#using the detective character as an excuse to rant >>>> thank you bruce wayne for being my infodump funnel

[starry-bi-sky]

writing about Bruce's speculations in chapter 5 of WTNS was the best part of his POV hands down. It meant I got to force everyone to listen to me infodump about my in-world lore and in some cases character studies, and they couldn't do anything but listen because it was vital to the chapter.

Danny isn't gonna go on an in-depth internal monologue about blood blossoms because he already knows what they are and what they do. So unless prompted, he's not gonna explain them in detail. He's also not gonna go into detail about what Vlad does or what his motivations are because he already knows Vlad and has a pretty good grasp on why he does shit. (although the blood blossoms did absolutely throw him for a loop)

BRUCE meanwhile doesn't know any of this stuff. So he's got to research Vlad and Blood Blossoms and all this stuff and then form his own conclusions and theories from that. It also makes an extra challenge for myself because i have to remember not to meta and keep in mind that he doesn't have the same knowledge on ghost stuff as Danny, and thus everything he knows is from a limited lens.

It's great, it's fantastic, it's my enrichment. Coming up with conclusions for Bruce to come to with the info he's got on hand is delightful. It's like im playing logic puzzles.

[sunlitroom]

Gotham, s4e01 – Pax Penguina

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

Previously on Gotham.

the Tetch virus was released - enabling lots of people to be ooc all at once.  We had general bedlam.  We had Ra’s.  Bruce killed Alfred. Oswald forgot all his own backstory and talked about the one time love weakened him.  Ed got iced. Bruce was an ass to Selina for no good reason except to enable her to turn to Tabitha.  We are reminded of that poor, poor Crane boy.  Bruce decides to find himself, and finds himself mostly brooding on building ledges

As always, long post will be long - monstrously long.  There are likely to be rambling digressions. Gobblepot will appear – because the Gods have chosen to bless us this week (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 with more moody ledge standing from Bruce, staring down at the city.

Now – seriously: Is there some reason all these well-off couples in Gotham insist on wandering down the fucking dodgiest alleys ever seen?

Bruce spots their inevitable mugging taking place, and leaps into action - complete with an experimental gravelly voice.  Maybe it's be less recognisable if he went for an accent instead of hiding the actual tone.  Southern Batman.  French Batman. Dutch Batman.

Fighting happens. Bruce is wearing a beautifully tailored coat.  Bruce bests them.  The mugger says he had a license for misconduct, which Bruce takes from him.  Bruce strolls off in his expensive clothes, and Ra’s watches from a shadowy doorway in his expensive clothes

I have tailoring envy

The show just rickrolled us. We are at a wedding reception in full flow.  Masked men walk in

They look ill-groomed. They begin to rob everyone – until halted by a whistle. Turning – they see that a relaxed Victor is sitting watching proceedings.  He tells them crime now needs a license.  They don’t like the idea of Oswald-issued licenses, and call him ‘a little creep’.  Victor doesn’t like that.

Proving that they’re cataclysmically dumb as well as probably bad-smelling, they try to intimidate Victor, who promptly shoots the ringleader’s finger off.  He reiterates:

No license; no crime

He tells them to drop the loot and blow.  The bride tries to thanks him – but he tells her not to bother, since the gang that’s just arriving does have a license.  He slings a ‘seriously?’ at the groom for what’s presumably a shabby engagement ring – and then grins.

Best wedding ever!

Oswald in the mayor’s office.  The police commissioner is also there.  They’re telling him they appreciate what he’s done for the city.  Oswald smiles – looking just the tiniest bit manic round the edges – and asks if they really do.

(An aside – Oswald is touchy as hell about gratitude.  It’s possibly one of the reasons he responds reasonably well to Bruce later)

Apparently – Oswald promised to halve crime in the three months since the virus and has done so – bringing the underworld to heel.  

(An aside – it’s kind of frustrating that we hear of all the stuff Oswald achieves in terms of control between seasons – but then see him inevitably crumble in some way.  How many times now has managed to take control of the whole underworld despite his own setbacks?)

They try to interject, and Oswald lunges forward.  Temper, temper.  This is why he gets on so well with Jim.

He tells the mayor he doesn’t envy him, and asks him what he thinks happened to the criminals who used to be on the street.  The mayor points put that he is suggesting professional, unionised crime -which will earn him a profit.  Oswald smiles

God bless America

He tells them they can have calm prosperity, or a return to the bad old days.

The commissioner and mayor say they’ll go along with it – but deny everything to the press.  They agree that the police won’t arrest license holders.

