03x16 - These Delicate and Dark Obsessions

[bunniefuu]

Previously on Gotham...

Uncle Frank?

Maybe you wanna tell me where the hell you've been since I was a kid.

"FRANK".

The Court is a secret society.

If it's so secret, how do you know about them?

Your father and I were both members.

It was a drunk driver.

I watched him die.

My brother was making trouble, and they k*lled him.

One cannot deny love.

I don't love you.

Look who's alive.

I just remembered.

There's someone I need to k*ll.

"KATHRYN".

The clone is in place.

FRANK".

What about Bruce Wayne?

He should be waking up as we speak.

I've always done whatever The Court has asked of me.

What aren't you telling me?

This city is on the brink of chaos.

Seems like judgment came to Gotham earlier than expected.

Members of the Ruling Council, Gotham has fallen ill.

v*olence and crime continue to spread like an unstoppable disease.

Drastic action must be taken.

- To that end, a w*apon is being built.

A w*apon intended to be unleashed on Gotham so that the city may be cleansed and rebuilt by us.

The Head of our Court asked that we reach a unanimous vote to proceed.

Judgment has been passed.

Gotham must fall.

I want to speak with whoever's in charge.

That would be me.

Is The Court of Owls behind my abduction?

The Court is a tool.

Nothing more.

You won't get away with this.

People will know I'm gone.

We've taken precautions to ensure your absence won't be noticed.

My clone.

He's in Gotham pretending to be me, isn't he?

Alfred will figure it out.

Perhaps.

But, by that time, I'm hoping we've accomplished our goals.

Which is what?

I need your help, Bruce.

Eat.

You're going to need your strength.

We'll begin soon.

All right, come on, people.

Come on.

Let's get back to work.

Joe, shut that off.

Can you believe this nonsense?

After all is said and done, who's back in charge?

Aubrey James, the original crook himself.

How was the cabin?

- What?

- You and your uncle?

You must have had a lot to catch up on.

Oh.

Yeah.

- Any word on Nygma?

- No, but, after gassing the cadets and dangling me over an empty stairwell, he just disappeared.

No riddles, puzzles, or singing telegrams yet.

Who's, uh, Michael Ness?

The drunk driver who hit and k*lled my father when I was nine.

A thing my uncle said got me thinking.

- What have you got?

- Not much.

He was convicted of vehicular manslaughter, got six years, then got his ticket punched in a prison stabbing a few months in.

- Silver lining.

- Yeah.

But I pulled his medical file from Blackgate and found something that wasn't in the original case file.

He had chronic persistent hepatitis.

I was going to ask Lee what it was when she got in.

Chronic persistent hepatitis is a non-progressive form of liver inflammation.

- How do you know that?

- You kidding?

It's known as "the Irish Curse".

With chronic inflammation, you cannot drink.

Nothing, not a drop.

Not even beer.

This guy didn't get the memo.

His blood alcohol was off the charts the night of the accident.

You're not hearing me.

If this guy had chronic liver inflammation, if he blew a .1 on a blood-alcohol test, he'd be dead before he got behind the wheel.

If that's true, then someone dummied the report.

Can you do some digging, find out who this guy was?

Sure, but...

Hey, where are you going?

Ta-da!

Pretty cool, huh?

I told you the whole estate was abandoned.

Can you believe it?

As a matter of fact, I can.

You know, the fresh air will do you good.

It smells like rotting death in here.

Oh.

I think someone's hungry.

Daisy...

Stop it!

I told you I am fine.

I'm a grown man, for crying out loud!

And you're hungry.

What's with you and all the plants?

Oh, they're my friends.

- Your friends?

- Yeah.

Wonderful.

You know, plants make better friends than most people, and some of them helped save your life.

It's broth.

I even put in some white willow for your fever.

What is wrong with you?

For the millionth time, I need to get back to Gotham.

What's the rush?

I was betrayed and sh*t.

I should be plotting my revenge, building an army, not drinking pinecone juice with the crazy plant lady.

So?

Build an army.

