Ep 7. Ace Chemicals

As the penultimate episode of Gotham's final season, Ace Chemicals ramps up the stakes and tension for the long-anticipated showdown between the show's two titular characters: Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) and Jeremiah Valeska (Cameron Monaghan), the Joker-like villain who has been hounding him since season four.

The episode opens with a slickly directed action sequence in which Gordon (Ben McKenzie) and his officers launch a pre-emptive strike on Ace Chemicals, where Jeremiah has taken up residence as part of his revenge scheme, intending to release a deadly gas into the city. The stakes are high as Gordon and his team engage in a firefight with Jeremiah and his goons, but viewers will be on the edge of their seats when they catch a glimpse of Bruce creeping around in the shadows, looking to settle the score once and for all.

As the attack begins in earnest, it becomes clear that this is no ordinary takedown mission, and that there are twists and turns in store even for the most jaded Gotham fan. While it's easy to predict that something will go wrong during the raid at Ace Chemicals, the episode pulls off several surprising switches that will leave even the savviest viewer feeling exhilarated and off-balance.

Much of the credit for Ace Chemicals' success goes to the episode's fast pace and sharp dialogue, which crackles with wit and menace. Writer Tze Chun and director John Behring have created a tense, thrilling episode that never lets the viewer's attention lag. As Gordon, Bruce, and Jeremiah circle each other with wary intensity, each trying to gain the upper hand without tipping their hand to the others, the tension is almost unbearable.

Of course, the heart of the episode is the Bruce/Jeremiah dynamic, and it doesn't disappoint. Mazouz and Monaghan have fantastic chemistry, and their characters are being written with a depth and complexity that we've never quite seen before in a Batman/Joker story onscreen. There's a sense that these two are locked in a dance that neither of them can win, and there are moments of genuine pathos as they reflect on their past and try to make sense of their twisted relationship.

At the same time, Ace Chemicals doesn't forget the supporting characters who have made Gotham such a dynamic and uniquely weird show over the years. There's a great subplot involving Barbara (Erin Richards) and Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor) as they try to gain control of the city's underground while chaos reigns above. This allows for lots of fun moments as Richards and Taylor chew the scenery, and it also sets up some intriguing possibilities for the finale.

The episode's production values are top-notch, as always with Gotham. The design of Ace Chemicals is suitably creepy and claustrophobic, and there are several cool (if gruesome) set pieces involving the Joker's signature green gas. The action sequences are impressively choreographed and edited, and there are plenty of moments that will make viewers gasp or cheer in excitement. And of course, the show's eclectic musical score is a treat for the ears, with each scene being underscored by a different mood and tempo.

All in all, Ace Chemicals is a fantastic penultimate episode for Gotham's final season, and it sets the stage perfectly for the grand finale. There's a sense that anything could happen in the remaining hour, and that no character is safe from harm or heartbreak. Fans of the show will be eager to see how it all ends, but for now, they can savor this electrifying hour of television.