Gotham’s ‘Prisoners” – an escape without freedom

This week, Gotham explored the parallel of Gordon in jail and Penguin confined in his new home with a new family. One knows his plight, the other is oblivious to the confinement.

It seems Penguin has traded one big house for another – his father’s mansion. We learn that Peewee is sick and not expected to live much longer. Penguin confesses that he has “done bad things” and that he’s not a good man. His dad is not concerned with his life before their chance meeting at the cemetery. Penguin is his only blood relative left and he wants Penguin to live at his home in peace. With talk about changing the will, stepmother Grace and her children need to act fast to get rid of Penguin.

They dig up his corrupt past, but Peewee is not disheartened by it. He’s actually impressed his son has a famous moniker. Next, the sister tries to seduce him into confessing his plan to weasel out money from the old man. But Penguin in his addled state is just confused by his “sister’s” advances. Strike two. That just leaves them one more choice, kill the rat. But that backfires when Peewee drinks the poisoned sherry instead of Penguin.

Through it all, Penguin is oblivious to the deception from his new family. I longed for the ruthless Penguin. I hope he snaps out of it and returns the favor to the gold digging harpies.

Meanwhile, Gordon is biding his time in prison. When he’s moved out of the protective custody wing to general population, he’s in there with the criminals he helped put there.

Bullock visits to tell Gordon he’s still on the case. But he’s also the bearer of bad news – Lee lost the baby, moved down south and no one has heard from her since. Bullock promises to get Gordon out, don’t let this news break him.

And of course, once Gordon returns to the activity lounge, he takes a beating. Pretty boy Puck tries to help Gordon but ends up in the infirmary with him. Even though his crime seems minor, he “borrowed” a car to impress a girl, Puck believes he’ll get out of prison and not die there like his grandfather. He pretty much just sealed his fate by saying that.

It’s clear to Gordon that the warden has it out for him and one of the guard keeps warning him to be on alert. Yet when a plays-dirty-inmate stabs Gordon during movie night and for a split second, you wonder if Gordon is down for the count. Like a true crime movie, it’s a set up to break Gordon out prison.

Gordon thinks prison is where he belongs, but Bullock, who’s part of the escape plan, quickly talks Gordon out of that notion. But before he leaves, Gordon needs to get Puck out too. Unfortunately, Puck succumbed to his injuries and dies after the escape. At least he didn’t die in jail.

Kingpin Don Falcone was the force behind Gordon’s escape. He offers Gordon a way out of the country or a safe place to stay in Gotham to lay low. Gordon want to find Lee, but the only way to do that is to clear his name. With all due respect Gordon, I’m pretty sure Lee just wants you to go to her, a clear name be damned.