Directed by Rob Bailey
Written by Robert Hull, Megan Mostyn Brown, & Tze Chun
As the GCPD and Barbara's gang fight for control of the cure to the Tetch virus, Penguin and Riddler's personal conflict comes to a close.
Tropes
- Batman Gambit: Penguin pulls a magnificent one. He knows Nygma's Fatal Flaw is obsession with perfection — Nygma will try to kill him again at the river. So Oswald arranges it so Nygma will be able to break free from his cuffs and take the gun. When Nygma tries to shoot Penguin he finds out there are no bullets. And then Ivy and Mr. Freeze show and Riddler knows he's utterly screwed.
- Big Damn Heroes: Bruce in a "not quite Batman" costume saves a family similar to his from being killed by a mugger.
- Book Ends: Bruce's transformation into Batman began when his parents were gunned down in a dark alley. It's only fitting that he begins his career as a vigilante by saving another family from a similar fate.
- Boom, Headshot!: Barbara shoots Butch in the head.
- But Now I Must Go: After being cured, Lee decides to take a proper leave from Gotham, but promises to come back once Gordon makes Gotham better for everyone, including both of them.
- Canon Character All Along: Butch's real name is Cyrus Gold, a.k.a. Solomon Grundy from the Batman comics. Even the doctors In-Universe were surprised by this.
- Cool Big Sis: Tabitha starts showing signs of becoming this to Selina.
- Designated Girl Fight: Tabitha and Barbara engage each other in a no holds barred battle which the former wins by electrocuting the latter.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: For Jim, he manages to keep his sanity in check thanks to Harvey, and is able to get the cure to administer to himself and Leslie. Also, even though he and Lee still part ways at the end of the season, they do it on much better terms than in the mid-season finale.
- Evil vs. Evil:
- Penguin and Riddler's conflict reaches its conclusion. Penguin wins.
- Butch and Tabitha making their move against Barbara.
- Fate Worse than Death: Penguin's Batman Gambit to trap Nygma works, but rather than kill him, he has Mr. Freeze cryogenically freeze him alive... and use him as a trophy display at his new nightclub.
- Hazy-Feel Turn: Tabitha and Selina swear off allegiance to everyone and decide to team up to find their place in Gotham.
- Healing Vat: A miniature version of the Lazarus Pit is used to help Alfred's stab wound, but he still requires medical attention.
- "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight: When Jim is ready to give himself over to the virus, Harvey reminds his friend that he is a cop, not a killer, by showing him his police badge. It's a delayed realization, but Jim discovers the syringes full of cure attached to the back of the badge, and administers it to Lee and himself.
- It Works Better with Bullets: Riddler discovers the gun he stole from Penguin is empty when he tries to kill Oswald at the docks again.
- Jerkass Ball: Bruce rather cruelly rebuffs Selina when she comes to comfort him at the hospital. It's what drives her to team up with Tabitha.
- Karma Houdini: No legal action is taken against those who were infected with the virus, somewhat justified since their deeds were committed while in an altered state of mind. Lee also seems to have not faced any consequences for stealing the virus and willingly infecting herself.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Jervis Tetch hunted his sister Alice to use her virus-infected blood, and now Jervis gets hunted and his own blood painfully harvested to become a cure.
- Love Is a Weakness: Penguin sees his love for Riddler as this. His frozen form will be a reminder to not make that mistake again.
- My God, What Have I Done?: The shock of stabbing Alfred breaks Bruce's conditioning, and he's left in horrified shock for most of the rest of the episode.
- Not Quite Dead: Alfred barely survived being stabbed by Bruce thanks to the Lazarus Pit.
- Offscreen Teleportation: In the second Bruce is off screen in his not-quite-Batman balaclava, he goes from the street to a rooftop several stories up, all without any apparent gadgetry.
- Pet the Dog: There was no reason for Ra's to tell Bruce how to save Alfred, but he does it anyway.
- The Prophecy: Ra's vaguely quotes one when saying Bruce will be his heir.
- Rage Breaking Point: Given Selina's fickle nature of being there for Bruce and then not being there, it's only natural Bruce would finally snap at her. In turn, given Bruce's nature of being insensitive (and oblivious) to Selina's very real pain, it makes sense that Selina would tell him she's had enough.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Butch gives one to Barbara. It doesn't end well.
- Series Fauxnale: Given that the whole point of this series is to set up the familiar Batman mythos, this episode certainly feels like a conclusion — Canon Foreigners are either Killed Off for Real or designated as a Canon Character All Along, Penguin has regained his position as chief villain in the city and is opening his famous Iceberg Lounge, Selina is undertaking the journey towards becoming Catwoman, Gordon is more dedicated than ever to being a good cop, and finally, Bruce is now acting as a vigilante, complete with a proto-Batsuit.
- Villain: Exit, Stage Left: Ra's pulls a disappearing act after concluding his business with Bruce.
- Weapon-Based Characterization: Selina finally takes up her comic counterpart's iconic whip. She and Tabitha are both surprised at her natural talent for it.
- We Will Meet Again: Ra's Al-Ghul promises this to Bruce before leaving, but not before telling Bruce that he can save Alfred by using the Lazarus Pit.
