The Great Gotham Rewatch

A blog that will post/reblog meta, fanfic recommendations, fanvid links, polls, etc related to a different episode of Gotham each week beginning in June. Will probably focus mainly on Oswald and Ed due to personal interest, but friendly to all characters and ships.

[thegreatgothamrewatch]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

xhorizon and I collaborated on a project for the Blaine Big Bang 2020. Glee was my first fandom, and I never got the chance to contribute to it so this was fun. She wrote this awesome story, and I created these three illustrations for it. 

Hug Scene (from Chapter 3)

Club Scene (from Chapter 5)

Blaine and Sebastian Talk (from Chapter 7)

[bonniebugsy]

[redlanterns]

lemme reestablish my brand real quick: its riddlebird but not that gotham nygmobblepot stuff. just the good, old fashioned, dumb, middle aged idiots pining after each other because they can carry on intellectual conversation together. both of them look kinda weird but they both think the other is a beacon of otherworldly beauty. theyre both obsessive and kinda odd but like that about each other. they rob a bank together not because they need the money but because its fun and they want to spend time together. and they shouldve kissed in Gotham Underground.

[schemingminor]

Petition for deeper Riddlebird plot and kiss in the Gotham Underground animated movie for the future. Come on DC if you can do the things you did to animated Hush you can give us this.

[thegreatgothamrewatch]

Petition to combine Gotham Underground with Lovebird, but with PI Riddler in the Dovina Partridge role. 

[connerluthorkent]

Headcanon: Gotham’s Ed has Borderline Personality Disorder. 

The 9 symptoms of BPD are listed as follows:

Fear of abandonment. 

Not the highest ranked on this list, but, not without its’ moments:

Unstable relationships. 

“People with BPD tend to have relationships that are intense and short-lived. You may fall in love quickly, believing that each new person is the one who will make you feel whole, only to be quickly disappointed. Your relationships either seem perfect or horrible, without any middle ground. Your lovers, friends, or family members may feel like they have emotional whiplash as a result of your rapid swings from idealization to devaluation, anger, and hate.” 

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Not to be glib, but in the immortal words of Teen Wolf, “If one’s an incident, two’s a coincidence, and three’s a pattern, what’s four?”

Unclear or shifting self-image. 

“Sometimes you may feel good about yourself, but other times you hate yourself, or even view yourself as evil.”  

Also obviously a symptom of Dissociative Identity Disorder, but BPD and/or the symptoms of BPD can be concurrent with DID.

Also, intriguingly: “As a result, you may frequently change jobs, friends, lovers, religion, values, goals, or even sexual identity.” I’m a bit dubious about the inclusion of sexuality here, as the medicalization of sexual orientation is :/, but, still, interesting for Ed’s character on the whole. 

Impulsive, self-destructive behaviors. 

“If you have BPD, you may engage in harmful, sensation-seeking behaviors, especially when you’re upset. You may impulsively spend money you can’t afford, binge eat, drive recklessly, shoplift, engage in risky sex, or overdo it with drugs or alcohol.”

Self-harm/Suicidal behavior. 

Goes without saying, unfortunately. :( 

Extreme emotional swings. 

I would argue Ed has three very disparate default emotional modes: righteous anger, cold indifference, and manic glee, and he spends much of his time cycling through all three in quick succession.   

Chronic feelings of emptiness. 

This one is a bit more intangible, but much of Ed’s motivation as a character seems to stem from increasingly desperate ploys for attention, particularly so he can feel like he’s somebody, like he’s somebody important. He is motivated by insecurity, and frequently internalizes disparaging, dismissive comments made about him (see Oswald’s: “When I met you, you were a nervous, jittery loser. You were nothing. I created Edward Nygma…!” and Ed’s subsequent desperate attempts to prove that he can exist independently from Oswald.) 

Explosive anger.

“If you have BPD, you may struggle with intense anger and a short temper. You may also have trouble controlling yourself once the fuse is lit—yelling, throwing things, or becoming completely consumed by rage. It’s important to note that this anger isn’t always directed outwards. You may spend a lot of time feeling angry at yourself.”

Feeling suspicious or out of touch with reality. 

Also: “People with BPD often struggle with paranoia or suspicious thoughts about others’ motives.”

Not to suggest that suspicion is totally without merit, just…Ed’s continued dogged paranoia about Oswald’s motivations (even frequently after he’s proven very little interest in betraying Ed) perhaps makes more sense in this context.  

