Gotham Recap 10/6/14: Season 1 Episode 3 “The Balloon Man”

Gotham Recap 10/6/14: Season 1 Episode 3 “The Balloon Man”

Tonight on FOX Gotham continues with an all new Monday October 6, season 1 episode 3 called, “The Balloon Man.” On tonight’s episode a vigilante goes after corrupt Gotham citizens and kills them by hooking them up to weather balloons. Elsewhere, Oswald Cobblepot [Robin Lord Taylor] returns to the city and aligns himself with a powerful ally.

On the last episode, Detectives Gordon and Bullock investigated a child trafficking ring preying on Gotham’s street kids, including Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova). Meanwhile, Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor) resurfaced in the countryside and began to make his way back to GOTHAM, leaving victims in his wake. Did you watch the last episode? If you missed it, we have a full and detailed recap right here for you.

On tonight’s episode Detectives Gordon and Bullock track down a vigilante who is killing corrupt Gotham citizens by attaching them to weather balloons. Meanwhile, Oswald Cobblepot returns to Gotham and gets a new job close to an influential figure in the underworld.

Don’t forget to join us for our live recap tonight at 8:00pm when Gotham airs on Fox.

Tonight’s episode begins now – Refresh Page for Updates

A bus pulls up and Oswald hops off of it. He sees dirty cops, prostitutes, a purse snatcher and kid criminals. He smiles and says – home. The news reports that Ronald Danzer committed a huge Ponzi scheme. We see Ronald on the phone telling his lawyers to pay off whoever they need to so the can fix it. He sneaks out of his house and we see a balloon sales man approach him asking if he wants a balloon. He says no and the guy handcuffs him to the balloon cart and it pulls him up in the sky. The guy yanks off his pig mask as the news crew focuses on the cheat floating off tethered to a weather balloon.

Jim and Harvey are at the crime scene and they figure out the cart was weighted down with bricks. They have no body and Harvey says it sounds like justice. Lieutenant Cranston comes in cursing and asks who Jim is. He says Harvey told him he’s a real Boy Scout. Cranston shows him a brass award he got and says he uses it to interrogate with. We hear a man screaming as he beats him. Harvey comes in and Jim calls the Lt a thug.

He asks Harvey how the investigation is going. Harvey isn’t working on it – he doesn’t care that the criminal was floated away. Harvey says unless someone walks in and confesses he doesn’t care. Jim asks about the Wayne case and Harvey says it’s closed. The social services guy delivers Selina and Jim says she can’t be shipped upstate because she has information on an investigation.

Harvey asks why he’s focusing on cold cases and Jim tells him to work the case. Selina asks Jim why he wants to know who killed the Waynes and he says justice and because he promised the boy. They are at the crime scene and she shows him where she was hiding. She says she saw the guy’s face for a second before he pulled up his scarf. He says it was dark and she says she can see in the dark. Jim is skeptical and she points to where she ditched the wallet she stole just before she saw the shooting.

He cuffs her to a railing while he goes to check the sewer for the wallet. He lifts the cover and she gets busy picking with the handcuff using the keys she stole from him. He steps into goo and groans. He pokes around and then sees a wallet in the muck. He pulls out and ID and says she was telling the truth. She calls to him and drops his keys down the hole as he curses and she takes off.

Fish tells Lazlo to take a rest – he’s all bruised still. Allen and Montoya come in and ask about Oswald. She says she hasn’t seen him and says it’s funny and wants to know why they want him. Montoya asks if he’s dead for telling about the frame up on the Wayne murder. She says she heard that Jim splattered his brains all over the river. Allen asks why he would do that and she says he needs to wonder who gave the order – she asks who can make a cop commit murder.

Montoya asks if it’s Falcone and Allen says he heard that the boss gave her boy toy a beating but Fish says she just wants justice for Oswald. He stands in an alley and looks at his pocket change and a food cart hungrily. A guy notices him and says he heard he was dead. The guy goes dragging him off and says he’s taking him to fish. He tells him that he’s Gotham’s future and the guy says that must mean Gotham is in big trouble. He says it is then stabs the guy.

We see him next with a smile and a $20 at the food truck asking for a tuna dish sandwich. Alfred tries to get Bruce to train with him. Bruce says he doesn’t want to but Alfred doesn’t let up. They sword fight with canes in high spirits. Alfred whacks him on the backside and then Bruce goes nuts and bests him. Bruce laughs and Alfred says he told him a nice sword fight would perk him up. He sees the police file and asks Bruce why he has them. He says he’s looking for clues.

