Ugh- Oswaldās going to rot in off-the-rack hell for the way he treats that little boy.Ā In all likelihood, Sofiaās going to join him there.Ā On the positive side: this is terrible to watch, but it is in keeping with what was said about Oswald becoming āmore depravedā, and Iām certainly happy to see that Sofiaās a complete monster.Ā Soā¦ good work on this characterizationā¦ Gotham writers?Ā It feels so weird to say that!
@rhavewellyarnbagĀ Ā Oswald is treating Martin not as a child, but as a small adult. Yes, he should know better. I wonder, though-if thatās how Oswald was treated, or if he had to act as adult at an inappropriately young age.
Why is Martin crying? Because Oswald has frightened him, or hurt his feelings; or, because heās already working for Sofia and knows heās going to betray Oswald?
Another thought: At the dinner, why did Pyg select Martin to use as a hostage, rather than any of the other children? Without inside information, how did he know that Martin was special to Oswald?
Sorry to butt in on your conversation, but your recent posts about Oswaldās relationship with Martin and the light it might shed on his relationship with Gertrud has just been fascinating to me, and I wanted to chime in here because this thought occurred to me as well. Like, Gertrud and Oswaldās relationship is weird on multiple levels, but one of them is the way it sort of collapses age? Is that the word I want? From the scenes we get of them in season 1 it seems like Oswald occupies several roles for his mother simultaneously. She obviously treats him like heās still a young child in several scenes (the bath, talking about bullies), but sheās also jealous of imaginary women when he disappears for days, treating him more like a lover or husband. And then we see him having to comfort and humor her several times, in a reversal of the parent-child dynamic. So yeah, I definitely get the sense that in some ways, Gertrud never wanted him to grow up, and in others, he was forced to grow up too early. (Related to that, I always wonder when he started having to work to support them both? Gertrud doesnāt seem well enough to have been consistently employed. Do you think he finished high school?)
(I hope Iām not coming off as excusing Oswaldās treatment of Martin, btw. Itās super gross, but also very intriguing as to what it says about his own childhood.)
Presentingā¦.The Use ofĀ āFreakā in Gotham (so far)
Lisa and I have been talking about this for months (especially regarding itās pejorative queer-coded use) and I have (finally) collected every (as of 4×03) reference
to someone in Gotham being called a freak or being described as one:
Unsurprisingly Oswald and Strangeās Monsters are called freak the most, with Azrael, Bridgit, and Ed tied for second place.Ā
The only people to self identify as a freak are Ivy and Oswald.Ā
Cops are the biggest users of the word, accounting for almost 1/3 of these (and Bullock accounting for more than half of those).Ā Ā
None of Strangeās Monsters are ever referred to directly as freak. Oswald is referred to directly 3 times, and Bridgit and Ed are referred to directly 2 times.Ā
Freak is used almost exclusively used for villains and true to comics, villains of a particular type. Even when Fish has powers, sheās wasnāt called a freak, and Mafiosi are never freaks, only masked villains (to quote Harvey āanother freak in a mask, awesomeā) and those with super abilities. (Which makes Oswald here so interesting since in the comics heās much closer to a gangster type, and in Gotham too, than the freakish masked villain type, hence the queer-coded pejorative discussion. Ogden Barker calls Oswald a freak immediately after referring to him as a āfruitcake leprechaun soā¦ And both Ed and Oswald end up killing someone in reaction to being called a freak)
Thereās a ton more info in the document (including the full line, who said it, if at was said directly, and if it was a self identification) which can be found hereĀ but this feels like enough to be getting on with. And Iāll update the list as we go through s4,Ā
[*] at the beginning of the quote means the line refers to more than one person and has been entered again separately for each personĀ
oswald gets called a freak even more than iād thought, poor thing. no wonder he uses it for himself – likeĀ āpenguinā, sometimes itās better to take a word for yourself to lessen the sting and take back some power. iām sad they havenāt followed through with the whole freak family thing so far this season for exactly that reason; it was such a nice idea. and i 100% agree about the whole queercoding thing.
(also, it doesnāt surpise me at all that harvey is the one calling people freaks most of the time. that kind of thing seems to be his shtick.)
