Gotham
Season 3 Episode 8: “Mad City: Blood Rush”
Directed by Rob Bailey
Written by Tze Chun
Created by Bruno Heller
Starring Ben McKenzie, Donal Logue, Sean Pertwee, Robin Lord Taylor, David Mazouz, Camren Bicondova, Cory Michael Smith, Erin Richards, Chris Chalk, Michael Chiklis, Jessica Lucas, Drew Powell, Morena Baccharin
FOX
Air Date: Monday, November 7th, 2016, 8pm

Last week’s Gotham, was psychedelic as Jervis Tetch (Benedict Samuel) dosed Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) with a hallucinatory drug, and the ride was as weird as expected. Barbara (Erin Richards) was his host and he visited several rooms in his mind – one of Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor), one of a happy family life with Lee (Morena Baccharin), and then one with his dad, who seems alive and evil now. Ed and Isabella are in love, even after she knows the whole murdering Ms. Kringle story. Bruce and Selina (David Mazouz and Camren Bicondova) had a date. Barnes (Michael Chiklis) started losing it more because of the blood.

Spoilers below.

Gotham 3.8 “Mad City: Blood Rush” review: Barnes passes by a suspicious character near a van (the audience saw a bloody hand in a rug). He decides to follow. The Alice blood is making him crazy. That, and the cleaner. “Something’s gotten into me… it’s getting stronger.”

Lee and Mario (James Carpinello) laugh about the wedding. But she tells him that Jim is coming back to the GCPD. He’s not happy. But Jim is. He and Harvey investigate the cleaner’s death. The guy was ripped apart.

Isabella and Ed (Chelsea Spack and Cory Michael Smith) are happy and in love. Until she puts glasses on, and he freaks out. Now he’s seeing visions of Miss Kringle, taunting him. “You’re a killer.” He confesses his fears to Penguin, who sits there with a smile on his face. They talk about breaking up with her, but he can’t. He wants Penguin to, who all but skips away to do it. He goes to Isabella and does the job. But she won’t let Ed go. She also sees that Penguin loves him.

Barnes visits Tetch about the blood. “It makes the darkness sing.” He wants to know what makes his sing. Tetch sees “violent, bloody rage.” He wants him to let his sister out. Barnes wants to make it right.

Jim and Lee have awkward conversation, but she thinks he was right to come back.

Barnes wants to take point on the case for obvious reasons. He’s running his own vigilante investigation on “The Toad.” He find him and gets another name – Dr. Symon, a plastic surgeon who gives face transplants. Barnes goes to the face doctor just in time to save the girl. He’s hearing voices and getting veiny, but doesn’t kill him. He brings him in. Jim knows something is up.

Barbara shows up at Lee’s party and asks if she misses the “darkness and the light.” Lee says no but her eyes say yes.

Dr. Symon walks just as they get the evidence to get him back. Falcone talks to Barnes. I think he was about to frame him, but he saw Dr. Symon walk in.

Isabella dresses like Ms. Kringle. She forces him to face his fears and it works. Penguin is pissed though. And plotting. I liked that she did not back down, even though I totally think either Nygma or Penguin will kill her.

Jim and Mario have a little manly contest. You’ll see.

Barnes is beating the crap out of Dr. Symon. “This whole city is guilty.”

“I am the law. I AM JUDGE, JURY, and EXECUTIONER!” And throws him out the window. You sure are.

To Jim: “You and I are going to make a difference in this city. We’re gonna clean it up.”

Barnes’s pictures the guilty as decaying zombies. Jim Gordon finds Dr. Symon who names Barnes. Uh-oh. Or maybe not. Jim might just join the fun.

I loved this Chiklis-centered episode. Barnes was the original Gotham vigilante. Chiklis played the inner conflict with genuine turmoil, before succumbing to the beast within at the end. The veiny eye thing is also very Vampire Diaries. There were tons of gore and action this episode.

Gotham airs Monday nights at 8:00pm ET on FOX.

FOX’s synopsis:

“MAD CITY: BLOOD RUSH”
EVERYONE’S GOING A LITTLE MAD ON AN ALL-NEW “GOTHAM” MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, ON FOX
MON NOV 7 8/7c
Barnes (Michael Chiklis) feels the effects of a recent incident and begins to go mad. Meanwhile, Nygma (Cory Michael Smith) is out of his depth in his relationship with Isabella (guest star Chelsea Spack) and Carmine Falcone (guest star John Doman) throws Lee (Morena Baccarin) and Mario (guest star James Carpinello) an engagement party in the all-new “Mad City: Blood Rush” episode of GOTHAM airing Monday, Nov. 7 (8:00-9:01 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

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