DcxDp prompt

4/4

Danny is an inventor for hire for supervillains.

Let’s back up.

Danny needed a job that allowed anonymity (you decide if bad reveal or GIW being little shits). He had just moved out from Mom, and was doing his best to avoid asking his parents for help.

Then he remembered that his parents had talked about how back in college, they had their inventions whenever they were in tight spots financially. So he gets to work.

Tucker help him with the online aspect of cloaking actually, and after a while, he has a steady business building more and more devices. He doesn’t know who his customers are, but he doesn’t really care at the minute. He’s having fun inventing! Not really paying attention to things like eating, or sleeping, or who’s getting him the money.

Batman has been trying to figure out why almost all leaks super villains have been much more destructive weapons the only one who isn’t getting any new weapons is the Joker, who is getting increasingly upset.(When Tucker created the program, he made sure that the Joker would be blocked.)

He asked Jason to try and find out how everyone’s getting more powerful weapons.

Jason finally managed to track the inventor down, and is surprised to find a malnourished, more feral version of Tim slumped over workbench, working on a new version of Mr. Freeze’s gun.

Alpha, Hey!

For your ask request. Aside from Shape Shifters/Werewolves, what, if any, mythical creature/supernatural being would ascribe/create out of Chin, Kono, Steve, and Danny, (or at least McDanno)?

Secondly. Just how are you, how have you been?

Feel free to be as detailed about either of these as you desire.

I think Kono would be a Teen Wolf version of a Kitsune. A water elemental one, which is why she had a very strong pull to the ocean and why as a surfer it was almost as if she walked on water. She was one with the water! This line comes from her mother, who’s own tails might have been hurt/broken by hunters which is how she became ill. Kitsunes are foxes...and Kono is a damn vixen, no one will argue that! She’s also mischievous and fun! Mischief doesn’t equal to malevolent, but never doubt how dangerous a fox can be.   And because they’re cousins, is part of that kitsune family. Maybe Kono has a more direct line of succession while Chin’s is more watered down. He doesn’t have the tails and the transformation but he has the nature. That silver tongue and calming zen about him as if he were over 900 years old, that can read people and talk them into giving him the information he needs to get. And much like in mythology when the fox in a lot of folklore is seen as the villain for their cunningness...what happened to him in canon kind of reflects a bit on that. The nature of how things went down and all.... I’m inclined to give Steve the merman slot. Because of the navy and being a SEAL and his love for the water. Mythology about mermaids is different because on what you read and even mermaids around the world are different based on location. The siren-esk-ness is something I wanted to put into Steve. He’s got this musical side to him that’s sprinkled in but he’s shy about it. As would a merman living on land who knows how powerful his singing voice an be. Steve’s inner struggle might be more so my headcanon of him. Of him struggling to be out of the Navy, he’s still a soldier even if he’s out of uniform. He’s still has his rank and power, but the world he’s living in isn’t what he was used to. And if that’s not a metaphor for literally being a (merman)fish out of water then...idk what is xD! So maybe he’s a half-breed. And Doris leaving was her really having to return to the sea and leaving behind her son because maybe she didn’t want to tear him away from his home or family, and/or she knew he wouldn’t be well received in her home...and this is kinda the plot of Aquaman isn’t it? xD Sort of. But yeah, Steve being part merman/siren, being unsure where to call home. No place really feeling completely right. The Navy being the most fitting because it involved a lot of the sea, as well as letting him use any and all pent up anger he had inside of him...until he met other ‘fishes out of water’. And then, quoting Inuyasha a bit “There were two worlds and I thought I didn’t fit in either...but I did have a place. I was just the only one in it.” I’m paraphrasing but yeah. Then he met his Ohana.  Danny we’re going straight demigod. I debate on making him a demigod himself or a legacy. But pulling things from canon, something that could have torn or really been a thorn in Danny’s parents marriage could be that either of them weren’t Danny’s biological parent. And because it was his mom who went to visit him, Danny’s dad being any of the gods could have been a sore point. And then it’s always fun deciding who said godly parent that is. I’ve actually made a Hawaii 5-0/Percy Jackson crossover series where he was the son of Zeus. Reason I chose the head honcho himself is because Danny carries that regal son of a King of Gods tude, but also being forced to move to Hawaii was hell for him as a parent, but imagine being forced to move to a place surrounded by your uncle’s domain....who, though chiller than your own dad, your life and the life of your kids could be at risk if your uncle’s beef with your dad takes a bad turn. Also maybe being surrounded by water affects his powers? Maybe he’s not as welcomed into the waters, which would explain Danny’s reluctance to it. Hawaiians being aggressive to Danny by instinct could be just...a vibe. They know he’s the direct child of a god that’s got nothing to do with any of their religions/pantheons and feel threatened, and that just kinda slips in with the white blonde guy with blue eyes on an island that was conquered...in the stories itself, I had that Danny had to pay proper tributes to the spirits and deities of the island as a demigod task to keep the peace between his family and the island. A lot of his work on Five Oh would help him be recognized as a hero to those in the know. Which would be another challenge to Danny. Because back east where the Greek Gods were known and common place among that ‘supernatural world’, Danny as a son of Zeus would be assumed to be a ‘hero’ automatically and deemed a good guy, but on the island that wasn’t immediately given but had to be earned.  Me? I’m hanging in there. My writing comes and goes. I’ve been on tumblr but more so on my rping blog. I’ve recently just got my second dose of the vaccine and I’m waiting to hear if I might have a shot at a job. I’ve done more bread baking, and also more desserts in the Mexican culture because food’s the way I connect with my culture and heritage since I can’t easily go to Mexico(even before the pandemic). I’ve began to dabble in digital art. I’m nowhere near good but I’ve began. With practice I’ll hopefully be able to create visual works of my ships and not just written stuff! I’ve been okay! With how the world is at the moment I’m grateful for what I have and how lucky I’ve been. Thank you, friend! <3 