I feel like someone with more patience than me could do a whole essay on Gothamās use of food and eating in relation to life and death and relationshipsā¦
It would probably end up being largely Oswald centric, but thereās a pretty strong thread there with Ed tooā¦
Oswald killed two people for sandwiches (admittedly it was a secondary motive the second time but still, he did very much stab a dude then buy a sandwich with the money he looted off the corpse), and got his second chance in the underworld via a job at a restaurant. He poisons his co-conspirators with cannoli, and eats an apple while watching a guy get tortured for information. He makes a sandwich in Loebās kitchen as a power display, and when heās lost everything itās stealing another sandwich from Edās corpse-burying picnic that leads to him being saved. In Arkham heās beaten up over ice cream, and in his brainwashed state he brings the trio cupcakes as a peace offering. Grace insults his motherās recipes and shortly thereafter he serves her her own children butchered and roastedā¦
Then thereās Ed – with his mildly creepy food offerings to Kristen (cupcake with a bullet in it, watermelon left over from where he was testing a theory on how a guyās skull got caved inā¦), and his gourmet cooking and advanced fondue knowledge. Plus you have the fact that his dark half hid Kristenās hand in a snack machine and theā¦ creepy as fuck song chosen to accompany that whole thing on the soundtrack comparing women to literal pieces of meat.Ā
And of course Nygmobblepot is basically built on Chinese take out, spicy mustard and ginger teaā¦
Side note; I think Iāve mentioned it before but thereās a LOT of cannibalism in season 2. Like, three unrelated Arkham inmates, plus Eduardo Flamingo, plus Oswald getting his Titus Andronicus on with his step siblingsā¦ itās a thing.
Thatās not even all of it, and thereās plenty more with other characters, but yeah. Food in Gotham, itās a topic.
This may not be that good of an addition, butĀ psychologically speaking, when eating food, your brain unconsciously registers that you are safe/relaxed, as you would not be eating if you were panicked. Thatās one of the reasons people ācomfort eatā and whatnot.Ā So in a nutshell, when people see/eat food, they feel safe.
It is clear that Oswaldās mother is the only person in his whole life that have loved him and cared for him, and has kept him safe, and itās I think itās fair to assume that as an Eastern European woman, Mrs. Kappleput offering food to guests is a sign of good faith and welcoming.Ā This is usually known as offeringĀ āBread and saltā. With Oswaldās loyalty and love towards his mother, it is likely he would also see food offering as a way of showing people his welcoming attitude. It is always a way to flaunt wealth, but considering Oswald doesnāt really care about money, I doubt that that is his objective.
But being the prick he is, he uses this fake use of trust as a way to attack his enemies before they even know they are his enemies, mainly referring to the cannoli scene.
Secondly, gaining a job as a dish washer to gain access to Maroni, was probably more motivated by the fact that he could blend a lot more easily into the background as a dishwasher, so he could slither his way up Maroniās gang. That being said, Although Oswald has no direct link to the food, he is using the psychology ofĀ āI am safe when I eatā. When Maroni and his gang are sitting, eating, and discussing their plans, they are not in a state of alert, allowing Os to be there without gaining their unwanted attention.
Also, just to point out, (not that I know from experience), but sometimes fighting and being shot and shoved into a lake and travelling makes you hungry. You ever see that snickers ad? āYouāre not you when youāre hungryā. That describes Oswald. Plus, as mentioned, food = safety/relaxation, this can show his state of casualness. Especially in a position of power, eating is a hell of a lot more intimidating. ie. āThis crazy person is casually eating an apple while I am here scared out of my mind and shitting my pantsā¦ If thatās him at casual, I donāt wanna see him angry.ā
And on that note, I believe you are completely right about the power play while making a sandwich at Leobās. As I did mention before, offering food is a sign of wealth and greeting, but when someone comes in and takes itā¦ It undermines Leobās status as an authority figure, and a man of wealth, stealing both of those things from him in the swift motion of making a sandwich (and Iām sure Victor holding a gun to Leobās head probably had something to do with that too).
In Arkham, when he is given ice cream, this is directly after heās been tortured, so he clearly wasnāt in the right state of mind, as was intended to show. This would be the first time (Iām going to assume) that Oswaldās offering of food has ended with him getting hurt. Being genuinelyĀ kind did not go well for Oswald; being kind is not who he is supposed to be.
Once he meets his father, and he has dinner with hisĀ ānew familyā, it brings back that sense of security and safety for Oswald. Even after his father dies, he still continues to cook as to be a part of the illusion of that safe family environment. He even uses a recipe that his mother would have made.Ā Since heās already gained her trust by having already cooked multiple meals, it makes it easy to get his revenge by messing with the food- something that he has clearly already done before. Oswald was able to have a taste of what life would have been with his father before he died, so why not show his step-mother what her children taste like before she dies š
So it comes full circle: Oswald growing up with his motherās cooking, a woman that wouldāve used food as a gesture of good faith, and, when grown up, Oswald uses that facade of good faith to murder or maim (via the food or not), or uses otherās phycological belief that they are safe when eating, and strikes when their guard is down.
