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sunlitroom · 6 years ago

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Gotham – s5e01 – Year Zero

As I watched it, and some random observations here and there.

Previously on Gotham:

Ra's saw a vision. Selina was shot. Jeremiah’s obsession with Bruce reached heights where even Hannibal might suggest some restraint. Bombs! Kaboom The government declared the city off limits. The city is now a battleground - each man for himself. Ed and Lee stabbed each other in as sexual a way as possible. Oswald got revenge for Gertrud’s murder.

Jeremiah told Bruce that as Gotham falls - we rise. There go the bridges. Babs and Bruce killed Ra's. Everyone stares aghast at Jeremiah’s destruction.

As always, long post will be long. There are likely to be rambling digressions. Gobblepot might appear (although I welcome all shippers and non-shippers alike :)). There will be naked favouritism and naked not-favouritism. Broader comments at the end on plotlines and parallels and general direction.

We open on the city on fire, smoke billowing.

We can hear sirens,helicopters, gunshots and....

In a wood-panelled library, we hear a record being played – Dame Vera Lynn’s We'll Meet Again.

I’m not sure if this song is as meaningful for an American audience – but for a British audience this song is inextricably linked with World War Two, Blitz Spirit, Our Finest Hour – doing without, self-sacrifice, and coming together to defeat the worst foe. Does it have the same associations for you guys? Just trying to get a sense of their purpose in using it here. Ed pulling on leather gloves, taking an ace of diamonds and putting it in his breast pocket. He smiles in the mirror and leaves with a shotgun.

Jangly East European music. Oswald is being made-up by his people. They slide his glasses on, and he takes his gun.

Harvey’s in what I think is what’s left of Scottie’s bar, also looking fondly at a gun. Vaguely western music plays. I think it was western, anyway. Was it supposed to be Irish?

In his office at GCPD. Jim puts on his badge. He’s also carrying a big gun.

Tl;dr – guns! The perfect accessory.

Oswald walks downstairs with his gun. Harvey put on a hat and heads out with his gun. Jim strides out in a bullet-proof vest. They’re joined by Ed. Then Oswald steps out from somewhere and flanks Jim.

They line up at a huge barricade. Jim growls out

Fire on my command. For Gotham!

The one thing they can all agree on

They start shooting, and what looks like the army fires back.

But we’re not quite at this point yet, and so we cut away to the title screen

Day 87

In GCPD, Jim is having a frustrated conversation with some government official. Jim is trying to outline the situation to the official, and giving a helpful catch-up in the process.

The city is now up for grabs. Oswald has taken city hall. He’s stockpiled weapons and is manufacturing ammunition.

(An aside – which in itself would require supplies, I imagine?)

We go to see Oswald. His place is all cold greys and blue – chilly looking. His tailoring, too, is very hard-edged – none of his usual flair or ornamentation. Even his hair is rigid.

He shoots his gun up at the ceiling

Some acolytes, all thin and worn looking, clad in shapeless grey uniforms, applaud him – clearly terrified.

(An aside – Gotham, you know I love you. I wreck my wrists to type out recaps. But that leaden reference to totalitarian regimes? That's just plain old tacky. It was heavy-handed and unnecessary and tasteless, and just felt uncomfortable to watch.

In short, no.)

Jim continues his helpful catch-up. Oswald’s control of weapons has made him unassailable.

Meanwhile, Barbara runs her own portion of town from Sirens – which is the only part of town which is good for food and booze. She mostly trades information.

(An aside - What information is unclear. It’s not like the situation is massively complex. I don’t feel like this would have a lot of mileage. Pssst – we’re still all fucked!)

Men can apparently buy ‘windows of time’ at Sirens. Barbara is said to enforce her rule with an iron hand.

In the west - Jonathan is doing fuck knows what. It seems to involve crucifixion and making your own ragged leather outfit.

Victor and Firefly are warring further north. Jeremiah has not been seen since the bridges exploded.

Jim continues.

Then there's us - GCPD controls a ten block area round the precinct. We’re feeding 150 civilians: families, children, the poor and sick.

Basically – the weaselly official is having none of it. Gotham isn’t the government’s responsibility. He refers to Jim as Mr Gordon – and he tersely corrects him to Captain.

Jim asks him to evacuate children at least. Weaselly official says they’ll form a committee. A weary Jim tries to convince him that the government has a duty of care. Again – there’s wriggling, and Jim eventually asks him to just admit that they’re on their own. The silence he receives in return says it all.

Selina lies in a hospital bed, facing away from other people in room: Bruce, Alfred and a doctor. Her face is flat and bleak.

We hear the doctor tell Bruce and Alfred that paralysis aside, they need to operate before her spine collapses. Alfred said they tried to evacuate her but couldn’t make it on time. Bruce asks if they can operate there and the doctor says they have no choice.

Bruce approaches Selina and softly says her name. This makes Selina start to cry silently. He crouches down and tells her the dr wants to operate. She flatly says fine – whatever.

Bruce crouches down

I’m going to be here the whole time

Poor Selina’s face twists, and she continues to cry

Back on GCPD turf, Harvey argues with an angry hungry man who’s getting mouthy and accusing the police of taking extra food for themselves. Lucius appears and says everyone gets the same share or else supplies run out.

Jim approaches, looking over from higher on a staircase and calls out.

That's enough.

They all look over at him. Jim, it seems, commands obedience and respect these days.

He looks at the argumentative man

You don't like the rules? Leave

Shouty man backtracks - just sayin’

Harvey tells him to say it walking - putz

We hear discontented murmuring from the crowd.

Jim asks how they’re doing – to which Lucius responds that they only have a month of food left. Harvey fulminates about the lack of support and says he’s never paying taxes again. Jim thinks the government will eventually do the right thing – they just need to keep everyone alive long enough for that to happen. Harvey replies that they’re almost out of ammunition. Anyone makes a move, and they’re sitting ducks.

A snoring, dishevelled Ed wakes up on an old sofa on a rooftop, sporting Sharleen Spiteri’s 90s hairstyle. A dog barks at him while weird, discordant music plays.

We see him now in an untidier version of the library we saw at the beginning. He’s talking into a recorder. He seems to be having black-outs and losing time. Someone get him to draw a clock!

He looks angrily in the mirror

Show yourself - I know it's you inside there, Ed

Apparently, Idiot Ed still won't appear. Ed yells coward at himself, and says he knows that it’s him controlling him when he’s asleep

He stares back at the map spread out on the table where he seems to be keeping track of the spots where he wakes up – trying to find a pattern.

On the precinct roof, Jim stands next to the spotlight. Bruce tells him he could ask someone else to do it – but Jim says he likes it. Bruce asks if it’s because it reminds people that in darkness there’s still light – and Jim says it reminds him too.

He adds that they’re low on supplies. The government refuses to evacuate people, and is ignoring their suffering. Jim looks tired.

Bruce says that he gave Lucius permission to scavenge Wayne Enterprises Research and Development – it’s not much, but it’s something. He then says he has to go – the doctors are going to operate on Selina. Her condition is getting worse.

Jim listens, and then asks him to let him know how it goes.

A troubled-looking Bruce turns to leave. Jim calls after him

Are you sorry you stayed?

Bruce thinks. His face looks determined.

No. You?

Jim replies

Hell no

Bruce smiles and leaves. Jim stares out over the city.

