#gotham analysis

[it-happened-once-in-a-meme]

Fun Little Gotham Detail (Season 3 Edward Nygma)

In episode 17, we see a picture of Ed on television:

The photograph in question is from the GCPD scene where he makes a big entrance and sarcastically says that he's glad to be back 😂

Meaning that there was either a photographer there that day who was told to take a picture of the sassy ex employee or that they had the idea themselves.

[rainbowmewz]

thinking about gotham edward nygma DID/OSDD representation so hard rn and how the show wasn't perfect with it but was on a pretty alright track and probably just needed a single diversity editor who's well in tune with DID/OSDD to make it amazing representation...

i feel like a big thing that people debate about is how "oh, gotham shows negative representation by having ed have an evil alter!!" no no no no. i get it, riddler's brash and not a good person but... ed isn't either? i feel like the babying of season 1 ed is kind of what leads people to have this thought process in the first place. ed is creepy, ed is offputting, ed shouldn't be getting just the reaction of "aww sweet bby who doesn't understand social cues :((". i love the guy and treat him like my sweet little blorbo too, but come on guys. feel free to disagree all you want, but i actually like how the dynamic of ed and riddler is portrayed because NEITHER of them are good people. one isn't the "evil alter" of the other.

the writing was... genuinely trying in this aspect i feel? at some points at least. lines like riddler saying he was "in the driver's seat so to speak" to explain him fronting over ed? perfect! including riddler's need to front because of ed's self destructive and lowkey suicidal behaviors in season 4? amazing!! cmon, more please gotham writing team i beg for more crumbs. sure, season 5 was confusing with who was fronting but.. i feel like its a really realistic experience to not be able to tell who's taken over? fronting is confusing at times, and the guy was literally put under microchip command to destroy a whole safehaven at one point during the season.

another thing, CMS did a PHENOMENAL job at portraying switching, especially in that scene at arkham in season 4. its not erratic, and is really only noticeable if you're looking for it. the slight change in facial expression and the way his hands move? this guy needs to win some award for acting please

[hot-edits-of-the-ice-cold]

Edward Nygma & Kristen Kringle Became Way Healthier Than I Remembered 🫢🧡💚

People in the fandom often either criticize one or the other, while in canon the two just admitted their faults like adults 😎 (Ed saying he bothered her, Kristen that she was mean).

Like, actual slay ❤️

I love seeing all the fix-it things this community creates so much that I firget that sometimes canon is more wholesome than fanon 😂

The edit (material) that made me realize this:

/Tiktok version

[it-happened-once-in-a-meme]

Major spoilers for S03 E15!

Oswald: Vengeance hath come for me, but I am nothing but a broken heart. 💔🎭

Edward: Ugh! Can you please just be struck with fear? 🙄

I think their view differs because of how much Ed still cares about Oswald:

Oswald point of view: his father's ghost (Oswald already believed in ghosts), Ed making dramatic speeches (nothing new to him) about betrayal, love & revenge (Oswald knew he deserved some revenge)

Ed's point of view: 😢💔😭💧🐟🌱👻

Basically: Oswald being sad.

More concretely: Ed choking Oswald (like Ed did Kristen), seeing Oswald despite him being dead (like Ed did Kristen, then Isabella, who he saw Kristen in)

->Ed: Oh, dear, this was horrifying. Oswald must be miserable.

->Oswald: Well, I know horrifying. 🤷‍♂️

Shout-out to me, for making screenshots of Oswald being sad or a ghost 😔👏

no because Oswald sees his fallout between himself and Edward as a classic stage tragedy designed as punishment for his sins. Edward sees it as a psychological horror designed as punishment for his sins. Do you see it. Do you get the difference here.

[shyjusticewarrior]

I think the "Bruce is a good dad" convo misses out on how different children can get different dads even when it's the same guy.

Jason doesn't get the same dad. When Bruce flings Tim over a disagreement, it's a sign that he's worse than before and somethings up. When he does it to Jason, it's a Tuesday.

