A/N: Happy Gotham Series Finale! I'm writing this Author Note way ahead of time, since I know I'll probably be bawling after the episode, and I'd like to take this time while I'm not in hysterics to thank Gotham for all it's done for me. Gotham is, and forever will be, my favorite show. Seeing David and Camren grow up and watching their characters change and develop over the years is what encouraged me to finally take up writing on here. In fact, this story debuted exactly one year ago on April 25th, 2018. On Roles Reversed's first birthday, Season 5 concludes. Through a year, we've made it through two Seasons of the show and debuted the third. This experience has been one of my favorites of my life, and it's all because of you reading it. So thank you Gotham and thank you Gothamites for making all of this possible. I can't tell you in words how much this experience means to me and how much its changed my life.
But I'm not done yet, not even close. We still have three seasons of content to go through and a lot of mysteries to unravel. So here's Chapter 33, the first chapter of Roles Reversed Season Three: Mad City! Hope you enjoy!
Six Months Later
Bruce was running across the rooftops of the theatre district. Being a seasoned street kid, he knew that running on a wet night like that one could be dangerous, but the danger of it was what made it fun.
He leapt onto a raised ledge of a building and took in the full view of Downtown Gotham. Breathing in the smoggy air from down below, he descended from his perch, dropping down onto the awning of a storefront and then down to the streets below.
He grinned. It was Friday night, a perfect time to hunt.
Or, at least, three years ago it would've been.
Nowadays, the city streets were barren by dusk. Ever since Strange's monsters had been let loose out of Arkham, the city had gone crazy. People were terrified to go out at night, especially in the Narrows where most of the sightings occurred. For a pickpocket, empty streets spelled disaster.
Luckily for Bruce, he was no pickpocket.
Not anymore.
Nowadays, he hunted much larger, more dangerous prey than old ladies with overstuffed grocery bags.
His police radio (which he'd 'borrowed' off a cop three months earlier) went off on his belt.
He picked it up to his mouth, asking, "What do we got?"
From the other end, Ted replied, "Break-in at the Mishkin Pharmacy on Queen and 2nd. One of Strange's monsters."
"Thanks for the tip, Officer," Bruce teased.
Ted groaned from the other side. "Just get over there. I gotta report it to Barnes within the minute. Thought I'd give you a head start. Be careful."
Bruce scoffed. "Aren't I always?"
He smiled to himself as he tore off down the street.
And so the hunt began.
He reached the storefront relatively quickly, taking cover behind a nearby van as he studied the store. The front door had been knocked off inward clean off its hinges. Other than that, everything seemed quiet, calm even.
Then, a dude in a doctor's coat got thrown through a window.
The next thing he knew, a giant, hulking figure of a man came lumbering out of the store, his gaze locked on pharmacist. Bruce's blood ran cold. He recognized this one.
Easily seven feet tall, inhumanly muscular, spikes sticking out of his arms, chest, and back…
Bruce started to emerge from his hiding place, ready to charge the beast and protect the man, but someone else cut in.
"Hey!" another man barked, emerging from the darkness of a nearby alleyway.
Bruce recognized his voice and inwardly groaned. What was Jim Gordon doing here? He never patrolled this far south of Midtown.
Gordon flicked open what looked like an extendable police baton. He asked the beast, "Any chance you want to come quietly?"
The monster simply snarled in return.
Gordon shrugged in defeat, charging the beast. He swung his police baton at the monster's head, but it simply bounced off. It stared Gordon down, grabbing him by the shoulders and tossing him a dozen feet through the air. He almost cleared the whole of Queen Street before managing to roll to a stop.
Bruce stood and leaned up against the van, quipping, "You got this one, Gordon?"
Jim whipped around in surprise. "Bruce? What're you doing here?"
"Same as you," Bruce responded, standing upright and starting towards the monster.
"Careful," Jim warned. "It's strong."
"Yeah, we've met before," Bruce told him, breaking into a full sprint as he charged the beast.
The monster seemed surprised, swinging a lazy punch off its back foot as Bruce came within range.
That was its first mistake, as well as its last one.
