“Gotham” may be “No Man’s Land” for the moment, but the Batman prequel series has been given the signal by FOX for a fifth and final season.
The series follows not only the heroic rise of Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) going from detective to Captain to police commissioner, but the rise and wrath of villains such as Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor), Ed Nygma/Riddler (Cory Michael Smith), Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Camren Bicondova), Victor Fries/Mr. Freeze (Nathan Darrow), Jervis Tetch/Mad Hatter (Benedict Samuel), Poison Ivy, Ra’s al Ghul (Alexander Siddig), Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow, Firefly, but most of all … the Joker.
Together, they will give birth to the rise of boy billionaire Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz), whose parents’ death will help him begin his training in becoming a watchful protector for Gotham: a brooding Caped Crusader for justice, a symbol against those who preys on the fearful, a silent guardian … a dark knight.
Season four follows Bruce’s transition in becoming the hero the people Gotham needs and deserves against the criminals and the corrupt. To illustrate, this season also coincides with the 50th anniversary of the third and final season of ABC’s “Batman” with the late Adam West as the bright knight of Gotham alongside Burt Ward’s Boy Wonder Robin and Yvonne Craig’s Batgirl. Together, the Terrific Trio keeps the city safe every Thursday night against the rogue gallery of evildoers that includes the Penguin (Burgess Meredith), the Riddler (Frank Gorshin), Siren (Joan Collins), Shame (Cliff Robertson), the Joker (Cesar Romero), Louie the Lilac (Milton Berle), and Catwoman (Eartha Kitt).
Season four will also celebrate the 10th anniversary of “The Dark Knight” starring Christian Bale as Batman and Heath Ledger in his posthumous Oscar-winning performance as the Joker. The point? You can either die a hero … or you can live long enough to see yourself become the villain.
FOX’s “Gotham” will signal Bruce’s journey in becoming Batman, who will begin his 80th birthday when the series returns mid-season sometime next year. 2019 will also signal the 30th anniversary of director Tim Burton’s “Batman” with Michael Keaton’s titular superhero using “those wonderful toys” of his against Jack Nicholson’s Crown Prince of Crime.