Gotham Recap: "Spirit of the Goat"

Written by Shae

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

With a title like that, I was really expecting an actual man in a goat mask. Needless to say, that doesn’t happen, and yes I was sorely disappointed, but we do get to see a horrifying mask.  Admittedly, the mask reminded me more of the Scarecrow than the Spirit of the Goat, but still, it was scary.

Our story begins with a young Bullock, one who is far more Gordon like than anything, and his old partner. The two have been following a string of murders. It seems someone calling himself the Spirit of the Goat has been kidnapping rich, first born, typically ladies, stringing them up on fancy landmarks, and leaving their dead bodies for police to find. Bullock and his partner have finally tracked down the next location where the killer should strike and hopefully are in time to save the victim. Of course, Bullock's partner is demanding they wait for backup, but Bullock runs in. Displeased, to say the least, his partner follows. Sadly, they weren’t in time to save the victim, but they did manage to catch the Spirit of the Goat. And by catch, I mean Bullock shoots him several times after the guy pulls the trap door out from under his partner’s legs. It seems like this was Bullock’s defining moment of change. Going from a very, Gordon like cop, to the dark, cynic, we see now.

Present day, it looks as though the Spirit of the Goat is back. Haunted by this case, Bullock is ready to close it as fast as possible. At the crime scene, he’s on edge and more than livid at the fact that Jim isn’t there yet. Where is Gotham’s White Knight? Hashing it out with Barbara! Will our two favorite lovebirds make it? I’ve no idea. All I do know is that she is dead set on getting Gordon to tell her the truth of what happened. With a tentative “they might still be together” pause, Gordon heads out to meet Bullock and discuss the case. Gordon, with the Chief, thinks this is a copycat killer, while Bullock is positive it's not. One clue, a penny sown into the back of the victim’s skull, proves his theory. That part of the original case was never leaked to the media.

In the end, they’re left with one option. Whomever has been killing these girls has to have access to their homes. Gordon and Bullock do manage to track the guy down. Just before he can kill his second victim in a very familiar looking place….the same place Bullock shot the last Spirit of the Goat. This time, however, Gordon knocks the guy out and they take him into custody. It’s here Bullock sends Gordon home so he can wrap his own mind around what’s happened. After his partner is gone, Bullock spends some time watching the killer. The problem between the two cases is neither suspect had a single act of violence, nothing on their record, before they just started killing rich girls. With this information, Bullock goes and visits the home of the first victim in the copycat case. A psychiatrist there had caught his attention. She just so happens to be a hypnotist. He noticed a tic that both killers, and the last victim’s father share. They each squeeze their hand instead of doing the compulsion they want to do most. It was, indeed, the psychiatrist all along. I guess this proves that Harley Quinn isn’t the only shrink that cracked.

Bullock arrives back at the station just in time to see Gordon being hauled in in handcuffs. He’s been arrested for the murder of Oswald…only Oswald shows up…looks like Gordon’s secret is exposed, and Bullock might actually kill him for it…

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