Gotham aired from 2014 to 2019 and reached 100 episodes in total. Gotham was a show willing to take risks and be ok with changing what we come to expect from these iconic characters from the Batman mythos. This series deserves more recognition than it has gotten since it ended its run a few years back.
Why The Gotham Series Should Be More Appreciated
Warner Bros. has had many television series based around Batman, but the idea of a series following Jim Gordon and a slew of other characters, including a young Bruce Wayne, was a unique choice. The series opens with the death of the Waynes, which is typical for setting up Bruce’s origin, but sticking to that timeline is surprising.
Due to certain character rights and a show following Bruce running around Gotham as Batman just can’t happen. Following Jim Gordon, and eventually, a younger Penguin, Riddler, Catwoman, etc., is where Gotham becomes the unique series we know today. The city of Gotham is corrupt and dirty, and it felt like the city couldn’t catch a break from all the mayhem that was constantly happening. The viewers felt how badly the city needed saving, but we had to wait until the end of the series for that.
Watching Bruce try his best to handle the loss of his parents with Alfred by his side was some of the better moments of Season 1. We typically don’t see many moments in the comics of a young Bruce, so this was something the show could do to help make it its own thing. Over time Bruce would learn to defend himself, discover things about his family, and slowly start turning into The Caped Crusader.
At first, he wasn’t involved with some of the bigger storylines occurring, probably due to Bruce’s age. Getting further along its run, Gotham would have Bruce meet Penguin, Ra’s Al Ghul, Riddler, and other iconic villains. Gotham also gave us not one but two versions of The Joker. Both are terrifying yet vastly different from each other. Both versions connected with Bruce and had a lasting effect on him. This establishment helps form how and why Bruce needs to become Batman. He sees how dangerous these villains are and why they need to be stopped at any cost.
Throughout its five-year run, Gotham had many storylines intertwining with each other, and most of them delivered on what was set up. Not every storyline stuck the landing, but the writers weren’t afraid to take risks or take on a storyline that would drastically change the series. For the most part, each character got their moment to shine, and at times the main cast was massive. The work to structure the narrative to fit all the characters and for the show to not feel overwhelmed was a daunting task, but they succeeded in pulling it off.
The finale of the series is divisive at best, but they tried their best throughout the series to stay true to what the show was meant to be. Gotham was to establish the city, the many villains, and Bruce to fully realize what he is intended to become. The show could have fallen flat on what it was trying to do, but for me, it didn’t.
I was at first against this series, not watching the first season when it aired. However, I finally gave it a chance once Season 2 began airing. I started to turn a corner on it and binged through its first season so I could watch Season 2 live. I never thought I would give the show a shot, and I’m glad I did. I would have missed out on something special from my perspective.
Since its finale, fans have supported the series by re-watching it and telling others to check it out. There have been times fans have campaigned for the show to return. I don’t see this happening, as the cast has moved on to other projects, but crazier things have happened. Has Gotham become a better place because of Bruce’s return to the city? Maybe we could learn what has happened to this crazy cast of characters one day.
Some will see Gotham as that one series that didn’t hold back on going down bizarre paths with its stories, and that’s why I appreciate it so much. This show could have played it safe and just focused on Jim Gordon solely, but instead, we got many perspectives and layered characters that we fans still love today.
The concept of Gotham was out there, but the creative team behind the scenes made it work, and the fantastic work of the actors brought this show to life. Gotham will always have a special place in my heart, and I hope more people discover the series and it ends up being a favorite of theirs to them as well.
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