At long last, an excellent episode arrives, marred only slightly by Jada Pinkett Smith's execrable 'acting' and by a shoddy plot device. Gordon learned how truly alone he is as the GCPD's single honest cop, although I was pleased to see Bullock stand up to be counted (once he was out of other options, of course!). While Victor Zsasz made a suitably creepy and psychotic debut, I've always considered the character as little more than an aspect of the Joker given a life of its own; hopefully the writers have something interesting planned for him and his leather clad female associates to justify his inclusion in the show. Gordon's plan was a bold move, showing him taking control of the situation even though I'm not sure how it could have worked out for the best. It was logical that Barbara would be Falcone's hostage, although personally I'd have preferred if Zsasz had located her rather than her being portrayed as stupid, coming up with a terrible plan of her own rather than taking her fiancé's advice. Gordon's first links with the MCU being formed in these circumstances was another nice touch. I was a little unhappy with how Bruce was handled in this episode though, he was a little too emotional at Gordon's departure, to my mind. Though the highlight of the episode has to be the revelation that Falcone has been Penguin's 'umbrella' all this time; the manner in which he is shown to be so far ahead of the rest of the city's crime bosses making it clear why he is the one they all need to be afraid of, while at the same time, Gordon is now effectively under Penguin's 'umbrella' himself!
Review of Penguin's Umbrella
