The Balloonman (Episode)

"Everyone has to matter, or nobody matters. Or else everyone loses faith. That's when you get vigilantes."

- Detective James Gordon

"The Balloonman" is the third episode of Season One of Fox's Gotham. It was written by John Stephens and directed by Dermott Downs. It is the third episode of the series overall, and premiered on October 6, 2014.

Synopsis
Detectives Gordon and Bullock track down a vigilante who is killing corrupt Gothan 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.

Recap
Oswald Cobblepot arrives back in Gotham City via bus. A quick scan of the area: prostitutes, pickpockets, and corrupts cops. Oswald says the first thing that comes to mind, “Home.” In another part of the city, Ronald Danzer, Gotham’s Bernie Madoff, is trying to escape the press. As he leaves the safety of his building, he’s quickly cuffed by a man in a pig mask (probably something to remind people that Professor Pyg will be making an appearance) — the Balloonman. The handcuff is attached to a giant weather balloon which hoists Danzer up and above Gotham’s skyline.

James Gordon and Harvey Bullock are on the scene. In Bullock’s nonchalant manner, he feels that Danzer deserved what he got. Back at the station, the latest corrupt cop is introduced — Lieutenant Bill Cranston. Cranston has the same affinity as Bullock in using a “hands-on” approach in getting confessions. As Bullock and Gordon continue to debate the events of the previous episodes, Selina Kyle is brought to Gordon and he’s given temporary custody of her. Taking Selina back to the scene of the Waynes’ murder, Gordon walks through the events with her. Gordon finally gives Selina’s story a chance when she corroborates it with a stolen wallet she supposedly threw into the sewers. After handcuffing Selina to prevent her from escaping, Gordon climbs into the sewers and discovers the wallet. But Selina has already picked the handcuffs with a pen stolen from Bullock’s desk.

Detectives Renee Montoya and Crispus Allen arrive at Fish Mooney’s club to question her about Cobblepot’s disappearance. Seeing this as an opportunity to further her agenda, Mooney tells them that Carmine Falcone ordered James Gordon to kill Cobblepot. Allen, suspicious about Mooney’s cooperation, thinks that this convenient piece of information is Mooney’s way of seeking revenge for Falcone’s beating of Lazlo, Mooney’s lover.

Starving and destitute, Cobblepot is recognized by a former associate who wants to bring him to Mooney for a reward. Cobblepot brutally stabs him to death and takes his money to purchase food.

At Wayne Manor, Aflred Pennyworth, against Bruce Wayne’s protest, starts a fencing duel using canes as makeshift sabres. Bruce, losing his temper, gets the upper hand and Alfred jokingly surrenders. Cleaning the mess they made, Alfred discovers that Bruce has attained the files on his parents’ murder. Concerned at Bruce’s mental well-being, Alfred reassures him that Gordon will find the perpetrator.

At the station, Allen and Montoya accuse Gordon of Cobblepot’s murder. Later, the owner of a weather balloon factory has voluntarily arrived to give information. An ex-employee of the factory, Carl Smikers, stole the weather balloons, which were each a thousand dollars. It’s then revealed that Smikers had stolen four of them.

In a seedy alley, Cranston is shaking down a drug dealer for money. The Balloonman approaches Cranston, but Cranston gets the upper-hand. Searching the Baloonman’s pockets, Cranston finds a piece of paper that draws his attention. Ready to unmask the Balloonman, Cranston’s leg is forcibly cuffed to a weather balloon, making him float off.

Captain Sarah Essen emphasizes the importance of catching the Balloonman due to his recent foray into cop killing. Knowing that there are still two more unused weather balloons and that the Balloonman is most likely targeting people who are publicly known to be corrupt, Essen sends Gordon and Bullock to find the next two potential victims. As Bullock reassure Gordon that he knows how to get the whereabouts of Smiker, we get a rapid montage of Bullock mingling with prostitutes and displaying his usual acts of police brutality.

Able to secure a job as a busboy at a high-end restaurant, Cobblepot is disrespectfully given explicit instructions on how to do his lowly job. It isn’t long before he sees Sal Maroni enter the vicinity, giving Cobblepot another idea for his plans.

Gordon and Bullock have tracked Smiker to an apartment based on his affinity for Amazonian-type women. As the two force their way in, Bullock is thrown around like a ragdoll by Smiker’s giant girlfriend. Gordon quickly arrests Smiker and saves Bullock, who’s about to get clobbered by an old school CRT television set.

At Mooney’s club, Lazlo reiterates his fears of Falcone’s retaliation if he were to find out about Mooney’s disloyalty. Mooney, still angered by Falcone’s treatment of Lazlo, tells one of her thugs to set up an “accident” involving Falcone’s latest girlfriend. She then has a change of heart about Lazlo and tells her thug to also get rid of him also.

Montoya, already inside of Barbara’s home and paying an unexpected visit, tries to convince Barbara of Gordon being a corrupt cop. Montoya again alludes to her and Barbara’s past relationship and the difficulties they went through. Barbara passes off Montoya’s accusations as jealousy of her relationship with Gordon. Before leaving, Montoya urges Barbara to ask Gordon about the death of Cobblepot.

