Gotham: Season 5

Don't let Gotham die.

For my immense contempt of the first half of season 4, it ended very strongly and when I heard Gotham's 5th season was to also be it's last I was rather shocked and heartbroken. And they really did everything they could do with wrapping up the series, which is already a huge task to do for any series let alone Gotham, and it ended really well. But damn it I don't want it to end! I've been with Gotham from the beginning admist all the bad mouthing and zero faith in the show, I was there. It's been a great show, the best I could ask for. I was there at the beginning and now, I got to see how it ends. The last season was delivered a cruel and crushing blow from the very beginning, with every season it has been a solid 22 episode runtime, this season originally got 10. Ten. And somehow, I don't know how it got two additional episodes added. So all the stuff I wanted to see could have been shown if they had those 10 more episodes. It's such a shame, so they had to cram a lot into the 44 minute run time so every minute counts! I mean it has to! So we start off almost a month after the bridges blow and war is brewing in Gotham, all the gangs have divided up territories with the GCPD trying to protect civilians and keep crime to a low while waiting for the military to provide aid for the city, and this takes up literally 80% of the series but never does it get old or tired. Cause honestly when you get to that point after seeing everything from the Waynes being murdered onwards you care a lot! Tons happen, some of it taking some cues from the movies but hey I can't complain about that! Plots are uncovered, new characters are introduced, my boys continue to be perfection, and a few surprises are in store as well. I greatly enjoyed this season and it wrapped up everything very well, and there was soooo much to enjoy! I loved the whole Arkham City dynamic with all the gangs, and yeah they pull a Hugo Strange near the end, good ol' Stabby Babs is fun as ever (and simply gorgeous as a redhead), Ed is still same old Ed who gets to play detective a bit, Oswald is still the perfect level of over the top, Bruce plays a big role in protecting the city, and there's some lovely little easter eggs sprinkled throughout! I would be thrilled if they did a continuation or even a spin-off series from this in a year or two, there's a lot you can do and I like the fact they twist the mythos a bit, because honestly there was only one character I did not know in this entire series because I'm such a nerd and know too much about the Batman and his history so it can have it's little surprises and I'm okay with it! If there was only one teeny tiny itty bitty thing I hate is, there's not enough Jeremiah! Cameron Monaghan does such a great job in this series and we really needed more of him! However, that is easily remedied because of something that I've been waiting to happen for a long time. I hold grudges forever and I tasted bliss and joy when Tabitha gets stabbed in the heart by Mr. Cobblepot. Ohhh! Oh, it's sublime!! It was beauty incarnate. It happened 2 if not 3 seasons too late but I never can be too picky about victory! If you've heard me praise and talk about this series enough and haven't watched it, I totally get it! It may not be your thing but if you watch say...4 to 6 episodes of the first season and you kinda want to see what's next give the show a watch. Granted the first season is very case of the week and it starts getting really good when the 2nd season starts, so if you can make it past the first you may stick around to the last. And with tremendous sadness and regret we must leave Gotham but I strongly doubt it will be the last time I see it.

Gotham: Season 4

Ugh, I gotta really learn how to shut the hell up.

It's my fault, I jinxed it. I said Gotham has been solid hit after hit and hasn't done anything to really piss me off and make me want to quit the show. That mostly changed when season 4 hit. I am gonna be real with you, if the level of writing and overall quality of this season was how the show started, Gotham would have been cancelled before I think season 1 would have even finished. I didn't really start liking this season until I think the 16th episode. Out of 22. Mainly because there really wasn't anything happening until that 16th episode, at all. None! Whatsoever! It's like every writer was just in a bad mood writing over half the season, honestly. Anyway, 3 months after Bruce meets Ra's Al Ghul and the virus has been cured, Gotham is still under control of Penguin and in a move I almost swear ripped right out of the 60s Batman show, Penguin actually issues crime licenses, you can commit any crime you want as long as you have a license and there will be no reprocussions, which is a subject I could bitch about for hours but let's move on. So Jim visits Carmine Falcone, Gotham's previous top crime lord in hopes to bring a semblance of order back to the city, where we are introduced to his daughter Sofia. I'm...still arguing which I hate more between her and Tabby. Sofia is the winner of The Biggest **** In Gotham Award, and that's really the huge fact that I hold as the reason this season fell flat for me. Say what you will about Tabitha but I had to deal with her in small bursts, and even then she wasn't supremely bitchy or being insufferably annoying to the point I wanted Victor Zsasz and Professor Pyg to spend a holiday weekend with her in a dark damp room with an assortment of...let's call them toys. You have to deal with her and see so much of her in every episode until #16, and she is a very hateful, spoiled, cunniving, egotistic, and downright unlikable person. I wished for her death more frequently and with somehow even more infuriating rage than Tabitha ever warranted. And another thing that brings it down, there's no villains! They screw the villains! They are supposed to be half of the fun of Gotham! Penguin is still Penguin but he does have sweet interactions with a young boy that are nice, poor Ed actually loses mental capacity and becomes a bit of a dolt which is an A grade way to piss me off, Barbara is boring, we actually get Solomon Grundy who is then completely wasted, yeah we get a bit of Scarecrow who actually goes through several costume changes each of them memorable and striking, and for some weird ass reason like more than half the season is dealing with trying to catch Professor Pyg. Not one, or two episodes, but 4+. Do you see why I say the writers were just in a bad mood? Nothing happens for more than half the season beyond a few cute and humorous moments that I can count on both of my hands. There was one point where even Zsasz was done with this bullshit and just said to a coworker, "Let's go grab a milkshake." and I was like, "Yes! Please Zsasz let's go get milkshakes, this is so f***ing boring!" that is not a good sign!! I have no idea if because of this season they decided to wrap it up next season or not but sweet baby Moses I wouldn't be surprised. Nothing happens, no plot points, (mostly) no character development, no interesting setups or deliveries, it becomes a total drag reeeeaaallll f***ing quick! Until, like I said the 16th episode. Then it was like the writers got their second wind and got rolling again! After the boring bullshit with Sofia Falcone, what do they do? We get Jerome, Penguin, Mr. Freeze, Firefly, The Mad Hatter, and Scarecrow teaming up to do crimes. How can I put this? THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON YOU FU- yeah, it's pretty cool. It's great seeing these wildly different personalities clash and see what they do. It's great fun and saves the season from being absolute dumpter fire shit, and they do it all well. With, one exception. I can't divulge into it cause it might be considered bullshit-I mean spoilers, but it had me scream out betrayal to the point where I needed to take a break from the episode. I'm pretty sure non-comic fans won't even bat an eye at it, but that was just uncalled for and wrong. If you watch this season, I really don't know what to tell you to optimize your viewing pleasure. Could you skip to Episode 16 and try to keep up? I guess, but it's not too easy to keep on top of all events. Oh, I got it, inspiration has hit me! You can read the cliffnotes version on Wikipedia then hop right in. There, perfect. No bullshit, all enjoyment. But hey, maybe you see something I don't. Let's just say you enjoy the whole season, and I wish I could relate. Gotham came down to a thread from being thrown off my watchlist but it pulled through. I hope season 5 leaves on a high and strong point. But we shall see. Until next time.