Captain Barnes continues his downward spiral in Fox’s Gotham season three episode nine. The ninth episode also brings the more mature Ivy back into the storyline and finds poor Edward Nygma learning the devastating fate of his new girlfriend, Isabella. Airing on November 14, 2016 and titled ‘Executioner,’ episode nine begins with Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) investigating Dr. Symon’s murder which took place at Lee’s party. He asks Lee (Morena Baccarin) what time she spoke with Captain Barnes at the party, but he won’t tell her why he’s asking. She’s a smart cookie and figures it out anyway, warning him to be careful.
Jim also hits up his partner, Harvey (Donal Logue), with his suspicion Barnes was responsible for Symon’s death, but Harvey will have none of it. Harvey wants to know the motive and Jim thinks Barnes might have lost it when he saw Symon was loose. Again, that makes no sense to Harvey since Barnes has a spotless 20-year career. Jim doesn’t want Barnes to be guilty but he thinks something doesn’t feel right. Harvey finally agrees to help, but he’s doing it to prove Barnes is innocent not guilty.
Barnes (Michael Chiklis) is torturing three men while talking about whispers turning to roars, explaining the voice – his voice – tells him what he must do. The men are guilty of sex trafficking, drugs, and murder, and he’s tried to get all the proof necessary for years to bring them in. This new Barnes is no longer willing to wait for the men to be punished. He kicks the chairs out under them and they hang from the rafters. “Justice is served,” says Barnes to their dead bodies.
A rich man is showing Ivy (Maggie Geha) around his mansion, and for some strange reason he brags that his most valuable acquisitions are in his vault. She wants to check it out, telling him she’s always able to get men to do what she wants. She pulls out a perfume she made from plants and he’s instantly under her spell. After he opens the vault, she knocks him out and steals a large necklace. But, when she tries to leave she discovers the man is no longer unconscious outside the vault’s door. Before she can leave, he grabs her by the throat, demanding to know who sent her. She’s able to get away but he swears he’ll find her.
Edward (Cory Michael Smith) and Oswald (Robin Lord Taylor) are going over some paperwork while eating breakfast, and Ed’s nervous because Isabella hasn’t called and checked in from the librarian conference. Just then the phone rings and it’s the GCPD. They want Ed to come to the station but won’t say why.
At the station, Ed looks at Isabella’s dead body while Oswald says he found out she ran a red light and crashed into a train. Oswald is sorry and believes Isabella didn’t suffer. They share a lengthy hug.
Selina (Camren Bicondova) is feeding stray cats when Ivy surprises her, asking if she’s still collecting strays. Selina doesn’t understand how Ivy is now so much older.
Harvey calls in from the murder scene and says they found Barnes’ prints in the bathroom, and now Harvey wants Jim to tell Barnes what Symon said before he died. Jim’s not quite ready to do that and instead checks out the files on Barnes’ desk. Barnes catches him doing it, and Jim makes up an excuse. Barnes asks if Symon said anything to him and Jim lies and says no, that he tried to talk but died almost right away. Barnes thinks the mob had Symon killed and that a man named Sugar is the one who actually did the killing. Barnes doesn’t want Jim to say anything to anyone else, and asks him to take a ride to find Sugar. While Barnes is busy getting a gun from the trunk of his car, Jim makes a quick phone call and leaves a message telling Harvey where he’s heading.
As they drive to Sugar’s, Barnes says he’s disappointed Jim hasn’t collected his statement since he was present at the party. Since Barnes wants to be questioned, Jim complies, and Barnes denies seeing Symon go into the bathroom but admits he went into it earlier that night. Barnes asks if Jim’s ever wanted to do something about this cesspool of a city, and Jim says he’s back at the GCPD to do things right. Barnes believes their job is to protect the city, even if it means bending or breaking the law. Will good men fight for the city, wonders Barnes, and then Jim notices they’ve driven past where Barnes said Sugar was hiding out. Turns out Barnes deliberately told him the wrong address.
Meanwhile at Selina’s place, Ivy’s eating as if she’s never tasted food before, and Bruce can’t believe this is the same Ivy. Selina thinks she should have realized what Marv could do and that he aged Ivy. Selina tells Bruce Ivy has now eaten all her food, and Selina punches her in the arm because she’s pissed Ivy didn’t tell her she was still alive. Ivy apologizes, they hug, and Bruce asks why she came back. Selina wants to know everything and Ivy says when you look hot, guys just give you stuff. Bruce compliments her which doesn’t win any points with Selina. Ivy finally admits she’s in trouble because she stole a necklace, and Bruce shushes both of them when he hears a noise in the other room. There are men armed with crossbows after them and they barely escape.
Barnes breaks down a door and tells Sugar not to move. He asks him where he was last night during the murder, and Jim asks if the name Symon means anything to him. He says he’s innocent and Barnes thinks he’s telling the truth about not killing anyone. But, that doesn’t mean he’s innocent so Barnes blows him away. He turns the gun on a stunned Jim.
Bruce, Ivy, and Selina are on the run and Selina’s upset because these men have now chased her out of her crash pad. Bruce wants Ivy to return the necklace but she won’t, so young Mr. Wayne offers to buy it off her and then return it. She wants $1,000 for it and Bruce agrees, while Selina calls her an idiot for selling it for such a low amount. She ups the asking price and Bruce keeps saying fine, and then finally just offers her $5,000 in cash. She agrees and hands over the necklace. Bruce asks for the address so he can return it.