No one's stopping you.

And I can even help if you weren't being such a jerk.

Jerk.

Fine.

I need you to deliver a message to Gabe.

Who's Gabe?

He's a moron.

But he's a loyal moron.

And every army starts with one single loyal soldier.

"Please." Please.

Okay.

Fine.

Thank you for meeting me.

Why here?

It's public, open, easy to spot if anyone's watching us.

The driver who hit my father's car that night wasn't drunk.

I think he did it on purpose, and someone made it look like an accident.

Easy enough for The Court.

So let's say I believe you.

What do you want from me?

I've just learned something I'm still having trouble believing.

A w*apon is en route, headed for Gotham.

A w*apon The Court intends to use to destroy the city.

What are you talking about?

You said The Court controls Gotham.

Why would they want to destroy it?

This isn't The Court as a whole.

It's limited to a number of high-ranking members, fanatics who believe the city needs to be cleansed.

And you really think they're capable of this?

They've done it before.

Twice in the city's history they've laid waste to Gotham.

It's no bluff.

So how do we stop it?

I have no idea.

I don't even know what the w*apon is.

But that's exactly what I'm going to find out.

- I can help.

- No.

The Court knows I reached out to you, but that's all.

We need to keep it that way in case I'm discovered.

Be careful, Uncle Frank.

- I'm sorry.

I didn't mean to intrude.

- I saw you earlier.

Who's that man you were with?

My uncle Frank.

I thought you two were estranged.

We recently reconnected.

Good for you.

I've been coming here a lot.

The other day, I saw this little old man.

Must have been in his 90s, all dressed up, standing in front of his wife's grave, smiling.

I couldn't understand what there was to smile about.

And then it occurred to me.

They shared a whole life together.

I'm sorry.

How do you do that?

How do you just move on, leaving so much destruction in your wake?

I wish I could do that.

Yeah.

Hey.

That driver that hit and k*lled your father that night was a career scumbag.

What did you find out?

He did a stretch for grand theft auto among other things, and get this.

The high-priced lawyer who got him his plea was paid for by none other than Carmine Falcone.

Okay, that's...

Easy.

Okay.

That's enough.

Oh, boss, I can't believe it.

You know that everyone thinks you're dead?

- Yes.

- And that Barbara is running things?

Gabe, this might go faster if you just listened.

I need to build an army to exact my revenge and to take back my throne.

Will you help me?

Of course, I will.

When the guys hear that you're still alive, they'll come running.

I'll make sure of it.

What do you want me to do?

That.

I want you to do that, Gabe.

Right.

I got it.

No problem.

Hey, Sal, you're not gonna believe...

There's something off about him.

No argument there.

I don't trust him.

Gabe?

He's a human Labrador.

You whistle, he comes running.

Trust me.

He's loyal.

I have this perfume.

One whiff, and a man will do anything I ask, including telling the truth.

Look, now that Gabe is here, I'm afraid this is where we part ways.

I have an army to build, a w*r to plan, and we really do not know each other that well.

You understand.

No.

Maybe you can ask one of your plants.

I do not trust you.

I saved your life.

My men are on their way.

You trust him?

But I...

I thought we were friends.

"Friends"?

"Friends"?

Oh, you're being serious.

Look, don't take this the wrong way, but you are a bit of a freak.

- Did she tell you not to trust me?

- Yeah.

Why?

Smart girl.

Shall we begin?

The temple is some sort of maze.

Is that it?

Everything is a maze, Bruce.

The only difference is whether we realize our place within it.

Given enough time, I will find a way out.

How much time?

How long have you been blindly running down the corridors of your life only to end up in the same place?

It's time to pick a direction.

You can speak in cryptic riddles all you want.

I'm not scared of you.

But you are scared of something, aren't you?

Sit.

Let me show you what I have to offer.

You have some nerve showing up here.

- We need to talk, alone.

- No, we don't.

You took my son from me.

And you took my father away from me.

I'd say that makes us even.

- Your father was k*lled by a drunk driver.

- No, he wasn't.

