Tonight on FOX Gotham premieres with an all new Monday September 22, season 1 episode called, “Pilot.” On tonight’s episode Rookie detective James Gordon battles villains and corruption in the premiere of this action-adventure series set in pre-Batman Gotham City.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the show, Gotham is based on Commissioner Gordon; he is one of the crime world’s greatest foes, a man whose reputation is synonymous with law and order. But what is known of Gordon’s story and his rise from rookie detective to Police Commissioner? What did it take to navigate the multiple layers of corruption that secretly ruled Gotham City, the spawning ground of the world’s most iconic villains? And what circumstances created them – the larger-than-life personas who would become Catwoman, The Penguin, The Riddler, Two-Face and The Joker? GOTHAM is an origin story of the great DC Comics Super-Villains and vigilantes, revealing an entirely new chapter that has never been told.
On tonight’s episode GOTHAM traces the rise of the great DC Comics Super-Villains and vigilantes, revealing an entirely new chapter that has never been told. From executive producer/writer Bruno Heller (“The Mentalist,” “Rome”) and starring Ben McKenzie (“Southland,” “The O.C.”), Jada Pinkett Smith (“Hawthorne,” “Collateral”) and Donal Logue (“Vikings,” “Sons of Anarchy”), GOTHAM follows one cop, destined for greatness, as he navigates a dangerously corrupt city teetering between good and evil, and chronicles the birth of one of the most popular super heroes of our time
Don’t forget to join us for our live recap tonight at 8:00pm when Gotham airs on Fox.
Tonight’s episode begins now – Refresh Page for Updates
It’s night in Gotham. A young girl runs along a roof top. She crouches alongside gargoyles and looks down on the city. She stands. She leaps. She scrambles down to the ground in Chinatown and walks in with the crowd. She pulls a knife, cuts a bag and snags milk from one shopper and a wallet from another. A man gives chase and she takes off then scales a fire escape. He lsoes her, She scales back down another and sneaks away.
She checks the wallet and pours the milk into a scrap container for a stray cat. She hears a giggle and sees a couple and their young son leaving the theater. It’s the Waynes and their son Bruce. A mugger pulls a gun on them. The dad says it’s no problem and they’ll cooperate. He demands the pearl necklace of the mother. The strand breaks and the pearls tumble. The man shoots first the dad, then the mom.
The boy gasps. The gunman turns on him but then runs off without shooting him. The girl sees it all. Bruce tries to revive his parents. They’re both goners. Brice cries and then screams as he sees their blood all over his hands. At the police station, it’s chaos. A large man breaks free and grabs an officer and holds a gun to her head. A young Jim Gordon tells the officers to hold their fire and talks to the man.
He asks his name and the man says he needs his pills. Gordon says he has his pills and shakes a bottle of aspirin. He offers the man some and he says they aren’t his pills. Jim lunges, punches him and knocks him down. The beat cops beat the guy and Jim tries to talk them down. Harvey Bullock chews him out for not letting them take the guy out. Then Harvey and Jim are told they have a call to take even though their shift is almost over.
They’re called to the site of the Wayne murders. They tell him the kid saw it all but hasn’t spoken a word. Jim goes to talk to the kid. He introduces himself and asks his name. He doesn’t say and Jim says it’s okay. Harvey tells the beat cop that he never saw him there and tells him to call Major Crimes. The beat cop tells him it’s too late. Bruce finally speaks up and tells Jim his name is Bruce Wayne. He asks what happened and the boy breaks down crying.
Jim sits down beside him and tells him that his dad was killed by a drunk driver when he was his age and says he was sitting right beside him. He tells him that however scary the world is right now, there will be light again. Bruce tells him they had just left the movie and were looking for a cab. He says the man was tall and was wearing a mask, glove, hate and shiny shoes. He says he shot his parents for no reason and that he should have done something but he was too scared. Jim says there was nothing he could have done but tells Bruce to be strong now.
Jim promises him he’ll find the man that did it. An older man shows up to the crime scene and Brice runs to him. The man embraces him. It’s Alfred. He introduces himself to Jim and wishes him luck in the case. He escorts Bruce away. That’s how we first meet the future Catwoman and Batman. Cool! #Gotham is off to a great start!
At the diner, Jim asks Harvey why they didn’t stay at the crime scene when they moved the victims. Harvey asks if he hasn’t heard of the Wayne’s. Harvey says this case will be a shit storm if they don’t close it fast. A woman walks in and Harvey curses. Montoya and Allen from Major Crimes walk in and want to know if there are any leads. They ask if they want them to take it off their hands. Montoya tells him to do the right thing and Harvey says to kiss his ass. He says he almost gave it to them but they had to disrespect him. Allen says to stay frosty and they roll.
The Mayor makes a statement pledging that the Wayne’s killers will be caught and the Captain tells Harvey that he can have all the resources he needs to make sure he closes the case. Harvey asks Jim to step out and then Harvey and Essen get in a screaming match. Sounds like he wants Jim booted from the case. Harvey comes out and Jim says she said you had to keep me and Harvey says she did since you’re a war hero and your dad was a big deal. Harvey tells him to step aside and Jim refuses. He calls Harvey a sloppy cynic.
