Stop Hitting Yourself

Last updated
"Stop Hitting Yourself"
Gotham episode
Episode no.Season 4
Episode 8
Directed by Rob Bailey
Written by Charlie Huston
Featured musicDavid E. Russo
Cinematography byScott Kevan
Editing byLeland Sexton
Production codeT40.10008
Original air dateNovember 9, 2017 (2017-11-09)
Running time43 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
 Previous
"A Day in the Narrows"
Next 
"Let Them Eat Pie"
Gotham season 4
List of episodes

"Stop Hitting Yourself" is the eight episode of the fourth season and 74th episode overall from the Fox series Gotham . The show is itself based on the characters created by DC Comics set in the Batman mythology. The episode was written by consulting producer Charlie Huston on his writing debut and directed by Rob Bailey. It was first broadcast on November 9, 2017.

Contents

In the episode, Gordon and Bullock's friendship is coming to a conclusion amidst the chaos following the previous episode's actions. Gordon is offered the position of Captain of the GCPD but he is hesitant about the situation. Meanwhile, Barbara, Tabitha and Selina are dispatched by Cobblepot to go and bring back Nygma after discovering he is making fun of him the fight club. However, Solomon's memories begin to return, which may threaten their business in the fight club. Also, Gordon finally confronts Sofia Falcone.

The episode received positive reviews from critics, who praised McKenzie's and Logue's performance in the episode, especially their final confrontation as well as the character development.

Plot

In the fight club, Nygma (Cory Michael Smith) and Grundy (Drew Powell) poke fun of Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor) in a play right before a fight. During the fight, however, Grundy begins to have visions of Tabitha (Jessica Lucas), signaling he may be recovering his memories. He continues fighting and kills the combatant when he rips his arm off and beats him to death with it.

Gordon (Ben McKenzie) is offered the position of Captain by Mayor Burke (Larry Pine) but he remains doubtful. Meanwhile, Cobblepot is notified about Nygma poking fun of him and dispatches Barbara (Erin Richards), Tabitha (Jessica Lucas) and Selina (Camren Bicondova) to go to the Narrows and retrieve Nygma alive to him due to a debt in money. However, he also dispatches Bridgit (Camila Perez) to go after them in case they don't return in time and kill them.

They arrive at the fight club where they get shocked at discovering Grundy, recognizing him as Butch. Tabitha tries to talk him down while Barbara and Selina kidnap Nygma. However, Butch discovers this and tries to fight back until Selina decides that they need to solve this with a fight that will decide who will take Nygma. While visiting the orphanage, Cobblepot finds a mute child named Martin (Christopher Convery) that is bullied by many students in his school and has vengeful tendencies . He teaches him how to make friends and destroy his enemies, causing Cobblepot to realize that Sofia may be using him in the same way he has taught Martin to.

The fight starts between Grundy and Tabitha, Nygma dubbing Tabitha "Tabby the Tigress". Grundy has the upper hand when suddenly, upon being struck by Tabitha with a mace, he briefly recovers his memories and recognizes Tabitha, before losing them again upon being knocked down by Tabitha. Bridgit arrives as the deadline for delivering Nygma finished and prepares to kill them when Lee incapacitates her. For having bailed them to Cobblepot, Cherry (Marina Benedict) is executed by Barbara. Gordon attends a police ceremony in honor of the fallen in the courthouse but when Bullock (Donal Logue) fails to show up, he is forced to start the ceremony without him. After a bitter argument with Bullock, Gordon decides to sign the offer and officially becomes the new Captain of the GCPD's Central Precinct.

After healing Grundy, Lee (Morena Baccarin) is acknowledged by everyone in the fight club as their new leader. Gordon meets with Sofia (Crystal Reed) where he confronts her for everything that happened to make him Captain. She explains that Bullock needed to go. Gordon decides to end his relationship with her for good.

