Old enemies seek to become new allies.
Tropes:
- Back for the Dead: The Gambler returns for the first time since the end of Season 1, and is dead by the episode's end.
- Back from the Dead: Sylvester claims he woke up in his grave and had to dig his way out. He's not really sure how that happened, though he speculates that the Cosmic Staff forming a bond with Courtney had something to do with it.
- Birds of a Feather: Sharpe tries to invoke this with the Shade, since they're both gentlemen of style. However, the Shade has barely any more patience for him than he had for the Crocks, and rapidly tells him to get out.
- Black Eyes of Evil: When the Gambler refuses to take the hint that his presence is unwelcome, Shade uses his powers to make his eyes pitch black before angrily telling him to leave.
- Brick Joke: When arguing with Pat about whether they can trust the Crocks, Courtney makes a point of unlocking the front door. A few scenes later, Crusher casually breaks into their house to make them breakfast, commenting on how the door was unlocked.
- Call-Back:
- The Gambler was reprimanded for littering in season one. The first shot of him in Blue Valley, apparently looking to turn over a new leaf, is binning some trash.
- Sylvester rebuilt the Whitmore-Dugans' kitchen island while they were on vacation.
- Swift still hates the tea at Richie Rock's Diner, although Maria has been trying hard to make it to his specifications.
- Cassandra Truth: The Gambler is supposedly back in town and looking to make amends because he discovered that he has a daughter. Shade balks at the notion, thinking he's lying through his teeth, but it turns out he's completely sincere.
- Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life: Sylvester admits he's not really sure what to do with his life now that he has it back, since he has no surviving relatives, no wife or children, no job, and no right to the Cosmic Staff anymore. Courtney offers to let him timeshare the Staff with her and wield it while she's at school.
- Disproportionate Retribution: The Gambler mentions that when the Shade left the ISA, he drained all of his bank accounts in retaliation.
- Freudian Excuse: When the others demand to know why she's willing to give the Gambler a chance, Courtney admits that it's because his efforts to find and connect with his daughter make him a better father than hers was.
- Gagging on Your Words: Paula struggles somewhat to tell Barb that Artemis wants to join the JSA, the idea disgusting her.
- Heel–Face Door-Slam: The Gambler returns to Blue Valley, claiming he wants to find and reconnect to his daughter. Unfortunately, the only one willing to give him a chance is Courtney, with everyone else, even Sharpe's former ISA teammates believing it was bulk, with Swift especially having no patience for him. It turns out that he legitimately did intend to turn over a new leaf, but unfortunately, he ends up getting killed by the end of the episode.
- Killed Off for Real: The Gambler.
- Mistaken for Murderer: At the end, the JSA find Cindy standing over the Gambler's newly-dead body, holding his pistol which was just fired, though she claims she didn't do it.
- Mythology Gag: Beth's parents show her the designs for a new costume that matches the one the adult Beth Chapel wore in the comics.
- Offscreen Moment of Awesome:
- Rick's first scene suggests that he has gotten the hourglass working again, but since his strength seems to fail him at the 30-minute mark, he's still got some work to do.
- Sylvester and Pat describe how, while out for a fly with the Cosmic Staff and S.T.R.I.P.E., they rescued a plane that was going down.
- One-Man Army: Artemis deals with the No Limit Gang all by herself to "tryout" for the JSA.
- Pet the Dog: Shade is still dismayed by the quality of Maria's tea, but he earnestly thanks her for taking the time to improve it.
- Reformed, but Rejected: Cindy and Artemis both want to join up with the JSA and are trying to prove themselves. Courtney and Beth are willing to give them a chance, but Yolanda and Rick remain unwilling to trust them.
- Related Differently in the Adaptation: In the comics, Rebecca "Becky" Sharpe (also known as "Hazard") is the granddaughter of the Gambler, rather than his daughter.
- The Reveal:
- Sylvester explains that he did actually die the night of the ISA's attack on JSA's headquarters, but he assumes that somehow Courtney bonding with the Cosmic Staff revived him.
- Although at first it isn't clear if the Gambler's sob story about his daughter is true or just a bunch of baloney meant to play on Courtney's sympathies, it later turns out that he genuinely does want to find his daughter.
- Shame If Something Happened: Tigress tells Barbara about Artemis wanting to join the JSA, rather unsubtly implying that she'll take action if Artemis isn't allowed in.
- Sinister Surveillance: Sharpe learns that someone has set up spy cameras in or around the homes of everyone important in Blue Valley, himself included. Unfortunately, this gets him killed by an unknown assailant that growls at him just before the feed cuts out.
- Spoiler Title: As the title implies, Tonight, Someone Dies; in this case, the Gambler.
- Two-Faced Aside: After telling Larry and Paula that Barb will be thrilled to get coffee with the latter, Pat says to himself, "She won't."
- Wham Shot: Swift pulls a bit of shadow essence from his eye after threatening Sharpe, and it crackles with a bit of Green Lantern energy.
