‘Gotham’ is a tv show based on characters published by DC comics. It focuses on Batman’s origin story and shows us what made certain villains become who they are.
Recently, it has been announced that its fifth season, which is premiering in 2019, will be its last, and there are also rumors that it’ll only have 10 episodes.
Now, as a fan of the show, I can only say that that is completely unacceptable. These characters are some of the most complex I’ve ever seen, and 10 episodes won’t be nearly enough to end their story.
For example, it is already known by most people that one of the most famous villains in the Batman franchise, The Penguin, not only has an injury on his leg that makes him constantly limp, (which has already been explained on the show – it was Fish Mooney who injured him) but he also has his iconic monocle, which the show is yet to introduce. Considering how well Robin Lord Taylor plays him, I think it’s fair to give him an opportunity to play the character with all the features people know him for.
Another thing that the viewers have been waiting for is The Riddler’s iconic spandex suit. Although Cory Michael Smith, the actor who plays him, isn’t exactly the biggest fan of that idea, it’s something that should be done for the sole purpose of reaching the character’s full potential. This version of him is already on point, but it would only make it perfect if they gave him the suit for at least one episode. Some fans would also love to see his signature question mark cane, which I think is just as essential.
In addition, there is one specific question that will personally haunt me if the 10 episodes really end up not being enough: Do James Gordon and Barbara Kean end up together? It’s no surprise that in other versions of this universe, James and Barbara always get together so they can have children, one of them being the future Batgirl. But Gotham so far hasn’t gone with that storyline at all. They might’ve started off the show engaged, but by now things have changed so much that I don’t think there’s any way to go back to what it used to be. That’s one of the things that is so special about Gotham; Barbara has changed so much but hers has been such an interesting and well-developed story line and she’s amazing as a villain. For that reason, I hope it doesn’t get ruined it by making her go back to James. There are so many other ways that Batgirl could be born (for example, Lee Thompkins could be her mother instead, since so many fans want her and James together) so there’s no need to try to make her “one of the good guys” again.
Lastly, of course we can’t forget about who this is all about: Bruce Wayne AKA the Batman. He’s only 18 and he has just started becoming the hero we know, so there is obviously still so much story to tell. I don’t doubt that this a character the writers will do justice in the last few episodes, but the audience needs to see more of him. Seeing him grow has been such an incredible experience, we’ve seen so many sides of him and it’s the most interesting thing to keep up with his evolution through the years.
That’s precisely why we need to see more, we’ve seen multiple versions of the Batman as a full-on hero, but we haven’t seen an adaptation that explores this well how he got there. Gotham deserves an opportunity to finish telling that story in a non-rushed way.
So, it should not only get the usual 22 episodes in the last season, it should also get as many more seasons as possible followed by its proper and well deserved ending.
