire playboy as Bruce throws caution to the wind and bids on everything at Penguin’s auction. We saw Bruce at a whole new level tonight. His elementary school friends point out how much of a weird kid Bruce used to be; not anymore. Selina, Tabitha, and Barbara becoming The Sirens is another exciting development from this episode. Bravo, Gotham, bravo.

Zsasz was definitely missed in this episode. Also, the costume department has done an amazing job and I kept obsessing over Barbara’s platinum pantsuit. A Day in the Narrows was a night worth remembering as far as Gotham episodes go and gets a 4.5/5 from me.