It was a game of cat and mouse for the fourth week of Gotham. “A Dark Knight: The Demon’s Head” saw us follow Bruce’s journey to keep the knife away from Ra’s al Ghul. But, as we’ve previously learned about the infamous warrior, he doesn’t go down without a fight. People died, blood was spilled, and Bruce made the ultimate cost to stop his enemy from succeeding in his mission. Overall, the pace picked up for the fourth week and it made the tension more enjoyable to watch.
Having the episode primarily focus on the hunt for the knife was a smart choice by the writers. We were briefly introduced to this weapon last week on “A Dark Knight: They Who Hide Behind Masks”, but not much was explained about it. This time around we were treated to backstory, the translation markings on the knife and, ultimately, why this knife was so coveted. This week explained a lot of points that we needed to know for the season overall – I felt more connected to Bruce’s goal about keeping the item away from Ra’s because of it. It also made sense why Ra’s desperately wanted Barbara to secure the item from auction.
I love the addition of the museum locations. Gotham showcases many different areas around Gotham City, but the set designers tend to stick to the same areas on repeat, like the police sets or the non-descript rooms. The museum added history and eclectic aesthetics as we watched Bruce and Alex run for their lives. My favorite room is the office that had artifacts placed on the many shelves on the wall. This treatment reminded me so much of Bones – it looked amazing.
Would you have made the same choice Bruce made? Don’t get me wrong, I’m sad that Alex died. He was a nice kid and he connected with Bruce during their ordeal; however, Bruce couldn’t risk Ra’s al Ghul getting the knife for himself. I’m not sure if I would’ve made the same choice, but it’s understandable why he second-guessed and didn’t allow the villain to get the weapon. Bruce shouldn’t torture himself over this; James could’ve easily stopped Ra’s. Though, this will be par for the course. The Bruce character is a tortured character filled with regrets. I have no doubt he will be conflicted over this death for a while.
James needs to seriously re-evaluate his love life. He is attracted to complex and strangely dangerous women – this character trait might be the most consistent thing about him. He and Barbara have such great chemistry together; it’s a shame they’ve barely had any screen time together this season. When it comes to his recent hookup with Sofia, you can feel the passion between these two characters. If the writers follow this direction instead of the snail’s pace portrayal in the third week, I’ll be on board. Though, this doesn’t seem like a relationship that will last long-term.
Speaking of Sofia, I’m intrigued by her next move. She played Penguin and she’s closer toward getting what she wants. Whenever characters act as if they’re playing a game of chess, it heightens the tense mood and makes it feel like something big is coming. Sofia does this perfectly. She’s playing a game of chess and willing to sacrifice her pawns toward her end goal. She is making up for her subtle introduction last week.
What did you think of Penguin freeing Edward Nygma? I don’t think this is only because Edward lost his ability to make riddles. Penguin still cares about his former friend in some way; he can tell that he’s suffering. While this was a nice move, I do hope a twist is coming where someone turns on Penguin. His attitude toward Sofia didn’t sit well with me. It would be amazing if her words come back to haunt him. That would be the perfect setup by the writers to joke with hindsight.
“A Dark Knight: The Demon’s Head” was full of action, excitement and emotion. This is when Gotham knows how to build up their main plot while still supporting their secondary plot. I learned a lot about the knife and Sofia’s arrival in Gotham City while watching Ra’s, and those two really creepy dog and master villains, chase after Bruce. This was a fun hour, and the dancing Zsasz made it even better.
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