The Anvil or the Hammer

"The Anvil or the Hammer"
Gotham episode
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 21
Directed by	Paul Edwards
Written by	Jordan Harper
Production code	4X6671
Original air date	April 27, 2015
Guest actors
David Zayas as Salvatore "Sal" Maroni Milo Ventimiglia as Jason Lennon Morena Baccarin as Dr. Lee Thompkins Drew Powell as Butch Gilzean Chris Chalk as Lucius Fox Chelsea Spack as Kristen Kringle Michael Potts as Sid Bunderslaw Caroline Lagerfelt as Mrs. Kean Richard Poe as Mr. Kean Clark Carmichael as Connor James Andrew O'Connor as Tommy Bones Barbara Rosenblat as Lidia Bicchieri Tonya Glanz as Sally April Yvette Thompson as Lucy

"The Anvil or the Hammer" is the 21st episode of the television series Gotham. It premiered on FOX on April 27, 2015 and was written by Jordan Harper, and directed by Paul Edwards. In this episode, Gordon (Ben McKenzie) goes after The Ogre (Milo Ventimiglia), who is playing with Barbara's (Erin Richards) mind. Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor) continues to push the mob war even further.

The episode was watched by 4.58 million viewers and received mixed-to-positive reviews with critics praising the plot twist but criticizing the lack of plot advancement.

Reception

Viewers

The episode was watched by 4.58 million viewers, with a 1.5 rating among 18-49 adults. With Live+7 DVR viewing factored in, the episode had an overall rating of 7.23 million viewers, and a 2.6 in the 18–49 demographic.

Critical reviews

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Rotten Tomatoes (Tomatometer)	60%
Rotten Tomatoes (Average Score)	6.7
IGN	6.6
The A.V. Club	B−
GamesRadar
Paste Magazine	6.5
TV Fanatic
New York Magazine

"The Anvil or the Hammer" received mixed-to-positive reviews. The episode received a rating of 60% with an average score of 6.7 out of 10 on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with the site's consensus stating: "Though the plot twist was surprising, 'The Anvil or the Hammer' disregarded Gotham's own history, muddying up the narrative with a nonsensical story."

Matt Fowler of IGN gave the episode a "okay" 6.6 out of 10 and wrote in his verdict, "A sloppy, silly penultimate episode took us through a parade of familiar beats as Gotham now heads into its season finale. The highlight here was that something actually horrifying happened to Barbara. Something that may may make her snap entirely. Certainly a far cry from the time she was held comfortably captive by Falcone and fed fresh-baked muffins."

The A.V. Club's Kyle Fowle gave the episode a "B−" grade and wrote, "In fact, much of 'The Anvil Or The Hammer' signals a way forward for Gotham, giving us moments that prove this show can be more than a lackluster procedural. The multi-episode arc of the Ogre is the most obvious strength here. It proves that Gotham is better off without it's [sic] case-of-the-week structure, instead choosing to focus on a long-term narrative, rolling out storylines that have consequences in the future and allow the characters to experience something resembling growth."