Written by Jim Barnes And Ken Woodruff
Directed by Larysa Kandracki
Barnes: "You .... you're dead?"
Azrael: "Not anymore."
Well, this was pretty bonkers even by the high standards of sheer bonkers that Gotham already has in spades. At the start of this episode, I wasn't sure about the idea of Theo Galavan becoming Azrael but as the episode gathered pace and Hugo Strange unleashed him on the city, I found myself actively enjoying this more than I probably should've done to be honest.
Galavan's return is enough of a game changer to effect everyone here. For Strange, it's given him more incentive to continue with his monstrous experiments on the patients for Arkham and for Gordon and Bruce, it spelled trouble for them. However it spelled more trouble for Barnes who ended up on the ouch end of a blade this week.
Will Barnes make it into the next season? Truthfully I hope not. He's one of the few dull characters we have on the show and losing him wouldn't be a loss even though there was some interesting enough scenes with him and Gordon this week before Azrael made his attack on GCPD.
As for Gordon, Bruce and Oswald - their reactions to Theo being alive were priceless to watch compared to Tabitha's seemingly more muted (for now) reaction and Butch's not much of a reaction too. It'll be interesting to see what the show will do with the Azrael plot for the remaining three episodes as we've also got Fish's imminent return to deal with too along with Nygma posing a problem for Strange as well.
I liked that putting Nygma into Arkham hasn't destroyed his spirits. He might be desperate to get out of the place but it didn't take him long to manipulate most of his fellow inmates and he's certainly clever enough to pose a threat to Hugo Strange as well. I also loved how he was able to use his wits in order find Strange's lair. That being said though he's probably ended up doing himself some bad there as I can't see Strange taking too kindly to Nygma outsmarting him.
Also in "Azrael"
Strange really amped up the creepy factor but manipulating Theo into thinking he was his father. Peabody's snark continues to make me smile though.
Strange (re Theo): "Strong as an ox, fast as a snake."
Peabody: "Mad as a hatter."
A Mad Hatter hint this week and then we saw Strange actually reading from Alice In Wonderland as well. I'm hoping they save that character's origin story for Season 3 though.
Gordon: "Thank you."
Strange: "For what?"
Gordon: "I can read tells too."
Nygma (to Strange): "My point is, everyone has a story and they just need to be listened to. My God, I should be the shrink."
The way Barbara made Butch nervous in this episode actually amused me. Is it me or did Babs seem to have the more crazier aspects of Selina Kyle from Batman Returns in this episode down a little too well?
Peabody: "Generations? That sword was made yesterday."
Strange: "It doesn't matter."
Strange: "So many stories to choose from. I feel like a child on Christmas morning."
No Selina or Leslie in this episode again. At the former is back next week though.
Barnes: "You can go to hell."
Azrael: "I've been there. You go."
Butch (re Barbara): "She scares me."
Tabitha: "Don't be a baby, she's harmless."
Chronology: Not long from where Pinewood left off.
For a series as bonkers as this one can be, it really did feel like Azrael somehow managed to top the show's usual craziness by quite a bit. Theo's gloriously OTT in his new persona and seeing the chaos unfold in his wake certainly worked a treat as well.
Rating: 8 out of 10
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