Gotham Episode Review: "Mad City: Anything for You"

I was not surprised about Penguin winning the election in last week's episode or even by the fact he won the election fair and square. However, once he did, I couldn't help but wonder what kind of mayor he would make. And, as it turns out, this episode showed us just that.

Butch's decision to betray his long-time boss by hiring his own gang of hoods wasn't much of a surprise to me. I figured it was only a matter of time before he did something like that, either to sabotage the new mayor or (as it turns out) to get back in his good graces by saving the day. And, I wasn't too surprised by the fact he was figured out so easily, after all, he was never much of a planner.

What I found intriguing in this episode was the way Penguin responded to the new threat. Sure, the Gotham City Police Department, under the watchful eye of Edward Nygma (Cory Michael Smith) played a small role. But, true to his nature, Penguin opted to go back to his own group of crooks and essentially work outside the law. It'll be interesting to see how that affects him on an everyday basis as he continues in his new job.

Of course, the guy to keep a close watch on in this one is Nygma. I'm still expecting some sort of Brokeback Mountain-like romance to break out between him and Penguin because they seem to be very close. But, if he wasn't just trying to trick Butch at the end, there's also a really good chance he's plotting against Penguin. And, as I've said in the past, a war between those two could be very interesting.

I was a little surprised and a bit disappointed by Gordon's (Ben McKenzie) limited role in this episode. You would think a gang of red-hooded thugs would be right up his alley. Instead, he was essentially restricted to dishing out relationship advice to Bruce and then following that same advice with Valerie Vale (Jamie Chung). I really hope to see him do more next week.

Upon reflection, I realize, while Mayor Penguin has the potential to be intriguing, this episode was actually kind of predictable and a little dull. And, let's face it, Butch's plan to be a hero seems like something I would expect to see in a romantic comedy aimed at teenagers. I really hope next week makes up for it.

My Grade: C