‘Gotham Knights’ Recap: Season 1, Episode 6 “A Chill in Gotham”
Every week, Gotham Knights is getting better and better. Let’s see what this episode brought to the table.
Breaking News
Joe Chill has been on Death Row for killing the parents of Bruce Wayne for years. But, BREAKING NEWS: his execution date is super soon. And, he requested a visit from Harvey Dent before he goes.
He tells Harvey that, after 15 years on death row, the city is suddenly itching to execute him. Harvey says he doesn’t know why, but Chill got a Court of Owls coin on his food tray. He tells Harvey that he should talk to the kid who killed Batman.
Stephanie goes to visit her dad at work where he hosts Quiz Bowl.
This is the only place I can get a hold of you.”
Stephanie
Steph shows him the cipher they found and asks for his help cracking it. In quite a vague and not-so-roundabout, cryptic way, he tells her she’ll figure it out. She’s interrupted by a call from Harvey Dent.
Harvey calls her.
Emergency Room
Carrie goes to visit her mom at the Emergency Room where she works. Her mom says that she has to do homework there every day after school now to make sure she gets it done. Carrie’s not happy.
In their phone call, Harvey told Steph that Joe Chill wants to meet with Turner. Duela approves. She loves Joe Chill. Turner kind of wants to hear what he has to say since the Court of Owls wants to silence him.
Our very own bat brat, going face to face with Joe Chill.”
Duela
Delayed Execution
Harvey and Turner meet deep in tunnels. Harvey wasn’t sure he’d come. Before they can really talk, Duela’s there with a knife at Harvey’s throat. Turner’s not stupid enough to come alone after what happened with Cressida. Harvey points out that, if this were a trap, the GCPD SWAT would’ve taken Duela bout the minute she pulled the knife. Duela seems to deem that fair and leaves Turner and Harvey to it.
News breaks that Harvey Dent has delayed the execution of Joe Chill, which Lincoln March uses as leverage for his own campaign. Meanwhile, Duela wants to drink to honor Joe Chill, but Steph says no since they’re trying to figure out the cipher. Harper wants to drink. Cullen’s not a fan of the idea.
“Sherlock, Fear, Last”
Carrie sees Brody March at the hospital. He’s finishing his court-mandated community service. She shows him around the hospital and they chat about Carrie’s mom.
Duela, Steph, and Harper drink. Cullen wants everyone to stop and tries to get the whiskey away from them so they can focus.
They talk about Steph’s dad and how he was being vague and cryptic when he gave Steph the cipher back. Harper pulls some words from what he said: “Sherlock, fear, last.” It’s a nod to a Sherlock Holmes book that uses a book cipher. Steph’s dad was giving them a hint after all.
Steph is surprised Harper knows that, but she says it was an answer on Quiz Bowl. Cullen, in true brother fashion, reveals that Harper is a big fan. She never misses an episode.
Anyway, they just have to find a single book in the billions of possibilities.
That makes even Cullen do a shot.
Chill’s Story
Harvey takes Turner into the prison disguised as a guard so he can see Joe Chill.
Turner asks Chill, “If you love the Waynes so much, why did you kill them?” Chill asks back, “Why did you kill your father?” Turner says he didn’t, which… is exactly the point. Joe Chill is saying he’s innocent.
The night the Waynes were murdered, he was given a job to steal some rich family. He brought a 38 caliber to scare them if he needed to, but someone else shot them. The bullets came from behind Joe Chill. He told everyone he was framed, but no one believed him. It was his word against a child’s. He didn’t blame Bruce Wayne until he became Batman.
World’s greatest detective couldn’t figure out that I was framed”
Joe Chill
Joe Chill and Turner agree that they’re more alike than Turner initially thought. Turner also tells Joe Chill what he wishes he could hear in the same situation: “I believe you.” Joe Chill offers to share information on the Court of Owls.
Brody March says there’s a guy that really needs help and asks Carrie to go get her mom. Her mom’s busy. Carrie says “take me to him.”
Watches All The Time
Cullen finds James Joyce’s Ulysses. That’s the book for the cipher. Go Cullen.
Back at the prison, we find out that the coins people are getting before the Court of Owls kills them are meant to represent Greek mythology–the coin it takes to get into the underworld. It’s a way of gloating. If you get it, the Court of Owls knows you’re going to die. They won.
Harvey hasn’t gotten a coin yet. Chill says they must find him useful.
