Is all hope lost?
Gotham suffered a massive setback on Gotham Season 5 Episode 10 and one from which it may never recover.
Just when Jim thought all his troubles were starting to fade away, Nyssa al Ghul appeared to wreak more havoc on the city, and this time it was much worse than the bombing of Haven.
Nyssa wanted to avenge the death of her father by not only punishing Gotham but also by punishing those responsible for killing him, namely Barbara and Bruce.
Related: Gotham Season 5 Episode 9 Review: The Trial of Jim Gordon
And she didn't do it alone. Bane was born, and he quickly became Jim's worst nightmare.
With only two episodes of Gotham left, we couldn't expect a happy ending would come so soon. A happy ending might not come at all.
Barbara certainly isn't going to have a happy ending.
It's clear now that the events on Gotham Season 5 Episode 9 weren't a nightmare of Jim's but a reality. He and Lee are married.
And Lee hasn't become a crazy woman green with envy because her husband is having a baby with another woman who happened to be his ex-fiancee.
What Lee showed (and I admire her for it) is that she's willing to move past the events of the past for the sake of the baby, and she has no intention of becoming Barbara's enemy.
She and Barbara bonded and laughed about their sordid history as baby Batgirl was born. It was sweet as hell, but also telling in that this is how it happens in the television world when a character is about to die.
There was no way that the Gotham writers would have tortured us with Bane killing Barbara. It would have been too brutal, even if there's still a possibility it could happen.
Instead, we were treated to Penguin and Riddler saving the day even though they had shown up at the clinic to get back the regulator Barbara stole to prevent them from leaving Gotham without her.
Penguin and Riddler working together were brilliant, and it's too bad we won't be able to enjoy any more of their amusing antics that would have come about had Gotham gotten renewed for more seasons.
Barbara and Lee made it safely to the Sirens club, but their joy was shortlived because Nyssa was waiting for them. Besides that, Wade's helicopters started bombing Gotham which didn't help their situation either.
I can't imagine that Nyssa will die in the bombings, but I can see Ra's al Ghul's daughter murdering Barbara while Lee and the baby escape.
Jim isn't going to stand by knowing that his daughter is in danger even though he doesn't know Nyssa is holding them captive. He'll show up at the right time to bring them to safety.
Alfred's situation, on the other hand, is up in the air. One would think his time isn't at an end just as the Dark Knight is about to be born, but Gotham has always been full of surprises.
Bane did a number on him.
If Alfred is dead, it might be one more reason Bruce puts on the cape. But how will Batman get the job done without Alfred by his side to guide him?
I had a hard time understanding what Bane said to Jim and thought he might have mentioned Jerome. Did anyone catch that?
It would fit if Jerome is working with Nyssa, but it doesn't make sense. If Nyssa is successful in destroying Gotham, what does that leave Jerome?
What would be insanely cool is if Jerome shows up to mark his territory and save Gotham in the process, or at least contribute to the process.
If you remember on Gotham Season 5 Episode 1, Jim, Bullock, and the GCPD teamed up with Penguin and Riddler to take a stand against an army. That might have been Wade's army.
It could be that Nyssa recruited some of Gotham's criminal element, but it doesn't seem plausible that the good guys would be fighting off a Jerome army.
Jerome doesn't want Gotham destroyed because without Gotham, he has no city to rule and no Bruce Wayne to fight.
There are only two episodes left. We know the Joker is coming as are Catwoman and Batman.
Events have been moving fast because of the limited amount of time left for the series, but who knows what other villains will make a final appearance to help in preventing Gotham from becoming a pile of rubble?
It's an exciting prospect!
Over to you!
Other Tidbits
- Barbara blasting away at Bane while Lee was wheeling her to safety was one of the best moments of the hour.
- I got teary-eyed when Lee assured Barbara that Jim wasn't going to take her baby away. Auntie Lee? Love.
- Barbara giving birth in heels shows what a badass she is.
- I love Alfred and Selina's new partnership. Alfred's vicious slap in the early seasons of Gotham is forgotten and forgiven.
- Is it possible that another Lazarus Pit got created that might save Alfred if he died?
- Jim knocking out those two guards is the kind of Jim Gordon I like. My, how he's changed.
- Bullock getting super excited about Jim becoming a father was epic.
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What did you think about "I Am Bane"?
Will Gotham be destroyed?
Which characters won't make it out alive?
Hit the comments and share your thoughts!
If you need to catch up, you can watch Gotham online right here via TV Fanatic!