#idk i have a lot of feelings about semi-sentient gotham finally having enough and sending terry to the mansion

[creed-of-cats]

There's something about that first meeting with Bruce, Terry and Powers that really gets me. Its so, so early in our titular heroes' partnership. They're still testing each other, weary about how the hell they're going to do this without someone ending up dead. But in this moment, Terry goes at Powers and the only thing holding him back is a single moment of looking at Bruce, and he backs off. This kid, who grew angry at a single comment from a high school friend or his dad being disappointed in him just a short time before, keeps his cool in front of the guy who murdered his dad. Just because just Bruce walking away says not now, not yet.

Terry obviously wants revenge on Powers, but I feel like it's not discussed much that Bruce does too. Batman is not the only legacy the Wayne's left in Gotham. Their company funded a lot of the welfare and social programs in a corrupt system, and it's an incredible amount of power in the hands of someone who doesn't care or is actively malicious. But that was the Bruce Wayne side of the mission. And the problem with that is that Bruce never really just let himself be Bruce Wayne. He had to have both or nothing, put every single part of himself into the mission.

Terry reclaims Batman, and with someone else under the cowl, Bruce finally reclaims Bruce Wayne. Powers and his hold over Gotham couldn't have been broken without Terry and Bruce working together, both in ways that would've been practically impossible without the other. When Blight dies, there's not even a question if they'll stop. Their redemption is already too far along.

I think part of the reason why Bruce kind of has this begrudging respect, this love/hate relationship with Terry's penchant for forgiveness is how it extends to him. I'd like to think that at first, Terry may have had resentment for what Bruce did with his company. If Bruce hadn't given up, Powers wouldn't have had the power to do what he did, and get away without legal consequence. But I'm not sure he would've held on to that resentment for long, or have it more then a thought in anger. Terry understands what causes someone to fall. As Terry said in the first episode, Something happened to you, and it wasn't just that you got old.

Bruce trains Terry, sees the potential in him to become Batman. But Terry also sees that Bruce could be better and pushes him to do so. He offers Bruce forgiveness and a second chance from his past failings. To make it up to the city he poured so much into and then abandoned. The really interesting thing is that Bruce doesnt offer that back, Terry's drive to be a better person is solely from himself. Bruce hates himself enough to stay in his misery, but Terry is the city's answer. So what? Life is not over. It's never too late. The push to take a risk and care again, about Batman, about himself, and about Gotham.

It starts here. When Bruce finally stands up to Powers, the figure of guilt and anger both if them share, and says no, I'm not going to let you do this anymore.

#sorry im rambling a bit #ah just really love this show #and everything it represents #it is such a trip going from rewatching clips of return of the joker to the first few episodes #because they are so close yet so far #but they already are helping each other from the very first episodes and its ahhhh #idk i have a lot of feelings about semi-sentient gotham finally having enough and sending terry to the mansion #in need but i prefer in love #wake up!! #here's another kid!!! he's going to roast you every five seconds!! #he's going to fly through the city and see the sunrise and make a stupid joke and you are going to feel alive again dammit!!! #sorry dear god im tired #batman beyond #bruce wayne #terry mcginnis #tumblr mobile pls dont mess up my tags #meta