Also, like with DID, people with BPD are often victims of child abuse, like Ed’s comics canon backstory. 

Long post is long, but there’s my evidence for why Ed’s character can be read as having BPD. For me, interpreting his character through that lens actually sheds some light on some of his behavior throughout the series (and by no means is meant to discredit other interpretations of his character, as Ed very apparently has DID, and I would also argue reads as autistic as well). 

(source: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-disorders/borderline-personality-disorder.htm) 

[connerluthorkent]

#another example of paranoia might be him assuming Jim knew about Kristen’s murder perhaps? (@littlehollyleaf)

I didn’t even think of that, but you’re absolutely right! Definite paranoia, as Jim did not suspect Ed at all. 

[thegreatgothamrewatch]

I second all of this and have more to add!

So you mention “fear of abandonment” as “not the highest ranked on this list, but, not without its’ moments”

Now, fear of abandonment is one of the most important characteristics of BPD, however, I think Ed has more moments than you give him credit for.

With BPD, fear of abandonment goes way beyond getting mad at someone who is planning on leaving you, or even some paranoia over someone running late (although those are all great examples). Someone with BPD is frequently terrified that the people they care about will leave them, and look for evidence everywhere.

I can’t find the link right now, but I read an article by a woman with BPD who said she burned pictures of her and her boyfriend along with a collection of gifts he’d given her and peed on his apartment floor because he didn’t want to have sex that night.

This behavior was part of her abandonment issues. To her not being ‘in the mood’ = he’s losing interest in me and will leave me. If this is how BPD affects a normal person, it makes sense that Oswald killing Isabella and Lee saying “this is the end of the road for us” would drive Ed - who clearly has low empathy - to kill.

I think if we dig a little deeper into Ed’d character we can find numerous examples of rejection paranoia. But first, a few other items of note.

You bring up his hallucinations under “unclear/shifting self-image” but I would also point out that BPD sufferers have reported hallucinations as a symptom.

“While BPD has an emphasis on emotional dysregulation, many of us also experience debilitating forms of psychosis, including delusions, hallucinations and heavy disassociation. In fact, disassociation is one of the hallmarks of BPD...  ...examining yourself from an external point of view in order to escape stressful situations.”

“Stress related paranoia and dissociative symptoms: Hallucinations are terrifying and very hard to deal with. Although my hallucinations tend to be few and far between, the dissociative symptoms are common.”

Also:

“Usually I’m okay,” she told Dr. Gray. “But there’s another side that takes over and controls me. I’m a good mother. But my other side makes me a whore; it makes me act crazy!”

(2010-10-24T23:58:59). I Hate You--Don't Leave Me . Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Ed also tracks with the tendency for BPD individuals to have unstable career paths. In Season 1 he frequently gets in trouble at work, including getting suspended. In Season 2 his criminality lose him his job and his freedom. In Season 3 he rises to become Oswald’s Cheif of Staff, then goes off on his Riddler adventures, then tags along with Barbara before betraying her. In Season 4 he has his show in the Narrows, then works for Lee, then helps Oswald, then has a different show in the Narrows, then partners with Lee, then dies. And so on...

Okay, let’s look a little deeper at Ed. Let’s take it one relationship at a time:

Kristen

Now, their romantic relationship only lasted a few weeks at most, so not a lot of time for BPD symptoms to manifest, but in their professional relationship there was already evidence of “splitting”, where someone with BPD mentally divides their perception of a loved one between a perfect person they adore and a bad person they hate. 

Ed mostly has the former perception of Kristen, but there are a couple instances where he is mad at her, especially the Season 1 finale where he rants to himself about how she “treats [him] like dirt” while literally splitting between his own personalities on screen. And of course, their first date where his alter-ego berates him for messing up (“you blew it, dummy”). Classic example of fear of rejection.

Isabella

Their relationship was even shorter, but since it usually takes a few weeks for someone’s BPD symptomes to manifest in a relationship, the intense and idealized view he had of her is consistent with the disorder. And he constantly worries he will mess up their relationship. In 3x07 he worries she will leave him over his past crimes, and in 3x08 he worries he will hurt/kill her and lose her.

Lee

 This relationship definitely shows signs of splitting and fear of abandonment. Their relationship starts off rocky in Season 4. Ed thinks highly of Lee as a doctor, but they argue over her leadership decisions.  

