TV - Gotham Season 1, Episode 5

Steve Taylor-Bryant writes about penguins and drugs. He also occasionally watches Gotham and this week’s episode, Viper, contains a Penguin and some drugs! It's meant to be...

I am really enjoying Gotham. Yes, it is strange to watch a Batman related show without the Bat, but Gotham still entertains on a regular basis. This week, a strange man gives homeless people a drug they have to inhale that gives them super human powers for a short time. The first Gordon and Bullock know of the drug Viper is when investigating a shop robbery and they realise that one man stole an entire cash machine all on his own. When they find the homeless man though, he attacks them before attempting to throw the cash machine at the detectives but as he lifts it, his bones crumble and the machine drops on him. Instant death. Many other similar cases are being reported across Gotham as well. Edward Nygma breaks the chemical signature and informs them of the bio-chemist who used to work for the subsidiary of Wayne Enterprises that developed Viper and explains that Viper attacks the calcium in their bones hence people are, quite literally, falling apart.

Gordon meanwhile has other problems to deal with after being taken to see Marconi. Oswald has told Marconi how he came to work for Fish Mooney but escape her clutches and Gordon corroborates his story, saving both their lives. With his new found trust Oswald helps Marconi rob one of Falcone's casinos. Fish herself is planning a strike against Falcone using her new secret weapon, Liza. She trains Liza in the art of seduction and teaches her Falcone's favourite piece of music.

The staff at Wayne Enterprises distance themselves from Viper, blaming Stan Potolsky, the inventor. When Gordon tells Master Bruce, he decides to attend the latest charity function that Wayne are holding, to investigate the staff running his deceased father’s company. With Alfred's help, he is discovering that power and corruption is infiltrating the company. Whist at the event, Potolsky tries to kill everyone by emptying Viper into the air conditioning but is stopped by Gordon and Bullock before jumping off the roof. It turns out that Wayne Enterprises continued with Potolsky's research and perfected the calcium problem in Viper, and Potolsky was just trying to bring awareness to the problem.

Seeing the corruption at Wayne Enterprises is sure to bring Bruce Wayne and Alfred more into the overall plot as time goes on. I am still fascinated by Oswald Cobblepot and what his end game is going to be and Gotham is improving week on week.

Image - IMDb.