Psycho Analysis: Rose the Hat

(WARNING! This analysis contains SPOILERS!)

Stephen King really seems to have some sort of vendetta against kids, huh? It seems like some of his most vicious and terrifying creations exist solely to abuse, consume, and eviscerate kids, and almost all of those creatures have serious pedophilia undertones to them. Obviously the most well-known example would be Pennywise, and for good reason; a killer shapeshifting alien clown demon that devours kids and lives in the sewer is going to stick in the mind, in no small part thanks to being brought to life onscreen by talented men like Tim Curry and Bill Skarsgard. But there is another child predator straight from the pages of King’s work who made her mark on cinema: Rose the Hat.

Rose is a sort of psychic vampire, who consumes the shine from children to preserve her immortality alongside a gang of fellow monsters known as the True Knot. Think Dracula, Pennywise, and Elizabeth Bathory all rolled into one. And if that isn’t a terrifying combo, I’m not sure what is.

Motivation/Goals: Rose’s goal is simple: consume the shine from innocent kids, when their power is strongest and the taste is far better. Unfortunately for the kids, eating the shine out of them is horrendously unpleasant and fatal. And unfortunately for one of our protagonists, the young Abra, she is one of the most powerful children Rose has ever seen. After becoming aware of her existence, Rose sends the True Knot after her and pursues her herself to an absurd degree, even after hitting numerous setbacks, from her hand being mutilated to her followers being massacred. Part of this seems to be the implication that those with the shine are rarer nowadays and they desperately need to eat something like this to stabilize themselves, but at some point it does seem like Rose is going out of her way for the thrill of the hunt, though it is also evident she wants revenge for the death of her followers, because there is every indication her affection for them is genuine.

Performance: I’m really happen I got to see the 2010s Mission Impossible films before I saw this, because it gave me a deep adoration for Rebecca Ferguson. She is an excellent actor, and she manages to give Rose a sort of sub-Pennywise sort of creepiness. She definitely has a child predator vibe to her, especially as seen in the opening when she tricks a little girl to her death; seing a female character written as a child predator is not quite as common as the alternative, so it’s interesting to see it. But that being said, she’s honestly the opposite of Pennywise in a lot of ways – where Pennywise is ugly she is beautiful, where Pennywise is uncanny and creepy she is sweet and inviting, where Pennywise’s affection is faked Rose genuinely seems affable at first. It definitely helps set her apart and make her a great, unique villain in her own right. Plus, gotta love that dapper hat she rocks for most of the film.

