The fifth episode of Gotham Knights was a real game changer for our favorite vigilantes, introducing the idea that maybe they can be Gotham’s protectors — its knights, if you will — not just the city’s most wanted. We also learned more Harvey Dent, and discovered some scandalous information about Harper and her terrible exes! Let’s start at the beginning.
The Boss Don’t Take IOUs
At a bar somewhere in Gotham, a group of threatening-looking men come to collect cash from the establishment’s owners. The elderly couple hand over a stuffed envelope, but it’s not enough. The fact that business has been slow doesn’t faze the collectors; mob gangsters don’t get ruffled by their clients. The group’s leader smashes all the alcohol bottles lined up on the countertop and sets fire to the bar.
The next morning, we see Carrie being woken up by her mom for SAT prep class. They briefly discuss schedules. Carrie’s mom is a doctor and will be too busy saving lives to attend the Gotham Academy parents’ luncheon. She questions and why Carrie has muddy boots beside her bed, but Carrie escapes the conversation unscathed.
“Dylan McKillen?”
At the Belfry, Stephanie has a lead. She’s been digging into Cressida’s finances, and found a shell company she’s using, G&S Holdings. From their tax returns, they are dealing with a lot of money. Turner is still fixated on Cressida’s betrayal, making sulking, barbed comments while the team discuss the ledger.
Stephanie has an address for G&S Holdings. It’s a big breakthrough, because Harper recognizes it. Why? The location belongs to the McKillens — Gotham’s most dangerous mob family. Turns out that Harper used to date one of the McKillens, a guy named Dylan. Duela and Stephanie are fascinated (and a little hung up on the name “Dylan McKillen”) but Cullen is affronted: why didn’t he know about this?
Harper says the McKillens laundered money “for bad people.” It makes sense that they might be moving cash for the Owls, but to prove it they need to get records. Turner suggests that they try to get their hands on the physical files. That’s right; the Bat Brat wants to rob the mob.
Carrie voices her displeasure, but as her mom isn’t able to go to the parent’s luncheon, she figures she can ditch and go with them to investigate.
Dr. Chase Meridian
Meanwhile, Harvey Dent has his own investigations. Bruce Wayne’s killers are still out there, he has the key to the murdered mayor’s car, and now Rebecca March has turned up at his office. She’s concerned her husband might have asked Harvey about their relationship — the one they had several years ago, Harvey assumes. He reassures her that he spoke to Lincoln about a safety issue, and tells her they should stay away from each other.
Later, Harvey goes to visit Dr. Chase Meridian, the GCPD’s criminal psychologist. He tries to say that he’s asking about a suspect, wondering if they might be suffering from identity dysmorphia, like Harvey’s father did. She sees right through him. Harvey confides in Chase about his missing memories and the key he found. They discuss his abusive childhood at the hands of his father, who would treat him horrifically and then swap back to being caring with no memory of what he did.
Chase reassures Harvey that he likely didn’t inherit his father’s issues. Somewhat dismissively, she tells him that she doesn’t think it’s anything to worry about. Explaining it all away as a trauma response, she writes him a script for anxiety medication and a check for his mayoral campaign fund.
Harvey takes a motorcycle ride out to a lake beyond the city, where he throws the mayor’s key into the depths. After the evidence is disposed of, his phone rings. It’s an unknown number. When he answers, classical music plays through the speaker.
Rob the Mob
Turner, Carrie, Duela, and the Row twins sneak into the McKillens’ warehouse and grab the ledger without any trouble. In the same room, Duela discovers a huge stack of money. The vigilantes want to steal it — even Turner seems to be on board — but Carrie says it belongs to the people of Gotham. While debating ethics, the group are discovered by Dylan McKillen.
Harper’s attempts to talk them out of the situation lead to a few more revelations: she ditched Dylan, and they were together for a job. Dylan is also surprised to find out that Harper has a brother. Dylan decides to turn them in and collect the reward money. Carrie manages to knock Dylan out, but not before he makes the call. Duela creates a distraction, buying them a few minutes.
Cullen asks Harper about her job with Dylan, and she confesses that she used the money to pay for Cullen’s top surgery. There’s no time to dwell on it though, as Carrie gets a call from her mom.
Over at Gotham Academy, Stephanie has been busy trying to keep her mom from drinking and making a fool of them both in front of everyone, and also throwing off Dr. Kelley, who managed to get her shift switched and came to Gotham Academy looking for her daughter. Stephanie frantically texts Carrie, switches her mom’s alcohol out for club soda (unsuccessfully), and makes her speech to the student body. Unfortunately, Dr. Kelley runs into more people than just Stephanie. A discussion with Carrie’s history teacher reveals that Carrie has been missing class.
Back in the warehouse, with the mob and the GCPD trying to break in, Carrie tries to convince her mom she’s at a study group. The team decide they have to get reckless to escape. They set fire to a stack of newspapers disguised as the money, and use the confusion to escape in a van. With Harper behind the wheel the team leads an epic car chase across the city. The police cars are faster than they are, so their only choice is to slow them down. They do that — much to Duela’s horror — by throwing the money out of the van. Citizens of Gotham flood the streets, grabbing fistfuls of cash and blocking the GCPD.
Gotham Knights
Gotham News Now calls the vigilantes who stole from the McKillens and returned the money to the people “the Gotham Knights.”
Carrie barely makes it back into bed before her mom arrives, pretending to be asleep. Her mom tucks her in carefully before departing. In a perfect, heartbreaking mirror, we then see Stephanie tucking her mom in where she passed out after the parents’ luncheon, scattered pills and alcohol all over the table beside her.
Up in the Belfry once more, Cullen draws a city skyline emblazoned with “Gotham Knights.” In an emotional scene, he thanks Harper for everything that she has done for him. The McKillens’ ledger is written in code. They’ll need Stephanie’s help for this one.
Fugue
Finally, we see Harvey waking up in a luxurious bed. Confused and scared, he looks around; clearly he’s had another memory-loss episode. All becomes clear when Rebecca March enters the room. Climbing on the bed and kissing him, she talks about him calling her. He has no recollection. As soon as she leaves he rolls over, groping for his phone and checking the log. We see Harvey’s terror as his phone reveals a long list of calls to Rebecca.
