Gotham S04E08 "Stop Hitting Yourself" Recap

At the fight club, a play is put on before a fight. The narrative has Ed pretending to be Penguin and mocking his character while the audience boos to express their disdain for Penguin. This is part of a strategy to amp up Grundy and stir up fan adoration for him. Leslie warns Ed that baiting Penguin's attention is unwise unless he's ready to take him on. During the fight, Grundy is hit in the head and has flashes of memories of Tabitha kissing him and calling him Butch. It's unclear how much or how clearly his memories are returning to him. He resumes the fight and wins by ripping the arm off his opponent and beating him to death with it.

Jim is offered the position of Captain by Mayor Burke but retains his skepticism of the offer and Penguin's ongoing meddling. The Mayor warns him that one way or another Harvey will be replaced as Captain and if Jim doesn't accept then the person who does may be someone that isn't so skeptical of Penguin.

Oswald is informed of Ed mocking him at the fight club so he sends Barbara, Tabitha, and Selina to Narrows and bring Ed back alive in exchange for a sizable sum of money. Shortly after they leave, Oswald sends Bridgit to follow them and kill them if they don't return in time. When the trio arrives at the club they witness Ed's mocking play and are then shocked to see Butch alive and in this new form. Tabitha insists on trying to talk to him while Barbara and Selina get to work on kidnapping Ed.

Oswald meets a mute child named Martin at Sofia's orphanage that is being bullied by his peers. He also has some psychotic tendencies. Oswald, feeling a kinship to Martin, begins coaching him so he can make friends and destroy his enemies.

Butch encounters Barbara and Selina trying to kidnap Ed and a standoff ensues. Selina proposes that they go by the code of the Narrows. They will select a champion to fight against Grundy and whomever wins gets to take Ed. Tabitha is selected to fight Grundy and remains confident that Butch's love for her will ensure that he doesn't hurt her. Grundy's lack of memories mean he has no problems fighting her and begins to get the upper hand. When Tabitha knocks Butch in the head, he regains memories and is stunned into inaction. This allows Tabitha to knock him out and win the fight.

Jim attends a police ceremony intended to honor those fallen officers from the courthouse but is obliged to start the ceremony himself when Harvey fails to show up and perform his duties.

Bridget arrives at Narrows and is prepared to kill the group for failing to meet Oswald's deadline. Grundy is revealed to have a fear of fire. Lee incapacitates Bridgit by shooting her suit. Lee reveals to the crowd that Cherry informed on them all to Penguin, meaning everyone turns on her. She points the finger at the trio, outing them as working for Penguin. Barbara responds by shooting Cherry in the head. Barbara then announces they've quit working for Penguin and then the crowd no longer holds animosity against them. The trio leave the club without Ed.

Jim confronts Harvey for not showing up to the ceremony, as he's shown to be drinking and sulking in his office. Jim and Harvey have an intense argument, and Jim decides to accept the offer to be the new Captain of the GCPD.

Lee begins patching up Grundy's wounds and Ed informs her that she is now the new leader of the club and everyone has clearly embraced her as such. Though reluctant, she decides to take on the new role.

Jim visits Sofia and confronts her for setting off events that led to his becoming Captain. Jim is horrified at having had to stab his partner in the back so he ends his relationship with Sofia and tells her she should leave Gotham. She informs him that she won't be leaving, as she's intent on restoring the Falcone name to its former glory so Jim simply leaves.

Gotham airs on Thursdays on FOX at 8/7c.