Gotham Review: The Beginning (Season 5 Episode 12)

After 5 years and many emotions, the time has come to say goodby to Gotham. Admittedly, the series finale snuck up on me.

On Gotham Season 5 Episode 12, “The Beginning,” viewers get a look at Gotham City after Bruce Wayne has been gone for 10 years. Some things have changed, some things haven’t, but even in the series finale, Gotham gets mixed results.

The Batman scenes, even though you don’t really get to see Batman until the end, are actually pretty good. “The Beginning” really feels like a pilot episode in some ways, and this is one of them. Batman first comes to town and helps those he knows to be good, and stops those he knows to be otherwise. 

The handling of the villains also makes it feel like a pilot for a Batman show. The Penguin, The Riddler, and The Joker (am I allowed to say that now?) all feel like the larger-than-life characters who’ve long fought against Batman. Sometimes they feel like caricatures, but ultimately it works.

Though moments make “The Beginning” feel like a Batman show pilot, ultimately Gotham‘s finale is dedicated to a strong, hopeful finish for the long-time characters. The likes of Jim, Lee, Barbara, Harvey, Lucius, and Alfred draw heavy focus. I’ve always said that Gotham is set in Batman’s world, but is really a story about Jim Gordon, and the series finale feels true to that. 

Of course, fans of Batman lore are likely not surprised by most of the events on “The Beginning.” Still, there are a couple of surprising moments. 

For one, I thought they might try to pull a fast one and kill off Lee during the 10 years, and put Jim and Barbara back together. In a happy surprise, that is not the case, but it’s even happier that Barbara has turned into a well-adjusted adult and parent. It’s a great “have your cake and eat it, too” story because Erin Richards plays such an incredible villain, but they can do a time jump and create the Barbara Kean from the comic lore and all is well. 

Something else surprising (in one sense) is the decision to go with a new actress for Selina, instead of having Camren Bicondova appear in the finale. While this makes sense from a time jump standpoint, I’m still surprised that they didn’t include Bicondova in some way.

Speaking of Lili Simmons (the actress who played Selina in the finale), it seems they’re looking at doing a spin-off centered on her. This feels strange because she’s only been on one episode of Gotham. She resembles Bicondova enough to make it work, but I’m still not totally sure how I feel about it.

Ultimately, Simmons replacing Bicondova so abruptly and for such a short time is more off-putting than anything.

As a whole, sometimes the series seems afraid to take risks and would borrow stories from The Dark Knight saga. Gotham is always it’s best self when it’s been wholly original.

Still, Gotham‘s finale ultimately feels hopeful and full of life. It really feels true to its source material, while maintaining the unique vantage point they’ve created over the past 5 years.

A few stray thoughts:

• I loved the look of all the villains, especially Jeremiah/The Joker. The photos originally released were off-putting, but his full look with the suit and makeup looks fantastic. 
• The Riddler and the Penguin both looked fantastic, especially Penguin’s nose, monocle and extra pounds! 
• Also, the appearance of Commissioner Gordon’s iconic mustache? Incredible.
• I appreciate that Mayor James returns for the finale, too.
• Gotham has always worked best as an ensemble show, so I greatly appreciated the team effort to stop the bomb by Jim, Alfred, Lucius, Lee, Barbara, and Selina. Just like old times. 

What did you think of the series finale of Gotham? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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