Arthur began to change, and it seemed things were turning for the better.
The "subway murders" hit the news, with Gotham's elite, Thomas Wayne, chairman of Wayne Enterprises, grandstanding on TV. He mourned the victims, condemned the killer, and blamed the crime on "class envy."
"Yes, those loafers out there—they could all be Jokers," Wayne declared. "I'm running for mayor to save this city, and I believe I can do it."
His arrogance grated on Arthur, who scoffed, his face dripping with disdain.
At his next therapy session, the female therapist repeated her rote questions, indifferent to Arthur's words, even complaining about budget cuts and a looming shutdown due to strikes. Arthur, unfazed, realized his past reliance on her stemmed from his time in the mental hospital. She'd never helped him.
With newfound clarity, Arthur smiled. Then came the scene destined to be iconic:
Therapist: "Why are you laughing?"
Arthur: "I don't know. People laugh when they're happy, laugh when they're sad. Me? I just laugh."
For the first time, he met her gaze head-on. The camera lingered on his eyes—cold, distant, steeped in loneliness. His unrestrained, piercing laughter echoed through the room and into the audience's hearts. The therapist, visibly frightened, screamed—her fear genuine, not acted.
The audience felt no pity for her, only a cathartic thrill. Scare that irresponsible woman!
Arthur, calming down, lit a cigarette—his first, yet he smoked like a natural. Exhaling, he eyed the therapist, now only concerned with securing his long-term medication without her.
Life went on. Arthur performed at a small comedy club, but his "laughing disorder" struck mid-act. Thankfully, Sophie was there, and the performance ended well. Afterward, they strolled and dined like a normal couple in love. On the streets, the killer of the "three scumbags" was hailed as a vigilante hero. For the first time, Arthur felt he belonged in Gotham.
The audience's mood lifted. Arthur mused, "I thought my life was a tragedy, but now I realize it's a comedy."
At home, Arthur's curiosity about his mother's unanswered letters to Thomas Wayne overwhelmed him. He opened one, uncovering a bombshell: thirty years ago, his mother worked for Wayne and had a secret affair with him, hidden to protect his image. Arthur was Wayne's illegitimate son.
Stunned, Arthur realized he had a father who'd abandoned them. Despite a mix of sorrow and frustration, he resolved to confront Wayne. At the Wayne estate, he met a young boy playing by the gate—Bruce Wayne, future Batman, the Joker's lifelong nemesis.
Theaters gasped. The Joker and Batman, half-brothers? The revelation was electrifying.
Believing Bruce to be his brother, Arthur felt an instant bond. Seeing the boy's gloom, he performed a "clown" trick, slipping his fingers through the gate to pull Bruce's mouth into a smile. "This is how you smile!" he said.
The audience chuckled, charmed by the irony—the Joker as Batman's brother. But the warmth faded fast. The Wayne family butler intervened, dismissing Arthur's claims, saying his mother was delusional and had no ties to Thomas Wayne.
Arthur's hope shattered, rage surged. He grabbed the butler but, spotting Bruce, released him and fled, not wanting to scare the boy. This scene showed Arthur's lingering kindness—he wasn't fully the Joker yet.
"Oh, God, that's heartbreaking," a viewer murmured.
"Why's the world so cruel to him?"
"I'm starting to get why the Joker does what he does."
Back at his building, Arthur saw his mother loaded into an ambulance. At the hospital, sitting outside smoking, two detectives approached, revealing they'd questioned his mother about the subway murders, triggering her stroke. Ignoring his distress, they pressed him about the case.
Arthur, nervous and angry, feared losing control. He rushed into the hospital, crashing into a glass door marked "EXIT ONLY." The detectives shouted it was one-way, but he ignored them, frantically waving at the sensor until someone exited, letting him slip inside without looking back.
Kevin Thomas scribbled excitedly: "This isn't just Arthur's guilt and rage—it foreshadows his next steps. He's on a path defying conventional morality, defying society—a road against ethics, against humanity."