I know this isnāt the best essay, and most of it is just personal opinion and observation (and it is nearly 12am, and Iām tired as heck), but when you mentioned about Oswald and food, I thought that was a very interesting subject to bring up. Ed on the other hand, I think is just a crazy motherfucker (Also, too tired to analyse his crazy food ethics right now). But I hope you gain a little enjoyment and/or insight š Please add to or correct anything I have said.
āKristen is the one person who like, floods him with this history of who he used to be and what he used to want, and he canāt help but be like, consumed by what could potentially be a second chance.ā
Cory says that Isabella brings Edward back to who he was before he killed Kristen. Yet Edward has repeatedly said that he likes who he is now, and he is certainly āhitting his strideā working for Oswald. Cory has said that Edward enjoys working for Penguin and has fun manipulating things in his favor, itās literally the perfect job for him.
He has everything he wants.
Going off of that, when Ed said āwhat more could anyone ask forā to Oswald I feel like he was saying it too, y’know? He is just so happy where he is right now.
I think that he truly does not want to go back to who he was, but I also think that heās going to explore the possibility and entertain the idea for the time being with Isabella anyway. This is because he wants to be sure that Oswald- and a life of Riddlesā¢ Ā and Crimeā¢ – are what he truly wants
Which, I mean, DUH. Heās gonna become The Riddler, of course he doesnāt want Isabella and what she represents. She is a kind of metaphor for what Edward used to want, and where he wanted it from: love, praise, and acceptance from peers. He still wants those things, those feelings, but he is receiving them from a different source. Right now, he is getting what he truly desires more than anything from Oswald, and through more nefarious means than Kristen (ānormalcyā) offered.
TD;DR Ed is getting closure from his old life by using Isabella. This is part of his his journey to becoming The Riddler; he needs to completely leave Kristen and everything she represents behind in order to fully commit. But this is Gotham so of course itās going to go horribly wrong š
gaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh *crying*
-pats your head-
I knowā¦ I knowā¦
Fuckā¦ it went horribly wrong, just like I thought when she was first introduced.
As in Ed didnāt let go of her through a conscious decision; Oswald made the decision for him
He is getting closer to becoming the Riddler
Hopefully he will realize that Oswald still satisfies what he needs most š
I have to wonder how much self-loathing came crashing down on Ed, once Oswald confessed to killing Isabella, and realizing heād given the same excuses to Kristen when he confessed to killing Dougherty.
Maybe thatās why, when he grabbed Oswaldās face, he seemed to go from angry to hurt. Maybe he saw himself, pathetically begging for understanding, in Oswaldās eyes and couldnāt stand how similar they really were. Quite possibly the catalyst for his obsession with destroying Oswald.
āIf he goes away, that part of me goes away too, and nothing will ever hurt me again.ā
Oh, umm, I actually donāt think he felt any self-loathing over that. In fact, I think Ed would be furious if anyone tried to compare the two situations. He would use the defense that Dougherty was abusive while Isabella was innocent. And while I donāt disagree with that, I think heād be missing the point that killing someoneās gf/bf without their knowledge because you thought it was in their best interest, is just wrong. Also theĀ āI killed him because he was hurting youā excuse doesnāt work for why he killed Kristen. Just going to draw attention to the last gif for a second:
Thereās a reason I decided to include the footage of him strangling her instead of just cutting off after his words. Itās to show the irony in telling a woman that you were just trying to protect her from abuse, while strangling her with one hand and covering her mouth with the other. Also, he kills her right after she says that sheāll turn him in and heāll be sent to Arkham. It definitely wasnāt an accident but I think Ed has probably convinced himself that it was. So, I really donāt think he would make the connection between the two situation, despite the similarities.Ā
I havenāt seen episode 2 yet, but Iāve heard that Ivy apparently hates Oswald now, and that he had it coming because heās been being a dick to her, and I have a few thoughts on that.
People have been saying that Oswald doesnāt learn his lessons and keeps getting stuck in the same patterns, and yeah, thereās definite merit to that, but my take on it is that he mostly just keeps picking the wrong parts of his experiences to learn from.
