Start of a War

**Start of a War** is the eighth episode of the season  and the series. It first aired on February 2, 2009. It is the eighth episode overall.

## ​Plot

Gordon sits on his couch staring at the TV filled with static. Barbara Kean and her daughter pace around the room. Batman walks in and tells them that with the war between the two crime bosses it will be hard finding their son. Robin walks up and tells Batman something suspicious has happened in downtown Gotham.

In Downtown Gotham, Batman and Robin drive down to a bank where Riddler is there as he holds a gun up to the banker. Batman surprises him as he smacks him with a batarang. However, Riddler still manages to shoot the banker. As Robin rushes the man to the hospital. Batman drives Riddler down to Arkham where Maroni's men shoot at the Batmobile. Through all the chaos Riddler has escaped.

At the GCPD, Bullock and Allen are assigned by Essen to to find Maroni's daughter who went missing after a battle with Falcone months ago. The GCPD labled her dead, but now they evidence that she is alive and the reason this war has started and possibly a way to end it.

Barbara, at school, walks into Biology. Dick sits down across from her. She winks at him and he smiles. Their teacher pulls something out from under the desk and reveals a gun. He pulls it on Barbara and tells her to follow him. Barbara follows but Batman busts in. He stops the teacher and learns he works for Falcone and the latter wants Gordon's children as he already has James Jr. Barbara is safe and Dick sighs of relief. They hug and the students are sent home.

Bullock and Allen continue their search and bust into Falcone's mansion where a scream is heard. They find their way into the basement and call the name "Natalie", along with James Jr. Maroni's daughter, Natalie, is found and returned to Maroni hours later.

In an underground base, Penguin is talking to Riddler, Catwoman, Two-Face, and Harley Quinn. He tells them Joker has chosen to wait out the war in Metropolis. However, Joker ordered the five of them to create chaos throughout Gotham in his absense. The five smile as a bomb goes off and the five are knocked unconscious. Falcone steps out and mutters to himself about he'll be the only one causing chaos.

## ​Cast

### Starring

{{{Text in **bold** means the character was featured in this episode. Text in *italic* means the character was not featured in this episode.}}}

* Ben Affleck as **Bruce Wayne/Batman**
* Alexander Gould as **Dick Grayson**
* Sarah Hyland as **Barbara Gordon**
* Zen Gesner as **James Gordon**
* Dina Meyer as **Barbara Kean**
* Nathan Gamble as *James Gordon Jr.*
* Jared Leto as *the Joker*
* Robin Lord Taylor as **Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin**
* Anne Hathaway as **Selina Kyle/Catwoman**
* Cory Michael Smith as **Edward Nygma/Riddler**
* Zabryna Guevera as **Sarah Essen**
* Donal Logue as **Harvey Bullock**
* Victoria Cartagena as *Renee Montoya*
* Andrew Stewart-Jones as **Chris Allen**
* John Doman as **Carmine Falcone**
* Nicholas D'Agosto as **Harvey Dent/Two-Face**
* David Zayas as **Sal Maroni**
* Margot Robbie as **Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn**

## ​Trivia

* This episode achieved 15.15 million U.S. live viewers.
* Nathan Gamble, Jared Leto, and Victoria Cartagena do not appear in this episode James Gordon Jr., Joker, and Renee Montoya.
* This episode received negative reviews. It scored a 2% on Rotten Tomatoes and an 18 out of 100 on Metacritic.