Bruce dodged the slow-developing blow, leaving his feet and dropkicking the monster in its left knee. Its leg gave out, but Bruce caught the monster mid-fall, wrapping his arm around the beast's neck and throwing a knee into its head.
Bruce smirked to himself.
Game over.
He tightened his grip around the monster's neck, kicked out its other leg, and fell backwards, slamming the monster's head into the pavement.
Bruce climbed to his feet, sighing contently as he admired his handiwork. He stepped over the monster's unconscious body, helping the pharmacist to his feet and asking if he was alright.
The man simply stared at him, and then turned and ran off screaming.
Bruce chuckled to himself, reaching for his radio, changing the frequency and asking, "Floyd, you there?"
"Yup. Where you at?" Floyd Lawton asked.
"Corner of Queen and 2nd, I took down a big one."
"One monster-mover is on its way to your location," Floyd quipped as the line went dead.
Bruce walked over to the monster, lightly tapping it in the face with his shoe to make sure it was unconscious.
He looked up at Gordon who was shaking his head in disbelief. "Hey, Bruce."
"Hey, yourself," Bruce responded, taking a seat on the monster's chest. "How ya doing?"
Gordon sighed. "Not great. Someone keeps stealing all my bounties."
Bruce cocked an eyebrow, defensively saying, "Hey, you're way out of your territory. I got dibs," he said, patting the monster below him.
Gordon smirked and asked, "How are you doing, Bruce?"
He shrugged. "Chillin." He sighed. "I just gotta say, it's still weird seeing you without the badge."
Jim shook his head, leaning up against a lamppost. "No, I'm done with all that."
Bruce nodded. "Good on you, Gordon, sticking it to the man. The hell have they ever done for you?"
"Well actu–"
"Nothing!" Bruce interrupted. "I say screw 'em. If you ever need work, let me know. I know a guy."
Jim nodded slowly, drawling, "I'll keep that in mind. But…doesn't your brother work there now?"
Bruce scoffed, a knowing smirk dancing on his lips. "Yeah, I guess you could call it that."
"What would you call it?" Gordon asked.
"I call it getting leads on these things and splitting the profits," Bruce told him, patting his monster-seat again.
From down the road, the roaring of a truck's engine reverberated off the tight walls of the street's buildings.
"About time…" Bruce muttered, standing up off of the monster as Floyd pulled up.
Bruce let down the truck bed and pulled out the end of the truck's winch, wrapping the rope tightly around the monster's body. Floyd turned on the retracting-mechanism, slowly but surely pulling the monster onto the back of their truck. His feet were still hanging out the back, but it was good enough for now. The precinct wasn't too far.
Bruce wiped off his hands and turned to Gordon, saying, "Well, thanks for the help, but I'll be claiming this one since, ya know, you got your ass handed to you."
Gordon nodded and smiled good-naturedly. "Fine, as long as you don't mention this to anyone."
Bruce shook his head in mock confusion. "Mention what?"
Jim nodded. "Out of curiosity, how many does that one make for you?"
Bruce smirked. "Nine."
Jim shook his head in disbelief. "Wow, nine of those in six months. Not doing too bad, are you son?"
Bruce shrugged. "Keeping the lights on."
Jim sighed. "Well, you should probably get going before it wakes up. Good luck, Bruce."
Bruce nodded, climbing into Floyd's truck. "See ya, Gordon."
The engine roared to life and Floyd took off down the street. Bruce smiled to himself as they drove through the near-empty city, staring out the window and up at the night sky.
Floyd noticed his almost goofy expression. "What's up with you?" he asked, waving his hand in front of Bruce's face.
Bruce rolled his eyes, his persistent grin refusing to back down. "Nothing. Gordon just reminded me of something."
Floyd cocked an eyebrow. "What?"
Bruce was practically beaming. "It's been six months."
Alfred fiddled with the lock on the front door of Wayne Manor, finally managing to push the door open. The house was dead quiet, a light layer of dust covering everything and anything with a smooth surface. It looked abandoned, like it hadn't been lived in for months.
Alfred huffed, returning his keys to his inner coat pocket. "I take it Mr. Kyle didn't take you up on the offer then?"
Selina shook her head, half-heartedly mumbling, "Guess not." She wasn't really listening, her full attention turned to the drafty hallway leading into the Manor. The place felt…different. It was her home, she'd grown up here, but she felt like she was looking at it all from a different angle.
