Arkham Asylum vs Wayne Mental Institute
During the final episode you can choose as Bruce to make Arkham Asylum better, but you would also end construction on the new Wayne Mental Institute. My question is: why? Why the hell would you end construction on a newer, better, mental health facility? It makes no sense for me. I figured that if you put Harvey in Arkham that you can transfer him to the new Wayne institute.If you choose to strengthen the police force, the new facility won't be scrapped, right? So would that make it the better option?
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I can't say which decision is better but I think the new facility is scrapped no matter what, it's just there's no reason to mention it when funding the gcpd whereas it's relevant when talking about treating the mentally ill. If you get both in one ending it's the clear superior ending and unless you want to stick it to the police there's no reason not to help both so it doesn't seem like what would happen.
I'm not sure why the facility is scrapped since I do think that was a good plan but I guess outside of Arkham being important for the lore, this was something Harvey and Bruce were doing together and it probably barely started work. Fixing Arkham helps immediately and a new facility would take a long time. Plus even if they rename it the Thomas and Martha facility isn't going to go over well.
I think of it this way-- each choice is going to have its benefits to society and to Bruce/Batman personally, but also potential problems down the road, which makes it a crucial decision.
Reforming Arkham makes sense because it was the origin of the recent crisis. It's also a legacy thing for the Wayne name and symbolizes the way business was conducted under the Wayne-Hill-Falcone triumvirate. Bruce taking ownership of it and reforming it demonstrates clearly that he is a different person than the dead kings who made him, and a big step towards healing citizens' distrust towards Gotham's big institutions. This is also the compassionate choice, imo.
But there are a host of potential questions. The most obvious example is what do you do about the John Does of Gotham, i.e. people who are dangerous, and who will always be dangerous? And if the size and influence of Wayne Institute grows large enough, how do you prevent corruption, i.e. the inmates running the asylum, as the saying goes?
This is also an similar issue if you went GCPD. I confess, this was my choice, but probably would not have picked it if Gordon weren't in charge. I also think effective police and having that backup to rely on is essential for Batman. But police that is too powerful, too militarized, also sets the stage for abuse and curtailing of freedoms. See: episode 4.
I personally chose to fund Arkham Asylum because of all of the suffering that was endured within the facility. My father's hand in the "recent" surge of terror at Arkham especially made it fitting, and symbolized Bruce's separation from his father's legacy with him beginning to "undo" his father's trespasses. I use the term undo lightly, however, considering you cannot make years of suffering and injustice just disappear. Choosing this felt the most "right" to me, after all of the events of the story.
And as @Sarah1281 said, it's typically more cost and time efficient to repair what is broken than to start anew. That's more concrete reasoning as to why Bruce would want to improve Arkham specifically instead of working on the Memorial Hospital, besides him trying to stop the mistreatment and sorting out who really belongs there. I mean, tearing down Arkham and constructing the Wayne hospital accomplishes many similar things to improving Arkham, sans the significance of all of the goings ons at Arkham. The addition of effieciency honestly failed to cross my mind before now, but it makes sense.
I originally was under the impression that whatever cause you didn't choose to fund wouldn't be disregarded entirely, but put on the back-burner. But after reading what other's have said, the Memorial Hospital construction continuing if you fund the police doesn't sit quite right from a more calculated point of view, considering that option would be given many advantages over the other. Funding Arkham has more symbolic significance, but doesn't seem as practical if one benefits both causes. With the police, the town and Batman recieve clear, tangible benefits, just as given by the improve Arkham decision, but the facility's inclusion would really make things unbalanced.
I mean, Harvey and Bruce's proposal was just that: a proposal. It seems that no actual work went into it yet, and the name, while easily changeable, would be problematic. I mean, technically Martha Wayne was clean, but she was aware of what was happening and guilty by association according to Gotham citizens, I would guess. But yeah, if funding and construction would continue, a name could be fixed. It no longer would have to be an ode to the Wayne's. I'd assume funding for the hospital was cut, now that I think about it. I'm not quite sure why that would be. I mean, can't Bruce throw a little of that dank chachinga to the opposing cause? That really negates the decision though, but this Wayne Hospital got me in a mental tizzy. The significance and efficiently of improving Arkham puts it over the Memorial Hospital, I'd say. The value of supporting the police is a different matter. I was really confused, but after thirty edits, I think I said what I wanted to say in a semi-intelligible manner. I still need help though.
