BWW Recap: A Viper Strikes GOTHAM

GOTHAM's fifth episode, "Viper," introduces new mysteries surrounding Wayne Industries in the Batman-inspired universe. Viewers also saw Penguin-to-be Oswald Cobblepot get closer to one of Gotham City's crime dynasties. The Gotham Police investigate a deadly street drug while young Bruce Wayne continues his obsessive investigation into his parents' murder.

In Wayne's house, Master Bruce is busy piecing together clues about his parents' murder. He tells the worried Alfred it's not for revenge, but to understand how Gotham works. The orphaned boy wonders how the Falcone and Maroni families got pieces of the Arkham project and why Wayne Industries was silent on the deal. Trusty butler Alfred continues to be concerned about Bruce's obsession. Elsewhere, Don Maroni admits to his henchman he strong-armed the mayor for a piece of Arkham, but that deal is only the beginning of his master plan.

A stranger with a messed up ear approaches a street performer. The unknown man gives the guitar player a small vial of green liquid, which he immediately break open and inhales. (That struck me as very convenient and a bit implausible, but stranger danger is not a major selling point in Gotham.) The musician immediately feels higher than a kite, heads for a bodega and drinks milk like a baby. As the store manager tries to stop him, the crazed musician tears the ATM out of the wall and runs away. On their way to responding to the store alarm, Jim spies Selina Kyle up to her old pickpocketing ways, but she escapes quickly.

Fish Mooney works with her new secret weapon, the singer Charmagne, training her to sing selections from Puccini. At the GCPD, Gordon and Bullock review store video of the musician tearing out the ATM. Falcone addresses his crime family members and allies at a warehouse. Among the criminals Fish and the head of the Russian mafia exchange heated words. Don Falcone says they need to stick together.

Bullock and Gordon hit the streets looking for the crazed ATM thief. They find a trail of milk and the hopped up musician. As he comes down hard, demanding more milk, he starts to tear things up even more when suddenly he turns pale white and is crushed. The cops express the hope there is not more of the drug, just as the nameless drug supplier randomly hands out more vials of the deadly substance on the streets of Gotham. (Timing, always, timing!)

Alfred wakes up Bruce in his study, among the mess of his detective work. Bruce has been invited to a charity event and he wants to ask the Wayne Enterprises board members some questions. Bruce turns on the television to catch the news update about "Viper," the newly named deadly drug. Ed Nygma explains to the police what happens when people take Viper: the euphoria and super strength is only part of the problem. Their calcium is also depleted, hence the quest for milk. The police station is overrun with druggies who crumble into heaps.

Maroni talks to his henchman about Falcone's casino trade and plans to hit them. Oswald tells Maroni he can help get them in and admits to his previous time working for Fish Mooney. This sets off Maroni who doesn't take it very well. Maroni's right hand guy comes to get Gordon for a meeting. Salvatore Maroni's goons bring Gordon to the restaurant and they discuss Cobblepot's story. Gordon recounts the whole Wayne murder conspiracy and how Falcone figures into the mix. Since the stories check out, Maroni is ecstatic that "Penguin" is a proper snitch. Maroni asks Gordon to keep quiet about their meeting and he may call on him again.

Since one of Gotham's premiere drug companies is part of Wayne Industries, a lawyer from Wellsyme Pharmaceuticals visits the police station. The attorney, Taylor Reece (guest star Margaret Colin) identifies a former employee, Stan Potolsky, as the person likely responsible for the Viper drug. He disappeared after being fired for going off the deep end and Reece thinks Stan has built his own lab to create the deadly drug.

Mooney is still training Charmagne in the subtleties of working men into a lather. Bullock and Wayne meet back at the police station, and go over Potolsky's files. A photo of Potolsky with a college professor leads them to the local university. The professor reveals Stan designed pharmaceutical weapons, with Viper being the unstable prototype drug. The concerned Potolsky went to Dr. and Martha Wayne to get them to stop the drug trials. They were murdered before they could stop the drug. Wellsyme and Wayne Industries continued making the bad drug. The professor and Stan decided to let the drug out on the streets to show how horrible Viper is. The new plan is to attack the Wayne Industry charity event at which Bruce and Alfred and many others will be guests.

Stan, posing as a waiter, takes a huge canister of Viper to the rooftop air system. Before the attack, Bruce is introduced to Molly Mathis, one of the middle managers at Wayne Industries. She seems surprised Bruce has disturbing news about his parents company and that he wants to meet the board members. Stan makes the big announcement and threatens the fundraiser. Just in time, Alfred gets Bruce out as Bullock clears the room of the innocent and presumed innocent. Gordon, meanwhile, tries to stop Potolsky, who tells them to look in warehouse 39 just before he jumps off the roof.

Gordon and Bullock head to the aforementioned warehouse and find nothing. Molly Mathis watches the cops and makes a mysterious phone call. Back at Wayne Manor, to Bruce's surprise, Alfred pulls up a chair and digs in to the files, assisting the young sleuth find more clues. On the streets of Gotham, another tip from Cobblepot gives Maroni the inside scoop on a Falcone heist.

Fish and the Russian mobster are indulging in rough sex play and pillow talk about getting rid of Falcone. The final scene segues onto a sunny day in a Gotham park and we see how Fish plans on using Charmagne. Dressed to the nines and humming "O Mia Bambino Caro," the femme fatale strolls by Don Falcone feeding the pigeons. Hearing her hum, the old Mafioso is struck by her beauty and her resemblance to his late mother. As she shares her earbuds, Falcone joins her as they listen to the aria. Well played, Fish Mooney. Well played.

Let me know what you think in the comments below, and follow me on twitter @jeffwalker66.

See you next week: Same Gotham time, same BWW-TV World location!

GOTHAM episode 6 is titled "Spirit of the Goat": A killer goes after the heart of Gotham's elite by targeting their first born. During the investigation, Harvey Bullock has to confront traumatic memories of from a past case, and Jim Gordon must face the consequences of past decisions.

Before you go, check out a preview for next week's episode:

PHOTO CREDIT: Fox

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