At Sirens, Mr Penn places a bullet on Barbara’s desk. She regards it. He makes an offer

Mr Cobblepot offers 1000 rounds of ammunition in return for 1000lbs of steak

Barbara smugly says the cupboard is bare in Penguin Land, but Penn says Oswald just wanted red meat. Mr Penn’s neck is noticeably narrower than his collar. Was he always this thin, or is this to underline the idea that Oswald isn’t feeding his employees well?

Tabitha watches all this from the corner of the room.

Barbara continues, saying that Oswald wants to get fat on steak while his minions starve.

An impatient Tabitha cuts in, and asks if Oswald too scared to leave his citadel, knowing that she wants to plant a knife in his neck.

Barbara says Tabitha is still raw about the business with Butch – so they’ll want 2000lbs of ammo in return.

An infuriated Tabitha turns to Barbara and says not they’re not giving that bastard anything – he killed Butch

(An aside - does Tabitha really think Barbara would have let Butch live on Sirens’ turf? For how long, before she got jealous and irritated and decided to put another bullet in him?)

Barbara wants to trade with Oswald, but Tabitha says no. Barbara says she’s not asking her to forget – but they need ammo to protect the women who come there.

(An aside - A quick glance round suggests that Sirens can offer food and protection if you’re a good-looking woman of probably 18-40. The older woman we saw earlier in the crowd of refugees at GCPD? The young girls? The mothers who won’t leave their families? Yeah – didn’t think so. As @rhavewellyarnbag suggested elsewhere – it seems likely that Sirens is pretty much a brothel by any other name)

Barbara promises her that Penguin's time will come. Tabitha puts Penn’s sample bullet in her gun and tells him that Oswald will regret giving her this, and leaves.

Barb smiles at Penn, and tells him to make it 3000lbs

(Is ammunition measured in lbs? Is this a usual thing?)

On GCPD turf - an anxious policeman stares out through the barricade and says he saw something move. His friend laughs it off – but we see a shadow. Jonathan suddenly appears, and sprays the man with his serum through the space in the door

Would you like me to make it stop? Open this door

The other cop tries to stop him – but the infected man desperately opens the door, and is promptly scythed down by Jonathan. He tells his silly acolytes to split up, steal, and kill anyone who gets in their way.

Inside, Jim talks to Harper, telling her to reinforce the barriers round Oswald's turf. The lights suddenly go out. Jim tells Harper to find Lucius and tell him to meet at the generator.

At the hospital, Selina's operation is underway. Bruce and Alfred are watching from the corridor outside when the power goes off. Alfred says hospital has back-up generator, so it’s fine – it’ll all be

Ship-shape and Bristol fashion

Bruce is not convinced, though. Vindicating this, a nurse puts her head around the corner and says men in the basement stealing medicine. Bruce goes to investigate and tells Alfred to stay with Selina.

Careful

Jim is at the generator, which is sparking and making fzzzt noises. He hears a sound, and draws his gun. Jonathan appears and scythes at him, before riffing on Dirty Harry.

I know what you're thinking….

He remarks that Jim has so few bullets – is shooting Jonathan really worth it?

I mean – he’s controlling part of the city, randomly crucifying people, and now he’s looting and murdering. I’d say yes? Jim disagrees though

No - it's not

He picks up an iron bar instead

He asks why he’s here – not for the generator?

Jonathan doesn't want light - fear lives in darkness

Oh, do shut up, Jonathan. Everyone’s trying to survive and you’re dicking about in a stupid coat with a bunch of teenage edgelord prats.

Jim concludes that he came for supplies. Jonathan adds that he’ll also take his life. They fight. Jonathan asks how long it’s been since he’s tasted his toxin. That super-scary toxin that is seemingly rendered useless by water, iirc.

He asks Jim what he’s scared of now.

Not you

Harvey chases some of the other looters down – but they manage to steal some food.

Back at the hospital, Bruce uses the night vision goggles Lucius found in R&D to watch Jonathan’s acolytes roam around the basement. He swoops in and out, knocking them out. One follower realises something isn’t going well and calls out for – now, I might have this wrong: Scad? Is that a name? Is this why he joined this group – embittered at being christened Scad?

Bruce swoops in again to take him out. Unfortunately, the lights come on and – momentarily blinded – Bruce is shoved back while they escape with the precious supplies.

Back at GCPD, there’s understandable discontent that supplies have been lost. They only have a week’s worth of food left. Jim tells Lucius to drop to half rations. Lucius tells them they’re already at half rations – but Jim tells him to halve them again. Lucius says that gives them two weeks at most.

Harvey starts to rant a little, frustrated. Bruce appears from nowhere and says that help is coming: he’s going to fly in supplies. Jim reiterates the government line on no contact. Bruce says he won’t ask for permission.

Harvey comments that it’s nice to have a billionaire around. Jim’s less happy – and says that it’s only a one-time solution. Bruce says medicine has also been stolen, and there are people in pain. His eyes wander – and he’s clearly thinking of Selina.

Jim watches him, and tells Harvey to go tell the people that help is on the way.

Once he and Bruce are alone, Jim asks how Selina is. Bruce looks troubled. Jim tells him that Selina is strong, and she’ll pull through.

Back at the hospital, where Bruce sits by Selina’s bed. She flatly tells him the surgery was a success – but adds she’ll never be able to walk again.

That's a bummer

Bruce says there’s only limited resources – but there’s hope once they rejoin the mainland. Selina shrugs this off. Bruce says he knows that she’s in pain, but there’s medicine on the way.

Selina regards him coolly and says it’s funny –

Jeremiah shot me to get to you. After all the things I've done, what did me in was being your friend

Turning away from him, she says she wishes Jeremiah had killed her.

A pained-looking Bruce leaves.

As he’s exiting the ward, a nurse whispers over to him urgently

Doctors can't help her - she needs the witch

Bruce stares.

Back at GCPD, Jim asks Harvey what the mood is. He replies that they love their Jim Gordon – but that the chopper needs to come.

Back at Oswald's place, a full plate is placed on Oswald’s desk. Soviet-ish style music plays in the background – just in case I missed the North Korea stuff earlier. Yes – I get it, show. Now stop it.

We hear a creak of leather and see Oswald testing some kind of leg brace. I’ve given up guessing at the precise nature of Oswald’s leg injury - the show is not exactly consistent with injury and illness – but whatever this is seems to help. He’s pleased and says it feels good, striding about while the man who presumably made it – again, one of his thin, worn minions – watches. Oswald tells him to add a knife on it.

Penn enters – there’s another shutdown at the factory. A weak, starved worker fell into a press. Oswald insincerely says he feels for all his workers, but cannot give what he doesn't have

He takes a bite of the steak from the plate on his desk, and pulls a face. It’s apparently overcooked. We hear a whine. It comes from a bulldog Oswald has christened Edward – to whom Oswald offers praise, and then feeds the steak.

Penn visibly struggles at the sight of this. He says quality is suffering at the factory due to conditions. Oswald irritably interrupts him, and shoots at the ceiling to demonstrate the quality of the product. The dog whines in fright. Oswald then tells Penn he upset the dog, and shoots again in temper. This time, the gun doesn’t fire properly, and Oswald seems to hurt his hand. Penn cuts in again about better quality products, but Oswald shushes him

Do you hear that?