Maybe it was just a result of living somewhere else for six months. Maybe it was just because she'd gotten taller since she'd left.
She wandered through the house as Alfred brought in their bags. She glimpsed into the kitchen, remembering the time when she'd stolen Alfred's keys to the 'Secret Room' that she was now so acquainted with. She walked upstairs, tracing her fingers along the dusty railing as she went. It was where she'd learned how to balance, how to conquer any fear of heights by embracing it. She strolled down the hallway, ending up in her father's study. She couldn't count the number of memories she had in that room, ranging from some of her all-time favorites to some that kept her up at night.
This place was filled with her history, her life. This was her home. So what was wrong with it?
She walked over to her father's desk. Even if she'd repurposed the room to suit her research into Wayne Enterprises, she'd never had the heart to change a thing about his desk. She traced her finger along a gash in the mahogany. That was where Galavan, or Azrael or whatever he called himself, nearly decapitated her when he attacked the Manor. Less than a foot to the right sat a framed photograph. It was a simple picture, three people, a man, woman, and little girl, all smiling. None of them had a care in the world.
"Well, that should be the last of it," Alfred announced as he bustled into the study, wiping his dusty hands off on his pants. "I put the kettle on. There's nothing like a sweet cup of tea to make home feel like home after a long trip away."
Selina didn't respond. Her gaze was locked on the happy family in the photograph.
"You all right?" Alfred asked, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.
She sighed, placing the photo back down on the table. "Were we right to leave, Alfred?" she asked. "Stay away all this time?"
"Well, considering the appalling sight of the topiary, I should say absolutely bloody not," he joked.
"Alfred, you know what I mean," she stated sharply.
He sighed. "I know you know why we left."
"We had to leave," she practically whispered.
"You're nervous about tomorrow, aren't you?" Alfred guessed. She nodded. "Well, you wouldn't be human if you weren't. So why don't you sit down, take a pew. Pop your feet up, and I'll see about that lovely cup of tea. All right?"
Selina nodded. "Okay. Thank you, Alfred."
Bruce found Butch sitting at the bar of the Sirens Club. He'd already downed two glasses before Bruce even reached him, and he noted how much Butch was staring across the club at Tabby.
He'd heard the news. Everyone in the Underworld had.
He strolled over to where Butch was sitting, patting him on the shoulder and sitting down next to him. "You okay, Butch?" he asked, holding up a hand when the bartender asked if he wanted anything to drink. "World getting you down?"
Gilzean sighed. "Yeah, I'm fine, kid. Word to the wise: don't screw up relationships if you can help it. You'll regret it."
Bruce slowly nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."
Gilzean gave him a second glance and furrowed his brow, saying, "You're too young to be in here. Scram."
Bruce rolled his eyes. "Jeesh. Just trying to be nice."
He got up to walk away, already fingering through Gilzean's wallet. He may not be a full-time pickpocket anymore, but it was still a hobby. He was almost to the door when a rough, boney hand latched onto his arm, pulling him to a screeching halt.
His free hand shot behind his jacket to his lower back, his fingers already around the handle of his knife when he realized who had stopped him.
"Oh, hey, Penguin," he drawled, letting go of his knife as Penguin let go of his arm. "How ya doing?"
Cobblepot smiled at him, saying, "Quite well, thank you. And how are you doing, Bruce? How's business?"
Bruce shrugged. "Its fine. What do you want?"
Cobblepot sighed, asking, "Can I not simply have a conversation with one of my former employees?"
Bruce cocked an eyebrow, stating, "I haven't worked for you in almost a year. What do you want, Penguin?"
Cobblepot relented, saying, "Fine. I've been meaning to speak with you about a job opportunity, a position in my empire."
Bruce sighed, shaking his head. "No thanks. I'm good."
Penguin shook his head, clearly bewildered by being told no so quickly. "You haven't even heard my offer yet," he stammered.
Bruce shrugged. "Don't need to. I'm already working for someone else. Thanks for the offer though." He started to walk away, throwing over his shoulder, "And good luck on your hunt for Mooney."
