Gotham: 10 BEST Changes To The Comics
7. Tabitha And Selina
The second partnership on this list, the bond between Selina "Cat" Kyle and Tabitha Galavan only comes together at the very end of the season three finale, and continues throughout most of season four.
The relationship between the two may not be one of the show's more dynamic features, but does layer Selina's growth and development into Catwoman. It's from Tabitha - also known as the Tigress - that Selina becomes a proficient martial artist, street fighter and user of her iconic whip.
The whip had previously been used by Tabitha frequently before being passed down to Selina. In this inheritance, Gotham forges a new found legacy for Catwoman, with the whip now representing a memento of her mentor and friend. Moreover, the relationship carries a legacy from the comics, albeit an inverted one. In the aforementioned Batman: Year One, a pre-Catwoman Selina Kyle watches over a young girl - Holly Robinson - while working as prostitutes in Gotham. This can be seen in parallel to Tabitha protecting a young Selina Kyle from the threats of abusers and criminal gangs.
The death of Tabitha at the hands of Penguin further consolidates the emotional resonance of this change, serving as a reminder to Selina of how easily people can be lost in an unforgiving world.