At Sirens, Barbara and Tabitha are arguing. Barbara says Oswald is locked in city hall with a small army

(A random aside - Barbara's hair looks fried)

Barbara says she knows Tabitha misses Butch. Tabitha stubbornly says she needs to make it right. Barbara asks how she’s going to do that without being killed. Tabitha’s not really listening. Barbara tries again

I need you too

Tabitha is now distracted by the sound of a chopper

Barbara tries again - wide-eyed.

Tabby - do you hear me?

On the roof, Jim and Bruce spot the chopper. The pilot says he’ll meet them at the rendez-vous point. As he flies down the street, though, someone shoots at it – and it starts to crash.

Heading out, Jim says the chopper is down in Low Boys’ territory – they’ll need to fight their way in and out. Harper asks for ammo – but Harvey tells her to be grateful for what they’ve got. Jim asks Alfred if Bruce is about, and they have a confusing little back and forth about whether Jim has given Bruce permission to be there – which Alfred seems to think he wins. That was just a bit baffling, to be honest.

The downed helicopter is being raided when Oswald arrives in a big shiny car. He introduces himself. The leader says this isn’t his turf. Oswald says he’s going to claim it anyway. The leader remonstrates, but Oswald’s men shoot them.

GCPD arrives. Jim gets out of his car

Oswald!

Jim! I thought you might show up. so good to see you, old friend. How are you faring in these troubled times?

Jim tells him to step away from the chopper, but Oswald refuses.

Sorry - mouths to feed - and you know all about that - I hear you’re up to your ears in refugees

Jim says they’re protecting children and families

You shouldn't have shot it down, Oswald.

Oswald frowns. He says he didn't shoot it down - he didn't know that the chopper was coming. He’s still taking everything, though.

Jim says it must have been him – who else has that kind of weaponry? Oswald says that’s a fair point, but it still wasn’t him. He would just admit it, if he had: it’s not like he can be arrested. He also tells Jim to skedaddle while he can

Jim and Oswald stare tensely at each other in their annual new season tiff

Harvey tells Jim they’re outgunned – which is maybe the most redundant observation ever made – but presumably to stop Jim reacting stupidly because his pride has been nettled. Oswald tells Jim to listen to Harvey. After all they’ve been through, he doesn’t want to kill him. Not like this.

Before the situation can progress, we see arrows through Oswald's men – and a glimpse of Tabitha. The cops raise their guns – and Tabitha grabs Oswald, a gun to his throat.

Listen to me – I know you’re upset about Butch

Tabitha yells that Butch thought Oswald was his friend

(An aside. Really? Because the last I saw of Butch, he spent a lot of last season shoving Oswald around and threatening him. Oswald offered their old working relationship, and Butch rejected it in favour of choking him for a bit. But anyway.)

This infuriates Oswald. He sounds sincere, and his voice breaks slightly as he says

I was his friend - you put a knife in my mother's back - his blood is on your hands!

Tabitha asks him if he thinks that she expected to come here and kill him and walk away. Poor Barbara. Given the choice, Tabitha opted for Butch again.

Hilariously, Oswald falls back on what he knows best

Jim! are you going to let her kill me like this in cold blood?

I promise it’s not shipper goggles – but Jim does an infinitesimally slight shake of his head. Oh Jim. Never play poker.

Oswald continues

You are not only the one keeping Gotham from the abyss - I am too: I supply stability

Tabitha turns Oswald to face her. He reiterates the cold, hard truth:

I may have pulled the trigger - but you killed Butch

Tabitha has no real response for that

Shut up and die

She pulls the trigger – but the gun doesn’t fire properly. Oswald is saved by his defective stock. He laughs maniacally – and quickly pulls his knife on her. They struggle. He taunts her a little.

If that was one of my bullets, I’ll be having a word with the foreman – unacceptable quality!

He then tells her to say hello to Butch, and overpowers her – stabbing her in the chest.

There’s a scream – Barbara, who runs out from hiding to stare.

Jim watches the scene unfold. Tabitha falls to her knees as Oswald watches. She manages a couple of words – presumably advice to Barbara about the futility of ongoing revenge.

Barbara - don't….

Oswald runs for cover as Barbara roars and fires blindly

We get a close-up of Tabitha's body as Barbara shoots and a gunfight breaks out. Oswald calls out that it’s sounding a bit quiet from Jim’s end – they’re out of bullets.

Outside – we see Bruce break into a van with a propagandistic image of Oswald on it. He beats the guards easily and steals some ammunition. He delivers this to a grateful Harvey and Jim.

Barbara reloads and runs out into the room. Oswald appears, and shoots her in the shoulder. He looks down at her.

For the record – that is not how I wanted things to go

Barbara screams that she'll rip out his heart

Oswald tells her to be quiet - talk like that will force my hand!

(An aside. See - the thing is - Oswald is pretty much lawful evil here. Tabitha already had it coming for Gertrud. Oswald took Butch instead. She then tried to shoot him in the heart. What is he supposed to do? He doesn’t actually want to kill Barbara – unless he’s pushed – as is evidenced by what he says next.)

Oswald looks at her

For old times’ sake – I will give you a chance. Can we move past this? Say the whole Tabitha/Butch chapter is over?

For what it’s worth, he sounds sincere. And it’s consistent with past actions from him. Oswald will tend to want to even scores. But he’s also as likely to want to shake hands and move on when he’s truly done with something. This is likely why both Victor and Penn and Butch still ended up working with him after various betrayals and conflicts.

Barbara screams at him. She’ll feed his guts to the rats - you beaky-nosed freak.

(An aside. As I said, I am biased. But beaky-nosed freak compared to you stabbed my mother in the back is just my problem with this plot encapsulated. The worst Barbara can come up with in the heat of the moment is that Oswald looks odd. Tabitha got off listening to an old lady crying, and then stabbed her in the back. Who’s uglier?)

Oswald looks genuinely...sad for a moment. Credit to RLT for managing to give this writing nuance - because he’s Oswald’s been forced to pantomime villainy for most of this episode.

He then flips back to sass. So, no – then?

Barbara smirks at him.

Jim walks out. He says he wants to make a deal. They can split 50/50 if he lets Barbara go.

Barbara shrieks that he does not get to limp out alive. And, again, yes, they’ve tried to be as unflattering as possible with Oswald in the first half of this episode – make a monster of him. But Barbara’s frequent resorting to freak and physical insults – it just leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

Oswald smacks her in the face to silence her.

He offers another deal for Jim. He kills Barbara and takes everything. Jim gets to stay alive – and go home to reflect long and hard on his generosity

Jim asks what happens when the government finds out he killed the only cops in Gotham. What? He basically just said you were all getting to leave. There’s more than one line in this episode that actively makes no sense.

Oswald tells him nothing would happen – and that Jim has nothing to offer.

Now they have extra ammunition, Harvey shoots. Jim shoots Oswald’s bad knee. Oswald screams. Jim says that’s not true anymore. He was never going to make a deal: he needs all those supplies. One of Oswald’s men ushers him away.

Back at GCPD, supplies arrive.

Harvey asks Jim if Oswald is going to pull through. Jim says probably – and that this will at least put him out of commission for a while.

Harvey says he could have put him down, but Jim makes noises about regulations and laws and shooting a man without warning.

Harvey says they’re fighting for survival and asks again why he didn’t do it.

Jim looks away. Harvey tells him

You win or you die - next time shoot to kill

Jim gives the tiny headshake again as Harvey walks away. I honestly promise I’m not fibbing – go back and look.

