Burn the Witch

**Bruce**: "*You tried to kill me. You were behind Indian Hill. Hugo Strange was hired by you.*"
**Kathryn**: "*Is that why you're here, Bruce? To ask questions you already know the answers to?*"
— Bruce Wayne and Kathryn

**"Burn the Witch"** is the second episode of Season Three of Fox's *Gotham*. It was written by Ken Woodruff and directed by Danny Cannon. It is the forty-sixth episode of the series overall, and premiered on September 26, 2016.

## Synopsis

Fish Mooney takes matters into her own hands to locate Hugo Strange, forcing Gordon to reluctantly team up with journalist Valerie Vale to find her. Penguin rises in popularity after criticizing the work of the GCPD and Bruce's investigation of the Court of Owls is compromised. Meanwhile, Ivy Pepper is reintroduced into Gotham City.

## Recap

*This section is a detailed recap of this episode. **There are major spoilers.** Click to expand.*

The Court of Owls brings Bruce to their secret meeting room. One has to ask the question: Where do these places exist? It’s a huge room with a big table, a viewing gallery, and masks set up nearby. The woman at the table doesn’t introduce herself, but Bruce has seen her before at Wayne Enterprises, and even at his house. She’s impressed that he bluffed his way into meeting her, and she’s duly impressed when Bruce attempts to make a deal with her, pointing out that if he dies, the government will investigate every file on Wayne Enterprises. She knows she has the upper hand, though, and ends up making a deal with Bruce that gives the Court of Owls control over the whole operation.

Valerie Vale shows up at Gordon's less than desirable apartment and tries to convince him to help her find Fish Mooney. He gets the million dollars, and she gets the story of her career. When she reveals that Selina is her source, Gordon turns to Barbara for help. He and Barbara have a tête a tête at the Siren as Valerie looks on, realizing that these two have history together. Barbara gives Gordon some information on Selina’s whereabouts, and then she tells him she had a dream about him where he loses his legs and she pushes him around in a stroller. As soon as they’re outside, Valerie leaves Gordon hanging and goes off to chase Selina and Fish Mooney on her own.

A woman washes up at the docks. She gets out of the water and is wearing a striped sweater that looks familiar…. It’s Ivy Pepper, but she’s grown up now, and definitely not a kid anymore. A man sees her and asks if she needs help. She needs water, she says. And she remembers that her name is Ivy.

Valerie has called Bullock for help capturing Fish. They have a deal that Valerie will get first shot at an interview with Fish upon capture. Bullock gives his men a pep rally outside the bank, which is kind of funny given how easily they could be seen. Inside, they find Fish and the gang hanging out. Several of the Indian Hill inmates charge the police, and the police open fire. The police are completely overpowered by the Indian Hill creatures.

Penguin holds a rally calling upon the city to hold the GCPD and City Council responsible. They said Fish Mooney wasn’t real and the Indian Hill inmates were victims, but they’re monsters. He isn’t afraid to call them monsters, and Penguin says it’s time that they act. Penguin has the makings of a politician.

Alfred finds Bruce on the couch and wakes him up. Bruce hugs him fiercely and says that their plan worked, that he met with the Court of Owls and they accepted the offer he’d discussed with Alfred. However, Bruce admits he had to promise to stop investigating the secret group, Indian Hill, and his parents’ murders. Alfred knows that they threatened the people close to Bruce, and that’s why Bruce is so shaken up. Bruce believes that he must keep his word in this agreement, but Alfred asks how he knows they’ll keep their word.

Gordon storms into GCPD headquarters looking for Bullock. Alvarez says he isn’t back yet, and that Gordon missed a big party earlier. Valerie is there, admitting that she trusted the wrong source. Lucius beckons to Gordon, and they go into the lab and have a conversation over a dead body. Lucius reveals that Mooney is sick, and that’s why she was looking for Peabody. She needed the drugs to help herself. Lucius reveals that the corpse is Ms. Peabody, which means that Fish is out there looking for Hugo Strange.

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Bullock is on his way to his car when Mooney’s thugs intercept him and put him in a van with Mooney. She says she needs to find Strange, and she knows Bullock knows where to find him. She kisses Bullock so that he agrees to help her find Strange. “Good boy,” she praises.

Ivy goes home with the man she met at the docks. He offers her a drink and she wants water. While he gets it, she notices the potted plants that are suffering in his house. He says his ex wife left her clothes when she moved out and he offers them to Ivy. He says she’s beautiful and can’t imagine that no one is looking for her. Ivy tells him her dad was killed and her mom left. She gives the plants water, remarking how sad it is to see them dead. He throws them in the trash, and she gets mad.