He calls her “magnificent” in 4x12, then says she can’t handle taking on Sofia in 4x15. He doesn’t seem very angry with her over her dishonesty in 4x10, but expresses a deep sense of betrayal over it in 4x17. Once their romantic relationship begins, he constantly worries she is less invested. In 4x19 he asks if she’s “leading [him] on” and flips from being supportive to angry at the idea he’s attached to her, to declaring he’s fine with her using him because he likes her anyway and they have a special connection. Then in 4x20, he’s back to warning her to not “just wrap [him] around [her] finger”.  Then spends the entirety of the finale worried she likes Jim better, culminating in their deadly confrontation. 

I could pick apart how the way he talks about Lee and their relationship maps perfectly onto the way someone with BPD would be expected to. One example is their conversation at the beginning of 4x19. Ed’s “what am I to you” clearly shows fear of abandonment, and before that he shows passive-aggressive “delicate anger”. Dr. Kreisman describes this as “‘constructive’ criticism, sarcastic comments, belittling of ambitions and achievements”.  Ed does exactly this with his speculation about how the people of the Narrows will spend their cash.

Oswald

This relationship could be analyzed through this lens forever, but I’ll try to be brief. Obviously, his fanboyish attitude in mid-Season 2 tracks well with idealization. I would also point to 3x17 where he argues with himself about whether Oswald will betray him to Jim (”he’s my friend” “you idiot... ...odds of Penguin telling Gordon: also 80 percent”) as fear of abandonment. 

The one-step-forward-two-steps-back nature of their relationship in Season 4 and early Season 5 also fits well with how BPD might affect a relationship. Ed constantly assumes the worst intentions in Oswald, but also genuinely enjoys spending time with him. 

Finally, I would like to discuss the Sympathy, Empathy, & Truth (SET) communication style Dr. Kreisman recommends for people to use when talking to a loved one with BPD. 

When someone with BPD gets angry and accusatory, it’s easy for their loved ones to get angry and defensive. We certainly see this negative feedback loop between Ed and Oswald a lot. Dr. Kreisman advises to “avoid a derogatory description” (Oswald repeatedly puts Ed down when they’re fighting, even before 3x14), “don’t dodge you’re responsibility” (see: “you should thank me because we both know what would have happened if I hadn’t”), and “don’t lie” (do I even need to give an example?). 

But the recommended method is to stay calm and use SET. And as Ed and Oswald's relationship improves in Season 5, I think we can see Oswald’s communication falling more in line with this style. In 5x07 Oswald stays calm throughout their interaction and while he defends himself, he doesn’t acknowledges Ed’s concerns before turning the conversation towards the “truth” (that they are still both alive and trapped in Gotham). In 5x08 they start out fighting when Oswald is late and while he gets a little defensive and uses derogatory language to describe Ed’s alarm system. His show of empathy when he admits he’s been a bad friend helps turn the interaction around. 

During their final pier scene in 5x11 Oswald expresses sympathy and empathy for Ed’s experience being mind-controlled, while holding firm and expressing the truth that even if it doesn’t work out for him he can’t leave Gotham in crisis. It’s not perfect SET communication, but it’s a lot closer than in previous seasons. 

I’ll end with a few relevant quotes about BPD:

“there’s an extreme level of it where there’s this perception that nobody likes you. Why would anybody be friends with you. Then you wind up being a shitty friend to people, because you just assume that they don’t want to be friends”

“Things were really, really great at first. We moved in together, he was really supportive, but I could not get it out of my head that I didn’t trust him. For no good reason! I was just constantly paranoid. It was so invasive in our relationship... ...It would be like a switch flipped, where he was this awesome partner, and then something small happened, and the switch would flip, and I hated him. I would hate him. And then the switch would flip back.”

“...their behavior is so predictably unpredictable that it can be captured empirically. In a recent study, healthy subjects were partnered with borderline patients in an online game of strategy that required players to cooperate in order to succeed. But the borderline patients so frequently acted erratically and broke alliances that the healthy players stopped collaborating—even though it meant sacrificing potential ‘earnings.’”

“I was so concerned with how I felt, I didn’t realize how my breakdowns were affecting him. I was so self-absorbed and centered myself constantly without considering his feelings, which were just as valid as mine. It was difficult for me to process the fact that he needed to isolate himself for his own mental health, because I couldn’t help but think that he didn’t want to interact with me because he hated me.”

