BWW Recap: Fear Grips GOTHAM and Penguin Fights for His Life, Episode 14

Oh my, oh my! Things are beginning to get wild in Gotham City. To save her hide, Fish Mooney sneaks out of town with the help of her special, old friend Harvey Bullock. But Fish cannot stay away from the city she wishes to claim from the Falcone crime family. Oswald "Penguin" Cobblepot is still trying to ascend in the underworld as only a slimy, two-faced, flightless bird can. Just when Oswald climbs a rung, someone works to chop the ladder in half. All of this is happening as Detective Jim Gordon has stepped up to face police corruption, the rising tide of arch-villains, and his own complicated love life. Gordon must also answer to young Bruce Wayne, who has high expectations for the detective to solve the mystery of his parents's murder case.

Speaking of villains, tonight two momentous events take place on Episode 14 of GOTHAM. We meet the fear-mongering Dr. Crane (guest star Julian Sands), father of the gentleman who will go by the moniker Scarecrow. And the future Riddler meets the Penguin when police forensic technician (and riddle aficionado) Edward Nygma meets Oswald Cobblepot. "The Fearsome Dr. Crane" will span two episodes so let's see what is happening tonight.

---

Opening: Some poor shlub gets hoisted off of a building roof, dangling over the mean streets of Gotham. Oh, yeah, and he is wide awake and not exactly eager for the privilege. The doctor is in! As in Doctor Crane - played by guest star Julian Sands.

At one of Don Maroni's restaurants, Maroni and Penguin gloat over Mooney being dead or at least gone. Suddenly, Mooney calls and reveals to Maroni Penguin is in Falcone's pocket. Skeptical, Maroni considers the news carefully. Maroni insists Oswald go with him upstate on business. Clearly, Maroni will test Penguin to see where his loyalties are.

At the crime scene, Ed Nygma discusses his findings with Harvey Bullock and the police captain. Capt. Essen warns Nygma to stay away from the murder bodies and stick to just forensic evidence. Bullock tells the Captain Gordon is away on personal business. At Barbara Kean's apartment, Jim senses he has had visitors, namely Selena "Cat" Kyle. No sign of Barbara, she tells Jim. She tells Jim, like she told Bruce, she really did not see the Wayne murderer and then jumps off on to the rooftop and in to Gotham.

8:10 pm EST: Gordon arrives at Wayne Manor to see Bruce Wayne and talk about Selena's news.Bruce says he believes her. The boy also says since Gordon has not made progress, he releases him from the promise and he will pursue it on his own. Alfred is prepared to look after the boy and ushers Jim out.

In the country, Maroni brings Oswald to a rustic retreat to question the sniveler about his intentions. Maroni skillfully questions Penguin, who begins to see what's happening.

At the police station, a Miss Mullins arrives to help with the investigation. She was the group sponsor for the murder victim, who suffered from fear of heights. Bullock says the killer seemed to know about the victim's phobia. Harvey also works his shaky charms to try to pick up the ginger-haired beauty. Gordon finds evidence of where the robe and other equipment were bought. Meanwhile, on the Gotham streets, Dr. Crane scares another victim and abducts him. In the police station, Captain Essen suspends Nygma for overstepping his job again and cutting on a corpse. (One step closer to creepy Riddler-hood, I'd say.)

Bullock and Gordon discover the next victim surrounded by pigs being menaced by a man in a giant pig mask. Sherlock Holmes is not needed to surmise the man's phobia was swinophobia.

8:24 pm EST: Mooney is on a merchant marine ship, heading away from Gotham.

Both Crane victims were members of the same support group. Essen tells Gordon they need to tread lightly since there is still corruption. Nygma confronts Miss Kringle and he skulks away. In the country, Penguin grabs his gun to await Maroni's return from a walk. They sit down for a trust talk. Maroni breaks the news to Oswald that Fish is alive and that Penguin works for Falcone. Oswald reacts by admitting he took Don Maroni's firearm and trains it on the mafioso. But it's loaded with blanks and Maroni shows Oswald who can train a penguin.

Elsewhere, Gordon meets up with Arkham's lovely doctor, Leslie Thompkins. There are mixed messages between them but Gordon needs help with the case. Bullock meets up with Miss Mullins, whose phobia is swimming pools. At the group phobia meeting, Bullock says he will sit in and share his fears. As he's getting coffee, Dr. Crane greets him.

8:38 pm EST: Maroni plans on having Oswald crushed in the junkyard with the scrap cars. Penguin grovels for his life but Maroni puts him in the car anyway. Oswald uses his cellphone to plead again, saying Indian Hill - a section of Arkham - is really valuable. Oswald also calls the car-smasker operator and threatens him with the wrath of Don Falcone. The ploy works. Oswald slips out of the car and out of Maroni's clutches.

Nygma, meanwhile, sneaks into the locker room at the police station. The medical examiner opens his locker and tons of body parts fall upon him as two cops walk in. Oops! And well-played, Nygma!

Bullock tells the group he's afraid of dying in an alley, laying it on thick. "Tom," one of the regulars, says he is afraid of failing. Tom, by the way, is Dr. Crane, who claims his son was crying and he could not comfort him. Miss Mullins follows Tom out of the meeting and Bullock suspects foul play. He makes it outside just in time to see Crane's van speeding away, presumably with Miss Mullins on their way to the public pool.

One Note: I think I am growing more weary of the developing villains. Penguin's sniveling nature is almost too predictable of late. And we're been strung alone with Nygma's namby-pamby ways for a while now. Anyone else feel that way?

8:48 pm EST: Bullock and Gordon head off to find Miss Mullins. She is with Crane and he tells her he is going to drown her and she's a 10 on the Crane scale. Son Jonathan discovers dad at work, who tells his son it's for the greater good. Dr. Crane - meet your hero, Dr. Mengele! Bullock and Gordon find them and they work to rescue Mullins and pursue the good doctor. Guns blae and Bullock pulls the girl out of the pool to revive her. Dr. Crane got away.

8:54 pm EST - Closing moments: In the park, two ladies discover the disheveled Oswald under a bridge out of town. He boards a bus with a church choir and sulks as they head back to Gotham.

At the police station, Dr. Thompkins reveals the killer removed the adrenal gland from the victim. Gordon tells her she might have a job at the medical examiner's office and asks her to dinner. Their chemistry is still perking along nicely, thank you very much. In the file room, Nygma tells Miss Kringle he is reinstated. She tells him he owes her a pencil.

On board Mooney's escape ship, gunshots ring out, the captain is shot, and an intimidating dude comes into Mooney's stateroom. She lunges for him as the scene fades to black.

Tonight was a pretty satisfying episode. And it is continued next week when we see what happens to Fish, see the Penguin and future Riddler meet face to face, and perhaps witness the birth of the Scarecrow.

What do you think? Talk about the show in the comments below, or on Twitter @jeffwalker66. Be sure to follow @BWWTVWorld on Twitter and like us on Facebook for all the latest TV news, reviews and recaps.

Photo Credit: FOX

---

Check out a sneak peak at next week's conclusion, "The Scarecrow," on GOTHAM.

To post a comment, you must register and login.