The driver wasn't drunk.

He hit us on purpose.

But I think you know that because you paid for his lawyer.

Still think we have nothing to talk about?

If you have a question for me, son, why not go ahead and ask it.

Did you order the hit on my father?

No.

I respected your father.

Much more than the son he left behind.

But someone did.

It was a hit?

Yes.

- The Court of Owls.

- Hmm.

What do you know about them?

I know my uncle is a member.

- Are you?

- No.

But we've built a partnership which has been mutually beneficial over the years.

You mean you do their bidding.

Everyone does The Court's bidding.

Some of us just know it.

The person who came to you, a member of The Court?

- Files.

- Who was it?

Who ordered the hit on my father?

I want a name.

Frank Gordon.

Your uncle.

Hello, Jim.

I thought we could use a drink.

IS it true?

Did you order the hit on my father?

Carmine called The Court after you left.

You shouldn't have gone there.

It will raise suspicions.

Is it true?

Yes.

Why?

I already told you.

Your father was determined to expose The Court and became a risk.

- Simple as that.

- And so you had him k*lled?

Your own brother?

You want to sh**t me, Jim?

You'd be doing me a favor.

But it won't change anything.

The only thing we can do now is finish what Peter started and bring down The Court.

It's what he would have wanted.

What my father would have wanted is for justice to be done.

So do I.

Frank Gordon, you're under arrest for the m*rder of Peter Gordon.

Turn around.

Turn around!

Have you not been listening?

You have the right to remain silent.

Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.

- Arrest me, and it's over.

- You have the right to an attorney.

Stopping them is the only thing that matters!

- My father mattered.

- Oh!

Dock 9C.

It's where the w*apon will be arriving.

It's all I've been able to find out.

I need to speak with The Court, try to buy some time.

You need to find out when the w*apon will be arriving, and you need to do it without The Court finding out you're involved.

Otherwise, we're both dead.

Make a choice, Jim.

I didn't think you had it in you.

I know.

You never did.

Oh, boo-how.!

Is that what this is about, no one gave you a gold star for thuggery?

If you're going to k*ll me, then get on with it already.

I ain't gonna k*ll you.

We're going to auction off that right to the highest bidder.

"We"?

That would be my sales force.

If he had just listened to me, but, no, nobody listens to Ivy.

Phew.

- That's a lot to take in.

- Tell me about it.

A secret organization that controls all of Gotham?

If that's true, someone should tell them they're doing a pretty terrible job.

- He told you all of this at the cabin?

- Most of it.

The w*apon intended to destroy the city, that's a new wrinkle he threw at me today.

Quite the family reunion you're having.

I didn't mean to you involve you in all of this.

I just don't know who to trust anymore.

Way I see it, as hard as it was to hear what Falcone had to say, at least he confirmed the existence of The Court.

So I take my uncle at his word?

You work the lead.

Check the docks.

But that's just me.

I tend to give apocalyptic warnings of mass destruction the benefit of the doubt.

But it wasn't my father who was k*lled.

So, if you want to go after your uncle for what he did, I got your back.

He says The Court has destroyed the city twice before in its history.

We can't take that chance.

I'll call Judge Barn Barn, get a warrant.

We'll hit the docks and start kicking in doors today.

No, he was very clear.

The Court can't know I'm looking into this.

The GCPD cannot be involved.

So who do we know that can raid the docks, won't raise questions, and isn't connected to the GCPD?

No.

No, no, no.

Hmm.

Feels a little light.

And, you know, Mommy's gonna need a new pair of stilettos.

- Capisce?

Who's next?

Barbara Queen.

Jim.

What an unpleasant surprise.

Let me guess.

Do I hear a favor coming on?

I've been waiting a long time for you to begin your journey.

The only journey I'm going to take is back home.

Back to Gotham.

Then we share the same destination.

What are those?

Acupuncture needles?

Of a sort.

Think of them as keys, a way to open the mind to that which it locks away even from itself.

What are the symbols on the ends?

You said you wanted to return to Gotham.

