Gotham: The Major Step Bruce Wayne Took Toward Becoming Batman (SPOILERS)

Major spoilers for Gotham: The Gentle Art of Making Enemies – the winter finale ahead. Seriously, massive spoilers, so read on at your own risk!

The winter finale of Gotham had major consequences for every main character on the series, as we saw an apparent death, a hidden threat beginning to emerge once again, a villain foiled (but not killed – YES!), and more.

But one character took a major step forward in a positive way, and that was Bruce Wayne. The young Master Wayne, played by David Mazouz, finally addressed that all of this was no longer about solving one murder or any short-term goals. Instead, he now has a larger mission, and with it, a set of rules that’s beginning to form.

NEXT: Gotham: Did [SPOILER] Really Die in the Winter Finale?

When Bruce confronted Jerome in the Hall of Mirrors, he managed to take him down in single combat, using the skills he’s learned from Alfred in hand-to-hand. But then he started to lose control, pummeling the now defenseless Jerome repeatedly. Jerome encouraged him, all the way up to Bruce holding a sharp shard of a mirror over his face – but he saw himself in the reflection and stopped, and left.

Later in the episode, Bruce (played steely-eyed by David Mazouz) and Alfred (at once powerful and gentle in a performance by Sean Pertwee) have a heart-to-heart about what happened, and their dialogue basically screams “BATMAN! BATMAN IS COMING! THIS IS THE FIRST REAL STEP TO BECOMING BATMAN!” at fans repeatedly, leaving chills and excitement in their wake. Here’s the transcript:

B: “I almost killed him, Alfred.”

A: “Oh, but you didn’t, you controlled your anger.”

B: “It wasn’t just anger, after everything Jerome had done, all the pain he’d caused, the idea of killing him…”

A: “It felt right.”

B: “Yes, it felt like Justice.”

A: “There’s a very fine line, Master Bruce, between Justice and Vengeance.”

B: “I know, but it doesn’t mean there isn’t one. I knew where the line was tonight, and I didn’t cross it.”

A: “Well that’s the first rule then. I’ve been training you so you can defend yourself, but we’re well passed that. So what’s all this training for? What are you going to do with it?”

B: “I don’t know.”

A: “Nor do I, but if you keep going, you’re going to need rules; rules that you cannot and will not break, no matter what reason or what circumstance.”

B: “I will not kill.”

A: “Say it again.”

B: “I will not kill.”

A: “Then let’s get to work.”

The moment was truly epic, and helps to lay out a definition for the type of Batman this Bruce Wayne wants to be. While some versions of Batman have been a bit more lax in this regard, this one will hearken to a pure concept of the character, one who refuses, even under the most dire circumstances, to take a life. The fierce determination in Bruce Wayne’s eyes when he makes this decision is inspiring, and the fact that he now knows he’s going to do something more is huge. When Gotham returns on April 24, 2017, it brings with it a Bruce Wayne who is ready for something new, something more, and has taken his first true step on the journey to becoming the hero that Gotham needs and deserves.

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