The Balloonman

Season 1
01 "Pilot"	09 "Harvey Dent"	17 "Red Hood"
02 "Selina Kyle"	10 "Lovecraft"	18 "Everyone Has a Cobblepot"
03 "The Balloonman"	11 "Rogues' Gallery"	19 "Beasts of Prey"
04 "Arkham"	12 "What The Little Bird Told Him"	20 "Under the Knife"
05 "Viper"	13 "Welcome Back, Jim Gordon"	21 "The Anvil or the Hammer"
06 "Spirit of the Goat"	14 "The Fearsome Dr. Crane"	22 "All Happy Families Are Alike"
07 "Penguin's Umbrella"	15 "The Scarecrow"
08 "The Mask"	16 "The Blind Fortune Teller"

Episode

Cast

Crew

"The Balloonman"
Information
Director	Dermott Downs
Writer	John Stephens
Season	1
Airdate	October 6, 2014
Episode	3
Chronology
←  Previous "Selina Kyle"
Next  → "Arkham"

"The Balloonman" is the third episode of the first season of Gotham. It aired on October 6th, 2014.

Synopsis

Detectives Gordon and Bullock track down a vigilante who is killing corrupt Gotham citizens by attaching them to weather balloons. Meanwhile, Oswald Cobblepot returns to Gotham and gets a new job close to an influential figure in the underworld.

Plot

Ronald Danzer rising in the air, attatched to a weather balloon

Oswald Cobblepot gets off a city bus, back in Gotham and happy to see corruption and crime still afoot. A breaking news report on a nearby TV reports that a businessman Ronald Danzer, is out on bail awaiting trial for a Ponzi scheme bilked a half a billion dollars. At his penthouse, Danzer tells his lawyer to bribe whoever is necessary to get him off. He leaves the building under disguise and is accosted by a man in a pig mask selling balloons from a cart. The man IDs him, handcuffs him to a weather balloon and Danzer rises into the sky.

Jim Gordon meeting Lt. Bill Cranston

Detectives Gordon and Bullock track a vigilante targeting corrupt citizens and strapping them to weather balloons with his latest victim being Danzer. At the GCPD headquarters, Gordon meets Lieutenant Bill Cranston, and the two discuss their different methods, with Cranston showing Gordon his weapon for interrogating suspects, "O'Brian", an award from the Gotham City of Commerce for his years of service. Gordon then joined Bullock to discuss the clues concerning the death of Danzer. The discussion goes back to the Wayne Case until they are they are interrupted by Davis Lamond of Gotham Juvenile Services. He makes Gordon sign for Selina Kyle, who was requested by the Detective as a witness to a murder. Bullock recognizes her as one of the kidnapped children from one of their closed cases, which he berates Gordon for. Telling Bullock that it was something else, and to read the clues, and find the Balloons, Gordon left with Selina Kyle.

Selina Kyle dropping Gordon's handcuffs into the sewer with him after escaping them

In the alley where the Wayne murder took place, Selina tells Jim what she saw, reciting him to the Wayne murder in detail, and telling him her location when it happened. Initially skeptical about her story seeing as much of the information was general information, Selina mentioned to him that she had robbed a guy of his wallet right before the murder, asking if he had reported it. Saying that a man had reported that his wallet had been stolen by a thief matching Selina's description, Gordon told her that that still didn't place her at the crime scene. Telling Gordon that she had dumped the wallet in a nearby sewer, he handcuffed her to a railing as he didn't trust her not to runaway while he checked the sewer. Going down into it, he found the wallet, though while in the sewer, Selina came to the manhole after picking the handcuffs, dropping them down into the sewer with Jim, and fleeing.

Fish Mooney telling Detectives Allen and Montoya who had ordered the kill on Oswald Cobblepot

At Mooney's Nightclub, Fish Mooney tells Lazlo to take a rest, when Detectives Renee Montoya and Crispus Allen entered the establishment. The two Major Crimes Unit Detectives questioned Mooney concerning Cobblepot, and Mooney told the two that the rumor on the street was that Jim Gordon pulled the trigger against Cobblepot, turning their investigation to Don Carmine Falcone as the one who had ordered Gordon to kill Cobblepot. In an alley, Cobblepot is recognized by a man who attempts to take him to Fish Mooney, after realizing it was Oswald and that he was still alive. While attempting to drag Cobblepot along, he asks the latter why he even came back to Gotham City, with Oswald answering that Gotham was his home, and he was the city's future, proceeding to stab the man, killing him.