Alfred asks if he’s a detective now and Bruce says if he finds a clue he will be but then admits he hasn’t found any. Alfred reminds him that Jim is on the case. Jim is at the station calling child services explaining that he lost Selina when Allen shows up with Montoya. They ask him about shooting Oswald. They ask if Falcone paid him to do it. He says whatever they heard, it’s not true. Allen asks if he didn’t kill him or if he didn’t do it for Falcone.

He says he didn’t kill him and asks when Major Crimes acts like IA. Allen tells him he needs a shower because he stinks. Oswald tries to get a job as a dishwasher and the boss tells him he doesn’t have the right shoes. He looks at the current dishwasher’s shoes with envy. Harvey tells Jim he has a lead on the weather balloon and Jim tells him about Allen and Montoya. He says they don’t have anything and says not to worry about it. Jim asks if Oswald and Pepper both got what they deserved.

Jim says he won’t be done until he founds who really killed the Waynes. Harvey tells him to forget it and come on. A guy walks down the street – it’s the dish washer. Oswald approaches and asks what size shoe he wears. Oswald laughs and says – what a coincidence. Jimmy tells Jim and Harvey that one of his weather balloons was stolen and he recognized it on the news. He says an ex employee stole it – Carl Smikers – he says he was a young guy and is surprised the guy knows who Danzer was – he says the guy was an idiot.

He says Smikers stole four of the balloons and asks him to get them back. Lt Bill beats Frankie, a drug dealer, for money he doesn’t have and says he’s a disgrace to drug dealers everywhere. A vendor asks if he wants a hot dog and he says no. He tries to cuff the Lt but he knocks him down. He snaps a link on the dirty cop’s ankle and he curses when he realizes what’s happening, but it’s too late, he’s up, up and away screaming for his life.

Alfred finds Bruce reading the paper and chastises him for skipping meals. He says if he won’t eat, he shouldn’t waste his time cooking. Bruce shows him the new balloon killer headline. Alfred tells him that he needs to keep his strength up but Bruce says he’s just not hungry. Jim dresses for work and heads downstairs. Barbara asks if he’s okay and says he’s not sleeping. She asks about the Balloon Man killing a cop and asks if he’s in danger. He tells her not to worry and she asks what’s up.

He tells her the first victim was a con man but no one cared until a cop died. He says everyone should matter or no one matters and people lose faith. She says that’s not his fault and that he is offering hope. He asks how and she says he caught the Wayne’s killer. He tells her he has to go but looks uncomfortable. The news has people on the street all talking about the Balloon Man and who he should take next. Essen demands to know where they are on the case.

Jim tells her they are looking at Smikers. Harvey is sure he’s the guy and says he’ll interrogate a confession out of them. Jim doesn’t think the guy is smart enough to do this. They also reveal there are two more balloons and that means likely two more corrupt public figures will be taken. Harvey says that could mean anyone. Harvey and Jim head out to chase down their killer. Harvey says the one thing he does know how to do is find someone.

A bus pulls up and Oswald hops off of it. He sees dirty cops, prostitutes, a purse snatcher and kid criminals. He smiles and says – home. The news reports that Ronald Danzer committed a huge Ponzi scheme. We see Ronald on the phone telling his lawyers to pay off whoever they need to so the can fix it. He sneaks out of his house and we see a balloon sales man approach him asking if he wants a balloon. He says no and the guy handcuffs him to the balloon cart and it pulls him up in the sky. The guy yanks off his pig mask as the news crew focuses on the cheat floating off tethered to a weather balloon.

Jim and Harvey are at the crime scene and they figure out the cart was weighted down with bricks. They have no body and Harvey says it sounds like justice. Lieutenant Cranston comes in cursing and asks who Jim is. He says Harvey told him he’s a real Boy Scout. Cranston shows him a brass award he got and says he uses it to interrogate with. We hear a man screaming as he beats him. Harvey comes in and Jim calls the Lt a thug.

He asks Harvey how the investigation is going. Harvey isn’t working on it – he doesn’t care that the criminal was floated away. Harvey says unless someone walks in and confesses he doesn’t care. Jim asks about the Wayne case and Harvey says it’s closed. The social services guy delivers Selina and Jim says she can’t be shipped upstate because she has information on an investigation.

Harvey asks why he’s focusing on cold cases and Jim tells him to work the case. Selina asks Jim why he wants to know who killed the Waynes and he says justice and because he promised the boy. They are at the crime scene and she shows him where she was hiding. She says she saw the guy’s face for a second before he pulled up his scarf. He says it was dark and she says she can see in the dark. Jim is skeptical and she points to where she ditched the wallet she stole just before she saw the shooting.