Here we are.

Oh, come on, Tom.

It wasn't that bad.

Oh, no?

- Childish drivel.

I thought the acting was fine.

The music was lovely.

What about you, Bruce?

Sorry, Mom, I agree with Dad.

It was kinda lame.

"Kinda lame"?

There's no such word as "kinda." It was totally lame.

Dad?

Mom?

Give me your money.

How did you do that?

How did you do that?

What was that place?

- A memory.

- No.

No, it was real.

The mind can do far more than recall memories.

If one knows how, you can experience them, relive them as if they were happening for the first time.

You're saying we were inside my mind?

One is always inside their own mind.

Pretending we are separate from it, that is the falsehood.

Why would you show me that?

Why would you take me back there?

You've never left that alley, Bruce.

Not really.

And for you to be able to accept what it is I have to teach, you need to.

Rest.

We'll try again soon.

t*rture is fun.

However, I need to know what is coming into Dock 9C.

I told you, there is no Dock 9C.

- I can't tell you what I don't...

- What you don't know.

Yes, I've heard that one.

Now, tell me something I haven't heard.

You don't know what they're capable of.

Even when Don Falcone was running things, he never asked questions about what came into 9C.

In case you haven't heard, Don Falcone ain't running things, baby.

Now, what is coming into Dock 9C?

Look, something already came in last week.

- Oh.

- But they picked it up.

Okay?

The crate, it's still over there.

I swear, that's all I know.

I swear.

So you must have a phone number to alert them when things arrive, huh?

What do you say we give them a little call?

'Cause I would love an introduction.

Get him!

I swear, I didn't tell her nothing!

Make sure you get him from all sides.

Potential bidders need to know that he's alive and well.

Once we get these delivered, the auction can begin.

Forgot these in the car.

Cannolis from Alberta's, boss.

Thank God.

I'm starved.

Alberta's are my favorite.

They always put the cream all the way through...

Looks like you've got yourself into quite the pickle.

You're sitting right next to me.

I think our fates are somewhat intertwined.

Oh, no, I'll be fine.

What?

What are you talking about?

Totally fine.

If you have a plan, tell me.

Tell me.

What, you want me to beg?

ls that it?

I want you to be nice to me!

- Nice to you?

- Yes!

ls that so much to ask?

No.

No, it's not.

Okay, I'll be nice.

I promise.

Now, what is your plan?

Lay it on me.

Watch and learn.

Oh, yoo-hoo.

Cannoli guy.

Hey, quick question?

If I had information, like, really good information that would get you a ton more money for Penguin, would you let me go?

I don't know.

Maybe.

What is it?

Oh, I can't tell you in front of...

Let me whisper it in your ear.

Do you like my perfume?

You'll do anything I ask?

Super.

k*ll them all.

- Wait!

- Stop.

- Get his g*n.

- Grab the g*n.

- Give it to me.

- Give it to him!

- Now tell him to untie us.

- Untie us!

You don't have to yell.

I'm sorry.

I just got so caught up in the moment.

You know, I like the idea of an auction, Gabe.

I think I will auction you off to myself, piece by bloody piece.

Carmine told us Jim came to him asking questions about his father's death.

What exactly does he know?

Only what Carmine knew.

That I gave the order to have Peter k*lled.

Nothing can lead back to The Court.

After all these years, why would he start looking into this now?

I don't know.

Believe me, this is the last thing I wanted, which is why I'm here.

I know my nephew.

Jim won't stop until one of us is dead.

Unfortunate.

He would have made a powerful ally in what lies ahead.

In that case, you know what you have to do.

James Gordon must be k*lled.

- Barbara called.

- What'd she say?

Apparently, Dock 9C is being guarded by a blade-wielding psychopath who almost k*lled them.

Of course, it is.

Did she find out if anything was coming in?

That's the thing.

It already has.

I thought your uncle said the w*apon wasn't in the city yet.

He did, which means either he's lying or he didn't know.

Either way, we have to assume The Court already has it.

We still don't even know what "it" is.