Gilzean stepped out in front of him, blocking his path. Bruce glared up at him, having half a mind to simply go through Penguin's head of security.
But was beating up Butch really worth making a scene?
He sighed, turning back around as Penguin asked, "Have you heard anything about Miss Mooney's whereabouts?"
Bruce shook his head. "Nah, she's not worth my time."
Penguin furrowed his brow, asking, "Don't you hunt down Strange's monsters?"
Bruce nodded. "Yeah, but Fish Mooney isn't just some monster. And five grand sure as hell ain't enough to go after someone like her."
Penguin stared at him, the cogs clearly churning away in his head. He slowly nodded, saying, "I'll keep that in mind."
"Cool," Bruce stated. "Now, are you gonna tell your monkey to move, or am I gonna have to do it?" he asked, nodding to Gilzean behind him.
Penguin worked his jaw from side to side, barking, "Butch, let Mr. Kyle out please."
Gilzean stepped out of the way and Bruce walked out of the club, tossing Butch his empty wallet as he left.
Selina sat in the lobby of the Wayne Enterprises Penthouse, waiting to be invited into the boardroom. They were separated from the members by only a wall of glass, and Selina could feel their eyes boring into her. Her stomach was churning in anticipation.
"You all right, Miss Wayne?" Alfred finally asked.
Selina nodded. "Hungry. I should've eaten."
Finally, the door to the board room opened and they were beckoned inside.
Selina pulled her suit jacket closed, determined to look as professional and unfazed as possible in the midst of the vipers. She wore a simple black pant suit, an elegant off-white lace top with a v-neckline, and black heels to add to her height.
She turned to Alfred, whispering, "I do this, there's no turning back."
"No, there isn't," he agreed. "So you say your piece. We'll see about getting you a proper breakfast, all right?"
Selina nodded, turning away from Alfred and confidently marching towards the room. Her heels clacked sharply on the ground, thereby bringing every pair of eyes in the room to her as she entered. She held her head up high, looking past the secretary as if she didn't even exist. She entered the board room, looking every member dead in the eyes before finally sitting down at the head of the table.
She didn't speak immediately, choosing instead to prolong the tense silence as she scanned the room again.
When she was good and ready, she started the meeting. She spoke clearly and concisely, saying, "I'd like to thank the board for giving me this time. It will come as no surprise I'd like to talk about Indian Hill." She let the silence stir for a moment, and then continued, "I know preliminary investigations have concluded Hugo Strange acted alone. I call bullshit."
A low surprised muttering passed through the room.
Before anyone else could jump in, she continued, "While trapped in Indian Hill, I was led to believe an unnamed group had taken control of my company, and it was they who hired Hugo Strange. I left Gotham both for my own safety and so that I might have the time to discover hard evidence of their existence."
She paused again, letting the board soak in her words. And in the midst of the silence, someone laughed.
Selina turned to him, her eyes burning.
The dictionary definition of the word 'cuck' was just a picture of this guy.
"A conspiracy theory?" he asked belligerently. "That's why we're all here?"
He chuckled again, but Selina didn't back down. Instead she sat up in her chair, saying, "I'm sorry, sir, I don't remember your name. Or perhaps I never knew it…"
"Crowley," he answered flatly, clearly not appreciating Selina's words of belittlement.
"Mr. Crowley, get out."
Crowley's eyebrows shot up his forehead. "What did you just say to me?" he asked, leaning forwards in confrontation.
"I said, get out," Selina stated. "You're fired. Security will escort you from the premises."
Crowley stared at her in utter shock. A pair of security guards entered and stood behind him. He slowly stood from the table and walked away, utter bewilderment plastered on his face.
When the door closed, Selina continued as if nothing had happened, saying, "I know how it sounds. But I now have proof they exist. And I can tell you that they're here. In this room." She paused, taking another moment to stare down the members of the Board. Then, she abruptly stood from her chair, buttoning up her jacket and telling them, "I want to talk face to face with each of you, exempting Mr. Crowley of course. You have twenty four hours to contact me, or the information that I've gathered will be sent to every newspaper and television station in Gotham." She gave a polite smile. "Thank you for your time."
She turned from the table and strode away, loudly asking Alfred, "Who's my next appointment?"
