Line #38 Recap/GothamS3E22Heavydirtysoul


1	Directed by Creator/RobBailey
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3	Written by Creator/RobertHull, Creator/MeganMostynBrown, & Creator/TzeChun
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5	As the GCPD and Barbara's gang fight for control of the cure to the Tetch virus, Penguin and Riddler's personal conflict comes to a close.
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7	!!Tropes
8	* BatmanGambit: Penguin pulls a magnificent one. He knows Nygma's FatalFlaw is obsession with perfection -- Nygma will try to kill him again at the river. So Oswald arranges it so Nygma will be able to break free from his cuffs and take the gun. When Nygma tries to shoot Penguin he finds out ''there are no bullets''. And then Ivy and Mr. Freeze show and Riddler knows he's utterly screwed.
9	* BigDamnHeroes: Bruce in a "not quite Batman" costume saves a family similar to his from being killed by a mugger.
10	* BookEnds: Bruce's transformation into Batman began when his parents were gunned down in a dark alley. It's only fitting that he begins his career as a vigilante by saving another family from a similar fate.
11	* BoomHeadshot: Barbara shoots Butch in the head.
12	* ButNowIMustGo: After being cured, Lee decides to take a proper leave from Gotham, but promises to come back once Gordon makes Gotham better for everyone, including both of them.
13	* CanonCharacterAllAlong: Butch's real name is Cyrus Gold, a.k.a. Solomon Grundy from the Batman comics. Even the doctors InUniverse were surprised by this.
14	* CoolBigSis: Tabitha starts showing signs of becoming this to Selina.
15	* DesignatedGirlFight: Tabitha and Barbara engage each other in a no holds barred battle which the former wins by electrocuting the latter.
16	* EarnYourHappyEnding: For Jim, he manages to keep his sanity in check thanks to Harvey, and is able to get the cure to administer to himself and Leslie. Also, even though he and Lee still part ways at the end of the season, they do it on much better terms than in the mid-season finale.
17	* EvilVsEvil:
18	** Penguin and Riddler's conflict reaches its conclusion. Penguin wins.
19	** Butch and Tabitha making their move against Barbara.
20	* FateWorseThanDeath: Penguin's BatmanGambit to trap Nygma works, but rather than kill him, he has Mr. Freeze cryogenically freeze him alive... and use him as a trophy display at his new nightclub.
21	* HazyFeelTurn: Tabitha and Selina swear off allegiance to everyone and decide to team up to find their place in Gotham.
22	* HealingVat: A miniature version of the Lazarus Pit is used to help Alfred's stab wound, but he still requires medical attention.
23	* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight: When Jim is ready to give himself over to the virus, Harvey reminds his friend that he is a cop, not a killer, by showing him his police badge. It's a delayed realization, but Jim discovers the syringes full of cure attached to the back of the badge, and administers it to Lee and himself.
24	* ItWorksBetterWithBullets: Riddler discovers the gun he stole from Penguin is empty when he tries to kill Oswald at the docks again.
25	* JerkassBall: Bruce rather cruelly rebuffs Selina when she comes to comfort him at the hospital. It's what drives her to team up with Tabitha.
26	* KarmaHoudini: No legal action is taken against those who were infected with the virus, somewhat {{justified\|Trope}} since their deeds were committed while in an altered state of mind. Lee also seems to have not faced any consequences for stealing the virus and ''willingly'' infecting herself.
27	* LaserGuidedKarma: Jervis Tetch hunted his sister Alice to use her virus-infected blood, and now Jervis gets hunted and his own blood painfully harvested to become a cure.
28	* LoveIsAWeakness: Penguin sees his love for Riddler as this. His frozen form will be a reminder to not make that mistake again.
29	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: The shock of stabbing Alfred breaks Bruce's conditioning, and he's left in horrified shock for most of the rest of the episode.
30	* NotQuiteDead: Alfred barely survived being stabbed by Bruce thanks to the Lazarus Pit.
31	* OffscreenTeleportation: In the second Bruce is off screen in his not-quite-Batman balaclava, he goes from the street to a rooftop several stories up, all without any apparent gadgetry.
32	* PetTheDog: There was no reason for Ra's to tell Bruce how to save Alfred, but he does it anyway.
33	* TheProphecy: Ra's vaguely quotes one when saying Bruce will be his heir.
34	* RageBreakingPoint: Given Selina's fickle nature of being there for Bruce and then not being there, it's only natural Bruce would finally snap at her. In turn, given Bruce's nature of being insensitive (and oblivious) to Selina's very real pain, it makes sense that Selina would tell him she's had enough.
35	* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Butch gives one to Barbara. [[ShutUpHannibal It doesn't end]] [[BoomHeadshot well]].
36	* SeriesFauxnale: Given that the whole point of this series is to set up the familiar Batman mythos, this episode certainly feels like a conclusion -- {{Canon Foreigner}}s are either KilledOffForReal or designated as a CanonCharacterAllAlong, Penguin has regained his position as chief villain in the city and is opening his famous Iceberg Lounge, Selina is undertaking the journey towards becoming ComicBook/{{Catwoman}}, Gordon is more dedicated than ever to being a good cop, and finally, Bruce is now acting as a vigilante, complete with a proto-Batsuit.
37	* VillainExitStageLeft: Ra's pulls a disappearing act after concluding his business with Bruce.
38	* WeaponBasedCharacterization: Selina finally takes up her comic counterpart's iconic whip. She and Tabitha are both surprised at her natural talent for it.

Context Recap / GothamS3E22Heavydirtysoul