Episode nine picks up from the previous episode, beginning a two-part narrative centered on the tragic fall of Harvey Dent. Disfigured from Rupert Thorne’s targeted act of violence, the aspiring mayoral candidate and legal mind becomes a cruel arm of justice.
The results of the mayor’s race are in and Dent announces himself as Gotham’s new mayor. Addressing his constituents during his victory speech, Harvey is interrupted by comments about his face. Another voice yells “Monster!” Dent violently awakens from his nightmare. It’s been two weeks since the attack left half his face bandaged. Having lost the race, an angry Harvey declares revenge on everyone.
Dent’s case is the top priority at GCPD, but with Harvey allegedly unable to remember what happened, no leads have developed. Detective Renee Montoya surmises the obvious: Dent had his hands dirty and it blew up in his face. Bullock, possibly protecting his skin, disagrees that Dent would stoop so low.
Later, Bruce Wayne offers to take Dent out on the town to cheer him up. Harvey is hesitant but complies. During dinner, Harvey’s insecurities get the best of him, as he perceives every interaction with a colleague or total stranger as an indictment of his appearance. Soon, a more volatile version of Harvey rises, cruel, vindictive, and untrusting. In a violent outburst, Harvey unwraps his bandages and attacks Bruce. Back at the Batcave, Alfred deduces that Bruce may have pushed Harvey too hard, acknowledging how fragile his mind remains.
Meanwhile, Harvey’s fragile minds battle to reconcile what’s occurred, and what restitution awaits. He questions how Thorne can escape unharmed while he pays for his sins. He sees the injustice handed to him and is determined to correct it with his form of vigilante justice as jury, judge, and executioner. He spots a thug robbing a man at gunpoint and violently attacks him. With the flip of a coin, he decides to call the cops or handle it himself. This begins his search for the perpetrator responsible for the attack, Tony Zitto, and the pile of bodies he accumulates along the way. He then sets his two eyes on Thorne.
Bullock warns Thorne that Dent murdered Tony and has him in his crosshairs. Rupert dismisses the alert but soon finds himself and his teenage son at the mercy of Two-Face. He sabotages a car to ram into Thorne’s mansion with two dead thugs inside. Suddenly, the lights go out and shots fire from the balcony as Two-Face ruthlessly passes final judgment on his enemies. “Justice” is all he has left, with “no court” and “no red tape.” He sees these people as a cancer that needs to be rooted out, something the “other guy” would never do.
This episode does an excellent job of capturing the essence of the villain Harvey Dent becomes. Jilted by the unjust criminal system, Dent’s descent into Two-Face mirrors Bruce Wayne’s evolution into Batman. Both men were victims of a violent crime, and lost faith in a system they were told was just. Both seek solace in bringing harmful perpetrators to heel. The only difference is one possesses an inkling of hope in humanity, while the other only sees red.
The series continues to shine in all avenues, with a spectacular performance from Diedrich Bader as Dent. Bader’s separate cadence as Two-Face, compared to Dent’s wounded vocal, is tremendous work.
Rating: 9/10