[batsyheere]

The dynamics between Dan, Danny and Ellie are so funny to consider. Danny is far too used to handling Sam and Tucker at their worst and now he has an additional gremlin duo who picked up whatever madness was in Vlad's system when he decided cloning was a great idea. (Danny is highly aware that it is not a good thing to have more him in the world and has resolved to better avoid clone plots). Meanwhile Dan and Ellie will fight over the most random, inane things, but the minute it's about family they band together into a proper terror and the only beings able to stop them are Jazz in her disappointment if the situation calls for it, and sleep deprived Danny who does not realize his exhausted presence is like a terrifying parental figure catching their kid doing something stupid.

It gets even funnier when Jazz finally breaks out of the mindset that she needs to be in charge and instead enjoys herself, and so the only leash for the three most feral Fentons (honorary and named) is a perpetually tired teen/young adult.

Now drop that in Gotham.

[it-happened-once-in-a-meme]

Why hide this take? 🤌

Somehow they're both homme fatales 😂.

Just so you know, you inspired this 🤭

You still got that much of a hold on me. Maybe you always will.

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014)

[it-happened-once-in-a-meme]

How Gotham Characters' Religious Beliefs Change and Oswald Cobblepot's Fear of Hell 🔥

Inspired by @shyjusticewarrior 's post saying that we don't talk enough about Oswald's canonical fear of hell

Spoilers for S02 E12

My headcanon is that after people were resurrected, especially Theo Galavan, who Oswald saw die very clearly, some main characters (I'm thinking Jim too) kinda became agnostic. Sure, a miracle just happened, but what a weird one. Was Theo in hell? Mhm, he came back with a god complex and badass powers instead of traumatized, does it really matter?

Also let's not forget that Oswald was willing to die/okay with it multiple times, either for loved ones or because he hit rock bottom. 😢

In total, a lot of Gotham characters start out with a big fear of hell because if it's used to instill fear in Gothamites, it must be horrifying with how bad Gotham already is. And then the resurrections start.

[galaxymagitech]

The Joker Arc really is WFA’s answer to Gotham War in more ways than one. The Batkids end up hiding out together because Bruce drives them away, and Dick steps up to lead. Bruce later emphasizes Dick’s goodness and vital role in the Batfamily. Similar plot point, but through very different lenses.

Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War: Scorched Earth

At the end of Gotham War, Bruce passes the torch onto Dick and Barbara. He emphasizes Dick and Barbara’s goodness, and that the family needs them. But he also puts it on Dick’s shoulders and then just drives off.

Wayne Family Adventures: #137 Compromise, #155 Trust

In WFA, it’s different. Dick takes charge and helps lead the Batfamily while they’re out of contact with Bruce. But later, Bruce steps up again and thanks Dick for leading the family in his absence. Twice. He also emphasizes Dick’s character, but in much more emotional terms—instead of saying he’s this shining paragon of goodness, he’s the heart of the family. The family that includes Bruce. So these scenes are much warmer, even though there’s a shared plotpoint and sentiment. Because in WFA, that’s Bruce’s family too.

[falbrightsplace]

What of Riddles and Murder?

I think I’ve left my Tumblr dormant long enough, don’t you? So let’s get into some analysis! Delve deep and see what we can see! And what better subject than one Edward Nygma! The Riddler!

But not just any Eddie.

No.

No.

No…

My favorite Riddler, the one who my own interpretation blends into the most (combined with a dash of Arkham and a fair bit of Pre-New 52 continuity rearranged)! Who, you ask! Who!!!

This smug bastard:

Zero Year Nygma is special for a lot of reasons. For one he’s a great amalgamation of what was old (the facial structure, nose, and being...well, ginger lend themselves to BTAS) and something delightfully new while touching on some beautiful, horrid symbolism (the Zorro mask is a prime example for the story he’s ‘debuting’ in). He’s also exceptionally violent in a way that simultaneously suits the Riddler in cavalier execution while being somewhat divergent in the sheer scale he inflicts said violence. That extends not just to the big event, but from his very introduction to the story.

The whole idea emerged due to talking with my roommate, a longtime friend who has been privy to every permutation and head canon I’ve carried for that gremlin over the years. In that moment I started to outline every single way he implies, instigates, or outright exacts some violence upon a person or the greater populace of Gotham City. Let’s walk through them, shall we?