Gordon and Lucius tell the Chief that Bullock is missing, and they found his badge by his car. Gordon says they need to call the Feds and let them know Mooney is coming. He and Bullock know where Strange is, and it turns out the government has Strange in their facility to debrief him. The Chief will take them there himself.

Bullock assures Mooney that they have arrived at the right place. Two armed guards are outside but Sid dispatches them quickly. Mooney goes inside with her posse and they find Strange in a glass box, working in a lab. Mooney tells him they have unfinished business. Mooney wants him to fix her, and then build her an army. He says he can’t do anything to help her as the police sirens blare in the distance. When Gordon arrives with the Chief, Chief gets a call from Bullock. It’s Mooney calling, and she says that the GCPD doesn’t have much leverage with a dying woman. Valerie and the rest of the press show up to complicate matters as the Chief sets up a perimeter; he doesn’t want Mooney to leave alive.

Penguin and Butch watch the coverage of the standoff, and Penguin believes that Mooney is like a trapped rat. He says it’s time that they call upon their friends. Gotham, he says, doesn’t listen to the cops, rather they listen to Penguin.

Mooney tells Strange that he will find a way to fix her or else. She tells him of the time she spent as a protector, and how people who said they didn’t have the money somehow always came up with the money when squeezed. She says that he will find a way to save her or he will wish he’d been killed. They get interrupted when one of the Indian Hill gang comes in to say that the police are there, but so is another group.

Outside, Penguin arrives with an angry mob of Gotham citizens. The GCPD tries to form a barricade around the house to stop the mob but Penguin has tempers flaring. As they clash, Gordon sneaks inside. Mooney’s thugs are quick to intercept him, but Mooney calls him inside. Gordon says he’s only there for Bullock. He offers to help Mooney escape in exchange for Bullock. She agrees, so Gordon goes out and calls Penguin and tells him where to find Fish. The mob breaks inside the house and the Indian Hill gang opens fire on the mob. Outside, Mooney tries to make her escape but Penguin intercepts her. He wants to know why she left him alive on the bridge, and she says that she made him into the man he is, and she wanted him to be strong. It’s what he needed to hear. He tells her to leave and not come back.

The mob carries body bags out of the mansion as Gordon and Bullock look on. The mob then lifts Penguin into the air and celebrates their victory. Gordon knows that Mooney is still loose.

Ivy comes down the stairs dressed in a tight green gown. She tells her host to remember to water next time, and as she passes him we see that he’s on the ground with a head wound caused by a potted plant.

Alfred and Bruce share a meal in the kitchen. Alfred is happy to not have to return to that cave, but he wants to know what Bruce will do with his spare time. He suggests dancing lessons. There’s a crashing sound in the library, and they rush in to find Bruce’s doppelganger there. “Don’t hurt me,” he says.

Valerie stops by Gordon’s house to say Bullock’s story will go to print the next day. She suspects Gordon made a deal with Penguin to get rid of Mooney, but it didn’t work. Valerie thinks Gordon is up to something, but he tells her to shut up. And then he kisses her.

A train arrives in Gotham City, and Lee steps off the train and onto the platform. Lee is back in Gotham.

## Cast

* Donal Logue as Detective Harvey Bullock
* David Mazouz as Bruce Wayne/Subject 514A
* Morena Baccarin as Lee Thompkins
* Sean Pertwee as Alfred Pennyworth
* Robin Lord Taylor as Oswald Cobblepot
* Erin Richards as Barbara Kean
* Camren Bicondova *(credit only)*
* Cory Michael Smith *(credit only)*
* Jessica Lucas *(credit only)*
* Chris Chalk as Lucius Fox
* Drew Powell as Butch Gilzean
* Maggie Geha as Ivy Pepper
* Michael Chiklis as Captain Nathaniel Barnes

Special Guest Star* Jada Pinkett Smith as Fish Mooney
* Leslie Hendrix as Kathryn
* Nicholas Calhoun as Nick
* Jamie Chung as Valerie Vale

Co-Starring* JW Cortes as Alvarez
* Krista Braun as Reporter
* Radu Spinghel as Scale Skin Man
* Victor Pagan as Marv
* Bianca Rutigliano as Nancy
* Michael Lorz as Sid
* Gilbert Soto as Officer Sebring
* Narada Campbell as Mansion Gate Guard
* Adam Ross Ratcliffe as Strange's Guard

## References

1. ↑ http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2016/09/27/monday-final-ratings-sept-26-2016/
2. ↑ http://www.thefutoncritic.com/listings/20160908fox01/