Courtney finds herself banished to the Shadowlands and forms an unlikely alliance in a bid to escape. Meanwhile, Pat, Barb, Beth, and Jennie learn she's still alive and seek out the Shade's help to get her back.
Tropes:
- Alas, Poor Villain:
- The Shade appears to die at the end of the episode, having expended all his remaining strength opening the portal to let Courtney, Dr. McNider, and Cindy out.
- Cindy is forced to endlessly relive her traumatic childhood while trapped in the Shadowlands.
- All for Nothing: Zigzagged with the attempt to reforge the Black Diamond in the previous episode. It turns out that Eclipso had completely destroyed it when he banished Courtney to the Shadowlands, meaning that not only was the Shade's plan to heal himself for naught, but the heroes can no longer count on the possibility of re-imprisoning Eclipso in the diamond. On the other hand, they now have Cindy, who has absolutely no qualms about killing Eclipso if it comes down to that, and Doctor McNider, whose knowledge of the Shadowlands and the Black Diamond may help find a way to put an end to Eclipso for good.
- Alone with the Psycho: Cindy and Courtney are the only real people in the Shadowlands. Being around another real person is enough for Cindy to be willing to team up with Courtney, whether Courtney wants to or not.
- And I Must Scream: Anyone banished to the Shadowlands is forced to relive their deepest despairs in a hellish "Groundhog Day" Loop until their minds can take it no longer. Additionally, illusions can harm or kill them due to Your Mind Makes It Real.
- Artistic License – Religion: Cindy says that the Shadowlands are like "What's the Bible word? Purgatory." First of all, Purgatory isn't mentioned in the Bible; it's an additional Catholic-specific belief. Second of all, the purpose of Purgatory is to purge (hence the name) sinners who aren't bad enough for Hell of their sins through ordeals to make them ready for Heaven, not to torment them forever.
- Badass Boast: Cindy likens having to kill the Dragon King over and over again to an eternal paradise and says she'll gladly do it forever.
- Being Tortured Makes You Evil: The excuse Cindy gives to Courtney for her behavior.
- The Bus Came Back: Cindy makes her return in this episode, revealed to have been in the Shadowlands for several weeks. Additionally, Courtney encounters several shadow versions of deceased characters from the last two seasons, including Joey and his parents, Isaac, Fiddler, and Dragon King. Yolanda and Rick also appear in the Shadowlands, though they don't speak.
- Comically Missing the Point: When Cindy explains that the Shadowlands are Eclipso's birthplace, Courtney thinks she's talking about the room they're currently in due to Cindy being vague.Courtney: Where is here, exactly?
Cindy: Eclipso was born here.
Courtney: Eclipso was born in a little girl's bedroom?
Cindy: It's called the Shadowlands, you nitwit! - Corrupt the Cutie: Eclipso seems pleased when he gets Courtney to admit she hates him, allowing her to rescue Cindy without further interruption after the admission.
- Deliberately Monochrome: The Shadowlands are definitely this, with part of it being a completely black and white version of Blue Valley (an illusion) and the rest looking like the inside of a tornado made of shadows, the Shadowlands' actual appearance.
- Enemy Mine: In order to escape the Shadowlands, Courtney tries to form one with Cindy, made difficult by the fact that Cindy still blames her for everything she's gone through, even claiming Courtney is responsible for her being banished to the Shadowlands. After Courtney helps her escape, however, she cements it.Cindy: So, who wants to kill Eclipso?
- Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: Cindy truly didn't mean to kill her mother and is still heartbroken over it. Eclipso uses this illusion to break her when forcing her to repeatedly relive Dragon King's torture and abuse fails to do the trick due to her killing him every single time.
- Good Feels Good: The Shade muses on his happiness at dying while finally doing something good for once.
- Heel–Face Turn: At Barbara's pleading, and due to her resemblance to his sister, the Shade opens a portal to the Shadowlands which allows Courtney, Cindy, and Dr. Mid-Nite/Charles McNider to escape.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Opening a portal to the Shadowlands and keeping it open long enough for three people to escape in his weakened state ends up being too much for the Shade and he seemingly dies as a result.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: According to the Shade, his scheme to heal himself, which involved conning Courtney and Pat to persuade Jennie to refuse the Black Diamond into one piece, backfired when Eclipso destroyed the Black Diamond and severed the link between the Shadowlands and the real world, leaving him still crippled.
- Honor Before Reason: Courtney has a very temporary portal home, being held open by a semi-maybe-ish ally who's weakened and fading fast. What does she do? Say "wait right there" and run off to rescue a murderous psychopath who's trapped in there with her.
- My God, What Have I Done?: The Shade is jarred to realize Dr. Mid-Nite is still alive. Had he known Charles had survived being dropped in the Shadowlands for so long, he'd have gone after him.
- Never My Fault: Cindy still blames Courtney for everything Eclipso has wrought upon both of them up to this point, never mind that she alone is the reason Eclipso even became a problem for either of them in the first place.
- No Body Left Behind: The Shade evaporates into shadows when he dies.
- No One Gets Left Behind: Courtney risks being trapped in the Shadowlands to go back for Cindy rather than leave her behind when the Shade opens a portal back into the real world.
- Redemption Equals Death: The Shade finds it in himself to help Barbara get her daughter back by opening a portal to the Shadowlands that Courtney can escape through. Not only does this succeed but it also allows Dr. McNider to re-enter the real world, further redeeming the Shade of having accidentally trapped him in the Shadowlands while trying to save his life years ago. Unfortunately, the strain of this proves to be too much for the Shade in his weakened state and he seemingly perishes after they and Cindy are safely through.
- Removed Achilles' Heel: It turns out that Eclipso had completely destroyed the Black Diamond in the previous episode to prevent anyone from ever imprisoning him again.
- The Reveal: According to the Shade, when Eclipso banished Courtney to the Shadowlands in the previous episode, he completely destroyed the Black Diamond in the process, and as a result, the Shade's connection to the Shadowlands is permanently severed and he's left weakened and dying.
- Save the Villain: Courtney insists on saving Cindy, even though she could escape with Dr. McNider immediately.
- Splash of Color: When Cindy slashes Courtney's arm, her blood is red in the otherwise monochrome world. This convinces Cindy that Courtney is real, because the illusions don't bleed.
- Tempting Fate: Cindy boasts that getting to kill her father endlessly is like paradise to her. Then her mother shows up and she folds like a cheap suit.
- Wham Episode: Cindy and Charles McNider return from the Shadowlands with Courtney, and the Shade dies.
- Year Inside, Hour Outside: Dr. McNider says that time doesn't work the same in the Shadowlands to explain how he's still alive after all this time.
- Your Mind Makes It Real: The illusions in the Shadowlands can harm and even kill the souls within, but only if they allow themselves to succumb to their fear. Dr. McNider is able to survive because his goggles filter out the illusions. Courtney, after being coached by Dr. McNider, walks right through an illusion of Dragon King attacking her.