And it really is so sad and such a hard lesson to learn when you’ve been put down time and time again. I personally know EXACTLY how Oswald feels and I really have wanted to just shut off any sort of compassion and trust for that same reason because the end result is always too risky and painful, but like you said it just doesn’t work. No matter how much one may hate the idea of getting close to people for fear of betrayal and hurt, it’s just impossible to do. As human beings we’re social creatures who need interaction and help to survive. And yeah it sucks. It really does. Especially when you have suffered and lost precious people like Ozzie has.
Ultimatley, Oswald does need to learn to get past this. But after, no doubt, so many years of being put down and stomped on, and especially since this seems to stem from early childhood too, it will be really difficult. Changing such a mindset will take a lot of work. Months and years even, depending on how deep the hurt and wounds extend. Though it doesn’t just come down to Oswald in doing all the work. He also needs other people by his side who can see and understand this. To help him through this and help him realize this. Of course, people willing to be patient and really understand, without judging or leaving is really hard to find. Especially in a place like Gotham.
I know Oswald during this time will yeah, be shitty likely, and try to push others harder away, but others have to understand his point of view and remain firm and stay by his side. Again patience and comprehension is important. Especially loyalty. Then maybe they can start to change his views.
I really hope we can see Oswald grow as a character and come back stronger once he realizes this, while still being the adorable and cunning bird we love.
like,, i know oswald cobblepot is kind of a giant murdery crab and is mean to ivy and literally everyone else but,,, how can u not just,,,, Love Him with Every Part of U
Literally me, but in a way I think I understand why he is being especially cold. I mean, this is after he froze the man that he loves, the man who tried to destroy him in every way possible, and kill him. Oswald has always been strong and a survivor, able to easily see through any manipulation people try to throw at him, however, when it came to Ed. He couldn’t. Love weakened him.
I can’t imagine how painful it must be for him to realize and think that one of the people he cared so much about could never love him back, but also hurt him so much, in such a way, that he could not see coming.
So, of course he’s decided to squash down his emotions and likely not want to get close to anyone ever again – be it friendship, romantically, emotionally, etc. Why? Because experience has taught him that such a thing only leads to pain, betrayal, and death.
It also makes me wonder if these wounds come from early in his childhood? “Don’t listen to the other children. You’re handsome and clever. And one day you will be a great man.” This is what his mother would tell him. And we all know how hurtful bullying and the like can be. It’s a no wonder why Oswald may be shutting down his emotios and connection with others. Not to mention this is Gotham. Everyone will always trample and kill you to get what they want. Manipulate you. Use you. Play you like a fool. Even people you thought were your friends. So, again this is like reaffirmation that people will only hurt you. Thus, things like trust and frienship is fleeting. Much less things like love. It’s a weakness to be exploited.
That’s not to excuse his behavior, especially towards Ivy, but I think looking at things from this perspective and psychologically may explain why he is being cold to her. If such emotional connection only leads to deep hurt, then it isn’t worth to risk it and put yourself in any danger.
#I just reblogged this like ā¦. Ā #two days ago but ā¦.. Ā #I need to againā¦ā¦.. Ā #Iām not sorry Ā #look how happy Ed is in his first appearance Ā #boiiiiiiii you are an odd ball!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ā #you feel happiest when youāre basking in your heroās presence (WHO HAS PENGUIN AS A HERO) Ā #and you want senpai to Ā #notice you and like you and teach YOU how to be a murder bird but Ā #youāre REALLY happiest likeā¦taking over his life or more like the parts of his life he just ignores like his well being and trying to get Ā #the stains out of his own clothing ā¦ Ā #you construct submissive roles for yourself to fill because they make you HAPPIEST Ā #ok Ā #meanwhile Oswald either a) never wanted you or b) wanted you around all the time always just marry him become his husband Ā #thereās no in between or maybe-maybe-not feelings here I love how much Oswald throws himself into Ā #something after heās decided itās good but you know whatās funny? he doesnāt do that with anything else really Ā #he RELENTLESSLY chases what he wants until he gets it and does whatever it takes to get it Ā #but he never did that with Ed Ed justā¦showed up in his life ā¦.until the tables turned Ā #and Oswald got possessive ā¦ā¦and went back to being ruthless ā¦.but he canāt win Ed through relentlessness Ā #like Ed understands whatās going on half the time!!!!!!!!! Ā #JUST CASUALLY HAVING A FEELS BREAKDOWN IN THE TAGS DONT MIND ME Ā #to each other he is always just out of reach FUUUUUCK Ā #GOTHAM YOU FIX THIS!!!!!!!! (via @fluxāandāflow)
reblogging because I forgot these tags which tap into my flail some, ahhh!! and also Iām just SUPER FASCINATED with the paradoxical idea of Eddie taking on SUBMISSIVE roles to fulfill his desire to CONTROL/MANIPULATE, but like – yeah!