From the outset of the story he was suggesting to Philip that the most efficient application of Occam's Razor is to Bruce’s throat. That it was the only option with the prodigal son setting a showdown with what had become a disgraced company in his absence. Even if the matter is tabled, rejected, and ultimately thrown back in his face it was one presented simply to prove that Eddie could read the board. A bone thrown on the pile as a means to validate himself and the clandestine power he held within that little cat’s cradle.

Not only does he push such an agenda with one of the more intense expressions of the arc (a stark contrast to his glib ennui at a baseline or the absolute mania of Savage City), he hints at that fact to Bruce himself after riling the young fledermaus up. Even if, contextually, he can’t understand it there’s a flex of “I know something you don’t know. Something you’d probably like to know. Something you need to know.” with deadly implications. All presented dull eyed and with a smirk after their game, a game he feels he’s thoroughly won on and off the board because those final words in the museum suggest that Mr. Wayne is in check and Edward will never have to see that particularly annoying piece ever again courtesy of the Red Hood Gang.

Then there’s the fact that he essentially pushed a very ill man to not only self experimentation, a deadly prospect in and of itself, but inspired what essentially became one of the most prolific (and horrific) strings of serial killings up to that point in the City’s history. All with silver tongued promises. All to cover for the theft of one Pamela Isley’s research in the panic between his own (comparatively) benign blackouts. And a guaranteed end to the murder weapon he had chosen, come hell or (literal) high water.

We’re already seeing a pattern within the violence of choice, yes? Before even arriving at the big ones it has the Riddler hallmark of being hands off. Yet there is something to be said of the frequency this young version of the villain chooses to employ it. Often while employing a sociopathic bit of emotional sleight of hand, putting on an impish face that can be perceived, at times, as downright goofy or even charming. That can truly mask how awful he is. Yet unlike some variants of the villain, he’s not pushed by a literal demon within the city’s heart or some deeply disturbing event which further cracked his psyche. He’s doing this from the outset and moving towards the trickster that people think of (we’re discounting King and some dismal attempts during the mid 2010’s to try and create a ‘dark’ Riddler renaissance in storytelling) rather than being pushed towards this outcome. Put a pin in that thought, it’ll come into the discussion as we move towards (petty, petty...petty) motivation in explaining how this creates a truly unique, petulant, bombastic and subtly terrifying version of this classic.

Back to the crimes for people who need a refresher!

After having effectively Karl Hellfern for everything his failing body and soul could take, he makes a show to Jim Gordon. We know the one. The string game. With a boulder. A more classic Riddler tact to be sure. Very in line with the death traps that cover an escape and yet the exception here is that there is no riddle. It’s simply physics: a promise of enough force to completely collapse a great part of that floor of a sturdily built office building. It’s a blunt statement wherein the only one playing is Edward himself. Which already suggests he’s stepping further and further into his persona while showing that vicious streak, now sparing that toxic green curtain he’d hide behind while putting on a performance that would put the Mighty Oz to shame. And there’s a glee to it. Literally holding something over someone’s head.

What can I say about the rupturing of the retaining walls? Of essentially setting up an impossible game on only the slimmest of chances. Eddie, your carnie background may have been struck from your resume but it definitely showed here. The results are catastrophic. If you’ve watched The Penguin, go take in the first scenes of Episode 3 again and imagine that while the city is under siege by a super storm of historic proportions. In a blackout. With no hope of anyone coming to save them. There are no pumps to steadily restore even vestigial use of not just certain sectors, but the city as a whole.The visuals are horrific in a way I do not think that the illustration team on this run could have depicted. Nor should anyone have to endure the sheer heartbreak of such grandiose tragedy presented in as visceral a manner as it could be. All played off to a man who comments only to himself, answers to only himself. With that same glibness he applies to all potential casualties. A dull look. A haphazard smirk that is absolutely at home for a Riddler, but given the circumstances? Might have been wiped off the faces of others if presented with such an option. Even for clout.