Final Fate: Rose shows that she has no idea what she’s actually dealing with as she follows Dan and Abra into the Overlook. Now, the Overlook has been established so far in the film and The Shining as a horrendously evil place, with Doctor Sleep in particular noting how the hotel hungers for the shine as much as Rose does. Now, Rose not only has the shine in her, but has also inhaled the stored-up steam from previous victims before entering in an attempt to give herself the upper hand. Can you guess what happens when Danny finally decides to unleash the imprisoned ghosts of the hotel?

Her death is actually a beautiful little bit of karma. After centuries of picking on defenseless children, Rose is made as helpless as a child at the hands of the ghosts of the Overlook. For bonus karma, the way her death is presented is very similar to how her and the True Knot devoured a terrified little boy earlier in the film. She dies screaming and in agony, a truly fitting death for a monster such as her.

Best Scene: I mentioned briefly in the Psycho Analysis for Jack Torrance that there is a scene near the end where she reenacts the scene where Jack menacingly walks up the stairs towards his wife. This here is probably my favorite scene of hers, as it leads into the disturbing sexual assault-esque attack she unleashes on Dan before he reveals that he has her right where he wants her and unleashes the imprisoned ghosts of the Overlook. It’s a great finale for a villain like her, and Ferguson really does a good job at coming off as menacing as Jack Nicholson in her own way.

Best Quote: Rose has a very simple and sweet quote that I think sums up just what’s so great about her: “Well, hi there.”

It’s not flashy, super impressive, or the most memorable line of all time. It is, however, very affable, friendly, and delivered in an inviting tone of voice all the time, masking her true personality under a persona that has led countless children to a grisly end. Yeah, she’s a Stephen King villain alright.  

Final Thoughts & Score: Rose is one hell of a villain for sure. A lot of it comes down to Rebecca Ferguson’s stunning performance, which really helps you endear yourself to Rose; she just exudes a natural charm and charisma throughout the film, really selling you to the idea that Rose is a charming, cunning individual who could convince someone to her cause. You wouldn’t think someone like Snakebite Andi, whose entire deal is acting as a honey trap to punish pedophiles, would then join up with a child murdering psychopath, but Rose is just that outwardly charming that yeah, you know what? I fully buy that this kid fell for it.

Of course, even with all that said, I think Rose only ends up as a 9/10. This is mainly because she really Isn’t a household name or a true icon among Stephen King villains like, say, Pennywise, Annie Wilkes, or Jack Torrance. She’s so close, and maybe her score will change if she ever becomes a well-known icon like those others, which I think could happen considering how good the film was. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

And aside from that, the fact remains Rose is ultimately not the ultimate, final evil of the film that must be confronted. In fact, she pales in comparison to the true villain, a villain whose presence is felt throughout the movie and is alluded to many, many times before it finally appears. I am of course referring to…

Psycho Analysis: The Overlook Hotel

Yes, I am doing a Psycho Analysis on a building.

The Overlook is not a typical villain, of course. It’s not something that can truly be dissected in the same way as other villains, because there is not one single performance here – rather, there are multiple performances here that are all apart of the nefarious machinations of the hotel. But all of them work together to prey on the weak and frightened, and help build up the Overlook as a terrifying force the likes of which cinema rarely sees in more obvious villains, let alone evil, sentient buildings.

Motivation/Goals: Despite the numerous ghosts all doing different things and despite all the supernatural goings-on, the hotel has one very clear goal, even in the much vaguer Kubrick film: the Overlook wants to drive people to madness and take their power for its own. This is explicitly spelled out in Doctor Sleep, where it is made clear that the hotel was preying on Jack’s weakness as well as on Danny himself, wanting to consume him as much as Rose does. To this end, the ghosts all play a part in pushing people over the edge.