(Doesn’t the mayor just run the city, though?  Isn’t there a difference between ‘normal’ crime and federal crime in the States? Like – isn’t some stuff automatically handled at a higher level?  Or this is what TV and film has taught me, at least)

The mayor and commissioner haggle for their cut.  Everything agreed, Oswald excuses himself and leaves – he has to prepare for the grand opening of his club.  As he leaves, he tells them to smile – it’s a new day.

 A bar being robbed. Jim walks in.  Apparently, Jim gets his morning coffee from a bar.  It’s a licensed robbery – but this is essentially catnip to Jim, who gets to arrest someone, break something that looks suspiciously like a rule, and guarantee himself a nice charged meeting with Oswald later.  And all before breakfast.

Jim brings the guy into GCPD, where the other officers eye him balefully.  In his office, Harvey is talking to a bureaucratic looking guy about how the licenses will work.  He particularly mentions that Mr Cobblepot worries about Detective Gordon – he has a history. 

(Oswald, of course, knows first-hand Jim won’t go along with this - it’s what he gambled on way back when Jim had a gun to his head on the pier.)

The man sniffs haughtily at Jim, leaving as Jim enters the office.  Harvey and Jim talk briefly.  Harvey says that Oswald did help get the city back on its feet by exerting control over the underworld.  Jim says that every day the citizens look to Oswald for protection, they slip further away from GCPD.  Harvey leaves, and Jim has a nice glower to himself.

 At Wayne Manor, Bruce wonders how to turn Oswald's scheme against him.  Alfred tells him he’s supposed to be prepping for Ra’s.  Bruce feels guilty that the city got into such a state in the first place, though – because he was instrumental in the release of the virus.  Alfred warns him against mission creep – but Bruce thinks he can work towards both goals.

Oh no.  Arkham.  I hate this place so much.  I get that it’s a stylised comic book universe, but why must they do this horrible depiction?   

The foul unkempt gang has shown up. One used to be a warden, and remembered Jonathan talking about the fear serum.  That could help them in their vendetta against Oswald.

The deeply repulsive new director, who is virtually a lizard, allows them access. Jonathan is essentially constantly haunted and terrified – which he uses to control him.  He allows them to take the cowering boy away, in queasily paternal tones. I want this guy to die too, please.

(An aside - see - this is one of the things with Gotham. Every other character will view Oswald as the big bad and work towards his downfall - but we see that this doctor, and this gang are infinitely worse and more contemptible.)

At the former Dr Crane’s home, Jonathan is pulling up boards to hand over his father’s fucked up chemistry set.  He insists he can’t be there after dark – but they don’t care.  They’ve brought a scarecrow (the figure he fears most) as a means to control him.  He screams and begs – to no avail.

(See - I'd happily let Oswald kill these guys)

 A bank – where a robbery is carried out by the contemptible bastard gang.  When GCPD arrive – staff are ranting about fiery demons.  Jim and Harvey don’t think that this was a licensed crime – but a deliberate message to defy Oswald.  Harvey says that he hopes Victor comes by to kill them.  Jim decides he’s going to catch them first. Harvey is incredulous that he’d essentially race Victor just to thumb his nose at Oswald.  Harvey is apparently suffering from severe amnesia regarding the last three years.  

Jim says he suspects the fear serum – and points out that they should look for Jonathan.

 At Arkham, Jim and Harvey are interviewing the very vile doctor.  He says that Jonathan’s condition is fragile, and is generally slippery and evasive.  As we enter his office, we see a table with straps and random surgical instruments lying on it.  I want this guy dead so much

Harvey deliberately uses Oswald’s and Zsasz's names.  He tells the doctor that Zsasz is likely to visit soon.  He asks Jim how he’d describe Zsasz – who replies that he has a body that won’t quit is a homicidal maniac and sadist

Of the highest professional standards

The doctor caves

Jim and Harvey go to find the gang but are ambushed – with Jim getting a nasty kick to the ribs. They go on about the license system and call themselves ‘outlaws’.  Jim is kicked in the ribs again and again (please stop that) – I don’t think he’d have been able to spring up quite so quickly as that.

In what turns out to have been a training session, Selina beats up 5 guys in an alley.  Tabitha comes in and takes the last one out – and they go to get pizza.

Back at their apartment, Victor arrives and reminds them about the license system.  He says they’re understandably hard to find – given their shabby apartment, and asks Tabitha if she didn’t used to be rich. Tabitha claims that Oswald took her club.  Victor points out that Tabitha murdered Oswald’s mother and tried to kill him – so she should call it even.  Yes.  Thank-you, Victor.