Savage City is simultaneously where Eddie truly goes from simply himself to elevating into The Riddler. His M.O. is established with the same odds as always: near nil. The difference is that rather than focusing the crime upon a target (either an object or a person as is often the case), he is indiscriminate and demanding that people play his game. In essence he is the Sphinx demanding souls step forward for sacrifice, languidly looking on and pondering what measures to employ. Lions. Truly. The man lives for circuses of his own making.

Then there’s the deployment of weaponized drones, a planned one given his understanding of the weapons tech at his disposal after essentially leaving the back door open to steal everything from under Kane’s nose. These are suppressive, deadly automatons. And while there is some whimsy, it is, perhaps, a much more brutal arm to employ to a darker end than say...Arkham Knight Riddler. They are there to snuff out the competition, to keep the game in perpetuity. If anyone works outside the parameters the promise is humiliation and death.

And let’s talk about that promise, shall we? He is not only a typical sore loser of a Riddler, he is violently so. Basically creating a MAD scenario in which the only way to not essentially ring out the death knell for Gotham was for the would be hero to have lethal current run through them. That wasn’t even a sure shot. Death surrounds Edward Nygma at this point. He is a Rube Goldberg machine of it. By design.

Basic summary, doesn’t quite do the horrors he inflicts justice. He honestly deserves his little cocoon at the end of the arc. Truly. And I say that with certainty. Because not only do we have his body of work for this stretch but we have blatant motivation. If BTAS Eddie grabbed a scalpel to take to Mockridge upon receiving his pink slip, what would you say ZY! Nygma grabbed? And more importantly, why? Because I can tell you that man did not load a several megaton bomb (comparatively) with razor edged bits of esoteric trivia due to being fired. No, the job was always something that could be tossed away. It was the fact that Philip suggested he wasn’t something extraordinary. It was the fact that in suggesting that Edward Nygma was no one at all, a mere cog that tied together greater machines (machines that could move on without him), little Eddie had an identity crisis. A terrible tantrum that turned all that focused calculation into a deathtrap for the world that his mind had could not fathom going on without acknowledging him. His work. His greatness. And in rampaging like a toddler, moving in the reverse trajectory of just about every other Riddler (who again, often are pushed) finds what actually brings him joy. The acclaim of Zero Year? Oh, boy, does he cling onto that like a washed up high school quarter back. Even going so far as to recreate aspects to spook people so they don’t forget. And yet it’s the game that keeps him going. The constant back and forth with the Bat. The joy of a diversion with stakes that demand complexity. And, perhaps, in this manic, destructive regression, the New 52 Riddler was born hanging in that special ward of Arkham in his defeat. Emerging more focused, perhaps a bit more cautious. Still mildly more violent than other iterations...but more historically himself.

And I find that fascinating.

[shyjusticewarrior]

Something something Jason projects his child self onto the kids he saves

[it-happened-once-in-a-meme]

I propose the Ted Mosby (from How I Met Your Mother) theory: One morning after the Galavan thing, Ed wakes up drunk with the pineapple in his room, having no idea what happened.

It's only years later that The Riddler tells him: that night he went to Oswald's club, stumbling around not wanting to admit that he missed his roommate, so he stayed near the bar, which happened to have, you guessed it: a pineapple as decoration.

Now in his inebriated state, he only thought one thing: you took my spicy mustard, I'll take your spiky pineapple.

"And this, Martin, is how I stole your dad's pineapple." 🍍😂

Headcanon: Ed is absolutely a pineapple on pizza guy, Lee is adamantly opposed, and Oswald eats his pizza with a fork and knife.

[mysecretwindowuniverse]

1x7 | Penguin's Umbrella ☂️

In between all the deaths via weatherballoon, clones, mutants, and resurrections, I still maintain that the biggest suspension of disbelief Gotham ever asked the audience was to pretend that Oswald wasn't stunningly pretty and most definitely didn't have a comically long line of eager suitors vying for his affection at any given moment

[phantobats]

Every time Batman faces off against a villain, the age-old debate surfaces: Should Batman finally kill? To many, the answer seems obvious. Gotham's rogues gallery—Joker, Scarecrow, Two-Face—have caused untold death and destruction. Some argue that Batman, with his no-kill rule, is doing more harm than good by allowing them to repeatedly escape and wreak havoc. But this line of thinking completely misses the point, not just of Batman’s moral code but also of why Gotham needs him in the first place.

