Gotham 4×8 Episode Review: Stop Hitting Yourself

I enjoyed watching this week’s episode of Gotham. ‘Stop Hitting Yourself’ focused on the villains, delivering an enjoyable hour of TV.

I don’t know about you guys, but as far as I’m concerned, episodes that focus too much on Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) are a snooze fest. Thankfully, ‘Stop Hitting Yourself’ kept Gordon to a minimum and devoted most of the screentime to the delightful villains of Gotham.

It turns out that Ed Nygma has been making fun of Penguin at the underground fight ring in the Narrows, and Oswald isn’t happy about it. Cory Michael Smith did an awesome impersonation of Robin Lord Taylor’s Penguin. He even had the head nodding down!

I know I’ve been complaining about a lack of direction for Barbara. ‘Stop Hitting Yourself’ kind of gave me what I wanted but I’m still unsure when it comes to Barbara’s end game. Does she want to take down Penguin or is she okay with only messing with him? Also, we still have no explanation about the gift she received from Ra’s al Ghul. I want to know what Gotham is planning to do with her.

‘Stop Hitting Yourself’ also showed signs of Grundy remembering his past. I hope Tabitha decides to deal with the issue as soon as possible and we get to see Grundy turn against Nygma. Considering this is Gotham and it doesn’t take much to forgive each other (unless you’re part of Nygmobblepot), I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone decides to team up and fight Oswald.

As mentioned, thankfully our weekly dose of Jim Gordon was kept to a minimum. He’s promoted to Captain of the GCPD and that drives a wedge between Jim and Harvey’s relationship. Truth be told, I can’t bring myself to care.

However, we do get to see that Sofia (Crystal Reed) is clearly a threat. She’s the one who pushed Jim and Harvey away. Sofia seems to be playing all of the right cards for now. Let’s see if she’s able to comfort a suspicious Oswald and achieve her goal of restoring the Falcone name.

Some thoughts and questions:

• I’m enjoying the height difference between Ben McKenzie and Crystal Reed way too much. Jim looks tiny in front of Sofia in some of the scenes and I love it!
• Penguin taking a mute boy under his wing and teaching him proper stabbing techniques and how to take revenge is everything!
• I’m not a fan of Lee but seeing her and Barbara throw shade at each other gave me life.
• Someone give Kitty Selina something to do.
• How long do you think it’ll take Grundy to regain his memories?
• Am I the only one who wants to see Oswald figure out Sofia’s plan?
• The ratings for this season look steady.

What did you think of Gotham this week? Share your thoughts about ‘Stop Hitting Yourself’ with us!

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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