(An aside – are we to believe that Selina was selectively deaf here?  We know her moral code is a bit different – but I’d like to think she’d draw the line at Gertrud’s murder)

Victor says that Oswald is willing to let bygones be bygones if they come to the club and show that they’re deferential.  He also asks hopefully if that pizza is pepperoni – but Selina closes the lid. Why will no-one let Victor share their food? I’ll commit crimes and order pizza if Victor will come visit me.

Selina is willing to go to Oswald – but Tabitha refuses to ‘work for him’.

(An aside -  I’m really not getting where Tabitha’s high horse is coming from here.  Tabitha is still pretty much the lowest of the low, for me.  She got her jollies listening to Gertrud cry and beg while she was locked up, before eventually stabbing her in the back. She’s never demonstrated any remorse, or ‘well – that’s business’ attitude.  There’s not the complication of mental illness or trauma that you get with Barbara or Ed, either.  If anything, the implication with Tabitha is always that she’s a straightforward sadist. I find it incredibly hard to remotely root for her or care about her.)

Bruce visits Jim at work. A tired and presumably sore Jim is now drinking while he broods, blood on his collar.  The smell of blood is gross – go change that, Jim.  

Bruce tries to find out what’s being done about the license situation, and nudges Jim in the direction of finding the probable master-list of crime and criminals. Jim says that the license system has the official OK – and going after the list would set off too many alarms.  Oswald will catch the gang, and it will reinforce the idea that GCPD is not needed.  Jim’s not happy about the situation - but his hands are effectively tied.  

Bruce suggests using Oswald to lead Jim to the gang.  Jim looks thoughtful.

Before he leaves – Bruce tells Jim to come to dinner sometime.  Jim actually seems vaguely happy at this idea – which is nice to see. He suggests getting something now – but as he turns, Bruce has slipped away.

 Os is promoting his club to the press.

Exclusive but welcoming, urbane but edgy

He’s super confident. He’s asked if he got the club from Barbara and where she might be – but bats the question away.  Ivy watches, smiling and seemingly amiable – which is worth noting, because I think her actions later seemed very out of the blue.

Oswald is asked about the license system.  He waxes lyrical about the Pax Romana.  When criminals start drawing Roman Empire parallels, they’re sort of asking for a hubris smackdown. it’s some kind of dramatic law of the universe. 

He changes the subject back to the club – and has Ivy dramatically light up the Edcicle.  He’s concocted a story about Ed having an incurable brain disease, asking to be cryogenically frozen, and then let him be out among the people.  It was the least Oswald could do to comply with his wishes.

Did he know he was being frozen?

Jim strolls in. Oswald snaps that he has affadavits from Ed’s doctor – if Jim wants to see them.  He walks quickly to Jim – and turns sharply to stop the press following him, because Jim and Oswald like a little privacy when they’re about to invade each other’s personal space.

He tells Jim he’s a little busy – what exactly does he want?  Jim’s here to deliberately provoke a response from him, of course – to get to the gang – and goes about it with some relish.

I’m here to tell you you're a fraud

He tells Oswald the gang have the fear toxin.  They’re not afraid of him, and soon others won’t be either.  

You’ve had a nice run, Oswald, but it’s over.

Oswald grabs Jim and hauls him close.  There’s an initial snarl – and then he switches to his sort of ardent tone for these encounters.

Oh Jim.

For his part, Jim looks like he’s just realised being the grabee is as much fun as being the grabber. This opens a whole new world of possibilities.  Now they can role play Big Bad Gangster and Innocent Detective as well as the usual Stern Cop and Flirtatious Gangster.

Oswald tells Jim it’s so hard to admit irrelevance – but he will find the gang and crush them, because he keeps Gotham safe now.  

Jim smiles at him before walking out.  Oswald calls after him that it’s always good to see his old friend, with an oddly shiny-eyed smile.

That was the most elaborate foreplay ever.

 Meanwhile, at a horrid flat, the gang listen to a statement Oswald made for TV, furious at the insults levelled at them.  Jonathan’s made the serum – but they refuse to get rid of the scarecrow, despite his begging) and shut him in the cupboard with it.

Oswald is monologuing at the Edcicle.  He’s going on about Ed’s accusation of being a slave to emotions (Ed, of course, being a paragon of self-control who strangled his girlfriend).  Oswald says he’s banished those feelings now…..