Smiker, in an interrogation room with Gordon and Bullock, admits to stealing the balloons. But he denies killing anyone and claims that he sold the stolen balloons to an unknown man. When Bullock states that Smiker pulled off the perfect crime due to no bodies, Smiker quickly educates him on how weather balloons actually work: they eventually pop when they become too brittle and the helium expands. At that moment, in another part of the city, a woman walking her dog is killed by the falling body of Cranston. Now on the scene, Gordon learns that there’s only one more balloon left because the third balloon has been used to kill a pedophile cardinal. As another cop hands Bullock an evidence bag filled with Cranston’s belongings, Bullock notices the same piece of paper that caught Cranston’s attention the night he ran into the Balloonman. Asking Gordon why his name is on the paper, Gordon discovers the identity of the Balloonman.

An eavesdropping Cobblepot hears Maroni conversing with an associate about overthrowing Falcone by utlizing a plan involving Arkham. Noticing Cobblepot’s nosiness, Maroni confronts him. Cobblepot is able to spin a fake story to get into Maroni’s good graces. Seeing a bit of himself in Cobblepot, Maroni gives him money for the understood purposes of keeping quiet.

Gordon reveals that the Balloonman is actually Davis Lamond — the juvenile services employee who had Gordon sign for custody of Selina. The tip-off was the form bearing Gordon’s signature that was found on Cranston’s body. Deducing that Lamond would most likely hide out in an abandoned juvenile services building, Gordon and Bullock go there and find Lamond preparing for his next victim. Holding Bullock at gunpoint, Lamond rants how the law is useless. As Lamond takes a shot at Gordon, Bullock overpowers Lamond and handcuffs him to the weather balloon. As Lamond floats off, Gordon grabs onto him and is also pulled into the air. Bullock shoots the balloon and both Gordon and Lamond come crashing down on top of a van.

Falcone visits Mooney to “apologize” for his beating of Lazlo. In a friendly inquiry about Falcone’s girlfriend, Natalia, Carmine reveals to Mooney that Natalia was mugged. Mooney fakes sympathy and Falcone vows that the mugger and whoever helped the mugger will pay. Falcone then switches his topic of interest to Maroni. When Falcone alludes to things “on the horizon”, Mooney infers the involvement of Arkham.

At Wayne Manor, Bruce watches news reports on the Balloonman’s capture. Alfred notes that the arrest will probably assure that the criminals of Gotham will rest easy tonight. Bruce makes the point that the Balloonman’s murderous methods makes him no different than any other criminal.

In a private moment, Gordon tells Barbara of his sad revelation: the citizens of Gotham have been let down by the officials who are supposed to protect them; that’s why they embraced the Balloonman. Gordon fears that people will take the law into their own hands, much like what Barbara did (this is another mystery of her past). A knock interrupts them. When Barbara opens the door, they’re greeted by Cobblepot, well-dressed and looking like his usual self.

Starring

 * Ben McKenzie as Detective James Gordon
 * Donal Logue as Detective Harvey Bullock
 * David Mazouz as Bruce Wayne
 * Zabryna Guevara as Captain Sarah Essen
 * Sean Pertwee as Alfred Pennyworth
 * Robin Lord Taylor as Oswald Cobblepot
 * Erin Richards as Barbara Kean
 * Camren Bicondova as Selina Kyle
 * Cory Michael Smith (credit only)
 * Victoria Cartagena as Detective Renee Montoya
 * Andrew Stewart-Jones as Detective Crispus Allen
 * John Doman as Carmine Falcone
 * Jada Pinkett Smith as Fish Mooney

Guest Starring

 * David Zayas as Salvatore Maroni
 * Dan Bakkedahl as Davis Lamond
 * Clark Middleton as Jimmy
 * James Colby as Bill Cranston
 * Jack Koenig as Ronald Danzer

Co-Starring

 * Michelangelo Milano as Lazlo
 * Krista Braun as Journalist
 * James Georgiades as Manager
 * Jonesy	Jonesy as Smikers
 * Pierre Gonzalez as Dishwasher
 * Mario D'Leon as Mooney Thug
 * Robert Chang as Drug Dealer
 * Rose Sias as Smiker's Girlfriend
 * Ethel Fisher as Grandmother
 * Brandon Morris as Thug
 * Mayank Saxena as Tech
 * Harri Molese as Woman #1
 * Horace V. Rogers as Man #1
 * Kenneth De Abrew as Man #2

Production Notes

 * The Balloonman's first disguise is a reference to Professor Pyg.

Goofs

 * The size of the weather balloons changes dramatically any time there is a transition from an on camera ground shot to a CGI enhanced wide shot of a character floating into the sky. The ground shots are a smaller, smooth balloon, where the wide shot shows a balloon several times larger with visible ridges.
 * While Fish Mooney is speaking to Detectives Montoya and Allen in her club, the end of her decorative scarf changes from being over-top to being wrapped underneath.
 * One weather balloon cannot lift an adult up in the air. For an adult like Lt. Bill Cranston weighing 200lbs or more you would need around 35 balloons.
 * When Lamond is lying on the stretcher, the drip chamber of the IV tube is empty. This must have fluid in it for the IV to work.