he THROWS HIMSELF into SUPPORTING OSWALD via COMPLETE AND PERSONAL CONTROL of specific aspects of Ozzieās life, so he kinda IS simultaneously controlling AND submissive
(actually similar to how I felt he was with Izzy a bit – because he submitted to her dressing up etc., but then, uh, took control of her sexually, you could sayā¦ sooooā¦ he likes control but craves BOUNDARIES in which to exercise it??)
holly iām so sorry lol we were having this meta/headcanon jam like, before xmas? and iām replying SO LATE LOLĀ
but OMG I AM ALWAYS HERE TO DISCUSS THIS especially because itās not only VASTLY entertaining that iām pretty fucking sure ed is a fucking SUB despite being this really tall guy with the pidgeotto douchebag hairstyle and all (iām not giving him credit for being well dressed in s3 since oswald bought him those suits LOL, on his own ed tends to dress like a nerd from the 40s/50s) but yes, seriously, itās sooooo fascinating that he āĀ
you know what, you put it so well, iām just gonna end up stealing your words at this rate, the paradoxical hilarity and irony of it, that he exercises control by manipulating his way into submissive roles where he feels Important and Appreciated likeā¦ā¦.i definitely see this as a key component of why they work so well together, get along so well, and would have such an excellently satisfying relationship, not even JUST in bed lol but throughout all of it. edās desire to take care of oswald is clear from the moment we realize heās taking care of oswald in his apartment back in s2. thatās why this is a great gifset – you can see it in his face in the second gif. it kinda saddens me that so many people ignore this CANON STUFF because they want the characters to follow The Height Rule or think their costumes make them fit some kind of sexual fantasy aesthetic. sure, people gonna headcanon what they want, and itās all cool, but you know me well holly, we both have a desire to try to take what canon has presented and goĀ āalright, now how do i learn to understand thisā and doing that with these two has been
FASCINATING Ā
also because she is main partner in crime in discussing this stuff, go read @freckledandspectacledās fics which are not only delicious & well-written but show & explain the psychology of all of this very well, especially with how oswald fits this! one of our latest convos about it, she summed things up beautifullyĀ
@littlehollyleaf
to add onto the Izzy thing: with both Kristen and Isabella, Ed assumed a dominant role because that was what /they/ wanted, heās not naturally like that. Heās really quite awkward and gets stepped on a lot.Ā
Isabella quite literally smacked the shit out of him to get him to take charge and face her, AND HE LIKED IT. WHAT A GOOD SUB LIKE ššš Ā
So I would argue that he doesnāt even take control sexually with her, because he just assumes the sexual role that is most pleasing to the person he is with, and yeah so far that has been people who wanted him to be more dominant BUT that could easily change.Ā
For example: when Kristen was pleased that he was being so āforcefulā, Eddie got forceful. He acts in reaction, and is very versatile in that way.
What if someone was asking him to assume a submissive role, or he thought that was the best way to get into their bed? Iād assume, based on past behavior, that heād take a submissive role to please them in that way.
Thanks for the great replies guys! š
Great great point about Eddie (submissively) reacting to and becoming what the person he likes and wants to please needs him to be – that works with how he isĀ āmotherlyā with Oz and often actively mimics Gertrude as well. Not just because he surmised it was the key to controlling/manipulating Ozzie, but because he wanted to be the person Ozzie most needed/desired because he caaaares about Ozzie and saw it as the best way to gain Ozzieās affections!Ā
Thanks for clearing stuff up re: Eddie being forceful with Kristen and Izzy – makes total sense. I have nothing to add, you covered it perfectly š
āProjection is a psychological defense mechanism in which individuals attribute characteristics they find unacceptable in themselves to another person.ā
Watching season 3, I find it interesting how when Ed was torturing Butch and Tabitha, he seemed annoyed with Oswald. Saying that he could be ‘self centered.’ And yes, if u ask me, Oswald can be narcisstic. Yet, the funny thing is that Ed can be too, I think. I mean he does think himself superior to others, especially intellectually, and constantly does want to be in the spotlight and recognition.