"The governor, Miss Wayne," Alfred replied as the doors closed, making sure the Board heard them. When they were clear of earshot, Alfred added, "Either him or Mr. Kyle."
Selina smiled ear to ear. "The governor can wait."
She found him on the roof of the Sionis Building, a regular meeting point they'd set up back when she lived with him in the Narrows. She took the elevator up to the top floor, and then took the short staircase to the roof. She opened the roof-access door and stepped out onto gravel floor.
There he was.
Bruce was sitting on the edge of the building, his legs dangling over the twelve story drop. He turned when the door closed, standing up from the ledge.
They both paused for a moment, studying each other.
"Hi," she said hesitantly.
"Hi," he replied.
Then, Selina charged him, throwing her arms around his neck. He lifted her clean off her feet, his arms latched around her waist.
"Hey, Cat," he mumbled into her shoulder.
"Hey, B," she murmured, sighing contently as she relaxed into his arms.
They stood there for what felt like a short eternity, neither moving a muscle.
During that time, it dawned on Selina what had been missing from the Manor. What had been missing from her memories. She and Bruce had stolen Alfred's keys. He had been the one who taught her how to overcome her fear of heights. All those memories from her father's study, the good and the bad, almost all of them revolved around him.
Finally, Selina let go, stepping back to arm's length and getting her first good look at him.
So…she'd gotten taller over the past six months, but he looked like a completely different person. Before, he'd always been skinny and fit, maybe a bit long and lanky but always athletic. Now, he was starting to resemble Ted's build. He was less bulky than his older brother, but the change that had occurred in six months was almost unbelievable.
He was examining her, too. If he hadn't gotten taller over the past six months, Selina probably would've caught up to him. She'd let her curls grow out so they occasionally grazed the tops of her shoulders. Other than her leather jacket, she was wearing an outfit he'd never seen before. Had she gone to the Flea without him? He almost felt hurt at the thought.
"Wow…" she muttered, blatantly looking him up and down without an ounce of shame.
He flashed a small grin, cheekily replying, "Right back at ya."
She rolled her eyes. "So, how did…this happen?" she asked, gesturing to all of him.
He shrugged. "More training, better diet, all the works."
She shook her head. "Well the works worked," she said, lightly punching him in the chest, earning a smile. "Bet it helps with 'night shifts', huh? What does Ted think?"
He cocked an eyebrow and shook his head. "Man…you really have been gone for a while," he said, chuckling at her.
"You know…" Selina muttered as she finished off her plate of pancakes. "I can't picture Ted joining the GCPD. It just doesn't seem like him."
Bruce shrugged, licking the syrup off his fingers. "That's what I said. But having a man on the inside makes my job easier, so I'm not complaining."
She cocked an eyebrow, leaning up on her elbows attentively. "What kind of job?"
He nodded out the window, saying, "I've been hunting down Strange's monsters, at least, the ones dumb enough to stay in Gotham. It's good money, too, five grand a pop. I already caught nine."
She shook her head. "You're insane, you know that, right?"
He shrugged. "What else is new?"
She laughed. "That's fair…"
They fell into a content silence, Bruce cleaning off his plate as Selina absentmindedly stirred around the ice in her cup.
She sighed. "Bruce…do you remember what we found that night in Indian Hill, what Strange implied?"
"You mean the secret, faceless group that infiltrated your company and tried to kill you and that you left Gotham for six months to research?" he asked. "Nah, must've missed that part."
She rolled her eyes. "Well, I have a plan to smoke them out." Bruce nodded and she continued, "I had a meeting with the Board of Directors this morning. I told them I have hard evidence that they exist and I'll send it to every major media source in Gotham if they don't contact me first."
He nodded. "That's…bold," he said slowly, a mix of pride and worry dancing in his eyes. "So, what are you telling me for?"
She sighed, returning her gaze to the melting ice in her cup. "These people are powerful. We need to assume that they know we're friends. I need you to be careful."
Bruce got a cocky grin. "Aren't I always?"
"Bruce, this is serious," she stated.
He nodded. "I know. I'll be safe, Selina. I promise. But…if I'm being honest, I don't think anything could surprise me at this point. Secret societies, monsters, bears in Midtown…"
"Bears?" she asked.