Bruce approaches Jim and says he’s going to see Selina. Jim asks again for Bruce to let him know how she is. As Bruce leaves, he calls after him

You want to help - just ask. You’ve earned a place

Bruce smiles and leaves.

Up at Jim’s radio desk, a woman removes a mask. It’s Ecco. She looks over his map – and listen as the radio crackles.

Captain Gordon, come in.

She watches from shadow as Jim approaches and answers. The voice at the other end replies.

You have allies across the river. We will find a way to help you

Jim listens – face serious. He turns sharply, feeling watched – but there’s no one there. When he glances back to the map, he sees one of Jerome’s ‘ha ha ha’ tags on his map.

A man searches dumpsters in an alley. We see Ed burst out of one, angry.

Really? A dumpster?

Back at the library, he pounds the map table.

What are you doing to me?! Show yourself!

What is happening to me?

At Sirens, we see Tabitha's corpse laid out on a table. Barbara kisses her, turns to her acolytes, and looks straight out to us. She’s dressed and made-up more softly than earlier.

I promise - if it's the last thing I do, I will kill him!

Her scream of rage merges into Oswald’s screams of pain. He’s seated, dressed in white linen/cotton old-fashioned underwear, as someone digs for the bullet in his leg.

My leg - he shot my leg! I just fixed this!

He spits as he screams. Wouldn't his mouth be dry from pain? Whatever – for some reason, they’re insistent in reinforcing physical loathsomeness for Oswald.

Penn asks him to hold still. Oswald grabs at his shoulder. He tells him that there’s 1000 rounds to whoever kills Jim - he wants his head.

The bullet is finally removed. Oswald stares at it, wide-eyed, breathing hard.

At the hospital, a nurse is in Selina’s ward. She leaves her trolley for a moment. Selina sees a scalpel on it and hurls herself out of bed to get it.

As Bruce approaches, he hears screams from the ward. The doctor and nurse are restraining Selina as she weeps and screams. They inject her with something, and lay her on the bed. She’s insisting that she has no reason – they should have let her do it.

Bruce is confused – but the dr tells him she was trying to kill herself, and they’ll need restraints for when she wakes. Bruce reaches down and touches her face.

(An aside – this was honestly the strongest and most emotional moment in the whole episode. I teared up when we heard Selina screaming and crying.)

The nurse hisses at him again

I told you - the witch!

Bruce asks where he can find the witch.

Back on GCPD turf, Harvey refers to Jim as

St Jim of Gotham

(A quick aside – I would have maybe expected to see some kind of church presence in Gotham – trying to help.)

Jim tells Harvey he wants new refugees questioned about Jeremiah. Lucius approaches, and says they now have 6 weeks of supplies. As they talk – a small boy is brought up to them, who was apparently found at the Thompson St. barricade. Jim crouches down.

What happened, son?

The boy can’t say much

My brothers and sisters - they’re killing us. You have to help us

The boy wobbles on his feet. Jim tells them to get him to the clinic

He looks around to the cops who have gathered round him

I know you’re all asking why we’re here when the government won't help us. It’s simple. We’re supposed to give people hope: if they’re in danger, someone will come. We will come. Suit up

So. We’re back

General Observations

The big picture

Some things aren’t making much sense. I know we’re supposed to think Jim represents law and order, while everyone else presents selfish lawlessness. But the backstory we have with these characters means this doesn’t quite work.

We know Jim will ally with criminals when he has to (at the drop of a hat, actually). Both Oswald and Barbara are amenable to him. Both Oswald and Barbara see Gotham as home. The Oswald we saw last season (not this ooc mess) couldn’t imagine anything worse than citizens being killed by Jerome’s stupid blimp. If Jim is as desperate as suggested, then why hasn’t he tried to communicate with them before the impromptu get-together at the downed chopper? The worst they could have done is say no, or make wildly unreasonable demands. If he’s not willing to cede anything to them – then fair enough, walk away – but to not even have tried to talk seems bizarre. I would guess he’d want to know he’d exhausted every option to help the people.

St Jim of Gotham

Jim’s had a bit of a character shift. He’s squarely law and order and selflessness here. He tries to hold out hope that the government will help. Even smaller things amount to a shift in character. He listens quietly to people when they talk. He repeatedly asks Bruce to update him on Selina’s progress. He’s generally quieter and softer.

As for his shooting Oswald, @rhavewellyarnbag convincingly explained elsewhere that shooting an injured limb isn’t actually doing Oswald any favours at all. In-universe, though – I think that possibly in the context of a show where mangled hands magically heal and people recover fast from life-threatening injuries with no consequences, and Harvey tells Jim off for being merciful (and we’ve just seen Oswald shoot Barbara non-fatally) – we’re supposed to regard it as a merciful alternative – building on this new character shift for Jim.

Whether or not he’ll maintain this shift of character is another question.

The whole business by the downed helicopter.

Well, gosh. It’s almost like actions have consequences. Barbara should know that herself, given that Tabitha murdered her a couple of seasons ago in retaliation for shooting Butch. Sorry – but if this is supposed to make me hate Oswald and root for Barbara, then it’s a mess. Oswald has ample cause to hate Tabitha and want her dead – and she forced the issue here by trying to murder him in front of a bunch of people, where he cannot lose face.

Come to that, he’s got reason to have gotten rid of Barbara before now, if he’d wanted: she was heavily involved in Ed’s attempt to drive him mad, humiliate him, and murder him. Yet here he still wants to move on. You can’t sell Oswald’s actions here to me as an example of villainy that’s somehow worse and more wanton than anything that other characters have perpetrated. Especially when the characters directly affected – Tabitha and Barbara – themselves have a reputation for casual sadism and violence.

Oswald’s empire

Oswald was at his cleverest and most daring back in season one, when he was trying to make his way. We can assume that this has been the case in subsequent seasons, too – although we never got to see it. He managed to claw back power after his stint in Arkham, and later capitalise on the post-Tetch-virus landscape. When he’s actually in power, things don’t tend to go as well for him.

However, that’s not usually because he’s being outright dumb. Oswald wheedles and manipulates – reading people and their motivations so that he can gain from them. But now he’s OK with blithely alienating people and inviting resentment and rebellion? Doesn’t see any potential problems with that scheme?

What’s more, this is out-of-character. Yes, Oswald craves power. But he also wants – at the very least – loyalty and popularity. Remember how infuriated he was when Selina wanted to know what she would get in return for helping him? At most, he wants to be adored. Remember how he teared up at Ed’s stunt with the little girl during his mayoral campaign? How genuinely shaken he was when he won - proof that the people liked him? Wanted him? Trusted him? Remember how Ed’s crude commedia dell’arte mocked Oswald’s need for the love of this people? Oderint dum metuant doesn’t really do it for Oswald.

Intellectually and emotionally for him, then, this just doesn’t fit. Not only does he have an emotional need to believe that he’s loved – he knows that starved, angry people are less likely to be loyal, and way more willing to sell him out for a better situation, or rebel outright.

Barbara

I’m guessing this is the beginning of some sort of redemption arc for Barbara – we’ll be invited to feel sympathy for her now, then root for her revenge, she’ll become more of an ally to Jim, and then she’ll be pregnant. I liked season one Barbara, was still interested in her in season two but since then, to be honest, she’d been so flattened as a character that it was hard to care much about her. The fact that her redemption storyline is being enabled by trying to make Oswald as unsympathetic as possible – and while giving her a lot of season one Oswald’s characteristics – really just sticks in my craw, to be honest.