Final Fate: Danny decides to finally allow the fate of the book version of the hotel to catch up to it, and cranks up the boiler and burns the hotel down, opting to stay in and sacrifice himself to ensure he doesn’t become overtaken by the hotel again and allow its evil to spread out into the world.

Best Scene: It’s really weird to think of the hotel having a “Scene,” but if we’re referring to the ghosts… The Shining features the iconic scene of the creepy twins in the hallway as well as the lady in Room 237, both scenes that have stamped themselves into the cultural consciousness.

Doctor Sleep has one that may actually be even better, though; in a scene reminiscent of a scene in the first film, Danny sits at the bar and is offered a drink by the bartender. However, here the bartender has taken on the form (or perhaps even is the spirit of) his father, Jack Torrance. This scene really cements Danny’s character arc and shows that, for all of his flaws, he was still able to overcome his addiction and prove once and for all he is a better man than his father.

Oh, and if you just want something big and fanservicey, every ghost appears all at once to kill Rose. It’s pretty awesome, if I’m being honest.

Best Quote: There are a lot of ghosts in the film, and a lot of them have interesting things to say, but only one quote has wormed its way into the cultural consciousness to any great degree, and that’s the twin’s invite to Danny: “Hello, Danny. Come and play with us. Come and play with us, Danny. Forever... and ever... and ever.”

Final Thoughts & Score: The Overlook is one of the most famous locations in cinema, and as a villain – no, as a force of malevolence – it is utterly perfect. Of course, things are kept rather vague and mysterious in The Shining to fit with the oppressive, terrifying tone, but even then there are so many little touches such as the bizarre, shifting, and even nonsensical architecture (there are rooms there that could not reasonably exist at all) that add to the unnerving atmosphere that when the sequel outright states plainly that yes, the hotel is a malevolent entity with a will of its own, it’s not even the least bit surprising.

The ghosts go the extra mile to making the hotel feel as evil as it is. The woman in 237, Lloyd, the twins… all of them add their own creepy flair to the proceedings. What’s even better is that even in Doctor Sleep it is never entirely clear if the hotel is just empowering the evil spirits or if it is outright creating them based off of the horrendous tragedies that occur there. It’s also interesting how it only ever seems to target people when there’s only a few there, functioning as normal hotel when it’s fully operational. The thing is almost an SCP, with the mysterious and sinister ways that it operates.

Obviously, there’s no way I could give this place anything less than full marks. 10/10 is the easy score for a villainous building the likes of which cinema has never really been able to top. Can you name a single evil building as memorable as this one? I suppose there’s the titular building from Monster House, but as good as that film as, can you say with a straight face that that house comes close to the sheer unchecked malevolence exuded by the Overlook? Rose really didn’t comprehend at all that this hotel is not something to be trifled with.

Alright! I’ve been waiting for this. I get to talk about the ghostly antagonists!

Starting with this cutie.

Anyone who saw this show is probably familiar with Sidney Poindexter. He was the first “antagonist” I planned on talking about because of how much he stands out among the previous villains. Don’t get me wrong, I really like The Lunch Lady, Skulker, and Technus. They’re all really memorable in their own ways, and I love their episodes for various reasons. But Sidney’s the first antagonist we got that was really sympathetic. And what an impact he made.

I’m sure you’ve all seen or heard of at least one scary movie with a plot like this. Severely bullied kid dies either in a prank gone too far or by suicide, and their spirit comes back seeking some form of justice. In Poindexter’s case, it’s to defend others from having to suffer like he did. It’s a really effective formula, because it makes the character sympathetic to basically anyone, especially those who had to deal with bullying. The combined horrors of bullying, tragic death, and haunted schools makes for a lot of creepy stories, and the kicker is that you can’t really blame the ghost for how they’re acting.

Having something like this in a kids’ show would absolutely leave an impression on young viewers, and had it been used to its full potential, it could’ve been a really great episode.

Could’ve been.

I’ve made no secret of the fact that I do not care for Splitting Images as an episode. I love Sidney Poindexter. The concept of his character alone is enough to win my heart. Unfortunately, this episode is one of the worst when it comes to ham-fisted morals. The biggest problem, for me, is that this episode tries to teach kids about how bullying is bad, but has Danny be the one to learn that lesson.

