Gotham "The Mask" Review: The Third Rule of Fight Club

Gotham S01E07: "The Mask"

From the very beginning of the opening scene in which two wannabe yuppies went all Tyler Durden on each other with staplers and toner cartridges, it was obvious that "The Mask" was destined to be one of Gotham's more ridiculous episodes... and yet, somehow, it worked.

I've done the whole job-hunting-in-a-recession song and dance myself, and it's actually crossed my mind more than once that the process would be a lot easier if HR would let people fight it out MMA-style. In fact, in my more delirious-with-the-want-of-employment moments, I've wondered if many of us were/are so desperate that an all-powerful CEO could maybe—just maybe—get away with actually staging such an atrocity. Thus, to me, the lulzy Fight Club moments of "The Mask" actually came off as frighteningly topical instead of just silly.

"The Mask" was about much more than yet another Gotham yahoo with a face-gear fetish—though, admittedly, Roman Sionis is a little higher-grade than the show's typical throwaway baddies (the Black Mask!). Between Fish Mooney's mostly fabricated sob story and Baby Brucie's beginnings as a butt-kicking vigilante with mommy issues, "The Mask" explored several of the proverbial masks that everyone dons for one reason or another. Fish hid behind the visage of a traumatized child, trying to ensure she'd never get hurt again. Harvey regularly hides behind his air of not giving a damn in order to survive being a Gotham police officer. Penguin hides behind a façade of harmlessness and ineptitude to increase his power right beneath his bosses' noses. Bruce is taking the steps to create his mask—and we all know what that looks like—and he's already growing increasingly selective with regard to who he allows to see what's behind the cowl. #NiceParentingAlfred

The only person who's not hiding his face these days is Gordon. With the Penguin's non-death out in the open and Gordon staunchly refusing to bend to the whims of city hall and the mafia, Gordon has no reason to conceal himself or his motives. It's all on the table now. In a way, Gordon has the given complete freedom to be whoever he wants to be.

But that kind of freedom is dangerous—especially in Gotham.

The worst hiring process ever probably would've been free to usurp what passes for professionalism and good taste if its masked madmen hadn't violated the third rule of Fight Club. That's the one that tends to be forgotten, as it's not as quotable or catchy or funny as the first two. However, it's also the one that allows the first two to remain effective.

For those in need of a refresher:

It's simple, right? Plus everybody signed non-disclosure agreements and you'd have to be a special sort of desperate or damaged to participate in that sort of interview process anyway. It was fine. And apparently it'd been going on for years, and yeah, with the occasional dead body, but even still, this hivemind paled in comparison to Fight Club's Project Mayhem. Plus the cops weren't even involved, and it was really just a matter of time before this whole hot mess fell apart. People will do some crazy things for health insurance and a 401K, but they still need something to believe in, like anarchy and the total collapse of the financial sector. HUZZAH!

The symbolism of Gordon being kidnapped and terrorized by a cult of masked corporate drones wasn't lost, and while it came off as a little obvious in some places, as a whole, "The Mask" functioned well as a transitional hour between last week's game-changer and what the new game in Gotham apparently looks like. Masks are important, even in non-homicidal work environments. Typically, eye-rolling something the boss says or glaring at the latest customer who indulges in being the actual worst human ever tends to not work out so well for most of us. In Gotham's future, the mask will come to represent some of the city's most revered heroes, while many of Batman's future enemies will wear their real identities for all to see. The mask offers protection for people who have something to lose (usually careers and loved ones). While there's certainly some selflessness as well as nobility in Jim Gordon's decision not to hide behind either a physical or figurative mask, I can't help but worry about the certain doom that awaits heroes who refuse to hide.

Barbara is already unraveling in the aftermath of her abduction. Penguin has implied that while he's treated Gordon like a sort of ally so far, that sentiment only goes as far as Gordon's cooperation. Spoiler alert if you're even vaguely familiar with the Jim Gordon of the comics: The future is far from pretty for Gotham's uncaped crusader. When you have nothing to hide behind, you tend to be a pretty easy target.

NOTES FROM THE BATCAVE

– Aww. Penguin gave Fish a present. That he stole. And then she stabbed him with it. And then licked the blood. Gross. WTF is wrong with her?

– Tommy is totally a baby Hush, right? RIGHT?

– A brief synopsis of this week's Bruce Wayne story: Alfred: "GO MAKE FRIENDS." Bruce: "Ugh."

– Oh look, Selina's back.