(Hey, Oswald - remember the last scene?  And then the ones before it?  And pretty much the whole episode?  You’ve banished precisely nothing.  In fact, you’ve seemed extra emotional)

ivy approaches as he continues to monologue.

….but at what cost?  Which of us is truly frozen?

That’s a godawful clunky and pompous line that even the most self-indulgent fanficcer would have hastily edited out – which means Ivy’s interruption works particularly well.

Him - like totally frozen

Oswald is not happy at his overly-dramatic posing being interrupted and tells her to go somewhere else. She does – but she’s pissed about it. It looks a lot like a big brother, little sister dynamic.

GCPD, where Jim is planning their strike at the club.  The other cops seem reluctant, and Harvey has to chivvy them.  Harvey clearly thinks Jim’s plan is reckless – deliberately provoking Oswald (who, let us not forget, is the master of his emotions now), who in turn provoked the gang.   He doesn’t blame the cops for being pissed.  Jim pulls a face and leaves to get the gas masks

(An aside – we seem to have looped back to something resembling season one Jim.  His fellow officers dislike him, and Harvey is going along with his plans under protest.  GCPD is happy with its relationship with the underworld, but Jim refuses to tolerate it.

Again reminiscent of s1 – there’s ambiguity around this refusal.  Jim talks about wanting the law to be in charge – but we know from promos that he’s going to go get help from Falcone, so the talk of law and order and public trust is kind of – you know…. bullshit, if your actual actions involve going to mafia dons for favours.  The whiff of moral hypocrisy here is familiar.  Also – lone wolf behaviour, and bucking against authority – that’s just essentially s1 Jim.)

Poor, poor Jonathan is still cowering in that fucking cupboard.  Why will no-one hug this child and make him tea?

The scarecrow starts talking to him – or at least Jonathan hallucinates this – and things get much worse.

 In the GCPD locker room, four cops corner Jim.  They like the current system – why does he have to rock the boat?  Jim can tell there’s no getting out of this.

Alright then - who wants it first?

He tries to throw some punches – but two of them hold his arms while the others beat him.  It’s quick but still horrible – I hate scenes like that.

 At the Iceberg Club – Oswald greets Bruce, who puts on an avuncular performance.  Alfred prods about whether Ed is still alive in there. Oswald says they’ll never know – but then scrambles to correct himself when Bruce reminds him that a cure might be developed for his ‘brain disease’.  Ha!

Bruce wants to personally thank Oswald for everything he’s done for the city.  It seems sincere – and Oswald seems genuinely grateful.  It’s worth remembering that Bruce – from what we’ve seen – at least tries to be compassionate and understanding with everyone he encounters, even the criminals.  Part of Oswald does genuinely believe that he has acted in the city’s best interests. Bruce is insightful and empathetic enough to recognise and acknowledge that – while still retaining his determination to put an end to his scheme.

He asks about the license. Oswald seems disbelieving that he’d be open to licensed crime – but Bruce points out that if his scheme had existed three years ago , then his parents would still be alive.

Oswald nods – wide-eyed -

Exactly so!

We’re reminded of a parallel between these characters - Oswald and Bruce both lost their parents within the last three years, and in traumatic circumstances. Those losses shaped them both.   Again – it’s an effective moment.  Bruce doesn’t believe in the licenses – his comment about his parents is just a statement of fact – but there’s an openness to the comment: he doesn’t draw the ‘us and them’ line that Jim does.

Oswald tells Bruce he comes up with guidelines, but the nervous bureaucrat – Mr Pen – handles everything else – before leaving to mingle.  Alfred congratulates Bruce on finding out who is likely to have the list.

 Selina is also at the club. Victor approaches with Ivy in tow – and asks where Tabitha is, aren’t they a package deal?  Selina says Oswald has her – and that should be enough, but Tabitha arrives.

We're both in

Victor eyes her.

I should pat you down for weapons

Tabitha tells him he’d lose a hand.  What’s with this show and cutting off hands?

Ivy tries to say hi, but Tabitha rather meanly gets rid of her.  Selina is happy that Tabitha was worried about her.  Glancing round, though, she sees Bruce and Alfred, scowls, and walks away.

 At GCPD, Jim stares at his bloody nose in the mirror.  Jim’s still very upright for what looked to be a horrendous beating – what the hell? Harvey enters.  Jim tells him sullenly that they have no back up. Harvey suggests it was healthy for the cops to let off steam this way – which doesn’t go down well with Jim.

 At the club, the gang is hiding in kitchen, deciding to hit Oswald and Victor first.  Oswald strolls in with Victor, and asks them whether they think gas or a bullet would be faster?

