Directed by Nick Copus
Written by Danny Cannon
Jerome puts his master plan into motion. Barbara seeks answers to what Ra's left her.
Tropes
- The Bad Guy Wins: Jerome dies a martyr for his madness, after ensuring that he'll succeed in driving his brother insane.
- Batman Gambit: Jerome was counting on everything the heroes did to try and stop him, including Penguin betraying him.
- Bait-and-Switch. Jerome isn't the Joker. Jeremiah is.
- Character Death: Jerome is dead for good this time, but his madness will continue to live on through his brother Jeremiah, who will ultimately take up the role as the infamous Joker.
- Cool Car: Alfred gives Bruce a matte black bulletproof sports car - the proto-Batmobile! - for a birthday present.
- Disney Villain Death: A rare instance where the villain actually drops himself; after bidding one final farewell to Gordon (but claiming that they'll "meet again"), Jerome willingly falls off the rooftop and crashes onto the roof of a car.
- Enemy Civil War: There's another faction of the League of Shadows (apparently all male) which refuses to accept Barbara's leadership.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Penguin is a criminal mastermind, true, but he's still appalled by the madness Jerome intends to unleash on Gotham.
- Explosive Leash: Jerome makes use of these for his hostages.
- Four Is Death: This episode marks the fourth time Jerome and Bruce have faced off. Bruce wasn't directly responsible for Jerome's death, but he was an instrumental part in stopping one of Jerome's final plans before the latter bit it.
- Mind Virus: Jerome claims to be an idea instead of just one man before he willingly falls to his death. As his twin becomes infected with his madness at the episode's end, he may be right.
- Mythology Gag:
- Jerome criticizes the Mayor and other Gothamites for being so serious.
- After Jeremiah is sprayed with Jerome's formula, he imitates the Joker's expression after his transformation in The Killing Joke.
- Before the jack-in-the-box sprayed him, Jeremiah seemed like a very straight-laced guy. Being held hostage by your lunatic brother, only to come home and get sprayed with an evil transformation formula, could well be considered "one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy."
- One of Jerome's goons can be heard playing the guitar during the hostage situation. He plays a rock and roll version of the theme song to the 60's Batman series.
- The shot of Jerome's dead body mirrors that of the Joker's from the Tim Burton movie.
- The scene where Gordon tries to save Jerome from falling to his death, only for Jerome to kill himself is reminiscent of a similar scene in Batman: Vengeance.
- Reincarnation: Barbara appears to be one to a past lover of Ra's. Or at least, that's the conclusion she's drawn.
- Rule of Symbolism: Beneath Jeremiah's trench coat, he's wearing a green-patterned shirt with a bright plum purple tie, like a certain Clown Prince is known for.
- Save the Villain: Subverted big time. When Jerome finds himself dangling off the edge of the rooftop, he gives Gordon the chance to either save his life so he could face justice, or let him fall to his death. Gordon, who was initially trying to kill Jerome, actually has a change of heart and offers to help him up... and then Jerome decides to fall to his death anyway.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Tabitha had enough of Barbara's obsession with the League, so she decides to leave her (again). But not before getting beaten by Barbara's followers.
- Self-Disposing Villain: Jerome gives Gordon the chance to save him, just to intentionally refuse it and let himself fall to his death.
- Villainous Legacy: Before his death, Jerome taunts Gordon by saying that he'll live on through the madness he's inflicted on Gotham. There's also the fact that his final gambit turns Jeremiah into the Joker, who will no doubt match or even eclipse his brother's evil.
- Wham Shot: Jeremiah is sprayed with a special variant of the laughing gas which bleaches his skin and gives him a red rictus grin, proving that he was the one truly destined to become the Joker.
- Where's the Kaboom?: Mayor Pritchard's Explosive Leash doesn't blow up when Jerome pushes the button, thanks to Lucius having disabled the signal.
