Gotham Review: I Am Bane (Season 5 Episode 10)
We all knew it was coming. Eduardo Torrance (played by Shane West) was always going to be Gotham‘s Bane. Now, it’s come to fruition.
On Gotham Season 5 Episode 10, “I Am Bane,” Gotham City is on the verge of reunification, but Bane (among others) throws a large wrench in those plans.
Gotham has been pretty strong overall in Season 5, which I’d mostly credit to the shorter episode order. However, over the past five years they’ve had a tendency to spin their wheels a bit, and “I Am Bane” starts to toe the line in that territory.
The main issue with “I Am Bane” is that we’ve seen the flash forward. We know that there’s a battle for Gotham City coming up, and that the likes of Nygma and Cobblepot are there for it. So, despite the interesting addition of Nyssa Al Ghul and the re-introduction of Bane, the stakes can only be so high.
The flash forward at the beginning of the season is good, but I’m not sure it was really worth depleting the stakes on this episode.
When Jim, Bruce, and Harvey find out that General Wade is mind-controlled, the devastation should have been a lot stronger. It just feels a little sad.
Still, Bane and Nyssa Al Ghul present as two strong villains, even if the whole story is a little too “Dark Knight Rises” for its own good.
Also, the “sins of Bruce Wayne” bit feels hollow because he’s only 17 years old and hasn’t done anything wrong, yet.
By far, the better part of “I Am Bane” was the other characters it pairs up to overcome challenges and grow closer together.
Of course Nygma and Cobblepot have become an iconic pairing during the run of Gotham, and the way their friendship has rekindled has been joyous. Their real shining moment, though, comes when they agree to distract Bane to let Lee and Barbara escape.
Which brings me to easily the strongest element of “I Am Bane,” the relationship between Barbara and Lee. These two women have every reason to hate each other, but the birth of Barbara Gordon (I know she’s not named yet, but…come on!) and Bane’s attack draw these two opposite loves of Jim’s life to a feminine bond.
Morena Baccarin and Erin Richards have always been two bright spots in the cast, but their scenes together may have been some of their best work on the show.
A few stray thoughts:
- Not to be ignored, the Selina/Alfred pairing is also a great one.
- Even though it was Nyssa instead of Talia, several of the moments in “I Am Bane” seem ripped straight from The Dark Knight Rises which is both awesome and a little disappointing.
- BD Wong is an underrated member of this cast. Hugo Strange is a creep, but Wong plays him perfectly.
What did you think of this episode of Gotham? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Gotham airs Thursdays at 8/7c on Fox.
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Nick Hogan
Nick Hogan is an experienced podcaster and writer (particularly on media topics), who loves discussion and analysis of TV and is always looking for new shows to watch. He is also a parent who loves buffalo wings, blowing raspberries, and his beloved Cincinnati Reds.