Gotham recap: Season 4, Episode 18, “That’s Entertainment,” Aired April 12, 2018
It’s time to paint the town crazy! Jerome takes over the Gotham Music Festival, even picking up a guitar and playing for the crowd while he waits for his plan to take action. After Jerome’s performance, he and Jim have a serious faceoff, and Jeremiah gets a little gift from his brother. Meanwhile, it’s Bruce’s 16th birthday, and plans for a quiet celebration with Alfred don’t quite go as planned. And back with the Sirens of Gotham, Barbara learns a bit about Ra’s al Ghul and the legacy he left her. This aptly named episode of Gotham left me saying, that’s entertainment!
Bruce’s sweet 16
It’s Bruce’s birthday, and Alfred gives him a car – a super nice car that is hard to spot at night and is completely bulletproof (Batmobile!). I’m seriously questioning if Bruce deserves such a nice gift after the way he’s treated Alfred. I know they’ve made up now, but that doesn’t excuse Bruce’s behavior. Regardless, the celebration was adorable. Alfred makes celebrating Bruce’s birthday a priority, first with the car and then by making him a cake. And Bruce’s birthday had an unplanned guest – Selina, who was very happy to see that the angsty teenage act has come to an end. It’s a great, quiet birthday until…
The Arkham Asylum Lunatics
The annual Gotham Music Festival is taken over by Jerome and his band of villains, who have taken some of Gotham’s leaders hostage. Jerome threatens to kill them all if Jim doesn’t bring Bruce and Jeremiah to the festival. And since Jerome proves that his threats are not empty, Jim goes to bring the last two hostages to the festival, but not without a plan, of course. And Jim and Lucius’ plan only half works. They succeed in keeping Jerome from killing more of Gotham’s leaders, but they are unsuccessful in getting a shot on Jerome…
…Until Jim goes after “that maniac” himself. Jim ends up shooting Jerome in the shoulder, and Jerome makes a run for it when he realizes he is unable to keep killing his hostages. Jim chases after Jerome onto a rooftop, only to shoot him over the edge.
Jerome doesn’t immediately fall to his death. He hangs on – literally – long enough to monologue to Jim before letting himself fall, laughing the whole way down.
Laughing gas
Jerome and his Legion of Horribles take laughing gas literally, Jerome’s weapon of choice being a gas that causes people to break out into hysterical laughter. And Jerome’s plan was to put on a show at the music festival because that would give him the biggest audience for him to drop tons of the laughing gas on.
When the gas is loaded into a blimp with the pilot hypnotized by the Mad Hatter, it’s Penguin to the rescue! Oswald knocks the out the pilot and steers the blimp away from the people of Gotham. Oswald certainly got more than just a bird’s eye view.
And you know I had to say something more about Jeremiah. It’s looking like my theory that he’s the real Joker might have some backup, at least as of now. Jerome left his brother a little gift before he died: A clown-shaped jack-in-the-box that sprays the laughing gas. And Jeremiah looked a whole lot like the iconic image of the Joker, so could we finally know Gotham’s true Joker?
Meanwhile in the League of Assassins…
Leading the League of Assassins looks good on Barbara. Her League pushes her to continue Ra’s al Ghul’s legacy, so she goes to learn more about what exactly that entails. Barbara loves what she finds, but being an immortal drives a wedge between her and Tabitha. Tabby, maybe don’t try to take on three assassins on your own next time.
Tabitha gets beaten up, as you can imagine, but she is helped by a group of men who claim to serve only Ra’s al Ghul, calling Barbara an impostor. This whole thing is super ominous, especially their whole “death is an illusion” mantra. Why do I feel like we haven’t seen the last of Ra’s al Ghul?
I have so much to say about the promo for next week. First off, it looks like we might have some Batcat cuteness! I know it’s probably a tease, but they totally look like they’re going to kiss. And even more Bruce, there’s some talk of a “Dark Knight of Gotham” next week. Dark Knight? Can you say Batman?! And there’s going to be much more on the Ra’s al Ghul/League of Shadows plot, and lots more Barbara. Oh, yes. Next week looks awesome!
Next week:
What did you think of “That’s Entertainment”? Let us know at @PureFandom on Twitter!
Gotham airs Thursday nights on FOX at 8/7c.
(Image: Fox)