Bruce and Alfred sparring with canes

At Wayne Manor, Alfred Pennyworth and Bruce Wayne fence with canes after Alfred continually pestered Bruce with one. During which, the file pertaining to the investigation of the Wayne murder falls open and Alfred asks him why he would want to see the pictures in the file, as they were terrible. Telling Alfred that he was looking for clues, Bruce was berated by Alfred, with the latter telling him that Detective Gordon promised to find who murdered his parents, with Bruce questioning Alfred as to whether he thought Gordon really would. At the GCPD, Gordon cleans his shoes and contacts by phone the lawyer filing Gordon's custody of Selina Kyle the earlier morning, with Gordon telling them that Kyle had disappeared. Hanging up, he is visited by Montoya and Allen who accuse him of having eliminated Cobblepot on behalf of Falcone on the night of September 17. Though Gordon denies it and leaves. At Bamonte's Restaurant, Oswald Cobblepot tries to get a job but is rejected because it does not have the right shoes in addition to not having any experience in the field.

Lt. Bill Cranston flying into the air to his death after being attatched to the air-balloon by the Balloonman

At police headquarters, Bullock and Gordon talk about the accusation of Detectives Montoya and Allen, with Bullock telling Gordon that the two had nothing, and would get nothing. At a bus stop, Cobblepot waits for an employee at Bamonte's he had saw in the restaurant earlier, as he is interested in his shoes. At the GCPD, Gordon and Bullock question Jimmy, the owner of the balloons used for killing Danzer. He told him that the weather balloons were stolen by a former employee named Carl Smikers, providing an address for Smikers. In an alley, Bill Cranston beats on Frankie, for not having enough money to give him. Leaving the drug dealer in the street, Cranston is approached by a masked vendor who confronts him, and flashes handcuffs to the Detective. Cranston defends himself and manages to subdue the masked man while stealing a document on him, but the masked man handcuffed a balloon to Cranston's ankle, and the Lieutenant flies into the air to his death.

Bruce showing Alfred the latest Gotham Gazette issue

At Wayne Manor, Alfred discusses with Bruce his choice of not eating, telling him that in "times like these", that Bruce needed to keep his strength up. Bruce switched the topic of the conversation to the recent vigilante of Gotham, the Balloonman, showing Alfred the most recent printing of the Gotham Gazette. At Barbara Kean's penthouse Jim and Barbara discuss the recent activities of the Balloonman. Barbara mentions the murder of the previous day and the night, and Jim refers to the need for vigilantes when the police do not do their job in a city as corrupt Gotham. In the office of Captain Sarah Essen, Essen requests a resolution to the Balloonman murders going on. The two Detectives reveal the existence of two missing balloons to her, and leave the GCPD to do some investigating in the city, meeting several informants on the streets of the city. Meanwhile at Bamonte's, Cobblepot was hired at the restaurant and watched as Don Sal Maroni, an influential godfather of the Mafia and competitor Falcone walked into the restaurant.

Montoya trying to convince Barbara of Jim's crimes

Bullock and Gordon's investigation leads them to Smiker's girlfriend's apartment where they get their hands on Carl Smikers after a brief altercation. At her club, Fish Mooney consoles Lazlo, who is worried about her, seeing as should put Montoya and Allen onto Falcone ordering Gordon to kill Cobblepot. Afterwards, she calls one of her henchmen to get rid of Lazlo, as he's "lost his spine" and tells the henchmen to tell Butch Gilzean to make Falcone's latest lover Natalia undergo a unfortunate accident. At her loft, Barbara came face to face with Montoya, due to Montoya keeping her key from the time when the two were still together. Montoya tries to turn Barbara against her Jim, telling her that Gordon killed Oswald Cobblepot, but Barbara doesn't believe her. Barbara thinks she's just jealous, and after Montoya attempts to kiss her, Barbara asks her to leave. At the GCPD, Smikers is questioned by Gordon and Bullock. He swears he had nothing to do with the murders and just sold the balls to make money.