Danny was established right from the get-go as a kid who had to deal with severe bullying. Heck, the entire first half of this episode has Danny being picked on and doing his best to keep his anger under control and just deal with it. Like any kid, he has his breaking point, though, and he starts using his powers to fight back.

That’s when Sidney comes in all spooky like and says “let’s see how you like being bullied!” and uses his powers to attack Danny. Danny attempts to explain himself, but Poindexter refuses to listen. By the end, Danny’s learned that he shouldn’t use his powers for the wrong reason and goes back to just taking the abuse from his classmates. Swell lesson.

Now, I would’ve liked to see an episode that took advantage of the creepiness a bit more and took things more seriously, but if the episode had to include the moral, there’s an easy fix here. Have Poindexter be the one to learn the lesson. After all, Danny’s only using his powers to fight back against bullies, which is exactly what Poindexter’s trying to do. However, he’s so used to seeing everyone as an enemy and fighting all on his own that he can’t stop to listen and realize that he pegged the wrong person as the bully.

Maybe instead of Poindexter using Danny’s powers to steal sodas and win at football, he could’ve found himself dealing with the struggles Danny goes through every day. Not that it’s worse than what Poindexter’s been doomed to endure for all eternity, but it’d help him realize that in his “fight for justice,” he somehow overlooked someone in need, and because he couldn’t listen, he ended up becoming more like his bullies.

Given Sidney’s good nature, he could’ve been Danny’s first ghostly ally. Both of them would’ve benefited a lot from that. He would’ve been the first ghost to show Danny that not all ghosts are malevolent (and in fact, the majority are not), and Danny, Sam, and Tucker could’ve been the first friends Poindexter ever had.

If they took this route, the episode could’ve been a lot more emotional and had a lot more plot significance. After all, Danny’s parents are completely convinced that all ghosts are monsters, and having part of the show be about Danny learning this isn’t the case would’ve been interesting and cool. Plus, Poindexter’s such a good, sympathetic character that it’s a real waste to have his only focal episode be so bad.

That got very long, but I have a lot of thoughts on this. I do still love Poindexter a lot. I can’t blame him for how this episode turned out. It seems more like it was a problem with the writing and a botched lesson. I’m just gonna imagine the episode ended a different way or that Poindexter got a more complete character arc, because he deserved it.

When will the increasingly malevolent Edward Nygma finally embrace his super-villainous identity as The Riddler? According to actor Cory Michael Smith, the man inside Ed's greener and greener suits, the big reveal is now.

With "Gotham" returning after a winter hiatus for the remaining seven episodes of its third season, Smith has finally stepped into the center ring as Gotham City's emerging prince of psychotic puzzles who uses his razor-sharp intellect in the service of increasingly malicious and attention-seeking antics.

And, as Smith reveals, after all the lengthy, deliberate setting of the table and plenty of time to chart out Ed's evolution, it's been pretty easy being green -- as long as it's in a suit and not a question mark-covered leotard.

Moviefone: Here you are, right at the doorway of becoming The Riddler that we've all been expecting him to become. Tell me about getting him to the point where we left him, and where we're about to go.

Cory Michael Smith: It's been quite a long ride here. Where we are at this point: he just killed the mayor, who happened to be his best friend, and also kind of his mentor in villainy. Frankly, the only person that he would trust to kind of guide him into this lifestyle. Perhaps the only person equipped to deal with him and guide him that way.

So he's kind of in this crisis at the moment where he has to decide what his next move is. Does he continue to run the city by proxy, and pretend like he has no idea what happened to Oswald, until a new mayor is elected, and then maybe he finds a different job in the government? Which I don't imagine is what he wants. There's that path.

Or, this thing that he's kind of preparing himself for, that he kind of yearns for, this challenge, and this exciting option, which is, have a coming out party as a villain. Find your identity. Figure out someone to kind of replace Oswald as this person who can help you find your identity, figure it out, and then, like, go for it, man! So that's what this first episode back is all about.