He cuffs her to a railing while he goes to check the sewer for the wallet. He lifts the cover and she gets busy picking with the handcuff using the keys she stole from him. He steps into goo and groans. He pokes around and then sees a wallet in the muck. He pulls out and ID and says she was telling the truth. She calls to him and drops his keys down the hole as he curses and she takes off.

Fish tells Lazlo to take a rest – he’s all bruised still. Allen and Montoya come in and ask about Oswald. She says she hasn’t seen him and says it’s funny and wants to know why they want him. Montoya asks if he’s dead for telling about the frame up on the Wayne murder. She says she heard that Jim splattered his brains all over the river. Allen asks why he would do that and she says he needs to wonder who gave the order – she asks who can make a cop commit murder.

Montoya asks if it’s Falcone and Allen says he heard that the boss gave her boy toy a beating but Fish says she just wants justice for Oswald. He stands in an alley and looks at his pocket change and a food cart hungrily. A guy notices him and says he heard he was dead. The guy goes dragging him off and says he’s taking him to fish. He tells him that he’s Gotham’s future and the guy says that must mean Gotham is in big trouble. He says it is then stabs the guy.

We see him next with a smile and a $20 at the food truck asking for a tuna dish sandwich. Alfred tries to get Bruce to train with him. Bruce says he doesn’t want to but Alfred doesn’t let up. They sword fight with canes in high spirits. Alfred whacks him on the backside and then Bruce goes nuts and bests him. Bruce laughs and Alfred says he told him a nice sword fight would perk him up. He sees the police file and asks Bruce why he has them. He says he’s looking for clues.

Alfred asks if he’s a detective now and Bruce says if he finds a clue he will be but then admits he hasn’t found any. Alfred reminds him that Jim is on the case. Jim is at the station calling child services explaining that he lost Selina when Allen shows up with Montoya. They ask him about shooting Oswald. They ask if Falcone paid him to do it. He says whatever they heard, it’s not true. Allen asks if he didn’t kill him or if he didn’t do it for Falcone.

He says he didn’t kill him and asks when Major Crimes acts like IA. Allen tells him he needs a shower because he stinks. Oswald tries to get a job as a dishwasher and the boss tells him he doesn’t have the right shoes. He looks at the current dishwasher’s shoes with envy. Harvey tells Jim he has a lead on the weather balloon and Jim tells him about Allen and Montoya. He says they don’t have anything and says not to worry about it. Jim asks if Oswald and Pepper both got what they deserved.

Jim says he won’t be done until he founds who really killed the Waynes. Harvey tells him to forget it and come on. A guy walks down the street – it’s the dish washer. Oswald approaches and asks what size shoe he wears. Oswald laughs and says – what a coincidence. Jimmy tells Jim and Harvey that one of his weather balloons was stolen and he recognized it on the news. He says an ex employee stole it – Carl Smikers – he says he was a young guy and is surprised the guy knows who Danzer was – he says the guy was an idiot.

He says Smikers stole four of the balloons and asks him to get them back. Lt Bill beats Frankie, a drug dealer, for money he doesn’t have and says he’s a disgrace to drug dealers everywhere. A vendor asks if he wants a hot dog and he says no. He tries to cuff the Lt but he knocks him down. He snaps a link on the dirty cop’s ankle and he curses when he realizes what’s happening, but it’s too late, he’s up, up and away screaming for his life.

Alfred finds Bruce reading the paper and chastises him for skipping meals. He says if he won’t eat, he shouldn’t waste his time cooking. Bruce shows him the new balloon killer headline. Alfred tells him that he needs to keep his strength up but Bruce says he’s just not hungry. Jim dresses for work and heads downstairs. Barbara asks if he’s okay and says he’s not sleeping. She asks about the Balloon Man killing a cop and asks if he’s in danger. He tells her not to worry and she asks what’s up.

He tells her the first victim was a con man but no one cared until a cop died. He says everyone should matter or no one matters and people lose faith. She says that’s not his fault and that he is offering hope. He asks how and she says he caught the Wayne’s killer. He tells her he has to go but looks uncomfortable. The news has people on the street all talking about the Balloon Man and who he should take next. Essen demands to know where they are on the case.

Jim tells her they are looking at Smikers. Harvey is sure he’s the guy and says he’ll interrogate a confession out of them. Jim doesn’t think the guy is smart enough to do this. They also reveal there are two more balloons and that means likely two more corrupt public figures will be taken. Harvey says that could mean anyone. Harvey and Jim head out to chase down their killer. Harvey says the one thing he does know how to do is find someone.

THE END!