Joe Chill’s advice? Give up. You can’t defeat the Court of Owls. He is what Turner’s future looks like. A quick death is better than fifty years in a cage.
Joe Chill says he had a cell neighbor who knew the key to finding the Court of Owls. He was found dead. He swallowed his own tongue.
Apparently, before he died, he would say the riddle over and over, but never past the second line.
Beware the court of owls that watches all the time. Beware the court of owls that watches all the time. Watches all the time. Watches all the time. Watches all the time.”
Joe Chill
With that, Joe Chill is taken to be executed.
Street Address
Brody takes Carrie to the guy with busted stitches. She decides she’s gonna take care of it herself, and she does. Her and Brody have some really nice moments that definitely include Carrie being absolutely wonderful at everything, including saving lives.
Back in the tunnels, Harvey and Turner talk, unsure how that could be the key to finding the Court of Owls. However, Turner thinks Harvey might be starting to believe him in all this. Harvey agrees. He doesn’t know who’s pulling the strings, but he knows it’s not Turner. They have a sweet moment that’s really paternal on Harvey’s end.
Will you promise me that you’ll be careful?”
Harvey
Harvey leaves to go warn Lincoln March about the coin.
Turner tells everyone what he found out with Joe Chill. He says they can’t give up, though. They have something Chill didn’t have. A team.
The team updates Turner. They figured out that the cipher is a street address. Turner wants to go check it out. Steph says she’ll go, too, so she can check her work.
Harper says it’s too dangerous for Steph (Is there chemistry there?). Steph says she’s going and follows Turner. Cullen follows them, then Harper and Duela.
The Gym
They go to a sketchy gym building that has lots of guys with guns and drugs. Steph notices that they’re opioids. Harper asks how Steph knows that. The answer is clearly because of her mom, but Cullen covers for her.
C’mon, you think they’re packing that kind of heat hiding aspirin?”
Cullen
Turner, Steph, Harper, and Cullen want to stop the guys, and Duela gets a head start running away. She knows that the odds aren’t great. Maybe Carrie’s not around and Duela left, but at least they have the element of surprise.
The Gotham Knights really live up to their name. They fight the guys in that gym like heroes. Steph only jumps in when a gun is at Cullen’s back. After a while of fighting, a gun is pointed at her head. Harper throws a weight at the guy holding her at gunpoint (Is there chemistry there?) and he goes down.
Once all the guys are taken care of, Steph goes on a powerful rampage destroying the drugs. It’s clearly symbolic.
Goodbye, Lincoln March
Lincoln March goes to visit Harvey. Harvey explains the meaning of the coin form the Court of Owls. Lincoln says that Harvey is the one who planted the coin. After all, he did check a coin out of evidence the same day that Lincoln found his.
Joe Chill marches to his death. They electrocute him and the lights go out in Harvey’s office.
The Talon appears out of nowhere and stabs Lincoln March, then approaches Harvey.
He does nothing. Harvey leaves the interaction completely unscathed.
A New Lead
GCPD show up and find the guys all tied up in the gym. By their feet are a green, spray-painted “GK.”
They all find out from the news that Joe Chill died. Outlets are also praising the “Gotham Knights” for taking down their local opioid drug dealers. Duela turns off the TV and tells the team that if the news new who they were praising, they would lock them up alongside the drug dealers.
But, hey. At least they figured out that if they find where the drug money is going, it’ll take them to the Court.
Brody March is walking with Carrie in the hospital when he sees his dad get rolled in, fighting for his life.
Turner goes to see Steph. She’s freaking out and crying because she almost died. She never realized how scary it is for all of them until tonight. Turner points out that she is what’s going to stop him from ending up like Joe Chill.
Everyone adds something to this team, but I would’ve given up a long time ago if I didn’t have you.”
Turner
Chemistry starts sparking just as Steph gets a call about Brody’s dad. She has to go.
The Mirror
Carrie brings Brody some cookies in the waiting room while they sit. Steph shows up and hugs him. After all the time they spent together that day, Carrie seems upset he went to her like that. A crush happening maybe?
Carrie’s mom comes out and reveals that Brody’s dad is in stable condition in the ICU. Carrie hugs her mom as a thank you.
Alone in his office, Harvey finds blood on his cheek from where the Talon touched him. Half of his face is shadowed. He knows something is wrong and, in one of the best shots of the series so far, he punches the mirror.
Watch Gotham Knights every Tuesday on The CW at 9 p.m. ET. Find all of Nerds and Beyond’s coverage of the show here.