Oswald Cobblepot and Sal Maroni discussing the Balloonman's killing of Cardinal Quinn

The body of Cranston falls directly on an old woman walking her dog, killing her, after the helium escaped the balloon when low temperature altitude made the balloon brittle, and it popped. Bullock is at the crime scene, when Gordon arrives and tells him the Balloonman has struck again, with his third victim, Cardinal Quinn, otherwise known as the "diddling priest". An officer from the crime unit comes and gives evidence found in the pockets of Cranston that wasn't smashed to bits. At Bamonte's, Cobblepot overhears Maroni talking with one of his men about the Arkham and Don Falcone, after Maroni tells the man to get out of his face, he notices Cobblepot, and walks over to him. Asking Cobblepot his name, Oswald tells him it's Paolo, and though Maroni notes that he doesn't look Italian, Cobblepot tells him it's through his mother side, the side he claims. Maroni then gives him some money, and asks him whether the names that he heard, "Arkham" and "Falcone" mean anything to him, though Cobblepot denies hearing anything at all. After seeing the news of Cardinal Quinn's death by the Balloonman on television, Maroni comments that you can't go around killing priests, at least not in public, before letting Cobblepot along, telling him to go take care of his mother.

Detective Gordon hanging onto Davis Lamond as the two rose into the air

At the GCPD, Detective Gordon announces the identity of the Balloonman: Davis Lamond, who had worked in Gotham Juvenile Services for over fifteen years, with his co-workers describing him as, sweet, dedicated and motivated. Discussing Lamond with Captain Essen, she demands for Lamond to captured. Reflecting, Gordon and Bullock talk about where Lamond could be storing the Balloons, and Gordon figures out it's the old Gotham Juvenile building. Upon arriving at the old juvenile facility, Gordon and Bullock find another balloon, but get ambushed by Davis Lamond, who holds Bullock at gunpoint and mentions the crimes of Danzer, Cranston, and Cardinal Quinn. He further reveals it is corruption like Mayor James' plan to relocate non-adoptable street kids to a prison that ultimately drove him to become the Balloonman. Bullock gets free and manages to attach the final weather balloon to Lamond with the intention of releasing the balloon, but Gordon grabs onto it and orders Bullock to shoot the balloon. After a short debate with Gordon, Bullock shoots the balloon.

Jim looking up to see Oswald Cobblepot at the door

At Mooney's Nightclub, Falcone visits Mooney, making sure there were no hard feelings from the previous night, with Fish telling him "never". The conversation then goes on, focusing on Falcone's lover Natalia being mugged, with Fish telling Falcone that she hoped whoever had done it had paid with their life, and Falcone saying that the person responsible would when they found him or her, along with anyone that helped them. At the old Gotham Juvenile building, before Lamond enters an ambulance, he warns Gordon that more vigilantes will follow in his path. At Wayne Manor, Bruce and Alfred watch the news about the capture of the Ballooman, with Alfred citing that the criminals of Gotham would be sleeping well that night, though Bruce noted that The Balloonman killed people, making him a criminal as well. At Barbara's penthouse, a bruised Gordon comes in, with Barbara relieved that he's okay. Asking him what's wrong, he tells her the city is sick in a way that he didn't realize. When he asked the Balloonman who his final target was he said it didn't matter as all officials in Gotham were corrupt, though Barbara tells him it isn't true. Gordon says it doesn't matter if that's the perception and if people take the law into their own hands there is no law and everything will be lost. After Barbara comforts Jim, there is a knock at the door. Opening the door, Barbara alerts Jim to their visitor, Gordon looks up, and to his surprise sees Oswald Cobblepot.

Media

Gotham 1x03 Promo "The Balloonman" (HD)

Trivia

• The Balloonman's first disguise is a reference to Professor Pyg.