Production

Development

In October 2017, it was announced that the eight episode of the season would be titled "Stop Hitting Yourself" and was to be written by Charlie Huston and directed by Rob Bailey. [1]

Casting

David Mazouz, Sean Pertwee, and Alexander Siddig don't appear in the episode as their respective characters. In October 2017, it was announced that the guest cast for the episode would include Michael Maize as Grady Harris, Marina Benedict as Cherry, Camila Perez as Firefly, Christopher Convery as Martin, and Larry Pine as Mayor Burke. [1]

Reception

Viewers

The episode was watched by 2.70 million viewers with a 0.9/3 share among adults aged 18 to 49. [2] This was a slight decrease in viewership from the previous episode, which was watched by 2.75 million viewers with a 0.9/3 in the 18-49 demographics. [3] With these ratings, Gotham ranked second for Fox, behind The Orville , fourth on its timeslot, and tenth for the night, behind How to Get Away with Murder , S.W.A.T. , The Orville, Scandal , Life in Pieces , Mom , Grey's Anatomy , Young Sheldon , The Big Bang Theory , and Thursday Night Football .

Critical reviews

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
IGN 7.7 [4]
TV FanaticStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
TV Overmind Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [6]

"A Dark Knight: Stop Hitting Yourself" received positive reviews from critics. Matt Fowler of IGN gave the episode a "good" 7.7 out of 10 and wrote in his verdict, "'Stop Hitting Yourself' was totally loony, focusing mostly on the show's peripheral midway players while still giving us some big moments along with the silly, soapy side quest." [4]

Kyle Fowle of The A.V. Club wrote "Gotham is really setting itself up nicely for a midseason finale, whenever that happens to be. For the first time since the show's inception, multiple storylines are unfolding at a solid pace, the characters feel fresh and interesting, and there's a clarity to the storytelling that's more than welcome. Sofia's plans continuing to solidify should only bolster what's been a marked improvement for the show in its fourth season." [7]

Nick Hogan of TV Overmind gave the episode a perfect 5 star rating out of 5, writing "Overall, this may have been my favorite episode of Gotham ever. If not ever, DEFINITELY this season." [6] Sydney Bucksbaum of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, " It was as if everyone was competing for the wackiest storyline, and everyone delivered. Gotham has finally found its sweet spot: losing the seriousness and just having all-out fun." [8]

Vinnie Mancuso of Collider wrote, "Tonight's Gotham is titled 'Stop Hitting Yourself,' which is literally just what these Mad Max-ass mole people chant in an underground fighting pit whenever Solomon Grundy rips a dude's arm off and then bludgeons that same dude to death with that same arm. That is such a common occurrence that it garnered an original chant. This show is art." [9] Lisa Babick of TV Fanatic gave the series a 4 star rating out of 5, writing "I always love a good scene between Lee and Babs, and 'Stop Hitting Yourself' didn't disappoint. It wasn't a huge scene, but it afforded Lee an opportunity to knock Babs around a bit." [5] Marc Buxton of Den of Geek gave wrote, "So lots of new intrigues this week as Gotham takes little bits and pieces of the DC Universe, sticks them in a blender, and just lets it spin. It's a guilty pleasure and it's a load of yucks as Gotham continues to take glee in being a really fun mess." [10]

Related Research Articles

"Mommy's Little Monster" is the seventh episode of the second season and 29th episode overall from the FOX series Gotham. The episode was written by Robert Hull and directed by Kenneth Fink. It was first broadcast in November 2, 2015 in FOX. In this episode, Penguin and Butch release Penguin's mother, but is killed by Galavans, forcing the Penguin into his vengeful conquest against them. Gordon, Bullock and GCPD are forced to protect Theo Galavan from him, but Gordon learns the truth behind Galavan's machinations.

"Tonight's the Night" is the eighth episode of the second season and 30th episode overall from the FOX series Gotham. The episode was written by Jim Barnes and directed by Jeffrey Hunt. It was first broadcast in November 9, 2015 in FOX. In the episode, Galavan sends Barbara after Jim Gordon, while trying to make a business deal with Bruce Wayne. Nygma has a run-in with Oswald Cobblebot.

"Scarification" is the fifth episode of the second season and 27th episode overall from the FOX series Gotham. The episode was written by Jordan Harper and directed by Bill Eagles. It was first broadcast in October 19, 2015 in FOX. In this episode, the alliance between Galavan and Cobblepot needs the help of a group of family arsonists. Cobblepot then discovers the reason behind Galavan's intentions.

