Gotham Does Norman Bates and Psycho in “Selina Kyle” 

The story of Norman Bates and Psycho never really gets old and so, when a series does a fresh, new spin on the tale, you can safely bet it’s going to be good. In tonight’s episode of Gotham, the main focus is on a child-trafficking ring that ultimately leads Cat (Camren Bicondova) to Detective Gordon (Benjamin McKenzie). And with Cat being the only witness besides Bruce (David Mazouz) to the Wayne double homicide, Gordon and Bullock (Donal Logue) get their first real lead in the case. The irony is while the vast majority of the episode was devoted to this arc, Oswald Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor) and his fruit loop mother stole the show as the modernized Norma and Norman Bates.

The Delusional Mother Kapelput

They always say that a mother knows her child but man, this woman really needs to come back down to Earth. Mrs. Kapelput’s (Carol Kane) son Oswald didn’t come home and so, she files a police report which conveniently lands in the laps of Detectives Renee Montoya and Crispus Allen of Major Case (who we know are completely aware that Penguin snitched on the Mario Pepper frame job). They also both know what a little prick Oswald is, but in his mother’s eyes, he can do no harm. He’s the perfect boy and she just doesn’t understand why he wouldn’t come home to be with his mother. After all, every boy wants to come home to be with his mother, right? The way she spoke of her son revealed a level of intimacy that was a little bit too creepy for comfort.

Nightclubs are his business. Such hours. But always he comes home to his mother. His clothes are here. My son would never leave his clothes. So handsome he is. It’s a woman. Some slut has my son in her clutch! So handsome he is and so naive.

Wow. Okay, Norma. This woman must be delusional, been smoking some bad weed, or her son is the best actor I’ve ever seen. Either way, the only question that really remains is when the detectives return, will they find Getrude Kapelput stuffed and on display in Oswald’s bedroom.

Oswald Cobblepot, The Good Son

Yeah, right. While Oswald’s mother is filing the missing person’s report and singing her son’s praises, he has been nothing but a son of a bitch. First, when he climbs out of the river after having been “shot” by Gordon, he kills an innocent fisherman all over a sandwich. Then, after hours of hitchhiking on the highway trying to get back to Gotham, two college kids are nice enough to pull over to give the poor guy a lift. But, the last thing Oswald shows is gratitude. One of the boys mentions in a half-jokingly way about how when he walks, he looks like a penguin and like a switch, this just sets Oswald off. The kid should have just kept his mouth shut because all that comment got him was a jagged piece of glass from a beer bottle in his carotid. I sense some serious anger management issues that are actually directed towards mother.

The second guy isn’t fairing too well either. The episode ends with the kid tied up and Oswald demanding $10,000 from his mother for his release. This is so poetic since Oswald’s own mother is out there grieving and wants nothing more than her own son to return home. Oswald,  I don’t think your mother would be very proud of what you are putting another boy’s mother through.

At the end of the day, this little arc was just great. It took what would have been an average episode and made it a good one. And at the same time it put the spotlight on Oswald, who is turning out to be one of the best developed characters in the series — not to mention showcasing Robin Lord Taylor who is doing a fantastic job with the character. I don’t know how much more we will see of Mrs. Kapelput or whether they will even revisit this story line. but I truly hope they will.

In the meantime Oswald, it is true that a boy’s best friend is his mother and at this point, your mother is the only friend you have left in Gotham.

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