Gotham Review: Pieces of a Broken Mirror (Season 4 Episode 12)
Gotham Season 4 Episode 12, “Pieces of a Broken Mirror,” is a jam-packed thrill ride that doesn’t plateau until the credits roll. Fortunately, a majority of the story arcs work well. Of course, there are a couple of pitfalls along the way. But with so much going on, they don’t do enough damage to really take away all that much from the episode.
So many things that viewers have been waiting for come to fruition; it is almost too hard to keep track of them all.
One of the most exciting aspects of the midseason premiere is the return of Ivy Pepper. It seems as though her days of being a lackey are over. Her rebirth with the emergence of “superpowers” is something we have all been long anticipating, and it plays out nicely.
Her first flat-out murder shows her true sinister side, but her “mock” attack on Selina drives home the point that no one will stand in her way — not even allies from her former life.
It will be interesting to see what path she takes from here. Will she skyrocket to the top almost immediately? Or will she hit numerous potholes along the way, like good old Oswald?
“I know you. All of you. And I’m pretty sure I hate you.” – Ivy Pepper
Speaking of Oswald and his new buddy Jerome, it seems a little odd that there is no trace of them here. With the heavy advertisement of the two working side-by-side to escape Arkham Asylum, it seems as though we have been baited.
If Alfred’s two-second romance with the waitress at the diner was either sidelined or stretched into multiple episodes, maybe there would have been more time for Oswald and Jerome to make at least a cameo. Even though the eventual murder of this waitress (at the hands of her boyfriend) is quite interesting, it does very little to advance the plot.
The man himself, Bruce Wayne, does actually get to make his own cameo at the newly reopened Sirens Club. His drinking and schmoozing days are apparently not over yet. Yawn — get on with it already.
Even his encounter with Selina doesn’t do much here. She says about every word you think she would say then ventures off after Ivy. This “ship” needs to go somewhere, and it needs to go somewhere fast.
Another flubbed relationship — Lee Thompkins and Jim Gordon — peeks its head in for a moment, when the two finally come face to face. It is expected that there would be more restrained chemistry in their confrontation, but instead it comes off a bit flat.
Lee’s rise to near politician status in the Narrows is probably the most boring segue of the episode. It may later cause a power hungry and possibly unstable Lee to resurface, but it seems like wishful thinking on my part. If there is any trace of Alice Tetch’s blood left in her, it would be great for evil Lee to come back and take Gotham by storm.
Lee’s accomplice, Edward Nygma, has the most exciting reveal of the night, when the “Toy Man” comes for his payment. This is the only real shocker of the episode. Although everyone knew the Riddler wouldn’t stay gone for long, it is exciting to see he is hiding just underneath the surface.
Hopefully, Edward will finally have something more important to do now than just be an announcer for Lee and Solomon Grundy.
With all this being said, it is great to have Gotham back after a rather long hiatus. Seriously, it seems like it gets longer every year.
Luckily, we get inklings of where the second half of the season is headed, instead of just more questions. We aren’t left with seemingly abandoned story arcs, as in past years.
Sure, some people might say we are stuck with more of the same from Gotham. But in this case, that’s a good thing.
What did you think of this episode of Gotham? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Gotham airs Thursdays at 8/7c on FOX.
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Charles E Henning
Charles E. Henning lives in a quaint town of Illinois with his ever-loving wife since 1998. He is new to writing reviews, but has over thirty years of fictitious writing for his own personal fulfillment. His interests range from science fiction to character-based dramas, but he is a sucker for anyone in a cape.