‘Gotham’ Recap ‘Mad City: Smile Like You Mean It’

Wow! ‘Smile Like You Mean It’ was an all over amazing episode.  Though I do have a few opinions on Jerome’s ‘Joker’ and how Bruce is coming together, but we will get to that later.

We open up with Dwight’s crew and him walking into a restricted area.  The security that is at the door, shoots at them.  The one guard turns on the other stabbing him.  He was only part of the cult.  As we head on in, we see a Joker card on the table that the officers were playing cards with.  Once inside Dwight sees the chamber with Jerome in it and says “it’s really you” while giving that ‘Joker’ laugh.

Can’t say I am surprised that this now turns into a crime scene.  ‘HA! HA! HA!’ with a joker smile painted on it.  Jim and Harvey now figure out that Jerome was at Indian Hill along with Fish and many others.  Just waiting to be brought back to life.  The chambers are kept at 237 degrees below zero, so all that is needed to bring him back to life is to thaw him out.  Fox gives an estimate of 3 hours before he is brought back.  Jim moves a box to find a man who is part of the cult.  When suggested that he be taken to the hospital, Jim says no.

Cole and Bruce are talking over Maria’s debt.  She broke a contract and now needs to pay.  He wants cash and if he does not receive it, he will give the police enough evidence to take Maria away.

At the station the man from the cult is being bandaged up by Lee.  Lee makes it known to Jim how she feels about him breaking the rules.  She knows the man should have been taken to the hospital.  Jim wants answers from him.  He thanks Lee for having Carmine call off Zsasz.  She tells him “Want to thank me? When you find Dwight, have him bring Mario back from the dead.” Harsh. Jim heads to talk to the man.  He has a shirt on with the ‘Joker’ symbol.  He is was over excited to meet Jim.  When  Jim pushes to find out where Dwight took Jerome all the man can say is we are everywhere.  He starts laughing.

Jerome was taken to some factory looking place.  Dwight has him all hooked up as if Dwight is creating Frankenstein.  He turns the machine on to bring his creation to life!

 

Barbra decided to make a visit to Oswald.  She reads the paper to him about his meltdown.  She wants to ‘help’ him get his act back together.  Barbra tells him to get his disco vampire hair thing gong and to meet her at her place.  She is going to get the five families together.  He believes her.

Bruce hands over the money to Maria.  Selina suggests to call the cops since she is afraid that Cole wont stop.  Bruce tells her that this will buy them time.  Maria suggests that a choice could be for her to leave.  Upon hearing that, Selina tells him to give her the money and storms out.

At the station, Jim and Harvey are trying to figure out the Jerome cult.  Fox shows up with a map of where Dwight could be.  After Harvey tells one of the officers lets go, another officer calls to inform Dwight that the cops are on the lead.

Jerome wont wake up after multiple tries.  Dwight’s assistant comes in and warns him that the cops know where he is.  Dwight cuts off Jerome’s face since the people want to see him.  Jim and Harvey show up.  They realize that Dwight took off quick as if he was being tipped off.  They find Jerome’s body with his face cut off.

Dwight goes to the cult to reveal the return of Jerome.  When he walks in they are all ticked off.  He tells them that Jerome is with them and never left.  This starts getting the group pumped.  They all begin yelling “I’m Jerome!”  Actually reminded me of The Walking Dead since everyone is Negan.

With Jerome’s body being taken to Lee, she uncovers him to have a look at what happened.  As she walks away, his hand twitches.

 

At the station they had figured out that the last number had come from within the station.  There wasn’t any way of finding out unless Fox made a gadget. Jim takes the cell phone out to the floor and informs everyone that they have a mole.  He tells them that he will be calling the number back to find out who did it, if no one fesses up.  Well no one does and he goes to call when an officer makes a break for it.

Oswald shows up to Barbra’s like they had planned.  No one had shown up! Barb suggest to him that he cleans house.  He finds this comical and knows what she is trying to do.  Penguin is not stupid.  Tommy calls Barb and asks to speak to Penguin.  He tells them that he is done.  This sends Oswald into a rage and threatens to kill them all.  Once he leaves, Barbara calls the number back and talks to Tabitha.  Tabitha shoots Tommy after given the go.