Harvey tells him they need to go roust some muggers and they head out to try and solve it. They nab one purse snatcher and beat him down. They drag in mugger after mugger into interrogation with no joy. Ed shows Harvey some evidence. The bullet is a wadcutter – a $6 bullet. He says it’s a bullet from a gun that’s not in their data base. Their evidence guy is Edward Nigma! The Riddler! OMG! Jim tells Harvey that they may not be looking for a street mugger but a professional killer.
Harvey says they need to go see Fish Mooney since the kill happened on her turf. She works for Falcone They head out to her club. They roll in and tell the barkeep to tell Fish they are there. She’s out back beating a guy who owes her money. Her umbrella guy lets rain drip on her and she threatens him. She’s told the cops are there and heads inside. Oswald is her umbrella guy – as in Cobblepot – aka the Penguin! They offer him a turn beating the guy and he giggles.
Fish kisses Harvey in greeting and asks who Jim is. He asks about the screaming and she says an employee has been stealing so they’re beating her. Harvey says she gets leeway. He asks her about the Wayne murders. Harvey tells Jim he can feel free to go see if anyone wants to press charges and Jim walks off. He sees Oswald beating the guy with the bat. One of the guy calls Oswald the penguin and he says he doesn’t like to be called that.
The guys, Butch and Oswald and Raoul, introduce themselves to Jim and he asks them to drop the bat then walks away. He finds Harvey and fish laughing. She kisses Harvey goodbye and gives Jim a tight look. Barbara is dressed to the nines and Jim asks if they really have to go out and says he’s beat. She says no and asks about his day. He says they’re making no progress on the Wayne case and he feels out of his depth and may not be able to keep his word to Bruce.
She says if he’s out of his depth, he can swim. She asks if he’s hungry and says once they’re married, she’s going to put him on a proper healthy diet. He kisses her. Later, his phone buzzes and he grabs it. Harvey says he has a lead and tells him to meet him. He throws his clothes on and goes to meet Harvey as dawn breaks. He finds Harvey still drinking. He says Fish called and told him someone tried to fence Mrs Wayne’s necklace. A guy named Pepper.
They go knock on a door. Jim kneels down to speak to a girl who says her name is Ivy. She says they don’t want to talk to her dad because he’s mean. Her dad is Mario Pepper. His kid must be Poison Ivy!. He says he was home all night and they ask about the necklace. Harvey asks to look around. There are all kinds of plants around. Mario runs and jumps out the fire escape then to the roof. He takes some pot shoots at them and Jim tells him to stop or he’ll shoot. He’s out of bullets. Jim hesitates.
The guy runs through a sweat shop and Jim gives chase. He goes through a restaurant kitchen, grabs a knife and then down some stairs and into an alley. Jim pulls his gun and creeps around a corner. Mario jumps him with the knife and they grapple then fight both disarmed. The guy is much bigger than Jim. As he’s about to really hurt Jim, Harvey shoots him. Jim thanks him.
Jim gets his hand bandaged while the techs tear apart Mario’s apartment. They find the pearls. Harvey is thrilled. Looks like they cracked the case. The headlines announce that they slayed the Wayne’s killer. Montoya and Allen pick up Oswald who tells them that Fish framed Mario. He says he her with the necklace. They ask why snitch on his boss and they ask if he’s trying to push Fish out. He says he’s just doing his civic duty. He wishes them good day and slides out of their car.
At his parent’s funeral, Bruce is emotional. There is a huge crowd of mourners. Catgirl (or kittengirl?) is there as well hiding among the tombstones and watching. Jim is there and tells Bruce he’s sorry he didn’t get to see a trial and Bruce thanks him. He head off with Alfred. Montoya shows up to Barbara’s place and she apologizes for dropping by out of the blue. They swap pleasantries. She tells her she’s engaged and she tells her that Jim and Harvey framed and killed an innocent man.
She tells her that Jim is not a good guy. She tells Montoya that he’s one of the best men she’s ever known. Montoya asks if Jim knows her like she knows her. That night, Jim brings Barbara a drink and asks what’s wrong. She asks if he framed Mario. He says no and asks who told her that. She says no one and he says she’s lying. Next day, he chases down Montoya and asks for evidence that Mario was framed. She says he’ll see the evidence when they drag he and his crooked friend into court. He tells her that he’ll find it himself.
He goes to Pepper’s house to talk to his widow. He comes in and asks the wife about the necklace. Ivy says bastards planted it. He asks Alice how the necklace got there. He asks to see her husband’s shoes. He looks at them and asks if it’s all of them. He curses. Jim tells Harvey that Mario was framed and it was likely Fish. He says she may have done it for Falcone. Harvey asks why he’s even thinking this and he says it came from Montoya. He tells him that Mario didn’t own any shiny shoes. Harvey says the case is closed and to forget about it.