He shook his head. "Don't ask."
She laughed again, thoroughly enjoying his company. She sighed, telling him, "I'm really sorry about leaving for so long, Bruce. I really wanted to contact you, but–"
"Selina," he started, cutting her off and placing one of his hands on hers, "it's fine. I'm fine. We're fine. Besides, I've had a lot to do recently."
His phone went off in his jacket which was strewn over the back of the booth.
For a split second, Selina was met with a simple choice: take hold of his hand before he moved it, or let him grab his phone. It was stupid and insignificant, but in hindsight she should've chosen the former. Instead, she let the opportunity pass.
He ruffled through his jacket, pulling out his phone and reading a text.
He sighed sadly and her heart drooped. She already knew what he was about to say.
"I have to go," he told her, closing his phone and slipping it into his pocket. He stood from the table, grabbing his jacket as he did so. She noticed a flash of metal as the jacket slipped from the booth to his hand.
"What's that?" she asked, nodding to the jacket.
He opened the jacket fully, letting her see the object inside. It was a knife, not a switchblade but a full, solid knife. The design of it was old and elegant, the blade itself clear of any red stains. It was beautiful, yet terrifying.
"Where'd you get that?" she asked, suddenly transfixed on the dagger.
He shrugged, pulling on the jacket. "Did a job for a guy. The knife was part of the reward. What about you? You still have your knife?"
She smiled, pulling it halfway out of her coat sleeve. "Never leave home without it."
He grinned, bending over and saying, "Atta girl," before planting a light kiss on her temple. "I'll call you later. We can hang out or something."
She nodded. "Okay. I'd like that."
He nodded, walking off out of the diner.
She glanced at the table where he'd slyly left money for the meal, knowing her stance on paying for things since she was a billionaire. Along with it was a small slip of paper. She unraveled it and found ten numbers, his phone number.
She smiled.
Physical transformation or not, he was the same Bruce Kyle as he'd always been. Nothing had changed. She didn't need to worry.
Selina sat in the study, watching Alfred bustle around. He closed all the windows and locked all the doors in preparation for the night.
"Right, once this alarm is set, Miss Wayne, no coming downstairs till the morning, is that clear?" Alfred asked.
"Yes, but was a new alarm system really necessary?" she asked.
"I don't know. Was it really necessary offering a challenge to a shadowy cabal?" he retorted. "Yes, it was necessary, Miss Wayne."
She sighed, walking off down the hallway to her bedroom. She knew Alfred was just trying to keep her safe, but she could fend for herself now. She didn't need him to go through all this trouble.
If someone wanted to get at her, she'd give them a hell of a time doing it.
She pulled her knife from her sleeve, flicking it open and absentmindedly twirling it around in her fingers. As she reached her door, she paused and listened.
There was a 'CRASH!' in the study.
"ALFRED!" she screamed as she sprinted back to her father's study. She whipped around the corner, searching for the cause of the noise.
Ice ran down her spine.
Alfred was on the ground, unmoving, and man in a mask was standing over him. She recognized the mask. It was black, covered the man's whole head, and its designs greatly resembled an owl's eyes and beak. Yet, it didn't seem like the man who she'd seen before, back when they'd found Pinewood Farms with Karen Jennings. This one was shorter, leaner, and his body armor was covered with a long, black cloak.
Either way, he was staring right at her, a long, wicked blade extruding from his wrist and shimmering in the low moonlight.
She raised her own blade, preparing to defend Alfred with her life.
The man simply raised his hand, saying in a clear and eloquent voice, "Drop the knife and he lives."
Selina faltered. Every nerve in her body was screaming at her to drop the knife, but what if she did? Who was to stop this guy from charging her? How would she stop him if she was unarmed?
"Drop it?" Selina asked. "Fine." She threw the knife at the intruder, her target the dead-center of his chest.
In a millisecond, the intruder dodged the blade, leapt away from Alfred, and descended on her, knocking her off her feet and wrapping an arm around her neck. She struggled against him, scratching and clawing at his wrist and then his face. She got hold of his mask just as the man's hand came down on her mouth. He was holding a white cloth.