Gotham City is infamous for its corruption. From the police department to the courts, virtually every institution that should protect the innocent is compromised. Judges are bought, politicians are on crime syndicate payrolls, and even the police force—before Commissioner Gordon’s reforms—was rife with bribery and backdoor deals. In a city where criminals are recycled back onto the streets through corrupt systems, Batman's role as a vigilante isn’t about acting as judge, jury, and executioner. It’s about being a symbol of justice that Gotham has lost.

If we’re focusing on who should be stopping these villains for good, we should be looking at Gotham’s broken justice system, not the moral line Batman refuses to cross. It’s the system’s responsibility to lock these criminals away for good, or better yet, reform them if possible. Batman doesn’t kill because he’s operating in a world where the institutions of law and justice have failed. His presence highlights how far Gotham has fallen, but asking him to break his code and start killing misses the mark.

Let’s imagine, for a moment, that Batman does kill. He ends the Joker once and for all. Does Gotham suddenly become a safer place? Does this action stop the next criminal mastermind from rising up? No. The truth is, Gotham’s problems run much deeper than a few individual villains. If Batman starts killing, he becomes a symptom of Gotham’s sickness rather than its cure. The cycle of violence continues, because the real problem—the corrupt systems that allow these criminals to rise—remains unchanged.

A vigilante who kills is just another arm of Gotham's decay. What Batman represents is the fight against that very decay. He’s someone who can operate outside the law without becoming a monster himself. If Batman starts executing villains, he isn’t fixing Gotham—he’s giving up on the idea that Gotham can be fixed.

Those who call for Batman to kill fail to see the larger picture. When people like Joker escape Arkham Asylum, that’s not on Batman. It’s on the corrupt or incompetent systems that continually fail to contain these threats. Arkham is a revolving door because the people who run it either don’t care or are incapable of doing their jobs properly. The courts release criminals because they’re either paid off or pressured by Gotham’s criminal underground. Batman's real enemies aren’t just the costumed villains, but the failing institutions that enable them.

If we want true justice in Gotham, we need to demand better from its police force, mental health institutions, and political figures. We shouldn’t be asking Batman to kill; we should be asking why Gotham’s mayor is in the pockets of crime lords, or why the city’s D.A. can’t secure a conviction against someone as clearly guilty as Joker. Fixing Gotham’s institutions would do far more good than turning Batman into an executioner.

At the heart of this argument is Batman’s moral code, which has often been a subject of debate. Batman refuses to kill, not just out of personal conviction, but because he understands what it would mean if he crossed that line. He would become no different from the villains he fights.

Gotham needs Batman precisely because he holds to a higher standard. His refusal to kill is a reminder that, even in a city as broken as Gotham, there are still people willing to fight for justice in a way that doesn’t compromise their humanity. In a world of corruption and lawlessness, Batman’s no-kill rule is a beacon of hope. It’s proof that Gotham’s soul isn’t entirely lost.

Rather than debating whether Batman should start killing, we should shift our focus to where it belongs—on Gotham’s institutions. Batman is a vigilante because the law fails. He wears the cape and cowl because the system is so broken that it can’t be trusted to protect its citizens. He fills a gap, but he doesn’t replace the law; he challenges it to be better.

If we want a safer Gotham, it’s time to stop asking Batman to do the dirty work and start holding the city's leaders accountable. The real question isn’t why Batman won’t kill, but why the justice system in Gotham is so corrupt that a vigilante is needed at all.

[sweetlullabyebye]

Almost 1 minute and a half of Jim saying Oswald/Penguin

[it-happened-once-in-a-meme]

Maybe he was just supposed to be a momentary distraction.

Or someone had the job to watch him and accidentally wrote down some of Harvey's quirks: taking a relaxed approached to work, joking around, drinking milkshakes, expressing his attraction to women 🤔😄

Maybe I just don't remember the episode well but how the hell did Strange think fake!Jim was going to be a good replacement for any length of time when THIS is fake Jim