I suspect that it’s also a bit problematic that her redemptive arc can start now that Tabitha is removed from the picture.

Selina and Bruce

There’s not much to say other than it’s painful. Poor Selina.

Yet to be seen: Lee, Zsasz, Strange, Jervis, and Jeremiah. It sounds like Ivy is the Witch.

#gotham commentary #year zero #gotham s5e1

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inappropriatefangirlneeds · 6 years ago

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Gotham s5ep4 “Ruin” Personal Review

“There goes the element of surprise..” Warning spoilers below (ahaha not this week, boy am I late, not that anyone would have missed this though, also little meta content this week)

What I loved about the episode is that it´s the “apocalypse” and then it comes down to a crime scene investigation! I would take much more of that! Much more! Just less of a bloodthirsty MOB. Like would they really want Zsasz hanged? The evidence was pretty clear, Jim Gordon really got no reason to lie to them, actually it would greatly benefit him if he did. Do they really not want to see the real culprit punished? I´m not a fan of lynch/mob law in general but does it make sense for the mob to want the wrong guy hanged, that way the police probably will think / claim everything is settled and call it a day, which means the real culprit is free to do that again, but then again I wonder how many people know about Zsasz and him having been a hitman, did some of them have had relatives that got into Carmine / Sal Maroni crossfire, was this partly a he´s a guilty filthy criminal *anyway* thing? * “You don't need to smuggle in explosives when you can detonate 250 gallons of highly pressurized heating oil that's coursing through all the floors.” Ah damn, they really had Edward Nygma do it, I kind of didn´t want them to follow that route. Also why put that running guy with bomb in there then, huh .. damn exploding herrings. HOPE goes on and off this week: “But whoever destroyed that building can't destroy the hope we've built. Not unless we let them.” “I told the people it was safe. I made them into a target.” “Jim, you gave 'em” “Don't tell me I gave 'em hope. They're dead.” * It´s GOOD vs. EVIL “This city will never be what you want it to be, Jim. It's always gonna belong to the bad guys, like me.” “People like you are always trying to own this city. But you never will.” * It´s GOOD ft. EVIL Oswald Cobblepot poses as if he was the synthesis of both those opposites: A bad guy that cares. “I lost people, too, Jim. People you lured with promises of safety and security, only to have them incinerated.” Oswald arms the GCPD talking about working together just to take over and get his own trials and justice going. He´s claiming to provide what Jim can´t. While both Barbara Kean & Oswald Cobblepot claimed their help came no strings attached Oswald´s help does not include staying aside and letting them do their work. Although to be fair he said “Save for the one that we will cinch around the neck of the Haven bomber.” What is it with people that it always needs a couple hundred dead people that they can focus on nice things. Anyway everyone is appropriately appalled with this atrocity. They also gave all the villains some selfish reasons. OSWALD COBBLEPOT wants people and their cheers. EDWARD NYGMA wants the file of the inmate. “I've been putting out feelers.” BARBARA KEAN is worried Sirens might be next, making her probably the least “selfish” one because she seems to care about the people that she protects and might not demand the same level of praise that Oswald does. (I know probably other things but unless canon proves me wrong I headcanon slightly differently) She feels hurt but understands Jim would suspect, even for a moment that she could be responsible for the destruction Haven. They slowly get her back on suitable for Jim Gordon to kiss track, which phu idk. I liked her and their relationship in S1, but there´s just so much happened in between. And plenty in Barbara´s characterization I didn´t like so it´s nice to see her on a more reasonable track now but how about they just gave her an awesome relationship with Tabitha ........ Characterization questions aside I really loved that she did not and could not kill Oswald in the light of the explosion! That was a touching moment! Also her outfit is nice, although they toned down the make up. And Jim gripping her arm during the kiss almost gives old timey movie vibes. I´m sure I don´t need to write on Babs / Oswald paralells, I assume I just can reblog better words on it from someone .. * Also something tells me if JIM GORDON had gotten that shoot out with VICTOR ZSASZ, that kiss would not have happened …… “Inmate number 1215 knows! Knows what???!!??!” Ha, distressed, puzzled, annoyed EDWARD NYGMA is a joy to watch. I don’t really have to say more on that. Edward snatching the blanket from the woman when walking into the GCPD makes me wonder, what would he have done if that woman hadn´t been there? Just walked in? Did he have a stupid disguise and was like, oh no wait that´s better. He and LUCIUS FOX were a delight. Edward trying to snatch the file from him and run was wonderful! Him preening in pride when his expertise is wanted was delightful! Lucius claiming, he´ll deny having said the praise he gave Edward in the end, precious! Lucius playing him like a fiddle, and moving him with barely more than his fingertips, damn! Just that the whole thing was shot like when Ed pursued Kristen Kringle! Their dynamic is just wonderful: “Impressive. Calculated the angle of incident to follow the trajectory through the window, into the fuel oil tanks.” “Yep. That, and the RPG case is right over there.” * One thing that stressed me was Ed sending the Files flying around him on the rooftop. Like at that moment he didn´t yet know that the woman he saw in the window was connect to the note he put down on his hands. Even when the inmate was dead there could have been some hints in the file or who knows in hid grave. Like, no Edward! No! Go run and pick them up. * Someone needs to do a Parallel Meta for 5x04 & 4x12 when Ed found out he hired the hit on Leslie Thompkins. * “I did not make that building go boom, Jim.” Yeah, that´s a VICTOR ZSASZ line. Love him. * ““Hey, do you guys have any canned peaches? Man, I'd trade an arm and a leg for that right now. Not mine, somebody else's.” Food and cut off limbs, that´s another one. Love him. * And that one: “Do the math. If I blew up a building full of people, I would have covered every inch of my body in sweet, sweet scars. You guys want to do a strip search?” “I'd let Alvarez do it. He's handsome” * Him shooting Oswald´s head on the major poster after he said something was a great detail! * Him drinking while waiting for the bullet hail to stop as well. * I´m gonna make a post about the Gunman magazine that fell on the floor, after Jim tackled him so majestically ... * Zsasz usurping the applause afterwards, and later was adorable. * “Is this about Sofia Falcone? Because you should really move past that. It's not healthy.” DOES HE KNOW SHE KILLED CARMINE, DOES HE OR DOES HE NOT ???? They had him express sympathy towards Carmine in Season 1, they showed that he cared when Carmine got killed. I get that he might abandon issues like that in the current environment but they can´t open up such a plotline and then just drop it. Does he know that Oswald didn´t kill Carmine? Like honestly .. I know it´s the Jim Gordon show but I would have loved it if Victor Zsasz just had saved himself!! I would have loved it even more if along the way they somehow figured out the whole misconception, Zsasz would recognize that Sofia and not Oswald is to blame and maybe even apologize. * But hey Oswald´s “Well said” about the mumbled last words was mean but awesome. * Soooo who went in the trashy local torture museum to get the guillotine? * How does Zsasz work? There where zero people shown around him. What is it like to live on Zsasz turf? * Zsasz mumbling must have been bewildered that they aren´t honouring the tradition of the last meal before an execution, like he got his order ready, that was the last silver lining, if he´s really going to face his end at the hands of penguin in those halls at least he´s going to get his teeth into something juicy and tasty before it happens .. SELINA KYLE, (Bruce Wayne), JEREMIAH VALESKA, ECCO * Sykes and the Soothsayers digging a tunnel for Jeremiah Valeska. Is that poetic justice? Also is this a new tunnel, when the Soothsayers had the children dig it they went out of their way to state that their cruelty is even more infuriating because the whole endeavour is very likely futile. Like they made it damn clear that the TUNNEL is not going to go anywhere. Also would Jeremiah, who made the bridges go boom want a tunnel that remedies that issue partly? Only for himself? His cult? Is he doing something else altogether? Is it about what he can get into the city through it? Is he better at static issues and remedied the tunnel digging plan? Was he involved before? * “Yes you certainly have set a very high bar - for devotion.” Fucker gave me an earworm, Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio & Spiritual Front - A Song 4 Hate and Devotion (live) I mean quite a fitting mood considering all the other portrayals of the Harley and Mr. Jay relationship, but maybe they give ECCO and JEREMIAH VALESKA a different path. Aside from that the little dance was slightly nice. * “Bruce Wayne and his sidekick Curls Or is he the sidekick?” Yes! Ecco got the right spirit. I wonder if Ecco sees herself as sidekick? “You see, a river cuts through rock not because of its power, but because of its persistence.So what do we do when we feel like giving up?” “Dig a little deeper.” “And what do we do when we can't possibly go on any longer?” “Dig a little deeper.” “And what do we ..” “Deep enough?” I´m afraid it was not deep enough, I´m afraid it was quite shallow because the show is not as clever as Ecco, I bet that he isn´t dead, if he was it if could have actually been just about her. Honestly, I would love that. All the BatJokes built up and then it´s about Selina. And she has plenty right for it to be about her, Jeremiah almost killed her. What else does it need. * SELINA KYLE keeping in the shadows investigating, disguising herself as one of the people there, then getting close to Jeremiah dressed as Ecco: She´s good! She´s awesome! * That GCPD woman that was doing PAPERWORK when Ed sneaked into the building. Do they do regular paperwork? Cause damn, considering the governmental neglect if Jim got them to bother to do the regular paperwork he must have given one hell of a speech. Or is it paperwork related to organize a place like Haven? How do they do things? * Oswald destroying all strategy with a megaphone: “There goes the element of surprise.” * “Elevated position, back to the sun.” * “Never ever ask me to do anything like that again. Pull yourself together.” Harvey does not approve of Wild West Jim * “ I know the wheels of justice turn slowly, so I'm here to provide - a modicum of grease.” / “I did not expect you to go soft, Jim. Actually, I did.” / “By the power vested in me by well, me, I sentence you, Victor Zsasz, to die.” * “One of the areas in which I excel is the loosening of tongues.” “No. He's mine” Oh damn I thought Jim said “it´s mine” as in he´s better with interrogations. Well there goes my whole comparison with the Edward Nygma & Lucius Fox expertise quip: “So, the second smartest man in Gotham needs my help.” “Explosives are not my expertise.” “Didn't realize you had one.” *“Jim Gordon cares more about protecting a murderer than he does about protecting you!” Okay look who is projecting ....

