1. “Pilot” (1x01): With a double homicide, a throat slashing, a life-altering physical assault and a faked murder, Gotham doesn’t pull any punches in its first outing, setting up the bleak tone and pervasive violence that have come to define the show. A 12-year-old Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) is set on the path to becoming Batman after watching helplessly as his parents are shot and killed. Meanwhile, Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor) tries to improve his status in the criminal underworld and pays for it dearly.
2. “Mommy’s Little Monster” (2x07): Edward Nygma (Cory Michael Smith), a forensic scientist for the Gotham City Police Department, accidently commits a brutal murder, unwittingly catalyzing his later transformation into The Riddler. Meanwhile, teenage Selina Kyle, who will grow to become Catwoman (Camren Bicondova), fears for her friend Bridgit’s (Michelle Veintimilla) safety after Bridgit gets in over her head with a criminal ring.
3. “The Gentle Art of Making Enemies” (3x14): The deranged Jerome Valeska (Cameron Monaghan), a quasi-Joker figure, has returned to Gotham and encouraged citizens to engage in a lawless purge. Amidst the chaos, he sets out to kill Bruce but is more interested in subjecting him to sadistic torture at an elaborate carnival first. Jerome’s actions cause Bruce to make a fateful decision. Meanwhile, Ngyma confronts Penguin about his involvement in a fatal car crash.
4. “The Blade’s Path” (4x05): Blaming himself for the death of a young boy at the hands of his mentor Ra’s al Ghul (Alexander Siddig), Bruce goes on a reckless mission to prevent Ra’s from hurting anyone else. His butler and guardian Alfred Pennyworth (Sean Pertwee) and Detective Gordon (Ben McKenzie) set out to stop Bruce before he makes a decision he can’t take back. Meanwhile, a seemingly zombified former mobster returns to Gotham after being shot dead, but he can’t remember who killed him.