What was fun for you playing, first, the bond and the friendship that Ed and Oswald had, and then how it all turned ugly? Tell me about that arc for you and what was the kind of delight as an actor to play.

First of all, it's imitated real life. Not the bad part, but the good part; Edward admires Oswald as a villain and as a leader. He was happily No. 2 to Oswald. I certainly admire Robin [Lord Taylor] , and I've enjoyed everything he's done in this show. So it was kind of this really easy thing to be like, "Oh my gosh, now Robin, a dear friend of mine, and I get to work together and be like buddies." So it just kind of was easy and fun.

Jeff Neumann/FOXThen as I figure out that I lose the second person that I've fallen in love with, it tasted like this second opportunity at normalcy somehow, which wasn't ever the plan, but it found me again. When that was stolen from me, and I found out that Oswald was the culprit -- this was the only person I ever really, outside a relationship, trusted, or admired in such a way that I became their friend, they let me be their friend, and then this is how they kind of repay me. First it was Jim, sort of trying to pretend like he was my friend, and now it's Oswald.

I just think there's a lot of scar tissue there. This is someone who never really had friends, and wanted them, and then all of a sudden had his best friend, and is lied to and betrayed, and has a love stolen from him. So the kind of turn and fall into wanting to hurt someone was kind of, I think, easy for him. It felt like this is just justice, and this is vengeance, this is Oswald's language, so it seems only fair that I would use his vocabulary on him.

Is Ed almost an entirely different person from the Ed you started playing?

Absolutely! Yeah, I think a theme in the journey of Edward is issues with identity. I've leaned really hard into, every time something happens to him, and he's seeking for an answer, or he wants to change, or he's trying to change, he's making these declarations about how he's going to live now, and how he's not going to live, I've made sure that he really committed to each thing he was doing, and tried a new kind of life and existence.

One of the most freeing things that happened was when we had two Edwards, and there was a physical manifestation of all of the qualities about himself that he thought were outside of himself. The kind of swagger, and confidence, sexuality. These are things about him that he was intimidated by, and never practiced as sweet little Ed at the GCPD.

So when he kind of accepted the fact that this was him, and this was his identity, or that fate has given him of maybe he's a bad person and he doesn't deserve a good life, accepting that, and accepting all of these colors that were a bit murkier, really freed him up to be a fuller human being, and constantly surprised himself with his capacity and capabilities.

So this season, for example, I made a really strong choice for him, when trying to intimidate people, to really lower his voice, and try to offer a sort of commanding presence by altering the way that he was communicating with people physically. And the thing that happened, in my experience as Ed, was that people actually responded to that. So Ed kept doing that.

That wasn't something that I had planned out. It was like an experiment of his. Of like, "Oh, how do I make people think I have purpose, and I have strength, and I have power?" And it worked, and people were listening to him. I've really allowed him to explore identity and try stuff out, and then respond to the fellow actors and adjust accordingly.

You took your research and the character's 60-odd year history very seriously. What has it meant to you to really do such a defining version in a mass media format with The Riddler, to go deep with the character in a way that nobody else has really been able to do? And in a way that probably hasn't really gone that far in the comics even?

Look, I certainly feel privileged for a couple reasons. One, that I get to contribute to a part of the mythology that really hasn't been charted extensively at all; two, that we now have three years in the can, and hopefully more to come. It's my first time I've done long form television, and there's such a joy as an actor, not only to be able to tell a story of a character over a long period of time, but to tell a story of a character that's as dynamic as this, and that has gone through such a change in three years. It's so exciting and invigorating.

Lastly, I feel really privileged because the audience, they were receptive from the beginning, and they gave him a chance, and they went along with what started as a pretty slow journey, and I felt a real commitment and support from our audience with what we've done. So I feel really grateful for that.

You're getting more and more shades of green in your wardrobe.

Yeah, man. Yeah. We're getting really green!

Tell me what's been fun about plotting that evolutionary direction, and working with your costumers to get Ed to full-on Riddler green.

