Everyone Has a Cobblepot

Plot

Alfred wakes in the hospital but refuses to tell Gordon that Reggie Payne stabbed him. In the prison nursery, Fish Mooney meets Dr. Francis Dulmacher, who gives her a new sky-blue iris eye and a chance to prove herself as his right-hand woman. Gordon learns from Essen and Dent that Commissioner Loeb has released Arnold Flass from jail. Gordon and Dent question Loeb's ex-partner Charlie Griggs, obtaining an address for Triad bookmaker Xi Lu.

At a Chinese restaurant, Lu denies involvement, and Dent's threats prompt Lu's employees to attack; Bullock saves them. Griggs, after nearly being killed, reveals Loeb's ties to Falcone. With help from Cobblepot, Gordon and Bullock go to a farm owned by Loeb, where Jude and Marge open fire; Bullock shoots Jude, and Marge is knocked unconscious. In the attic, they find Loeb's daughter Miriam, who says she killed Loeb's wife years earlier.

Gordon threatens Loeb to send Flass back to jail and erase Bullock's history; Loeb agrees only on Bullock's terms. Nygma is heartbroken to learn Kringle has a boyfriend, Officer Tom Dougherty. Cobblepot brings Jude and Marge to the nightclub for relocation; when he reveals only one ticket to Arizona, Marge kills Jude, then Cobblepot kills Marge.

Reception

The episode was watched by 6.10 million viewers with a 2.0 rating among adults 18-49; with Live+7 DVR viewing, it reached 9.21 million viewers and a 3.4 in the 18-49 demographic. On Rotten Tomatoes, it received a 93% rating with an average score of 7.4 out of 10; the site's consensus stated that the episode successfully brings together popular characters and reveals cliffhangers before a six-week hiatus. Matt Fowler of IGN gave it a 7.5 out of 10, noting that using Commissioner Loeb as a target brought together Gordon, Dent, Bullock, and Penguin for a unified adventure, though he felt the danger paled compared to the midseason finale and that Gordon seemed to relearn lessons about dealing with Cobblepot.

Kyle Fowle of The A.V. Club gave the episode a B+, writing that it presents a complex but not convoluted narrative that deepens understanding of characters and Gotham, focusing on corruption within the GCPD and how it extends to the city's criminal underground.