Warning: Fullfor the episode follow...

With "Red Hood," Gotham took a tiny step forward this week by not leaning so heavily on pre-cursors, pre-villains, and mythos. Yes, despite the fact that the case of the week involved the germination of the Red Hood gang, complete with the Gordon line "As long as someone's willing to put that red hood on, this gang could go on forever!"Over the past few weeks, Gotham's been focused on proto-Scarecrow and primordial Joker, and while many thought the Joker storyline would be furthered along with this Red Hood episode, the show wound up backing off a bit and not not taking itself so seriously. The Red Hood storyline played mostly as a quirky "cursed artifact" case, where bad luck (usually death) would befall whoever wore the hood. Sure, like most Gotham stories, it acted as a set-up for a show that we'll have to somehow imagine, but there was a tongue-in-cheek aspect to it all that went over well.Also, the show's still got a case of Joker-itis. Which is weird, considering that last week's episode was supposed to represent something or other relating to Joker's origins. But this week featured a cackling, joking gang frontman (the first chucklehead to wear the hood and become a hero) and then later on we cut to another stand-up comedian performing (and bombing) at Penguin's club. Oh, and there was that long-hair who picked up the hood at the end. So Cameron Monaghan's evil laugh last week did not put an end to the red herrings. Which again makes me wonder if we're all still looking in the wrong place for Joker and that the answer lies somewhere over in the trudging gangland stories.But before I get into the messes that Penguin and Fish have become, let's talk Alfred and his old friend Reggie Payne (Luther/Wanted's David O'Hara). I liked this story even before we discovered that Reggie was a mole for Wayne Industries. Not only did he provide a bit more insight into Alfred's SAS past, but his sparring scene with Bruce, which got way intense, was a cool way of showing Bruce getting introduced to alternative, less-honorable fighting tactics. And the fact that Reggie seemed reluctant to go through with the mission, and guilty afterwards (he stabbed Alfred after all), means he might be back to stir things up again.Now, let's get into some (literal) Fish glop. Overall, I don't mind that Dollmaker is back to round out the season (aside from the fact that his name is Dr. Dulmacher - ugh). He was related to one of Gordon's first cases so I like that he's coming back to sort of bookend everything. But Fish freakin' scooping her own eyeball out with a spoon? What the f***? That was nonsense.A few things. First off, this storyline with Fish, and the unearned ease at which she not only offed the prison boss but then got everyone else to be "willing to die" devoted to her, never reached a level where we were ever actively worried about her safety. She's been so calm and confident the whole time that one would hardly know she's even been experiencing any hardships. So that eyeball moment truly felt out of nowhere. It felt like they were still negotiating and she was just being gruesomely stubborn. And I don't buy that her eyes are so important to Dollmaker's collection that her using her remaining one as collateral will get her anywhere.Backtracking even, I have no idea why she thought she'd really have any leverage whatsoever once she left the safety of her prison squad. None of this story tracks right. But still, even this side of the show has little Joker clues. That dude with his face all bandaged up? More evidence that Fish (now a one-eyed grotesque) could become Joker? And what was the name of that guard last week? Thomas Schmidt? Why even give that guy a name at all?Over at Penguin's failing night club, the show decided that Butch - who we thought had returned from being tortured and brainwashed last week - was actually fine. And now just loyal to getting to the club up and running. Not because he's being forced to, but because he takes pride in the club. He's also purposefully undercutting Penguin, despite the fact that Penguin should be able to command him to do anything. All in all, this night club arc just paints Penguin out to be a fool lacking smarts and incapable of foresight.Meanwhile, Barbara, who's now a desperate drunk, doesn't mind living with Selina and Ivy because, I assume, she now doesn't have to talk to the walls and chairs. Even though Selina openly insulted her at the end after Barbara tried to give her one of her dresses. Oh, and Barbara telling Selina that wearing the dress could be "a weapon as powerful as any knife or gun?" That was odd. Why say that out of nowhere to a homeless girl squatting in your loft?