It’s amazing how similar Oswald and Ed are to one another. Things Ed says he dislikes in Oswald are pretty much present in him too.
Isabella realizing that Oswald is also in love with Ed.Ā
I wonder if this is another reason why Oswald wanted Isabella dead?
I mean, if sheās able to see through him so easily about a vulnerability of his, I could see that adding fuel to the fire of his jealousy?
He looks startled and terrified, and a terrified Penguin never does well. š¦
Maybe. I mean thereās really no excuse for what he did but youāre right, he does genuinely look scared.Ā
#this was such a poor writing decision
YESSS
Whenever thereās a new character to introduce, it seems like the writers give the actors time to figure out the character and what they do to develop the plot, but Isabella is like a momentary cough.
Chelsea is a really good actress, just seeing her as Kristin Kringle. She deserved to have a chance to explore this character instead of being given a few traits (āsheās obsessed with tragic love!ā, āshe can tell during a five-minute conversation that Oswald is in love with Ed too!ā, āsheās a librarian who can accurately recreate a dead woman from a few pictures!ā) and then is killed off a few episodes later.
Iām sure that this rant has been echoed by a number of people in fandom before whoāve said it more concisely or more eloquently than I have, but with a show like Gotham, each character has to have a point, or else theyāre just taking up screen time from characters who can move the plot along.
All Isabella does is:
(A) Vertigo reference, woo! Letās dislocate our arm with how vigorously weāre patting ourselves on the back for being so Smart!
(B) Cockblock Nygmobblepot from happening when this show has absolutely no problem with showing Barbara/Tabitha being in a romantic/sexual relationship.
Just. Ugh. Iām cynically positive that the writers will never touch on Isabella again, because acknowledging Isabella would mean having to admit that they screwed up her plotline something awful, but I still wish they would try to salvage something from it.
Ya, I really doubt sheās ever going to be brought up again. If there was any hidden agenda, it would have been revealed in season 3. The time has passed now. We have to accept that she really was a random woman who fell for Ed.Ā
Iām just so bothered by the way this was used to twist Oswaldās love into something negative. Oswald is capable of making sacrifices for his loved ones. He put himself in danger to help Jim so many times in seasons one and two, even though Jim treated him like dirt. He announced to the GCPD that he was alive when Jim was accused of murdering him, even though it put his life in danger from Falcone and Fish. He went to Arkham for killing Galavan, even though he was just covering for Jim. And in 3×14, he was willing to die rather than give up EdĀ to the trio. Heās someone who loves intensely but by having him kill Isabella out of jealousy, the writers paint his love as a bad thing. And now they can just say that these two characters can never be together because Ed will never forgive him for killing his girlfriend (who was apparently the love of his life after knowing her for like a day and a half).Ā
Man, youāre so right about Oswald and Jim in S1 and S2. Like, who else wouldāve voluntarily gone to Arkham to cover for Jim? That was some serious self-sacrifice for Jim, and there was no gain for Oswald. The most he got out of it was asking Ed to visit his motherās grave while he was in Arkham.
RLT has mentioned a time or two that Oswaldās idea of love is so twisted, but at the same time, he loved his mother, he loved his father (I bet even regular Oswald wouldāve loved his father dearly), and he seriously cared about both Jim and Ed.
Isabellaās death just feels like a plot device because Ed literally knew her for maybe a week, tops? I think? How can she be the love of your life if youāve only known her a short time? Infatuation, sure, but true love? Either Edās getting her confused with Kristin ā like a version of Kristin who knew his dark side and actually loved it ā which doesnāt do justice to Isabella herself whatsoever, because sheās being compared to Kristin and being remembered in relation to Kristin.
Or the writers are reminding the audience with the subtlety of a baseball bat to the face that Ed is straight, despite the fact that he literally told Oswald the episode before that he would literally do anything for Oswald, and he was such a fanboy when he nursed Oswald back to health and gave him a place to stay.
Itās suchā¦ amateur writing, I guess? I would rather have had Ed be honored and flattered that Oswald loves him, and try to let Oswald down easily that, um, he doesnāt swing that way rather than have the Isabella plotline even happen in the first place. Yes, itās such a comic book move to happen, but Gotham can do things as a TV show that a comic book canāt, and the writers need to take those kinds of risks.
Even if Nygmobblepot never happened in canon, thatās never stopped fandom in a million years.
š„ There is beauty in destructionš„ 