Oswald knew they would be there, and is seemingly amused by Jim's ham-fisted attempt at manipulation. He’ll need to practice his role-play skills.  Possibly with a uniform and handcuffs - Oswald hasn’t decided yet.

Oswald has a special plan for these guys – and smilingly tells them so.

(Jesus - just let him do it: they're vile.)

Bruce has followed Selina to the roof.  She asks what he wants.  He says she knew he’d follow her.  She loses her smile and tells him he doesn’t know anything about her – a call-back to the hospital – for which Bruce promptly apologises.  She forgives him quickly, and tells him to get on the ledge if he wants to talk, which he does – to her pleased surprise.

He apologises again, and she tells him he was a jerk.  Bruce comments on her relationship with Tabitha, and says she’s not a good mentor. Selina says his opinion means absolutely nothing to her.  She’s a bit wobbly in her heels.  Turning – she dangles one foot off the edge, and asks if he wants to say something. He tells her that’s a lovely dress, and she smiles.

Alfred appears, and asks why they can’t just go to the cinema like normal teenagers.  He also tells Bruce they have a situation, and he runs off.  Alfred leaves Selina with a Miss Kyle – and she smiles.

Oswald is making a speech in front of the bound gang – about how he is ensuring peace for the future, and how - without him – this fear and chaos is what you get, the old days.

(An aside – you know – aside from Oswald’s sincerity that what he is doing is actually beneficial, that crime is inevitable, so why not control it – his behaviour is psychologically understandable.  No wonder Oswald is obsessive about control, after his experiences in Arkham, with his ‘family’, during his time as mayor.  He’s also going to have a professional horror of free agents like Ed and Barbara – who brought about complete chaos in the underworld, and who – as he pointed out – wouldn’t have even got to sit at the same table as Fish and Maroni and Falcone.)

Ivy watches, looking disgruntled.  I'm not getting why Ivy is suddenly dubious here, to be honest.

Oswald concludes by saying he keeps the city safe - not GCPD –adding a sarcastic, you're welcome!

Bruce tells Alfred his stuff is in the car. Alfred shakes his head.  Bruce tells Alfred that Oswald will kill those men.  Alfred says there’s a time for As-Yet-Unnamed-Mask-Man, and there’s a time for Bruce.

Bruce steps forward and loudly asks Oswald what will happen.  Oswald says he need not concern himself.  Bruce asks if they will be handed over to the police.

Oswald walks closer.  He says Bruce thanked him earlier – but how did he think this all happened?  He’s willing to do the dirty work required.

Again, Bruce’s response is important

I understand

There’s sincerity there.  He does understand Oswald’s reasoning.  He just can’t go along with it.  He tries again.

I'm asking you not to kill those men

Oswald’s mouth trembles (master of his emotions, everyone), and he looks him straight in the eye

You're young.  You have a good heart

Bruce and Alfred looks taken aback by this response.

Oswald is resolved, though.

No.

 Ivy wanders into the kitchen and switches off the power. This makes not a blind bit of sense – sorry. I can buy that Oswald’s snappishness has been progressively pissing her off. I can buy that they’re in a squabbly sibling dynamic.  But it just seemed to go from 0 to wtf way too quickly.  She’s been around Oswald for just over three months now.  She knew of him earlier than that – in fact, saw very similar attention-grabby behaviour at the opening of Sirens.  I get that she’s childish – and doesn’t really think things through before acting – but the idea that she’s suddenly not OK with that to this extent just feels too convenient.

As the club is plunged into darkness, Jim and Harvey come barrelling in, the gang break free, and Oswald is sprayed with fear serum.  He drops to the floor, screaming, and sees a monstrous, demonic Ed which – given Ed mentally tortured him by digging up his father’s corpse, makes sense.  It’s also interesting that Ed is looming over Oswald – slightly reminiscent of their first prolonged encounter – in which Ed drugged him to keep him docile and captive.

Zsasz and Alfred nearly shoot each other in the confusion, but give each other impressed little smiles.  Someone somewhere just started a side-blog.  Think of all the snacks Alfred could make him.

When the lights go back on, Jim punches the ringleader, who was laughing and gloating over a still yelling Oswald, and arrests him.

Oswald is still terrified and begging for help – but zeroes on Jim’s voice, grabbing on to him to clamber up from the floor, and then clutches at him, hiding his face against him and begging for help.