#gotham #gotham meta #gotham s5ep4 Ruin #Victor Zsasz #ecco #Selina Kyle #mine Gotham full episode reviews

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mrpackripper · 3 years ago

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👉I am sure many of you have seen these hanger boxes at Walmart or Target & either passed them up because you didn’t want them or because you may not have known what they are!⚽️ So I though I would provide some insight into them so you can determine if you want to grab them next time you see them!👀 📌I personally do buy these whenever I see them! These are the official cards of the #NWSL! Short for the National Womens Soccer League!⚽️ 📌The official name of the set is the 2021 Parkside NWSL Premier Edition #Soccercards!⚽️ 📌Think of the NWSL sort of like the MLS but for women & women’s soccer in the United States is a much bigger sport than men’s soccer so the NWSL does have the advantage there🥇& these hanger boxes always sell out! 📌This set is the NWSL’s premiere edition! Remember 1989 #UpperDeck #baseball? That was Upper Deck’s premiere edition!⚾️ 📌The set’s checklist totals 200 base cards! Limited parallels are found in every box & every hanger box has a total of 25 cards! In addition to limited parallels you could also pull Foil & Black/White options! 📌You can find on card #autographs at a rate of 1 in 20 boxes! 📌Many of the sets rookies are labeled “Promising Prospects” & more choices come in Vintage (1 per box), Luminescent (1 in 3), & Hyped (1 in 4)! You can also find a Chrome 1 of 1 in these boxes! 📌Some of the #rookiecards & #soccerstars to keep an eye on are the following: 1️⃣ Trinity Rodman rookie - Washington Spirit 2️⃣ Marta - Orlando Pride 3️⃣ Ebony Salmon - Racing Louisville FC 4️⃣ Maria Sanchez - Houston Dash 5️⃣ Caprice Dydasco - NJ/NY Gotham FC . . #baseballcards #footballcards #basketballcards #hockeycards #soccercards #topps #upperdeck #tenniscards #tradingcards #sportscards #panini #paniniamerica #paniniprizm #thehobby #whodoyoucollect #rookies #mrpackripper #womenssoccer https://www.instagram.com/p/CQtQu_CsnKb/?utm_medium=tumblr

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ageeksnerdyworld · 7 years ago

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Save It For The Living

Characters: Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, Dick Grayson

Word Count: 3,470

Trigger Warning: Ghosts. Haunting. Slight Violence. Slight Swearing. Grief. Ghost Possession.

A/N: Parts--X Continuing with my Ghost!Jason AU. This kinda takes place in the middle of the first one. I apologize for the first one being so shitty but I think this one’s a bit better. Well... I mean, I tried to make it better. (This was super hard but that’s what I get for trying to write a haunting & ghosty stuff from ghost’s pov.) I also have a third installment in the works so...

Summary: After arriving at Wayne Manor, and talking to Dick, Jason decides to stick around for a while. He plans on leaving after the séance and he hopes he won’t be there long. But as he waits for Bruce’s decision on the séance he accidently starts haunting the Manor.

XXXXX

Jason walks the halls of Wayne Manor late at night; unable to sleep. It isn’t that he won’t fall asleep; he simply can’t. Ever since he came back from the dead he doesn’t need to sleep. In fact all those normal things that humans do he doesn’t need to do them anymore. He spends most of his nights wandering. The noiseless emptiness of the Manor at night reminds him of his grave and it calms his mind.

Except tonight the Manor is not so quiet.

The normal creaks and settling noises fill the old estate but there’s also another noise that’s Jason’s ears pick up on. Entering the library, planning to read, the noise gets louder and Jason can tell that it’s coming from the cave. It sounds like muffled crying, but, he isn’t sure enough; barely used to his ghost powers. He goes to the grandfather clock anyway and opens the secret entrance. Jason expertly slides down the firefighter pole and lands on his feet; experience being a good teacher. Once lands he looks around the darkened area. Bruce sits at the BatComputer leaning back in the chair with his face towards the ceiling.

Bruce’s fists push hard on his eyes and cover his face to muffle his screaming cries.

Jason slowly walks over to Bruce, but, the man doesn’t notice the sharp change in temperature since the Cave is usually very cold. The teenage boy can’t stand to see his father, a man who steeled himself against so many horrors, so broken and distraught. Standing next to Bruce he puts a hand on his father’s shoulder. He can tell that the action brings a slight comfort because Bruce’s body stops shaking.