This season has been super fun because we kind of found the shape and template of the suit that we wanted. Then it was just about gradually changing the colors of green. So over the course of Season 3, I must have had, I don't know, eight to 10 different colors of green that we were working with, leading up to the green suit that we introduced in [Episode] 15, which is quite a vibrant green, especially for "Gotham," because most of our characters have a bit more of a darker, dull tone. You'll get like a splash of color here and there, but I am wearing a very bright, glittery green suit.

When I first saw it in the fitting room, I was like "Wait, wait, wait, is that the suit?" They were like, yeah. I said, "Have you shown the producers pictures of this material?" They were like, "Yeah [director/producer] Danny Cannon loves it." "Danny loves this color green in our show?" I lost my sh*t, because I was like, this is really bright. When I do scenes with people and they're all in black leather, I'm going to look like a Christmas ornament.

But it's been quite fun, and it feels right to me, because there's something about Ed's coming out that is like, it feels flamboyant, and I like that all of a sudden he's saying, "Look at me. I am ready for the attention, I am ready for this, and you all need to look at me. Look at my bright green suit." I added a line in 15 on the day when we were filming it. I have this scene, because the mayor is obviously missing, I am speaking to the cadets, and it's their graduation. And I'm like, "You all look fabulous. How do I look?"

It's the first time that I wear my suit, and I loved it so much. It was the first time I got to wear it, I was on set, everyone was, like, freaking out. So I had to add it, because I just thought it was such a delicious moment where he was like, look at me. Does anyone like my green? No one notices but him. I just wanted him to like relish in it.

As you mentioned, the two people closest to him are out of the picture right now. Does anybody kind of fill the void early on in the rest of the season? Do you get to do some scenes with some other characters that maybe you haven't gotten to play with as much?

I do. There's this interesting ... I don't know that you can call it an alliance yet, but I have a relationship with Barbara, and she is the person who kind of lifted the veil on Oswald's actions and intentions.

So there's a sort of interesting partnership between the two. They both have needs and wants, and they're not necessarily complimentary, but they try to help each other out get what they want, and it's a very interesting companionship they develop, and it's certainly been fun working with Erin [Richards].

It seems like you're still going to have to wait for scenes with David Mazouz as Bruce Wayne, because that seems like something that's really more going to happen further down the road. Tell me what you're looking forward to in getting to play that dynamic.

What I'm really excited about is ... we've already been introduced -- it was in Arkham Asylum, so he knows who I am, but I didn't know who I was at that point. So to be reintroduced in, like, the classic way of, "This is Bruce Wayne, and this is The Riddler," is kind of exciting.

Also, what I'm doing here at the beginning of Edward kind of calling himself The Riddler, and pursuing this title of villainy, the reality is, he doesn't know what he's doing, or what he wants to do with it, or how he's going to act, or present himself, or behave. So I have everything starting really intense and forceful. He's like really aggressive and brusk.

So what I'm excited about going into Season 4 is him kind of like figuring out exactly what his presentation is of a riddle -- like, really finding his elegance as the Riddler, the showmanship, the grace. I'm like really excited about Edward finding his way to that, which I think should take some time.

If they ever ask you to put on a Frank Gorshin-style leotard, are you up for it?

Oh boy! If they want to pay for my personal training months in advance of me putting on a friggin' leotard, then that's cool. But otherwise, I really dig the suits.

I think they're classy. I think it fits into the version of Riddler that I really like, which is someone who is a showman, and is elegant. I think it's most appropriate based on where we started, which was this like clunky, socially inept, gawky, awkward, tense guy that was like scooting around the GCPD to becoming this man who has some prowess, and some power, and is like smooth in his presentation.

I think it's actually quite intimidating to have someone be so slick present you something, and your life is on the line, rather than someone trying to scare you and intimidate you. Like I said, I think that's kind of where I want to work toward.

I've always liked the iteration of The Riddler as kind of a psychopathic game show host.

Yeah. "The Riddle Factory" is my favorite. It's great. I like the guy that is a bit of a showman. I just want him to be able to be really slick, and classy, and then explode from that. But until you learn how to be a graceful, elegant dancer, then the snapping out of it won't be as impactful.