Selina realized what was happening far too late. She breathed in, inhaling the raw chloroform powder. Everything started to go fuzzy as her vision started to fade away. She was so tired…
In a last ditch effort to defend herself, she yanked down on the mask, pulling it clean off the intruder's head.
She wished she hadn't. A million thoughts and emotions rushed through her as she drifted into unconsciousness, fear and confusion being the most common of them. But she knew one thing for sure.
As her world faded into blackness, Bruce Kyle was staring down at her.
A/N: And so it begins. I'd like to say that I'm going to make A LOT of changes to Season 3. Like, a lot, a lot. It's personally my least favorite of the five seasons of Gotham, and I think they missed a huge opportunity for a very particular event that I've teased a bit already but I'm not gonna spoil here, so be ready. Shit's gonna go down. Anyways, as always, thank you for your continued support and if you'd be so kind as to Review, it would be very much appreciated! Thanks for reading and ciao for now!
The following is my Review and closing thoughts on the final episode of Gotham:
Can I just say…WOW. This was all I could've asked for and then some! THANK YOU GOTHAM! I'm so, so glad we got a final, concluding season, especially with Disney buying out Fox. It's really a miracle that we got to see any of this, and other fandoms weren't as lucky. BUT WE WERE! AND HOLY MOTHER MARY WAS IT GOOD! I take back that thing I said about being sad it's over because, honestly, it couldn't have ended better. Every loose end was tied up, Selina and Bruce came to a peace, and Bruce is the motherfucking Batman. How could it have ended better?
As for the recasting of Selina, I was originally upset that they didn't let Camren finish off what she started. Then, I read her explanation of what happened, how she volunteered to be recast, and I made peace with it. Then, I saw Lili freaking Simmons perform, and all I could see was an older Camren. Just wow! She pulled off the character so effortlessly, and I honestly think that she and Camren might be the best Catwoman live-action representation since Michelle Pfeiffer, maybe even better! Bravo! And the scene with Bruce I was just gushing with emotions ranging from anger to remorse to full on joy when he said, "I'll never leave Gotham again." And the smile on her face, just…there are some things only an actor can do, things you can't write. Absolutely loved it.
As for Batman: I've never gotten chills so many times in an episode for the whole of this series. When I saw the teaser scene of Selina breaking in and stealing the diamond and Bruce watching over her, all I could think was that this version of Batman was going to blow the doors off. And I was not disappointed. And then throughout the episode as they teased us over and over and over again first just hearing him move after Selina stole the diamond, then seeing his arms and hearing him call out to Gordon, then seeing him escape through the window with the smoke grenade, then seeing the fear of God he put into Penguin and Riddler, then seeing him finally beat Jeremiah (WHO THEY NEVER CALLED JOKER WTF IS THIS?!) and saved Barbara Lee, then (once again) the scene with him and Selina which was simply flawless, and then finally seeing the full on Batman in all of his glory…just wow. I gotta say, I get some serious George Clooney vibes from it, but I also kinda dig the retro look for this setting.
And then, the final GOTHAM title card with the bat in the background. Do I even need to say how epic that was? That will be my screensaver on my laptop for a long time to come (as soon as someone puts it on the internet which has probably already happened).
So, in conclusion, all I can say is thank you, Gotham. Thank you, Gotham, for taking us on such a wild ride of a story. Thank you, Gotham, for giving us some of the best interpretations of these characters ever in a live action setting. Thank you, Gotham, for inspiring me to finally bite the bullet and publish my first ever story on this site. Thank you, Gotham, for surviving through the dog-eat-dog world that is Hollywood and delivering us one of the best Seasons of the whole series. Thank you, Gotham, for sticking by both your fans and your actors alike. Thank you, Gotham, for bringing Cameron Monaghan back from the dead, twice. Thank you, Gotham, for never forgetting what you are: a Batman origin story. And thank you, Gotham, for giving us The Batman.
Our Monday/Thursday nights will never be the same without you, but your memory will live on in us, the Gothamites, those who stood by the show and its characters through the good moments and the many, many bad ones. We love you, Gotham.
May Season 6 live on forever in our hearts and our pens.
So, thank you Gotham and farewell.
Love,
-Jak
