Gotham
Season 1 Episode 22: “All Happy Families Are Alike”
Directed by Danny Cannon
Written and created by Bruno Heller
Starring Ben McKenzie, Donal Logue, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sean Pertwee, Robin Lord Taylor, David Mazouz, Camren Bicondova, Morena Baccarin, Cory Michael Smith, Erin Richards, Zabryna Guevara
FOX
Air Date: Monday, May 4th, 2015, 8pm

It’s the end of an awesome inaugural season for Gotham! This Batman prequel centers around Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) and how he tries to clean up corrupt Gotham city with partner Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue), before the masked superhero grows up. We watched (and so did Selina Kyle – newcomer Camren Bicondova) the parents of Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) get murdered, starting his obsession with finding their killers and the corruption within Wayne Enterprises. We met the mob players of the town. There’s Don Falcone (John Doman) with his underling Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith), and her soon-to-be betrayer underling Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor). There is also Don Maroni (David Zayas), a loudmouth who is trying to take over as well. We watched Ed Nygma (Cory Michael Smith) go from amiable lab geek to a full on psycho, cementing his inevitable Riddler persona. Many other characters from the DC universe have also visited Gotham this season like the Joker, Poison Ivy, The Dollmaker, and Lucius Fox (Chris Chalk).

Gotham 1.22 “All Happy Families Are Alike” review: What an exciting finale! I feel like all the trailers and promos revealed all the important aspects of the finale. But still. Penguin’s “a war is coming,” was as accurate as it was prophetic. It was an all out mob war, that Jim got caught in the middle of (Harvey too). And by caught, I mean he planted himself right in the middle. Falcone ended up in the hospital after a rocket launcher destroyed his car while he was near it, not in it. Jim found himself protecting Falcone and inadvertently Penguin and Butch, figuring on the “lesser of two evils.”

Fish Mooney, flashing her baby brown and baby blue, arrives in town in style, and gathers troops. It was heartwarming to see her and Butch reunited. Already admitting the character will not be returning in season 2, we see how she departs this episode and series.

Bruce and Alfred (Sean Pertwee) tear apart his father’s study. And I’ll reveal what the promo reveals: Bruce presses a button, the fireplace pulls back, showing a secret entrance to… we know what’s down there, don’t we? And this is right after Bruce meets Lucius Fox. Damn! I cannot wait to get down there!

Barbara (Erin Richards) gets checked out by Dr. Thompkins (Morena Baccharin), after her harrowing ordeal with The Ogre (Milo Ventimiglia). Awkward much? She only agrees to get help if Lee agrees to be her counselor. Super awkward much? Needless to say, it is the trap we think it is. Jim and Harvey and Falcone interrupt this great scene. I don’t know how Jim is ever going to marry Barbara after walking in on that, and for what she revealed to Lee previously.

The finale was everything you would expect – just one harrowing deathly situation to another, the entire episode. I really thought almost everyone was going to die every second.

The only thing that did not sit right with me was Selina’s quick transition to full on villain. I know she’s been heading this way all season, but she was helping two episodes ago. I guess it can be chalked up to “children are impressionable,” but it still felt quick and not right.

Gotham WILL be returning for season 2, after a very successful season 1.

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Videos

Gotham 1×22 Promo “All Happy Families Are Alike” (HD) Season Finale

Gotham 1×22 “All Happy Families Are Alike” (Season Finale) – As Gotham City’s gang war reaches its boiling point, Fish Mooney goes head-to-head with Maroni and Penguin in an attempt to re-stake her claim on the city. Meanwhile, Barbara and Leslie Thompkins are brought together after recent events, and Bruce searches Wayne Manor for any hints that his father might have left behind in the all-new “All Happy Families Are Alike” Season Finale episode of GOTHAM airing Monday, May 4th on FOX.

GOTHAM | See How It All Ends

The battle between good and evil rages on GOTHAM! Don’t miss the season finale MON at 8/7c on FOX.