Gotham season 5, episode 11 review: They Did What?

The end begins for Gotham in the show’s penultimate episode, but what exactly went down in “They Did What?”, and was it worth the month-long wait?

There has been an air of finality throughout Gotham‘s final season, what with the series tackling the iconic Batman: No Man’s Land arc from the comics, Jeremiah Valeska’s descent into a vat of chemicals and Bruce’s ascension as protector of Gotham City. However, now the end is truly nigh for the beloved prequel series.

Returning from one final, month-long hiatus, the show aired its penultimate outing this week. The explosive episode dealt with the fallout of the last installment’s shocking conclusion – which saw Nyssa Al Ghul and Bane manipulate the U.S. Army into ordering the destruction of Gotham. Naturally, the city’s colorful collection of comical characters had absolutely no intention of waiting to die, and as a result, all hell broke loose in “They Did What?”.

Bringing Out The Best In The Worst

With the series finale in sight, Gotham‘s penultimate episode was very much the last stand for the current versions of these characters. Unlike the majority of the show’s run, it was no longer about who they were going to become and how they were going to get there, it was all about the present and who they were in that particular moment. The answer was simple: Heroes.

We saw that through Oswald’s decision to remain behind and fight for his city, we saw it through Ed’s decision to follow him and we saw it through Barbara’s decision to return and lead the army of Narrows survivors into battle.

All of these characters have, in some way or another, caused an immense amount of stress for Jim Gordon and the GCPD over the years, but when that same GCPD was the last line of defense in the battle for Gotham’s soul, they had no problem fighting alongside them. In the end, the show of solidarity proved to be enough to force the army to turn on Bane, and ultimately, save Gotham from complete and utter destruction.

Therein lies Gotham‘s charm. Though the majority of its characters are villains, they are the heroes of their own stories, and as a result, “They Did What?” fed off that, highlighting that in its darkest days, Gotham’s worst were willing to be its best.

Everything Falls Into Place

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In a single episode, Jim Gordon successfully managed to rescue Barbara Kean and their newborn daughter from Nyssa Al Ghul’s clutches and lead Gotham City to victory – if that doesn’t complete his character journey as Gotham’s White Knight, then I don’t know what will. This was, in many ways, the character’s defining moment (in a series that was already full of his defining moments), as he managed to do what he had been continually told he would never do: Save Gotham.

With that, Gotham‘s present very much concluded, and like the show has been building up to for the past five years, the future could finally begin – and that’s exactly what happened, as Gordon took his rightful place as Commissioner of the GCPD. However, that wasn’t the only thing to fall into place.

Alfred’s days as Bruce’s protector are over. Selina is once again on her own. The Riddler has returned and has agreed to share Gotham with the Penguin – both of them vowing to rebuild the city in their image. It sounds like all that’s missing from this puzzle is a certain pointy-eared vigilante…

Batman Begins

While multiple characters were at the heart of “They Did What?”, it was Bruce that found himself going on the biggest journey of them all. Upset by Bane’s attack on Alfred and disgusted that his city was burning, he vowed to make things right at all costs – even if it meant he had to destroy Wayne Enterprises to do it. This paved the way for a beautifully bittersweet moment where he recalled how his parents sacrificed everything for the city and how he was willing to do the same.

That, in itself, was the core of Bruce’s emotional journey. Through destroying the building that he held so close to his heart, he realized that Nyssa’s mission started and ended with him. Thus, after a little self-doubt (and the fear of almost losing Selina to Bane), he decided that it was time to cut all ties with Gotham for good. With that, he left it all behind – Selina, Alfred, the new Wayne Manor – and departed on a plane to the great unknown.

Make no mistake about it, this was the week in which Batman was truly born. Though he may return to Gotham in a decade with pointed ears and a jagged cape, this was the moment that Bruce realized who he was and what he was capable of.

Next week: The Dark Knight rises!

Gothic Getaways

• What a stunning episode. Not only was it an incredibly satisfying conclusion to the “No Man’s Land” story, it set up the future very very well.
• This was very much the last Gotham episode of Gotham (next week’s series finale is set 10 years in the future and will be quite Batman-orientated) and when all was said and done, it went out with one heck of a bang.
• Barbara named her and Jim’s child Barbara Lee Gordon. While we all knew she would name her Barbara (because, well, Batgirl), the addition of Lee and Gordon were nice tributes to the woman who helped deliver her baby and the child’s father. Wow, Barbara Kean has developed so much as a character, and it’s so wonderful to see.
• It was great to see Oswald and Ed sharing so much time together this week. Their scene in the episode’s closing moments was incredibly powerful, and it once again highlighted how strong both Robin Lord Taylor and Cory Michael Smith are as actors. They were right though – Gotham starts and ends with the Penguin and the Riddler.
• The use of the cloaking device on Bane to attract “certain winged mammals” was undoubtedly a nod to Batman Begins, when Christian Bale’s Dark Knight unleashes an army of bats on Arkham Asylum.
• A bat flying across the moon in slow motion – how very prophetic Gotham!
• This week’s MVP was undoubtedly… ALL OF THEM. An ensemble masterpiece.
• Yet again, Gotham upped the ante as its fifth season continues to provide the show with new high points each week. With only one episode left, can the series finale take the title as the show’s best episode? One thing is for sure, it’s going to face stiff competition from this one because “They Did What?” was nothing short of phenomenal.

Gotham returns to Fox for its series finale next Thursday, Apr. 25, at 8:00 p.m. ET. Will the Dark Knight finally rise to do battle with Mr. J? Are you excited to see how it all ends?  Let us know in the comments below!