While questing the cop, Jim and Harvey threaten to send him to Blackgate since he wont talk.  This doesn’t seem to bother him at all.  Jim stops playing good cop and holds the officer by the collar screaming at him that he wants to know what Dwight is planning.  Since he doesn’t get an answer, he starts punching the officer.  Harvey jumps in and punches him too.  Lee jumps in and injects the officer with a truth serum.  Jim follows her out of the room.  When he touches her, she snaps! He tells her to not let the hatred of him change her.  She doesn’t want to listen to anything he has to say.  What a great talk! Harvey finds out the information from the officer.  Off they head to Channel 9 News where Dwight plans to make an announcement.  Meanwhile Dwight breaks into the the News facility.

When Lee heads back into see Jerome, she sees an officer laying on the floor dead.  Jerome sneaks up behind her and covers her mouth.  Boo!

 

 

Jerome and Lee have a conversation about the cult.  He is quite impressed that he was able to do that.  Though he is not happy that he never got to kill Bruce.  With bandages wrapped around his face, he recognizes Lee.  He remembers her as Jim’s girlfriend.  She informs him that he killed Mario on their wedding day.  This puts Jerome in a laughing fit!

The GCPD heads over the Channel 9 News where they find Dwight has news reporters held hostage.

Maria takes the money to Cole.  Selina catches her in the act which she is very unhappy about.  She now realizes that she only came back to use her.

Jerome Cult is at the news station.  Dwight is on the phone with Jim.  He repeats to Jim what Jerome said to him before.  Dwight is boring Jim, so he hangs up and goes to find a way in.

With the families meeting at Barb’s her and Tabitha talk about the promise that she needs to keep once they rule Gotham.  This promise is to kill Edward.  They decide to take ‘Option B’ and kill the families.  Penguin is now all Ed’s to deal with.

Dwight goes live to talk about Jerome.  Gotham will remember.  After Lee and Jerome got to chat for a bit he ties her up and heads over to the News station dresses as an officer.  He if not impressed with Dwight.

 

On his way to the news station, Jerome hits a man with the cop car he has stolen.  Jim breaks into the station knocking the man out and saving the hostage.  They break into the news room.  The cult breaks up and Dwight tries to run.  Jim tackles him and cuffs him.

Selina bursts in on Bruce who is punching a punching bag.  She asks him if he knew about her mother and he walks around it a little bit before saying yes.  He was hoping it wasn’t true and that she would hang around to get to know Selina.  They both lied to her and she is extremely hurt by this.  She goes to swing a punch at Bruce but he keeps dodging all that she throws at him.  The only reason her mother came to see her after 11 years was because of Bruce.

After breaking up the cult at the news station, Dwight ended up getting his message out after all.  There have been crimes reported all over the city.  Lee calls Jim to warn him about Jerome and that he is going to get Dwight.  They go to look for Dwight, but the officer who was watching him has been stabbed.  Jerome has taken him.

 

 

Once Jerome gets Dwight where he wants him, he takes his face back and staples it back on.  Dwight tries to tell him with doing his best (without showing that he is lying) that it looks good.

Oswald has been trying to find Edward.  He is no where to be found.  Oswald finally gets a call back from him.  He wants to know where he is but all he can tell him is that he is at Caine Chemicals.  Off they go to find him.

With all of these random attacks happening, the GCPD needs to find Jerome.  The Channel 9 News van was taken from the station.  Jerome comes on the TV using the news equipment that was in the van.  Not knowing if he is on the air or not, he starts talking.  He makes it known that tonight, people should do whatever they want with Gotham being in the dark.  What could he mean by this?  Dwight is sitting in a chair dresses as an officer.  Jerome lights the fuse leaving him to be killed in the explosion.  When Jim and Harvey figure out where he is, it’s too late.  Jerome blew up the power plant causing a black out in Gotham.

 

This was an amazing episode.  I was so excited to see that Bruce is finally going into his Batman training.  It’s quite impressive already.  Though I’m not sure how I feel about Jerome.  He was giving me too much of a Heath Ledger Joker feel.  He is doing an awesome job, but I can’t help but feel he was trying to be Ledger.  Who knows, maybe that will change as the season continues.  Not to mention I’m pretty bummed that next week is the winter finale.  You can’t come back with just 3 episodes and make us wait until April.  Not cool! Well let me know what you think of Jerome’s return.