"Unleashed" is the twentieth episode of the second season, and 42nd episode overall from the Fox series Gotham. The episode was written by executive producer Danny Cannon and directed by Paul Edwards. It was first broadcast on May 9, 2016. In the episode, Azrael continues his killing spree across Gotham City while Dr. Strange tries to evade arrest for his experiments.

"Anything for You" is the fifth episode of the third season, and 49th episode overall from the Fox series Gotham. The episode was written by consulting producer Denise Thé and directed by TJ Scott. It was first broadcast on October 17, 2016. In the episode, Oswald Cobblepot's first days as mayor are threatened when the newly emerged Red Hood comes back to spread chaos and challenge his authority. Edward Nygma makes a new discovery while being reinstated at the GCPD as a liaison in the case while Bruce Wayne and Jim Gordon set off to find Ivy Pepper, still not aware that she has grown up physically.

"Red Queen" is the seventh episode of the third season, and 51st episode overall from the Fox series Gotham. The episode was written by Megan Mostyn-Brown and directed by Scott White. It was first broadcast on October 31, 2016. In the episode, Tetch manages to get an hallucinogen called "Red Queen" that causes damage on people. He pours the hallucinogen on Gordon, sending him on a hallucination trip with Barbara acting as his guide. Tetch is in fact retrieving Alice's blood to create a virus to give it to the founders in their dinner. Meanwhile, Cobblepot sets off to separate Isabella from Nygma, telling her his real nature.

"The Executioner" is the ninth episode of the third season, and 53rd episode overall from the Fox series Gotham. The episode was written by executive producer Ken Woodruff and directed by John Behring. It was first broadcast on November 14, 2016. In the episode, Barnes has been acting as an executioner, killing the criminals that get on his path, and upon seeing that Gordon may implicate him and stop his plans, he will kill him for good. Meanwhile, Ivy finally reveals her true self to Bruce and Selina after a problem while also making a discovery about the last man Ivy robbed. Finally, Nygma is notified of Isabella's death and despite evidence suggesting an accident, he suspects that it was organized.

"Ghosts" is the twelfth episode and mid-season premiere of the third season, and 56th episode overall from the Fox series Gotham. The episode was written by executive producer Danny Cannon and directed by Eagle Egilsson. It was first broadcast on January 16, 2017. In the episode, after Mario's funeral, Falcone places a hit on Gordon for his murder while also complicating Gordon's relationship with Lee, who continues seeing him as a murderer. Meanwhile, a morgue employee is revealed to be conspiring to bring Jerome Valeska back to life as part of his cult. Also, Selina's mom's arrival could shake things up between Bruce and Selina while Cobblepot begins to have strange events occurring to him while on his way to the most important interview he may have.

"The Primal Riddle" is the seventeenth episode of the third season, and 61st episode overall from the Fox series Gotham. The show is itself based on the characters created by DC Comics set in the Batman mythology. The episode was written by co-executive producers Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt and directed by Maja Vrvilo. It was first broadcast on May 8, 2017.

"Heavydirtysoul" is the twenty-second episode of the third season, the second part of the two-part season finale, and the 66th episode overall from the Fox series Gotham. The show is based on the characters created by DC Comics set in the Batman mythology. The episode was written by co-executive producer Robert Hull and directed by Rob Bailey. It was first broadcast on June 5, 2017. The episode marks the introduction of Solomon Grundy to the show. In the episode, Gordon decides to search for Lee after receiving her call, while Nygma and Barbara want to get antidote and Jervis Tetch from prison, clashing with Butch, Tabitha and Cobblepot, the latter who Nygma wants to kill him. Bruce makes a fateful decision about his role in Gotham after his encounter with Ra's al Ghul.

"Destiny Calling" is the twenty-first episode of the third season, the first part of the two-part season finale, and 65th episode overall from the Fox series Gotham. The show is itself based on the characters created by DC Comics set in the Batman mythology. The episode was written by executive producer Danny Cannon and directed by Nathan Hope. It was first broadcast on June 5, 2017.

"Pretty Hate Machine" is the twentieth episode of the third season, and 64th episode overall from the Fox series Gotham. The show is itself based on the characters created by DC Comics set in the Batman mythology. The episode was written by co-executive producers Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt and directed by Danny Cannon. It was first broadcast on May 29, 2017. The episode is named after the 1989 studio album by American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails of the same name.