It's a silly plot point since building a new version of Arkham doesn't promise that what's going on inside will change. The shoddy building doesn't impact the care delivered necessarily. Sometimes starting fresh helps the most psychologically and can even be the more cost effective option (taking a cramped old building and turning into a high class place isn't easy). The best option would have been to fund the new hospital but take the name of Bruce's abusive madman father off of it and name it after one of the victims or something. I still think the majority of Bruce's money should be sued away from him. Seemed like the Wayne fortune was built on deeds by his father that were as bad as anything Joker ever did. The villain of the series was his dad, in the end.
Personally I chose to go with the gcpd because a lot of times in the lore of Batman criminals escape Arkham Asylum and if you leave Arkham the way it is that can happen a lot more creating a need for Batman and with the gcpd more funded you'll have an army of cops to back you up
There won´t be a new mental institute with the word "Wayne" on it, simply because it would make people remember what Thomas did at Arkham Asylum.
I decided to support the GCPD, after all it was Gordon's speech about him getting promoted to Commissioner. If Bruce Wayne is attending it, it makes sense that he would announce some kind of support or partnership with the GCPD. Also, Arkham Asylum is beautiful the way it is, why would anyone wanna change it?
I chose to improve the asylum. The whole story got started because Bruce’s dad was a criminal who abused his power at Arkham. The least Bruce can do to try and make up for that is to improve the place. Besides, Harvey’s there. Bruce wants his friend to get the best treatment he can get.
TwoFace can also end up in Blackgate Prison based on your choices.
Well first off it could be considered poor taste to still make a mental health facility named after the Waynes, considering how many people's mental health Thomas destroyed for his own gain.
Second of all, renovating the existing Arkham Asylum shows that Bruce is trying to fix his family's past mistakes instead of just tear it all down like it didn't exist in favor of some fancy smancy new institution.
Renovating Arkham was a great end to Bruce's arc of coming to terms with his father's sordid history and the effect it had on countless people.
Agreed. For me, going as Bruce to Gordon's speech and choosing to help Arkham Asylum felt like the more fitting ending to the history. It showed character development on Bruce's part and gave closure, since the game started with him not accepting his public persona.
I know.
I had fun reading this thread . So so so great
To me the decision at the end of season 1 shows which side of the coin you consider to be the real one.
Like Alfred himself says before you choose whether to attend as Batman or Bruce Wayne.
"I suppose you must decide who apperance will be more valuable. As Bruce you can help repair the damage done to your name. Get the public's support so that you can change things from the top down. But Batman is a symbol of justice and strength maybe in these dark times that is truly what Gotham needs most."
An then the most important line.
"Perhapse one is truly the mask and one is who you truly believe you are."
Although there are many points throughout season 1 where you kind of get to show whether you consider Bruce Wayne or Batman to be who the character truly is.
For example.
Down in the catacombs of Arkham Asylum Vicki asks Batman who he wears the mask options for response are as follows
Batman is who I am - pretty much self explanatory
Mask protects who I am - meaning hides your true identity
The mask is a symbol - doesn't really answer the question as to whether the character believes himself to be Batman or Bruce Wayne but explains why he wears it.
An there are other times when you get to show which is more important to the character being Batman or being Bruce Wayne.
Even if you attend as Bruce Wayne you still get to show the kind of person Bruce Wayne is.
An the way in which you get to do this is by showing whether he cares more about the law and justice by funding a stronger GCPD
OR
Whether he cares more about the sick by stopping the building of The Wayne Mental Health Facility and improving Arkham.
An the reason why Bruce stops funding the building of the Wayne Mental Health Facility is because by not doing so he would show how he doesn't care about what his dad did which was make perfectly sane people insane and send them to Arkham. He even says how he wants to make Arkham Asylum the most advanced treatment facility in the country in keeping with the vision of it's founders.
Arkham Asylum's founders were obviously The Arkhams Vicki's biological parents so by doing this he is trying to honour them and maybe all of the past victims of his dad's Arkham Asylum including Vicki.
You also get to show the kind of person Batman is if you decide to attend as him by letting Gordon know why your there if it is to show your support for him for Gotham or for his protection and how you want the people to view you going forward let them know they are lucky to have Gordon as their Comish let them know you stand with the police let them know you will always be watching out for them.