Before James Gunn‘s DCU was the talk of the town, the popular comic book brand was dominating the live-action TV space. This was mainly due to the CW’s “Arrowverse”, but it wasn’t the only network DC fans were turning to in the 2010s for high quality superhero action. The best example of this was Gotham, which debuted on Fox in 2014. Despite ending its critically-acclaimed run half a decade ago, this villain-centric Batman origin story is still very popular among the fandom. Now, ahead of Batman’s big screen return, Gotham has found a new streaming home.
All five seasons of Gotham are streaming for free on Tubi. That’s 100 episodes of crime fighting chaos to keep you occupied till the new DCU makes its next major jump with Superman in July. The series currently holds a fresh 77% on Rotten Tomatoes. That was in large part due to Gotham’s unique blend of surprisingly violent madness and campy comic book charm. However, the series had a great ensemble cast as well. Lead by Ben McKenzie’s James Gordon, this Batman prequel series featured younger versions of beloved characters like Donal Logue’s Detective Harvey Bullock, Robin Lord Taylor’s Penguin, Camren Bicondova’s Catwoman, Cory Michael Smith’s Riddler, Cameron Monaghan’s Joker, and Morena Baccarin’s Dr. Leslie Thompkins. The latter of which was an on-and-off again love interest for McKenzie’s Gordon. The pair met on the show before becoming a real-life couple. They would later get married in 2017. Gotham’s a dangerous place, but that, thankfully, hasn’t gotten in the way of true love. McKenzie and Baccarin are also often seen together on the comic con circuit, where they have had nothing but glowing things to say about their time working on Gotham.
Before Batman, James Gordon Was ‘Gotham’s Savior
Gotham starts off like many Batman stories; the murder of Bruce Wayne’s (David Mazouz) parents. An event where James Gordon was the responding officer for. The early seasons of the show focused on Gordon’s early days at GCPD, where he was trying to fight the corruption of both his precinct and the city at large. It was a “villain of the week” affair while also having a larger mystery of who killed Thomas and Martha Wayne. Along the way, Gordon would take on new versions of characters like Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, Firefly, and Bane. The series would shift to more of a split focus between Gordon’s ongoing battle and Bruce’s journey to becoming Batman in the latter seasons. This led to some hit-and-miss storylines, but the street-level zany core of Gotham remained its biggest strength throughout its lengthy run. It took genuine risks with the source material, was often unpredictable and things like Monaghan’s complex take on the Joker were the series’ best wild card. DC fans have a long wait till Matt Reeves’ The Batman Part II and the DCU’s The Brave and Bold, so there’s no better time to get immersed in Gotham’s thrilling atmosphere.
