Gotham Review: Things That Go Boom (Season 4 Episode 10)

This season of Gotham has been a bit of a slow burn. Not until Professor Pyg showed up a few weeks ago did things really start to get interesting.

All that changes in Gotham Season 4 Episode 10, “Things That Go Boom,” when finally a majority of the story arcs come to a boiling point.

Professor Pyg murders a fellow inmate at Arkham Asylum — with a vinyl record, of all things. It’s surprising to see that Pyg is back after what seemed like an ending to his reign last episode. Jim and Lucius Fox discover that Pyg’s face is not his face at all, but a reconstructed one that hides a metal plate just underneath the surface. This metal plate alters Pyg’s look so much that it gives him the ability to be anonymous.

Why would a man so proud of his “artwork” want to hide who he is?

Professor Pyg is definitely the darkest villain we have seen on Gotham, since perhaps the first season with Milo Ventimiglia as the Ogre. Will Pyg leave as much as an impression as Milo did? Somehow he probably won’t, even though his crimes are a bit more vulgar and heinous.

Next, we jump to GCPD, where Sophia Falcone is rubbing up to Jim Gordon. Sophia is a somewhat intricate character and we all know she is playing all sides of the field.

Jim, Oswald, and even Martine are all just miserable pawns in her game. We know her goal is control of Gotham and finally she is “forced” to show her true colors, but in true Falcone fashion she always knows what is going on because she has her hand in all of it.

Oswald and Sophia make great frenemies. You know each move they take towards each other could end in a blood bath, but it is great to watch them bite their tongues at just the right minute. The tension here is practically unbearable.

Sophia Falcone: Penguin may have won the battle, but tomorrow we win the war.

The manipulation of Martine is something that needs to go by the way side.

It’s understandable that Gotham is full of “bad guys” who are good at their job. But using a child of his age is just a little bit sickening. If they aged him about ten years, that would be fine. But it appears after this episode he won’t be showing up any time soon. So let’s move on.

This episode is really highlighted by the acting chops of multiple characters and their interactions with each other. Maybe this episode should have been called “Interrogation,” because that is really where the characters shine. Jim and Pyg, Oswald and Sophia, Barbara and Sophia. These are really stand-out performances for the entire season.

“Things That Go Boom,” is one hell of a thrill ride. It never lets up, not even at the end. War breaks out and things definitely go Boom! The car explosion is a real jaw-dropper. You’ll know exactly what I’m talking about when you get there.

Alas, things aren’t all that they seem, and some of the bleakest moments are shown to not be as bad as we were led to believe. Which is actually a good thing for once.

As usual, there are no happy endings on Gotham. That is the beauty of noir and serial television. It will be exciting to see what unfolds in the next episode, as it is the winter finale. Surely things won’t wrap up too neatly — after all, this isn’t Family Matters.

What did you think of this episode of Gotham? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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Gotham airs Thursdays at 8/7c on FOX.

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