“Don’t sacrifice the rest of your life missing me.” Jason whispers.

But the message doesn't cross worlds well enough and so Bruce doesn't hear the full thing. It seems like he heard something because he shakes his head in denial. Violently jerking his shoulders, to collect himself, Bruce unknowingly shakes Jason off. Muttering to himself, “It's just your mind playing tricks,” he goes back to work. Jason grits his teeth and angrily stomps away.

He waits a day and then tries again.

XXXXX

He waits until nighttime to try again because the walls between the spirit world and the human world are weaker during the night.

And so the next night Bruce sits alone in the large-scale dining room. At the head of the lengthy, dark cherry oak, table he eats in total silence. The table is quite barren except for the bright white table runner, which lies across the middle, and Wayne’s plate of food. There was once a time when laughter would fill his house, especially at dinner, but that time has passed. Not a single burst of laughter had echoed through the halls since the day Jason died. But what Bruce refused to believe was that Jason was in the room with him; alive but not alive.

“You need to forget about me, old man! I'm dead and rotting in the ground for crying out loud! Just face it, B, there's nothing left!”

Jason stands directly behind the dining room chair that he would normally sit in, the one directly at his father’s side, yelling at Bruce. But the man doesn’t hear him so he goes about eating his dinner in silence. Furious, Jason picks up the chair and throws it. The chair lands almost clear across the room with a loud crash. Bruce stares at the shattered remains of the chair in total shock. Jason, his afterlife strength completely new to him, stares at it as well.

Shit.

I didn’t know I had that in me.

Turning back to his father he says; “You see that? There’s only more where that came from if I stay here longer. More and a hell of a lot worse. You need to let me go, B.” Bruce doesn’t hear him since voices don’t carry well across the spirit world and into the world of the living. The man gets up from his chair and walks over to the shattered remains of the one that sat next to him. He stares at the pieces for a few seconds before kneeling down and picking them up. Carrying the pieces over to the fireplace, in the library, he reaches over the metal grate and tosses them into the fire.

Jason didn’t follow Bruce into the library and so he never saw the scared and worried expression that ran across his father’s face.

XXXXX

Tired of Bruce’s flat-out refusal to acknowledge his presence Jason tries to talk to Alfred the day after the chair incident.

Alfred Pennyworth, the ever-aging and yet ageless batman to The Bat of Gotham, was alone in the BatCave replacing the front shocks on the Batmobile. The car was up on two jack stands that sat under the front end; safely resting on the cement floor. Blocks sat on either end of each of the three wheels to prevent them from moving and thus preventing the car from rolling off the jacks. The butler lay on his back on a creeper, completely underneath the car, and had a toolbox lying open within reach. The new reservoir shocks sat on a cloth, which lay on the concrete, next to the toolbox.

Jason sat on the hood of the car staring at the bit of tire that stuck out from underneath the car.

The sight of the black tire brought back something. It wasn’t a memory per se, as the more time that passed the less he remembered, but it wasn’t something else either. It was more of the feeling, or the ghost, of a memory than an actual one. There was definitely something familiar about the tire but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

Alfred was hard at work removing the old shocks. He had already removed the lug nuts to get the tire off but then it was quite a process. One had to remove the bolts from the shock tower, then disconnect the shock from the suspension, and lastly remove the shock from the top and bottom bolts. So Jason waited until the butler either got too hot, or too tired, and rolled out from underneath the car.

Suddenly the sound of a man in pain, and the clank of metal falling on concrete, float up from underneath the car.

“Where is that bloody socket wrench?!”

Just as Alfred’s voice rose from under the car Jason hopped off the hood. It was the perfect opportunity to prove to Alfred that he was still here; since helping in the kitchen proved to be a total fiasco. He stood parallel to the side of the black car and looked around for the missing socket wrench. Seeing the glint of metal he kneels down to get a good look underneath the car. The socket wrench sits nearer to the rear of the car and completely out of Alfred’s reach.

Alfred curses as he accidently hits his head on the bottom of the car.

He mutters angrily under his breath as he fully rolls himself out from under the car. Getting up from the creeper Alfred sighs deeply before getting down on his hands and knees. Looking around for the socket wrench the elderly butler continues to let loose a string of mumbled swear words. He doesn’t look over to see Jason leaning against the corner wall of the Cave; holding the socket wrench with a smile on his face.

“What the bleeding hell is this? It can’t just disappear.” Alfred says as he gets back up from the floor; searching the ground for the missing wrench.

He takes a rag out of his back pocket and angrily wipes the grease off his hands. Continuing to swear like a sailor the butler looks around to see if the wrench somehow flew somewhere further than the immediate vicinity of the car. Shaking his head in confusion he walks over to the toolbox to retrieve another one. Just as he stands straight with a different wrench in his hands his eyes catch a glint of metal and he looks in the direction of the sparkle. The aged man’s faded blue eyes widen in shock.

“Looking for this?” Jason asks with a slight smirk.

Alfred blinks once and then twice. He can’t believe what he stands before his eyes. It can’t be true. The thing that stands there in front of him just can’t be real. But it can and it is because Alfred stares right at the ghost of Jason Todd; second Boy Wonder. He looks just like what one might imagine, or know, a fresh corpse would look. Forever sixteen years old the boy’s face and hands are as pale as the moonlight; his lips a grayish pink. Apple-green eyes, that used to be so bright and full of life, were now grayed over and foggy. And he’s dressed in the boring, life-less, black suit that they buried him in.

The worst part of it is that he looks so real. So real in fact that Alfred crosses over to the spirit; hand outstretched to touch him.

“Master Jason?” he whispers in disbelief.

Jason chuckles lightly, delighted that someone other than Dick can see him and says; “Yeah, Alf. It’s me. I’m still here.”

But Alfred doesn’t hear him. The elderly man stares at him with tears flooding his faded blue eyes; silently pleading. As his hand goes to wrap around the hand holding the wrench Alfred’s hand slips through the wispy, smoke-like, form of the young boy. All the butler feels is the cold metal of the wrench. He blinks hard and grimaces; fighting with himself. But it’s a losing battle and the tears stream down his face.

“I told Master Bruce to make you stay. I told him.”

Jason sits down and wraps his formless arms around Alfred; letting the old man cry, and repeat those three words, until his voice is hoarse and he has no tears left to shed.

XXXXX

Alfred was definitely convinced and so now all he had to do was get Bruce to see the truth. He tried, in the few ways that he could, to get Alfred to convince Bruce but it was no use. There was nothing that he could say, or do, that would encourage Alfred to talk to the man. And besides Batman was so consumed by his grief that he couldn’t see what was right in front of him.

So Jason followed Bruce like a shadow when he arrived home from work.

“You’re fucking with everything, old man! Don’t you get it?” he yelled as he walked in perfect step with Wayne as he walked through the Manor. Walking through the front hall Jason kept pace and talked and yelled. Even though he knew that there was no way that his father would hear him he was desperate to get something, anything, across that he just kept yelling. He wanted, no, he needed Bruce to see what he was doing. He was growing so angry and getting so full of hate; he knew something bad would happen if Bruce didn’t let him go.

“I’m supposed to be dead but your grief brought me back!”

