This episode gave us the possibility that there are other, more interesting stories in this show's world. It took a break from the mob "war" that wasn't getting much traction and focused on something much more sinister that is brewing in Gotham City's underbelly. All it took was a spotlight on a long-term case that Detective Bullock in the past.



The case comes back to haunt him in the present. Bullock had looked to be a little lost in the shuffle as other characters had to be pushed to the foreground. Warts do still remain with the show in certain parts, but this episode is a marked improvement from what could be characterized as a rough beginning. There's urgency present, along with some welcome complications for each of the main characters. This should be a solid building block that enables the writers to move the overall story forward.


It starts with Detective Bullock trying to stop a serial killer possessed by an ancient goat spirit ten years prior to the present day. He's joined by his partner, Detective Dix. The dynamics are flipped in this partnership. Bullock is the idealistic hothead who charges head-on into a situation without backup. Dix is the jaded veteran who advises his partner to tone it down. When they both go up against the suspect, Bullock's impatience leads to Dix being paralyzed via a trap door set by the Goat. 


The events of the flashback rather pointedly explain why Bullock is the way he is now with Gordon. He probably doesn't want to end up like Detective Dix, or worse gets killed by Gordon's tendency to rush into dangerous situations. More importantly, it shows that this world is getting too dangerous with all of the threats that the police can't possibly combat.




Once the possibility that the Goat has returned in the present day, Bullock is determined to close the case he thought was over ten years before. I have to say that while it's a total cliche to have a police detective be obsessive about a certain case, this personality aspect makes Bullock more lively and likable again. He's driven by an understandable cause to catch this killer before the city becomes littered with the dead bodies of Gotham's elite. The case nicely pokes at a society class war that has been ignored for the better part of a decade. Yes, Dr. Marks surrenders a bit too easily once Bullock figures it all out, but there's so much intrigue left there. It's possible that the Goat is the first attempt by the upper crust of Gotham to treat what has been ailing the city for so long.

It's a twisted motive, using criminals to advance any one of their respective agendas. But it does make some sense if one does step back and look at the situation from a larger perspective. If Gotham's elite are in the know about the corrupted state of the city and how easily the criminals are taking it over, then they would side with them in the war. They could possibly use or recruit ordinary citizens or those in the lower classes to do their bidding. Then they sit back as it all descends into chaos. They most certainly would know that the police are probably unable to stem the tide. The show would then be able to integrate many of Batman's more well-known villains into the puzzle.




That isn't such an easy task with the characters in the periphery. The show continues to miss the mark in its treatment of female characters. Selina Kyle is once again given nothing to do. Barbara discusses what's troubling Gordon instead of finding some semblance of personality independent of their relationship. He is unlikely to divulge many of the secrets haunting him so Barbara would be served well to move on to other things. Unfortunately, if that involves Montoya and going back to their relationship, then the show would be backsliding.

Montoya and Allen do make headway on their investigation into the Penguin, although they arrest both Gordon and Bullock at the end with little concrete evidence. That's thrown out the window when Cobblepot decides to walk into the police station alive and well. It kills the MCU's case on Gordon and Bullock while further complicating the relationship between the two detectives. It feels like there's something big afoot with this new development. The show had better start delivering on its promises. Based on this episode, that is capable of the writers. It's not something to add to my growing list of concerns.