Oswald’s having his portrait painted while Ed has somber music cranked up as he’s curled up with a blanket. All Ed wants to do is just sit there by himself and mourn the loss of his new love, but Oswald tells him it’s not healthy behavior. Healing is about moving on, says Oswald, and Ed agrees. He’s going to the accident scene and say goodbye.
Barnes makes Jim move Sugar’s body and then admits he knows Jim’s investigating him for Symon’s death. Barnes knows Symon said something to him before he died and Jim figures out Barnes also killed Paulie Pennies. Barnes says, angrily, that he’s the law and that this new Barnes is who he’s always been. He confesses he’s never been so strong or clear, and Jim now knows Barnes is infected with Alice’s blood. That means Barnes is innocent, but the Captain won’t give himself up. He thinks Jim isn’t seeing the big picture, and there’s only innocence and guilt. Barnes thinks Jim should join him in this new crusade in which he’s drawn a line in the sand. He points the gun at Jim and asks where he stands. Jim, without hesitation, replies, “Against you.” Fortunately, right before Barnes can shoot Jim, one of Sugar’s cohorts shows up and Jim escapes while Barnes is distracted.
Ed reads a poem to Isabella while standing on the train tracks. He places flowers where her car was hit and then notices they are just four blocks from her apartment. A homeless man asks for change, but although he was there the night before, he’s blind and didn’t see the accident. However, he heard Isabella screaming for help before her car hit the train. The homeless man describes it as blood-curdling screaming.
Bruce is still determined to do the right thing and brings Selina and Ivy with him to return the necklace. Ivy’s not sure she should go in since she hit the guy with a vase, but they all enter the house anyway when they notice the door’s open. The homeowner is dead on the floor, an arrow through his eye. That means the men who came after Ivy are the same men who killed her robbery victim. Bruce wants to know why the necklace is so important and Selina grabs it and throws it. It breaks open and there’s a key inside, but to what? Selina thinks they should leave and Ivy finally realizes they’re a couple. Bruce says they are, Selina says they aren’t. When he asks her why she said no, Selina doesn’t want to talk about it. Bruce suggests they head to his house.
Back at GCPD, all the cops are frantically getting ready to hit the street because Barnes called in an alert saying Jim shot an unarmed suspect. Barnes also reported that Jim took a shot at him, so now the cops are forced to hunt down Jim. Harvey keeps saying this isn’t right, but no one listens. He walks away when Jim calls, saying Barnes murdered Paulie Pennies, Symon, and some other guy right in front of him. Harvey can’t believe it, saying he was only gone for an hour. Jim explains Barnes is infected with Alice’s blood and has lost his mind. Barnes takes another shot at Jim but not before Jim can tell Harvey where to find him.
Harvey bursts into the lab and tells Lee that Barnes is infected. Lee remembers Barnes was there when Alice died, but no cops will believe Harvey if he tries to explain what’s really going on. He needs Lee to tell the rest of the officers what’s happening since they’ll believe her more than they’ll believe him.
Jim’s still running for his life with Barnes close on his heels. Unfortunately, Barnes catches up to him and tells him it’s the end of the line.
Ed inspects Isabella’s car that’s been towed to GCPD’s impound lot. He discovers the brake lines were cut and wants to know why no one else figured that out. He knows someone paid them off and it had to be someone with money and influence.
As Barnes approaches Jim, sirens are heard in the background. Barnes tells him his fellow officers will arrive and find Jim dead, but that they could have made a great team. Jim tells Barnes to go to hell as Harvey yells from the street that Barnes is under arrest. All the officers know he’s infected and has killed multiple people because Lee said she has proof. Barnes knows Lee lied and he’s angry, but Jim’s able to launch himself at Barnes when he looks away. Now it’s a hand-to-hand fight and both men are getting in hits when Jim’s finally able to grab his gun off the floor and pull it on Barnes before Barnes can pull his gun on Jim. Jim tells him to drop it and Barnes refuses. Barnes wants Jim to let him go, but Jim refuses. Jim doesn’t give in when Barnes snarls at him to stand down, and Barnes prepares to fire. Jim fires first and Harvey and the officers find a wounded Barnes on the ground, clutching his shoulder.
Ivy’s impressed by Wayne Manor and Bruce offers them food and beds. However, Bruce is obviously unhappy with Selina after she denied they were a thing.
The armed men look through Selina’s place and find a newspaper clipping behind a wall about the murder of Bruce’s parents.
Back at the station, Jim thanks Lee for her help and she tries to say it was nothing. He tells her she’s wrong, that she could have done nothing but instead she saved his life. She admits she did fabricate a blood test that claimed Barnes had a psychosis-inducing virus. They stare into each other’s eyes, and Lee’s the first to look away. Jim stops her as she’s about to leave, thanking her again.
Oswald apologizes to Ed for not being as compassionate as he should have been, and shows Ed he’s added him to the painting. Ed reveals Isabella was murdered because no one falls asleep four blocks from home. Plus, the homeless man heard her scream. He pulls out the severed brake lines, saying it leads to just one conclusion: Butch killed Isabella in retaliation. Oswald says that makes sense, vowing to find him and make him pay for what he’s done.
Harvey apologizes for initially doubting Jim, but Jim told him he believed him when it mattered.
Barnes is being held at Arkham where he yells, “Guilty!” over and over again.