Oswald Cobblepot (<i>Gotham</i>) Fictional character on Gotham

Oswald Cobblepot is a character and one of the main antagonists of the FOX television series Gotham, portrayed by Robin Lord Taylor. Based on the DC Comics supervillain of the same name, he was adapted by showrunner Bruno Heller for the series, which is intended to explore the origin stories of characters from the Batman mythos. Introduced in the first season, Cobblepot is depicted as an intelligent low-level thug who aspires to become a leading crime lord in Gotham City. The series explores his rise to power and the challenges he faces in achieving this goal.

"Hog Day Afternoon" is the sixth episode of the fourth season and 72nd episode overall from the Fox series Gotham. The show is itself based on the characters created by DC Comics set in the Batman mythology. The episode was written by Kim Newton and directed by Mark Tonderai. It was first broadcast on October 26, 2017.

"Let Them Eat Pie" is the ninth episode of the fourth season and 75th episode overall from the Fox series Gotham. The show is itself based on the characters created by DC Comics set in the Batman mythology. The episode was written by consulting producer Iturri Sosa on his writing debut and directed by Nathan Hope. It was first broadcast on November 16, 2017.

"Things That Go Boom" is the tenth episode of the fourth season and 76th episode overall from the Fox series Gotham. The show is itself based on the characters created by DC Comics set in the Batman mythology. The episode was written by co-executive producers Steven Lilien & Bryan Wynbrandt on his writing debut and directed by Louis Shaw Milito. It was first broadcast on November 30, 2017.

"Queen Takes Knight" is the eleventh episode and midseason finale of the fourth season and 77th episode overall from the Fox series Gotham. The show is itself based on the characters created by DC Comics set in the Batman mythology. The episode was written by executive producer John Stephens and directed by Danny Cannon. It was first broadcast on December 7, 2017.

"The Sinking Ship The Grand Applause" is the fifteenth episode of the fourth season and 81st episode overall from the Fox series Gotham. The show is itself based on the characters created by DC Comics set in the Batman mythology. The episode was written by Seth Boston and directed by Nick Copus. It was first broadcast on March 22, 2018.

Selina Kyle (<i>Gotham</i> character) Fictional character on Gotham

Selina Kyle, nicknamed "Cat", is a fictional character on the Fox TV series Gotham. Based on the DC Comics character of the same name who goes on to become Catwoman, Selina is a morally ambiguous street thief who becomes an ally and later love interest to Bruce Wayne, the orphaned son of Thomas and Martha Wayne. Camren Bicondova portrays Selina Kyle for the majority of Gotham's run, but is replaced by Lili Simmons as an adult in the series finale.

References

  1. 1 2 "(GTH-408) "A Dark Knight: Stop Hitting Yourself"". The Futon Critic . Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  2. Porter, Rick (November 10, 2017). "'Big Bang Theory' and 'Thursday Night Football' adjust up: Thursday final ratings". TV by the Numbers . Archived from the original on November 11, 2017. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  3. Porter, Rick (November 3, 2017). "'Will & Grace' adjusts up, 'Sheldon' and other CBS shows adjust down: Thursday final ratings". TV by the Numbers . Archived from the original on November 3, 2017. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  4. 1 2 Fowler, Matt (November 9, 2017). "Gotham: "Stop Hitting Yourself" Review". IGN . Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  5. 1 2 "Gotham Season 4 Episode 8 Review: Stop Hitting Yourself". TV Fanatic. 10 November 2017.
  6. 1 2 Hogan, Nick (November 10, 2017). "Gotham Review: Please "Stop Hitting Yourself"". TV Overmind . Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  7. Fowle, Kyle (November 9, 2017). "Gotham's fourth season continues to boast patient, dynamic storytelling". The A.V. Club . Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  8. Bucksbaum, Sydney (November 10, 2017). "DC TV Watch: CW Showrunners Preview the (Super) Four-Way Crossover". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  9. "'Gotham' Recap: "Stop Hitting Yourself" – Code of the Narrows". Collider . November 9, 2017. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  10. "Gotham season 4 episode 8 review: Stop Hitting Yourself". Den of Geek . November 9, 2017. Retrieved November 9, 2017.