Jim says that means the real killer is out that and Harvey says this is dangerous stuff and to let it go. Jim shows up at Fish’ bar and tells Oswald to tell Fish that he’s there. He asks her what she talked to Harvey about and she tells him to talk to Harvey. He says Harvey might lie. He starts to go and Fish tells him to wait. She says he has danger in his eye and wonders what he plans to do with it. She tells him she hates surprises. Her goons go to jump him and he fights them off then she bashes him in the head with a lamp.
Barbara shows up at the police department asking Harvey where Jim is and says he never came home last night. Harvey lies and says he’s on stake out and that his phone probably ran out of juice. She leaves. We see Jim dragged into a warehouse with bloody plastic tarps and sides of beef. He comes to and yells wait. He’s told to shut up and is kicked in the head. He wakes up, hung upside down beside the cow carcasses.
Harvey shows up and tells Butch he knows this is where they take their problems. He says he needs to talk to Fish. She’s auditioning a comedian. She laughs and gets a call. She tells the guy to put Harvey on. He tells her not to be like that and to let Jim go. She says he’s an idiot and he says Major Crimes is on to the frame and that they won’t stop. He says someone talked and it’s likely one of her people. She says no but then looks at Oswald. He tells her that if she takes out her partner, he’s coming after her.
She agrees but says he has to keep Jim under control. She asks to talk to Butch the tells him that Harvey threatened her and tells him to hang him up with his partner. Harvey kneels to tell Jim they’re going home but Butch knocks him out. She asks Oswald to rub her feet and asks the comedian to give her a moment. He tells Oswald that she should be the one to take over for Falcone. She says he’s like a son to her and asks why he would betray her to the cops. She says he snitched. He says he didn’t.
Fish says he’s the only one that saw her with the pearls but he says it was Gilzean. She says Gilzean is loyal. He says he is and would open a vein. She hands him a knife and says to prove it. She calls him her little penguin. She smashes a chair into him and then beats him with a chair leg and screams at him that he broker her heart. He cries out in pain.
Jim asks Harvey how he’s doing and he says he’s been better. Butch tells Harvey if it was up to him he’d get a bullet in the head and a decent funeral but Fish has her ways. He calls for Frankie – a giant guy with a meat cleaver. But then some guys with guns come in and shoot Frankie and his sidekick. It’s Falcone. He tells Gilzean to tell Fish she has to have permission to kill cops. He tells his guys to cut them down as Harvey reiterates – there are rules!
Falcone tells Jim it’s good to meet him and says he knew and admired his father. He says he was the best DA the city had and says they were friends. He says that’s the reason he’s alive. Jim says he knows that he owns the Mayor and the police department. He says he thinks Fish had a replica. Jim realizes that he doesn’t know who killed the Waynes – Falcone says they sacrified Mario because people needed to see quick justice done. He tells Jim he has a hard head like his dad. He says Gotham is on a knife edge. He says if he brings down City Hall and the cops, it won’t make things better.
Falcone tells him “In bocca al lupo” which means break a leg. Harvey admits he wasn’t telling him the truth. He opens the trunk and shows him Oswald. He tells Jim that Falcone wants him to walk him off the pier to show he’s with the program. Harvey says if he doesn’t, then he has to take both of them out and then someone will also take Barbara out. He reminds him he killed people in war. Jim says this isn’t war but Harvey says it is. Oswald is terrified. Jim grabs Oswald out of the trunk. He tells him to walk.
Oswald hobbles toward the end of the pier. Jim has his gun in his hand. He looks back at Harvey. Oswald begs him to live and says he’ll be his slave for life. He tells him there is a war coming and there will be rivers of blood in the streets and he can help him and will be his spy. He tells him to turn around. He puts a gun to his head. Oswald begs for mercy. Jim tells him to never come back to Gotham. He fires by his head so it looks like he shot him and then shoves him into the water. Oswald swims away. Harvey is fooled and says “atta boy.”
He comes home and Barbara tells him she was worried. She asks what happened. He just hugs her. At the Wayne’s, Jim drives up and sees Bruce atop the battlements. He looks concerned and points up. Alfred comes up and yells up at Brice to get his bloody ass down. Jim asks why he was up there and Bruce says he’s conquering fear. Jim tells him that fear is a good thing because it tells you where the edge is. Jim tells him that Mario was framed and didn’t kill them. Alfred asks who really did it and tells them it was stunning work. He says he’s sorry.
Bruce says he’s glad he’s still alive because he wants to see him again. Jim says he’s going to find the man who did it and will clean up the police department. He asks them to keep quiet about what he’s told them. Alfred says that’s convenient. Bruce tells Alfred to shut it. Jim hands the boy his badge and Bruce hands it back. Jim thanks him. He drives away. Catgirl watches him come and go from the gates. Oswald surfaces with a gasp from the freezing water. He sneaks up on a man fishing. He grabs a knife and slits the man’s throat then grabs his sandwich and shoves it in his mouth.
THE END!