Bruce Wayne climbed the last step and stood on the top landing of the staircase. Breathing deeply he prepared himself for the walk across the hall to the master bedroom at the very end. It always pained him to pass Jason’s old room; which he kept the same since the boy died. But for some reason unknown to him the mental pain had blossomed into a physical ache in recent days.

He didn’t know that the reason for the ache stood directly behind him.

Overcome with emotion Bruce stops at Jason’s door. There’s nothing special about it to signify that it ever belonged to anyone let alone a boy as special as Jason Todd. But it was his room and his room alone. Staring at the white painted wood Bruce puts his hand on the door and pushes it open; he had always left it unlocked in case he ever felt the need to go in. And today, for the first time ever since Jason’s death, he needed to go into the boy’s room. He stops inside the room and swears to himself that he can feel Jason’s presence there.

A fond smile forms on his face as he thinks about the first time he ever met the boy who would become his second Robin; his second son. He was in Crime Alley investigating a case, what the case was about he couldn’t remember anymore, and he had parked the Batmobile in an alleyway. And this malnourished, fearless, ink-black haired teen had the nerve to steal the tires from his car.

“You remember that, Jason?” Bruce says to empty room as he sits on the edge of the bed.

“Remember what?” the ghost of the boy in question asks.

Bruce chuckles to himself, deaf to Jason’s response, “You were so full of determination, intelligence, and love at such a young age. There was always goodness in your heart and I saw it that first night. You never stole or lied to benefit yourself; you did it to benefit others and I thought that I could give you the tools to help others as well as keep yourself safe. But I was wrong.”

Tears began to fall down Bruce’s face as sobs wracked his body. “I was so wrong and I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“Yeah, right! If you were so goddamn sorry then why are you fucking keeping me here?” Jason screams full of anger and hate.

“I loved you like you were my own son. And I did nothing to stop The Joker. I didn’t even try to stop you when you left. I let you thinking that it would teach you some sort of lesson that I don’t even remember now. I let you die. I let you die.”

Jason’s faded eyes go wide at the repeated sentence. He never thought that Bruce blamed himself for his horrific death at The Joker’s hands. Jason himself always thought that the evil, sadistic, disgusting clown was to blame for everything. But hearing Bruce say those words he doesn’t know what to think anymore. On some level, yes, Bruce was to blame. But that didn’t mean that Joker got off scot free, did it?

“I… I love you, son, and I miss you so much.”

He says the words even though Bruce can’t hear him; “I don’t want your love, B. Save it for the living.”

Bruce doesn’t look up from the ground and continues to cry. Fed up with the life-death world barrier Jason turns around to leave; intending to leave for good and do something else with his after-life. But as he turns around Dick Grayson, who arrived at the Manor not five minutes prior looking for Bruce and just walked in the doorway to Jason’s room, walks straight into him. The two bump into one another and Jason passes through Dick’s body like wind through the trees.

At least at first Jason thinks that he passes through Dick.

Then he realizes that he isn’t facing the doorway anymore. He’s back to facing Bruce who stills sits on the edge of the bed; oblivious to the fact that Dick Grayson entered the room. But instead of seeing the grayed-out shape of his adoptive father Jason sees Bruce Wayne in all his color and life. Confused, but also intrigued, Jason lifts his arm and looks at the palm of his hand. But his arm does not move and he does not look at the palm of his hand.

He looks down at Dick’s hand through Dick’s eyes.

Holy shit…

A theory forms in the back of his mind and Jason tests the theory by lifting a leg. Just like before his leg doesn’t move and Dick’s leg does. He turns his foot in a semi-circle on his ankle and Dick’s ankle moves. He chuckles to himself now understanding what happened when he bumped into Dick. Then he realizes what all of this means and he takes a deep breath. When he opens his mouth to speak so does Dick Grayson and the first Boy Wonder’s mouth and voice say the words he’s been dying to get through to Bruce ever since he came back to the Manor.

“Hey, old man.”

“Ja…” Bruce says as he looks up with a small spark of hope in his dark blue eyes. But the hope leaves quickly as his eyes meet Dick Grayson’s face. His eyes aren’t their normal light sky-like blue, but, are instead an odd semi-gray bluish color. But the oddity of that is lost on Bruce Wayne who is still somewhat stuck in his sadness.

“Oh… Dick. Did you just get here? Is there something you needed?”

Dick shakes his head with a slight smile. But the smile isn’t Dick at all, bright and full of life but just a tad snarky, the smile is all Jason Todd. And so are the words that flow out from Dick’s mouth.

“It’s me. And I’ve been here for a quite awhile, B.”

“Jason? But… You’re…”

“Shut it, old man,” Dick snaps suddenly; full of anger and hate. But his eyes are remorseful and the apology he utters is heartfelt.

Keep it together. Say what you have to say then leave.

“You loved me and I get that, but, I’m dead.”

Bruce tries to interrupt but Jason doesn’t give him any room to get a word in. “You need to move on. I’m trying, but, your grief and your undying love is keeping me here. I know it is; it has to be. I know Dick asked you to do a séance; do it. It might you. We could talk better if you do. But get this straight, old man. I don’t need your love, anymore. Save that for Alfred, Dick, Barbara and everybody else. Save that for Gotham for all I care.”

“Save it for the living; they need it.”

With that Jason turns around and pushes through Dick with all his might; breaking off the connection. He looks back to see Dick return to himself and then he exits his old room; leaving the two men to talk. He walks through the Manor to the rear bay windows and walks through the glass and out into the sunlight. Even though he can’t feel it on his skin anymore standing there on the Manor’s back lawn he feels a small semblance of calm and happiness.

“Jason, I just want to know…”

Dick Grayson straightens himself and looks down at Bruce with a confused look. The color had returned to his light sky-blue eyes the moment Jason left his body. The confusion fades from his face and is replaced with a sad half-smile. Bruce wipes the dried tears from his eyes and forcing newer ones to stay behind his eyes. He gets up from the bed and stands tall and straight; his face a mask of cold composure.

“What are you doing in here, Bruce?” Dick asks with genuine concern.

“Nothing. I was… it was nothing, Dick,” he answers sternly.

Dick shrugs and the two quickly leave the room. But before Bruce closes the door he rushes back inside and fixes the portion of the bed that wrinkled when he sat on it. Then he leaves again and shuts the door behind him. Wanting to keep up the charade of skepticism for just a while longer Bruce doesn’t say anything to Dick about seeing Jason’s ghost. He walks down the hallway and almost runs down the staircase rushing to find Alfred.

Bruce makes it to Alfred before Dick enters the living room.

Alfred stood at the bookshelf; straightening some of the shelves. Unbeknownst to both Alfred, and Bruce, Jason sat in one of the library’s large black leather armchairs. He sat with his legs tucked underneath him and a stack of books on the floor within reach. Bruce approaches the butler and doesn’t even pretend to have some other motive to speak with him. Bruce quickly asks him if he saw or heard anything that might’ve changed his mind about Jason. The man’s voice is obviously strained and ragged from crying. The sound of it slightly startles Alfred but looking at Bruce’s red-rimmed eyes, and the tear tracks on his cheeks, he decides to tell the other man the truth. Upon hearing the elderly butler’s confession on seeing the boy’s ghost Bruce confesses to Alfred as well.

“What are we supposed to do now, Alfred?” Bruce asks; pleading for guidance.

“The only thing we can, sir. We take Master Grayson up on his offer for a séance.”

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