Gotham recap: Season 5, Episode 4, “Ruin,” Aired Jan. 24, 2019
Gotham 5×04: We started off with a boom, and Haven was destroyed. Yet another aptly named episode.
Besides Haven existing no more, this episode brought The Riddler back into the show’s focus.
Oh, and Jeremiah is back on our screens!
“Poor Jim. All alone again.”
After giving up a chance to kill Penguin as Haven burned, Barbara set her sights on whoever caused the Haven destruction. Would you look at that – for once, Jim, Barbara, and Penguin all want the same thing.
This alliance, of course, didn’t last long.
While he was sulking because the people believed more in Penguin than him, Jim was visited by Barbara. In his vulnerable state, he gave in and kissed her. And she absolutely kissed back. It was a beautifully lit scene, and the tension was in the air. That was… wow.
“You can’t save her from herself”
In the last episode, Selina went after Jeremiah on her own, and this week brought Bruce chasing after her. We don’t actually see Bruce much in this episode, but it was nice to see a brief couple moments of him and Alfred working together.
Meanwhile, Selina infiltrated Jeremiah’s operations and, dressed as Ecco, stabbed him – repeatedly. She probably would have done even more had Bruce not pulled her off of Jeremiah. Not sure why, but I was expecting that stabbing to be more satisfying. I’m also not entirely convinced he’s dead, but if it makes Selina feel better, why not (at least until next week)?
The greatest thing was that almost-bizarre and weirdly alluring dance between Ecco and Jeremiah. It was basically everything I wanted out of Harley and The Joker.
Locked-room mystery
So whodunit? Who exploded Haven?
Suspect No. 1, Victor Zsasz, was proven innocent by the means of the explosion, but Penguin and the disheartened people refused to release Zsasz. Even as the people called for his blood, the real culprit was still on the loose. By the way, Zsasz was rescued from execution by Jim Gordon – naturally.
At the end of the episode, only one person knows who did it (see below).
Inmate No. 1215 knows
In an almost Dory from Finding Nemo fashion, The Riddler continued his attempts to figure out his whereabouts from his blackouts. He sought out the name of Blackgate’s inmate No. 1215 after finding a smudged message he left himself on his hand. However, he was thwarted by the one and only Lucius Fox, who promised the information in exchange for help investigating the Haven attack.
It was fun to watch the “two smartest men in Gotham” team up, and the two got along swimmingly. The Riddler was entirely disappointed when, after all the work with Lucius, the prisoner he was looking for was revealed as deceased.
In his rage, The Riddler found a witness to the shooting, and he went to confront her. He learned that it was him who did it and made sure that witness – the woman in apt. 1215 – could never tell anyone else.
Next week brings a celebration of Jeremiah’s killer (again, why not?) and a confrontation between The Riddler and Penguin. Oooohhhh, yes.
Talk to you next week, Gothamites!
Next week:
What did you think of “Ruin”? Let us know at @PureFandom on Twitter!
Gotham airs Thursday nights on FOX at 8/7c.
(Image: Fox)
