After a recap of the past two episodes, Penguin gets off a bus and comes back to Gotham. Crime is everywhere: prostitution, corrupt cops, muggers, etc. A news report opens about a man about to be put on trial, Ronald Danzer. He leaves his office and a Balloonman handcuffs a weather balloon to him and sends him into the sky. A man who was wearing a pig mask who wasn't Professor Pyg apparently.
Back at the station, Gordon meets Lt Cranston, who is a hothead and extremely sarcastic. Cranston isn't corrupt that we know of but he doesn't follow the books like everyone else. Gordon tells Bullock he's a thug. Gordon wants to investigate Danzer, but Bullock says it's not worth it. Selina Kyle comes in to see Gordon. Bullock is annoyed because that's a closed case.
Gordon tells Kyle that he wants to see the Wayne's murderer arrested. Kyle shows Gordon where it happened and what happened. Gordon isn't sure if she's lying or not about her being there to see the murder. Kyle says she stole a man's wallet and dumped it. Gordon handcuffs Kyle while he searches for the wallet. He finds it in the sludge and realizes she was telling the truth. Kyle picks the lock and gets away.
Detective Montoya and Allen head to see Fish Mooney. They want to know where Penguin is. She says she doesn't know. Montoya knows he's dead. Mooney says she didn't do it but she thinks Gordon did it. She tells the cops that Falcone ordered the hit.
Penguin is on the streets and has only some change and a knife. Someone sees him on the street and says Fish will pay a lot of money for him. Oswald says he couldn't stay away because Gotham is his home. Penguin gets stabby and kills him. He takes his money and gets some food.
Bruce and Alfred are practicing sword fighting with canes. Bruce eventually gets angry and lets loose. Alfred finds that Bruce has the police files on his parents' deaths. Bruce has doubts that Gordon will find the killer.
Detective Allen and Montoya pays Gordon a visit and they ask him about Oswald. Gordon says he didn't do it and they have no proof.
Penguin asks for a job at a restaurant and the boss says he doesn't have the right shoes. Oswald spots a cook with the shoes he needs.
Gordon and Bullock talk about Penguin's murder. It's intense between them.
Penguin stops the chef on the streets and asks him what shoe size he wears. The chef says 9 and Oswald laughs because it's a coincidence.
Bullock and Gordon talk to a man about the balloons and they find out that the Balloonman stole four of them.
Lt Cranston is roughing up a thug for money. The Balloonman approaches him and tries to handcuff him. Cranston beats him down, but eventually gets lifted into the air by a balloon.
Bruce is reading the newspaper while at the table. He's not eating. Alfred is concerned. Bruce shows Alfred the headline about the Balloonman.
Barbara asks Gordon about Balloonman and wonders if he'd be safe. She says Gordon is giving people faith because he caught the Wayne killer.
On the news, citizens like the Balloonman because he kills the corrupt. The captain is pissed and wants to know how far they are on this case. Bullock wants to put it on the guy who the balloons were stolen from. The captain wants them to find who the Balloonman will target next.
Bullock talks to the underbelly of Gotham to get answers.
Penguin has a new job and new shoes. Penguin's boss is tough and as he's yelling at Oswald, Maroni walks in.
Bullock and Gordon continue the search for answers. They get to Carl Smikers and Carl's girlfriend tells him to run. Bullock struggles, but eventually, they get him.
Lazlo tells Fish he's worried about everything happening. He doesn't want to get beat down again. Fish tells him it will be ok. He walks away. She tells one of her other men to get rid of Lazlo and to rough up Falcone's girlfriend.
Montoya is in Barbara's house and wants to talk about Gordon and how he killed Penguin. Barbara says she's lying. She thinks Montoya is determined to destroy Gordon. Montoya says she deserves better. Barbara tells her to leave. Montoya tells her to ask him where he was the night the murder happened.
In interrogation, Carl tells them he sold the balloons to someone else. Carl says the balloons will pop and come back. They do and splat on the ground. Bullock finds a list with Gordon's name on it. Gordon says he know who the Balloonman is.
Maroni stops Penguin and Oswald gives him a fake name. Maroni says he's was once like Oswald and gives him some money. They see on tv that a priest who was convicted was sent into space.
Gordon says the juvenile services guy who handed over Selina to Gordon is the Balloonman. He explains it all to the Captain. Bullock can't find any leads but Gordon thinks they're storing stuff in an abandoned juvie building. They get to the building and see a gate open. Bullock and Gordon head in and find a blue conversion van. The Balloonman holds a gun to Bullock. Balloonman says Gordon and he are the same man. He wanted to make a difference in Gotham for the better. He asks Gordon who he is fighting for. Bullock handcuffs him to a balloon and sends him into the air. Gordon grabs onto him and Bullock is forced to shoot down the balloon.
Carmine Falcone waits for Fish Mooney at her place. Fish enters and greets her. Falcone stopped by to make sure there are no hard feelings. Fish asks about his girlfriend and he says there was an accident with her. He says he'll hurt the person who did it and anyone connected.
The Balloonman gets taken away in an ambulance. Before he gets taken away, he talks to Gordon and Gordon asks who the last person was. Balloonman says they'll be more people like him.
Bruce Wayne watches the television story about the Balloonman at home.
Gordon gets home and throws his jacket on the bed. Barbara comes in and hugs him. She wants to know if he's ok. She asks him what's wrong and tells him that Gordon can tell him anything. Gordon says the city is sick. Gordon reveals that the Balloonman's last target didn't matter since the city is so corrupt and that's why the city embraced him. Barbara seems reassured in him and his character. She says she loves him. There's a knock at the door and she goes to answer it. It's Penguin.
Enough of Bruce Wayne! We don't need his take on all the events happening in Gotham. Cutting back to him is the most frustrating part of this series. Yes, Batman is cool, but this isn't about Batman or Bruce. This is about Gotham Central and James Gordon. Every time they cut back to him, my blood boiled because this show is better without the young Bruce Wayne.
There's a lot to love about this episode though. Sure, the idea of The Balloonman is incredibly silly and stupid, but it's important moment for Gotham. A citizen took the law into their own hands. Sure, you're probably thinking, "but didn't you just talk about how having Bruce Wayne in the show is pointless? We need to see how he reacts to this idea." No we don't. Anyway, the story overall is very cool and Gotham is currently 3 for 3 on stories this season. While I'm still a bit scarred this show may still turn into "villain of the week," as long as the stories add this much to the world, I'm totally for it.
The real reason to watch this show is the journey Oswald Cobblepot takes in Gotham. Sure the Bullock/Gordon dynamic is fantastic and Gordon's struggle to be a better man in a corrupt city is great, but man, Robin Taylor as Penguin is easily the best part of this show. He's probably only on the screen for a total of 7 minutes, but those are the best 7 minutes of each episode. He really has made this iconic character his own.
Aside from the Bruce Wayne moments of this episode, I loved everything about "The Balloonman." Gotham is the perfect mix of cop-drama and comic books. It has just a tinge of fantasy in each episode, but at no point does it really get too over-the-top. So far, this was the best Gotham has to offer; however, this show keeps getting better and better.
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