Jim has his disgruntled ‘I’m not a hugging person’ face on – but doesn’t push him off, and manages to shift his grip to move his hand from grabbing Oswald’s shoulder to press against the back of his head instead.

(An aside – yes, it’s played for some comic relief.  However, the fact remains that after everything, and despite all the bluster on both sides - Oswald still seeks Jim out for safety, and Jim doesn’t shove him away, but holds on instead. In a crappy dark universe, I’ll take what sweetness I can get.)

Harvey drops a newspaper on Jim’s desk – which is running what is surely now many Gobblepotters’ desktop image as their front-page picture.  Harvey shakes his head.

Penguin won't be too happy about that

Well – not publicly, Harvey – but I’m willing to bet that it’s made it into a secret scrapbook.

Jim shrugs

Screw him

(The fanficcers are on it Jim, thanks for helping)

 Mr Pen’s office.  Bruce is waiting at the door.  He manages to easily swipe the list, while Mr Pen ineffectually protests.

(Honestly?  This seems dumb.  Yes – Oswald would avoid seeing the list himself, but he’d have third party muscle guarding it.)

Bruce is on a rooftop, watching a licensed burglary through a glass sectioned ceiling.  Leaning on the glass, he falls through, lands awkwardly, removes his mask in apparent panic – and is only saved by the arrival of GCPD.  Ooops. Maybe he’ll get one of those cool mugshots, though?  David Bowie’s is the best.

One of the loathsome gang returns to the apartment for a more serum.  He opens the cupboard to find Jonathan wearing the scarecrow suit.

Jonathan Crane isn't here anymore.  Just the scarecrow

He sprays him with the serum and – again – fuck these guys, so good.

 General observations

Hard to find an overarching theme here – we’re more checking in to see where everyone is.

 The licensed crime thing doesn’t really work, logic-wise – but Gotham’s not really big on that. What you can take from it that’s interesting is Oswald’s view of crime versus, say…Jerome’s.  

Crime, for Oswald, is business.  It’s what he does.  He’s a gangster and belongs, in that sense, to the world inhabited by Fish, Maroni and Falcone – even given his ‘freakishness’.  From what we see of Gotham – it’s pretty entrenched in terms of rich, poor, etc.  For Oswald – second generation immigrant, wrong side of the tracks, with a mother who needed support herself, and with something to prove – organised crime probably seemed a pretty obvious option.

It does fulfil certain psychological needs for him: power, respect, and the venting of rage when he kills – but they’re sort of by-products of what he does.  Barring when he completely loses his temper, he will tend to kill/assault for business reasons.  An enemy had to be disposed of.  An informant had to be taught a lesson.  Even revenge serves a business purpose as well as acting as an outlet for anger: this is what you will get if you wrong me.

That’s a world with a rulebook and its own logic.  But it doesn’t really work for those who want to break the rules for the sake of breaking the rules.  Oswald’s rule would pretty much be the same to them as the rule of law.  Jerome’s furious at every authority figure he sees – it doesn’t matter who it is.  He needs to lash out at them, exert power.  Equally – it doesn’t really work for people whose murders are driven by psychological compulsion and/or a need to prove that they’re ‘better’ than the law.

Jim and Oswald.  Oh my.  Oswald’s still feeling a little stung – it seems, given his pointed comment to Jim about keeping people safe, but presumably the bulk of the blame has been assigned to the Tetch virus, since Jim is still hale and hearty.  They’re back to business as usual: inappropriate body space, inappropriate baiting, inappropriate grabbing, inappropriate staring, inappropriate clutching – general inappropriateness.

Oswald and Bruce’s interaction is interesting.  We know, from Oswald’s backstory, and his interlude after Arkham, that Oswald does have the capacity to be a good person.  It’s just been knocked out of him so often that he’s learned that it doesn’t get him anywhere.  But he still recognises and values goodness in other people.  It’s one of the major factors in his relationship with Jim (morally ambiguous though Jim may be).  And - like the reasoning behind his crime licenses – this acknowledgement of goodness is something that differentiates him from many of the other ‘villains’.  There’s arguably much more of a sense of ‘might-have-been’ about him, which is what makes him so relatable and sympathetic.

Jim – as mentioned earlier – has looped back to a version of s1 Jim.  I’m curious to see what makes him desperate enough to seek out Falcone.  It’ll need to be something significant, otherwise he’s just going to start to bring back elements of Unappealing Season 2 Jim, who was a massive hypocrite.

Sundries

Victor is a thing of beauty and a joy forever.

Jim being the object of derision in GCPD is oddly familiar and comforting.

Poor Jonathan.