Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Cast: Ben McKenzie, Donal Logue, David Mazouz, Morena Baccarin, Sean Pertwee, Robin Lord Taylor, Erin Richards, Carmen Bicondova, Cory Michael Smith, Jessica Lucas, Chris Chalk, Kelcy Griffin, Hunter Jones, Jaime Murray, Francesca Root-Dodson, J.W. Cortes, Cameron Monaghan, Shane West, David W. Thompson, Andrew Sellon, Peyton List, Anthony Carrigan, BD Wong, Richard Kind, Lili Simmons, John Bedford Lloyd, Sarah Schenkkan, Benedict Samuel.
Pity the world that needs a hero, pity the loyal fan base that loses theirs, for in the truncated fifth and final season of the popular American series Gotham, the encouraging sign, if it were ever in doubt, that the myth behind Batman, the city and the huge array of characters that have accompanied the Dark Knight over the last eighty years, shows no trace of ever slowing down.
Gotham has become an enigma, a puzzle to solve, and perhaps by finishing the series long before it arguably needed to, the answer that comes forth is that all good things should go out on a high, and yet as the story of Year Zero plays out, as the moments lead inexorability to the coming of the Dark Knight, the show proceeded to maintain its high standards; something that was unexpected, especially as the cast knew that the finishing line was now in sight.
If there has been a problem with the fifth season of Gotham, then it is only because of the feeling of sudden departure, that every criminal, with a couple of noticeable exceptions, have their night in the city’s darkness. This would not be a problem if the series was able to get away from the brief of being under siege, of being hemmed in by the year Zero timeline. However, what the producers did to counteract that sense of restriction was to put in motion the creative passage which leads directly to Batman’s descent on Gotham, and one that has been built up perfectly by the young actor David Mazouz. It takes a special kind of actor to grow before the audience, to gain their trust in such an iconic role, but Mr. Mazouz has outshone arguably almost every other actor who has stepped into the twin role of Bruce Wayne and Batman.
It is not only Mr. Mazouz who has brought their respective character to life in a way that has not been captured before, Sean Pertwee has excelled as Alfred Pennyworth, and perhaps has found a role that places him in the fan’s eyes as counterbalance to his illustrious father in the role of the third incarnation of the Doctor. Robin Lord Taylor as Penguin is glorious in this fifth series, so too is Carmen Bicondova as Selina Kyle, rivalling Michelle Pfeiffer in her outing in Batman Returns.
All good things must end, the road ahead now in the hands of those with cinema seats to fill, but nothing will capture the sense of purpose and understanding that Gotham has brought to the fans.
Ian D. Hall