“In his search for identification, the BP is attracted to people and organizations that appear to offer controlled, disciplined direction and simplistic answers” - Dr. Kreisman, Talking to a Loved One with Borderline Personality Disorder

“He may alternate complaints that you are not paying enough attention to him with demands that you stop telling him what to do.” - Dr. Kreisman, Talking to a Loved One with Borderline Personality Disorder

[applesandradios]

I'm actually still upset with Olga for telling Barbara about Oswald's feelings for Ed in season 3. Does Oswald even know she sold him out for a ring?

[thegreatgothamrewatch]

I don't think she thought she was selling him out. She specifically says he treats her well. But she dislikes Ed so much she can’t help complaining about him. I don’t think she realized that information could be so harmful.

[the-mighty-birdy-deactivated202]

The Clone Wars show is the only good piece of Star Wars media after the original movies change my mind

[thegreatgothamrewatch]

Some of the Old EU stuff was fun, especially Zahn’s stuff. And I liked the Rebels series, especially post-season 1. Also, the Vader scene at the end of Rogue One was cool. 

I personally have a soft spot for large parts of the Prequels, but I understand I can’t defend them on objective quality as films.

[ilicitaffairs]

i’m curious, reblog and in the tags, rank the friends characters from most favourite to least favourite

[freckledandspectacled]

Edward Nygma: oswald cobblepot??? nah what a jerk what a— [trips] [hundreds of thousands of photos of oswald spill out of jacket] w-what a dummy i these arent mine im just [gathering them up frantically sweating] listen i just listen oh dear [thousands of pictures of oswald scatter across the floor] oh my im holding them for a friend just listen

[voiceboss]

Visit Original Link

It has been done.

[querysecho-deactivated20171108]

COMPILATION OF EDWARD NYGMA BREATHING for @peka-iz-krov

Sorry it’s not like every gasp/breath ever but ya know.

[theeroins]

*in Arkham*

Dr.Quinzel: So, you're telling me that you took pills to hallucinate Penguin, you miss him when you try to separate yourself from his side, you don't like it when he's with somebody else, you almost died for him TWICE, you killed for him, you stayed in Gotham for him... What do you think all that means?

Edward:

[transformativeworks]

AO3 won the 2019 Hugo Award for Best Related Work!

Here’s the speech given by Naomi Novik when the award was accepted:

All fanwork, from fanfic to vids to fanart to podfic, centers the idea that art happens not in isolation but in community. And that is true of the AO3 itself. We’re up here accepting, but only on behalf of literally thousands of volunteers and millions of users, all of whom have come together and built this thriving home for fandom, a nonprofit and non-commercial community space built entirely by volunteer labor and user donations, on the principle that we needed a place of our own that was not out to exploit its users but to serve them.

Even if I listed every founder, every builder, every tireless support staff member and translator and tag wrangler, if I named every last donor, all our hard work and contributions would mean nothing without the work of the fan creators who share their work freely with other fans, and the fans who read their stories and view their art and comment and share bookmarks and give kudos to encourage them and nourish the community in their turn.

This Hugo will be joining the traveling exhibition that goes to each Worldcon, because it belongs to all of us. I would like to ask that we raise the lights and for all of you who feel a part of our community stand up for a moment and share in this with us.

[forcearama]

If you’d told me 5 years ago that there’d ever be a high probability of additional Canon Obi-Wan McGregor Content, AND that they were going to finish The Clone Wars, AND that Sidious was gonna come back from the damn dead, I would never have believed you.

They’re really taking that whole “no one’s ever really gone” thing to HEART over there.

[thegreatgothamrewatch]

The Clone Wars and McGredgor’s Obi-Wan coming back are legitimately the only Star Wars content I’m excited for. 

[oswaldcoblepot]

this shot is an art piece

[wintersoldierisbae]

[jonathan-cranes-mistress-of-fear]

[thegreatgothamrewatch]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

My more recent stuff is either WIPs or not a good fit for Riddler Week, so I’m sharing this fic I wrote last spring. It imagines a first meeting between Riddler and Penguin before their villainous ascendency and draws inspiration primarily from Detective Comics Annual #8, Gotham the TV show, and the Gotham Underground comics arc.