Have we prevented the Joker from turning COMPLETELY evil? (Vigilante Path)

I'm not sure what that question means myself, but bear with me.

John was always going to become the Joker. This was inevitable. However, what's more important is how the consequences of our decision to maintain our bond with John/Joker (if the player decided to do so) will carry over to the fifth episode - and presumably season 3.

It's critical to remember that the readout on the endgame screen said "Vigilante," not "Hero." This could mean a number of different things, and we won't know for sure until episode 5's release, but if we keep in mind Telltale's pattern of having a set narrative in place, with several key events and plot developments always occurring no matter what we do, I think it might go down like this:

Vigilante Joker will be no less homicidal than Villain Joker, but he's also a little more...selective...when it comes to who he kills. Unlike Villain Joker, who usually perceives the entire world as one big, sick joke, Vigilante Joker sells himself as a court jester who's decided to murder the king. (Think Marvel's Punisher, but with a nasty sense of humor.) Instead of murdering the innocent and guilty alike, which we'd normally expect from the Joker, "Vigilante Joker" keeps his attention focused squarely on those he believes to be corrupt or beyond salvation. But this doesn't necessarily mean people like Gordon or Tiffany would out of his line of fire. The Joker is first and foremost insane, regardless of how we steered him.

I don't know how this scenario could evolve if Telltale chose to run with it, but I imagine the Joker may disappear for a while in season 3, only appearing to Bruce/Batman in key scenes when he fills Bruce in about what he's been doing since the outcome of season 2. His actions will obviously vary, depending on whether he's Vigilante or Villain, but in either situation, the Joker has been killing a LOT of people. How Bruce processes this information will be up to the player, but I don't see Joker playing a prominent role in a hypothetical season 3 until the penultimate episode comes out and the shit really hits the fan.

Comments

  • For a sec I thought this was going to be about how John was a fine and dandy gentleman who sees the evil in everyone, being a hero taking down the Agency who are totally bad. Thankfully no.

    Not much for me to say right now, but I do agree and hope that there is some difference between both paths at least in Episode 5. Vigilante John being a "good psychopath" or a "misguided vigilante" is an interesting take on the character, and I hope we have some interesting talks with him.

  • edited February 2018

    Assuming the majority of us went down the Vilgilante path, I did the following interactions with JD in one playthrough :

    • showed gratefulness in the "get well" card he gave you at the funeral
    • Agreed to go through with the favor you agreed with in season 1.
    • allowed him to take a selfie during the funeral.
    • not placing the tracker on him.
    • Doing the pinky swear
    • rejecting Harley Quinns offer of the slushie and her flirting advances towards you in the elevator.
    • Heading off with Harley during the raid on the Agency Convoy.
    • Allowing him to knock out Harvey Bullock with the crowbar
    • Telling him to be himself and being genuine during their coffee date.
    • On the rooftop as batman, allowing him to keep the selfie with him and batman
    • Gave him some practice with the batarang behind the stacked deck and allowing him to keep it.
    • Allowing him to find Harley on his own after she fled the subway.
    • Believing him when he said he killed the agents out of self-defense.
    • Putting faith in letting him defuse the hostage situation on the Bridge.
    • subdue the agent who was going to shoot John when he made an attempt on Waller's life.

    *I noticed in this particular playthrough at the Carnival that he DIDN'T mention anything about me using him. He stated that he was uncertain that he could count on Bruce after the raid at SANCTUS and mentioned something about Bruce keeping Secrets. No matter what you say here, he reveals "you are the batman".

    I'm holding out hope that the positive treatment of him will play a part in episode 5.

    In saying that he has always looked out for you, spoke highly of you, and has come through with the promises he made like giving you a lead on how to find Riddler.

    Once episode 5 starts, i would be curious if the Agency arrested Bruce after John leaps off the bridge by him self and what happened to Quinn when the bombs went off

  • It will probably end up like Harvey, of course that in this Season you have way too more interactions with John and it seems little decisions will matter more, but with Harvey you could get 3 outcomes out of him, a little bit sane Harvey, a half insanse Harvey, and a total batshit crazy Harvey.

  • I hope they'll do something like the Game of Thrones season finale, that is two different story arc based on the choices of the latest episode (I imagine, for example, a battle for Gotham if Joker is a villain, a battle for the Agency if he's a vigilante).

  • He called "villain" only in the "Villain" ending. Vigilante doesn't mean "hero", but it's still far from "villain". I certainly hope for the logical outcome based on our in-game choices.

  • Calm down, it's telltale. LEt's face it, choices don't REALLY matter.
    However if they do make the vigilante path matter, I'll be more than just impressed.
    We'll see.

  • This. Although this is one of my favorite Telltale seasons, the story is still highly linear with 2 choices basically going the same direction just slightly parallel from one another. The only scenario that hasn't been as linear is the Tiffany subplot, and even then, you're given multiple opportunities to be as truthful to her in the moment. And if you've kept up the lie all the way into Ep 5, I even suspect you'll be given another chance again going forward. That is if Tiffany doesn't find out herself through Alfred or by poking around due to her curiosity, which would nullify all the prior time and effort put into the secrecy.

    Dan10 posted: »

    Calm down, it's telltale. LEt's face it, choices don't REALLY matter. However if they do make the vigilante path matter, I'll be more than just impressed. We'll see.

  • Pretty much.
    I've kept away Tiffany because she has gotten intolerably cliche.
    Hopefully my choices don't get nullified but it probably will.
    Oh well.

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