Written by Peter Blake
Directed by Annabelle K. Frost
Ivy: "You always did think you were better than me."
Selina: "That's not true, I was your friend. We were friends, Ivy. You said so yourself."
Ivy: "That was a long time ago. I'm a different person now."
If ever there was a thing that Gotham has consistently gotten right in terms of comics, it would be that somewhat complicated dynamic that both Catwoman and Poison Ivy have shared with one another. We've seen them both as friends and as enemies and in simultaneous books at the same time, a bit of both.
With this arc, we've seen that come to fruition here. Selina had been keen on actually helping Ivy to begin with but when the latter decided to go down the genocidal path, that was a line Selina wasn't willing to cross. In some ways, it makes sense that Ivy's final confrontation wasn't with Bruce or Gordon but instead one of the few people who has been kinder to her than most in her short enough life.
I'm glad this episode didn't end with Ivy either killed off or getting a spell in Arkham or somewhere else but instead, we got a rather complex confrontation with herself and Selina as the latter ensured that Ivy wouldn't be able to use the remaining Lazarus water for any more plant based experiments. I liked the mulling over of their friendship and how it served as a means for the pair of them not to kill the other. Given that the title for the season finale has also been spoiled online, I'm also hoping that we're not going to have too long until Ivy shows up again.
As for Ivy's general plan, it's interesting that she went after Bullock to avenge her father's death before leaving him to take out Gordon so she could cause her own havoc at a Wayne Enterprises event, even if she failed on both accounts. Credit to the show though for this Ivy arc and making her a compelling antagonistic while at the same time not also abandoning other storylines this week. Peyton List did make a considerable improvement with her performance this week.
Ivy wasn't the only dangerous female character to cause chaos this week. Leslie's attempts of getting Sofia onside resulted in her hand being smashed and getting quickly dethroned from the Narrows as Sofia got her own revenge on her sister in law. However while Sofia might be enjoying her shot of victory now, it seems that with Gordon on the warpath and a team up between Oswald and Edward, things are going to get very bad for her sooner than later.
The Ed plot this week saw himself being deceived into helping Oswald while trying not to kill Leslie but seeing the pair reunite certainly made for a good use of Oswald's screen time but this wasn't the only reunion as both Gordon and Bullock and Bruce and Alfred patched up their differences as well with some choice moments shared between all the characters in their scenes together.
- I noticed that Ivy's hair was a lot redder this week. Would you say auburn or scarlet though? I think the former perhaps. Ivy even wore a bit more green this week as well, including nail polish.
- Liked the shout out to both Essen and Barnes this week. I'm still surprised the latter hasn't resurfaced though there's still eight episodes left for him to do so.
- No Butch/Grundy, Tabitha, Barbara, Jerome or Ras this week.
- Chronology: Not long from where A Beautiful Darkness left off.
Reunion certain delivered in it's one to one scenes - Selina/Ivy, Gordon/Bulock. Leslie/Sofia, Bruce/Alfred and Oswald/Edward while providing a decent enough (and I hope temporary) exit for Ivy at the same time. I guess with this arc out of the way, it's time for a prison break and Sofia's downfall to look forward to.
Rating: 8 out of 10
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