We know one thing.

Barbara said the crate that she saw was stamped with "Indian Hill." So something from the freak factory is going to wipe out the city?

- Gordon.

- We need to talk.

Did you know the w*apon is here?

What?

No.

What the hell is going on, Frank?

We're running out of time.

I'm at my house.

Come alone.

Come quickly.

I trusted you, Gabe.

How did you repay that loyalty?

Betrayal.

Not for nothing, but I was there after your mother was k*lled when no one else was.

And how do you repay me?

By passing me over.

Wow.

A valid point.

Perhaps we forget that loyalty must be extended before it can be returned.

Yeah.

You were loyal to me once, Gabe.

I wonder, could you be again?

Yes!

Oh, boss.

I'd swear an oath on my dead mother's grave right now.

- God rest her soul.

- No need for anything so dramatic.

Ivy, would you mind ensuring that Gabe's oath of loyalty is noble and true?

If what is what now?

Make him smell your perfume.

Right.

Okay.

Uh, raise your right hand.

Do you swear to be loyal and true to Penguin?

No.

Ouch.

I don't understand.

Why not?

Why can't he be loyal?

Go ahead.

Answer.

I never was.

I only followed you out of fear.

We all did.

Actually, I can live with that.

Fear and respect.

Management 101.

No one ever respected you.

We always saw you for what you really are, a tiny freak who used to hold an umbrella.

Nothing more.

A freak?

A freak?

A freak!

Yes!

A freak!

A freak!

A freak!

Thanks for coming.

The w*apon The Court is planning to use on Gotham came from Indian Hill.

Any idea what it might be?

No.

Like I said, I had no idea that it had already arrived.

It's clear that The Court no longer trusts me.

Why call me down here?

I'm supposed to k*ll you.

Which leaves us where?

That's up to you.

I need someone to replace me on The Court.

Someone who can find out what the w*apon is and how to stop it.

Someone I can trust.

You need to join The Court of Owls, Jim.

It's the only way.

You just said they want me dead.

They still want you on The Court.

They just don't see now how it's possible.

But I do.

At some point, a woman named Kathryn is going to call to ask if you're dead.

And when she does, I suggest you pick up.

And tell her what?

That you blame me for your father's death.

I gave the order to have him k*lled, and I deserved what I got.

- What are you talking about?

- You have his strength, Jim.

You can finish what he started.

For both of us.

He would have been so proud of you.

No!

Please!

Please, I'm sorry.

I'll do whatever you want.

Just please don't make me go back there.

Give me your money.

No!

I have so much to teach you, Bruce.

But your pain, it blocks you from who I need you to become, who Gotham needs you to become.

If one's feelings and emotions are strong enough, their consequences can follow you back into the real world.

I don't know what you want from me.

Over the centuries, we've tried to end the cycle of crime and v*olence that plagues Gotham, only for it to start up again.

And do you know why it does?

People are afraid, and fear breeds hopelessness.

I'm supposed to believe you care about the people of Gotham?

I do, very much, which is where you come in.

Gotham needs something I believe only you can provide.

What?

A protector, Bruce.

I can't protect Gotham.

Not by myself.

No one can.

Perhaps.

But if you were to become a symbol, a symbol against fear, then Gotham can be reborn.

Okay.

I admit it.

I might have lost my temper there a little bit.

Sorry about that.

It's okay.

I don't know why I let him get to me.

Sticks and stones, right?

Hmm.

Words always hurt me way more than sticks or stones.

Yeah.

Me, too.

So does this mean you're giving up your plans for revenge?

I can't take on Nygma and Barbara and the rest of them by myself.

Who said anything about taking them on by yourself?

Selina told me some pretty crazy stories about people she met down in Indian Hill.

You said you want to build an army, right?

Well, what about an army of freaks?

What kind of freaks?

Kathryn, I presume.

Detective Gordon.

I can't say I'm entirely surprised.

I k*lled my uncle.

I make no apologies for it.

We understand.

Good.

Then maybe it's time we meet.

Agreed.