On the previous episode of Gotham, the series started to draw toward its conclusion as a fully formed Bane clashing with Gordon. While this was happening, Barbara successfully delivered her child before being taken captive by Nyssa. In Gotham season 5 episode 11, the series begins to wind down with Nyssa finally enacting her plan to burn the city to ashes. In their last stand, all of the heroes and villains banded together to save a seemingly doomed city.
Setting the Stage
The surviving citizens of Gotham flocking to GCPD for sanctuary. Inside, Gordon, Bullock, and Lucius debate what to do next about Nyssa. Gordon orders them to gather all able-bodied men. At the infirmary, Selina and Bruce watch over a still injured Alfred after the attack by Bane. Bruce informs Selina that Nyssa is after him and Barbara, and she vows to help Bruce stop Ra’s’ al Ghul’s daughter. Meanwhile, Nyssa has captured Barbara and her newborn from the Sirens club. Nyssa tells Babrbara all about her revenge plot before saying she wants to raise her child as her own. The General arrives, and Nyssa orders him to destroy Gotham’s green zone.
Back at the submarine, Penguin is having second thoughts about leaving Gotham in the dust, much to the chagrin of Riddler. Although Riddler is hesitant on staying, Cobblepot eventually leaves his pooch Edward with… Edward. Riddler threatens to take both the sub and treasure with him. At GCPD, the Gordon lays out the plan, which involves making a last stand long enough to get the General out from under Nyssa’s control. While Gordon still wants to search for Barbara and Lee himself, Bullock argues that there are bigger fish to fry. Selina offers to check out the Sirens club for Gordon so that he can focus on saving Gotham. Lucius give Bruce with some of the latest Wayne Industries tech. This includes a “Nightwing” device that will call some mysterious animal to his side.
Dire Circumstances
Penguin pays a visit to Gordon’s office, where they reminisce over old times. Cobblepot admits that the city is a part of him, which is why he vows to stay and fight. Eventually Bullock bursts in to inform them that Bane is closing in, when Nygma unsurprisingly arrives to lend his hand to the fight. Locked and loaded, Gordon and the rest of the crew confront Bane and his men at the barricade and all hell quickly breaks loose. In the chaos, Penguin’s eye is injured after saving Nygma from a nearby grenade blast. The group realizes that they need a secret weapon, and Bruce knows just what might help to gain the upper hand. Eventually, Gordon and his men are forced to retreat when Lucius informs them that Nyssa is holding up Barbara and the baby in city hall.
Gordon decides to go at it alone in an attempt to fry the chip in the General’s brain with a Fox created EMP. He arrives and frees Barbara, when Nyssa appears holding their baby. Nyssa attacks Gordon with same dagger that killed Ra’s. But Barbara gets her hands on it and stabs Nyssa in the gut. However, Nyssa makes the General shoot himself in the head before she gets away. After she leaves, Gordon and Barbara have a nice moment where he gets to see at his baby girl for the first time.
The Bat And The Cat
At the Sirens club, Selina arrives to find Lee unconscious. After learning about the attack on the city, Lee vows to help at GCPD. Once there, Lee attends to the medical needs of civilians when Bruce arrives. He says that they need Jeremiah’s bomb from the basement. It turns out that Lucius modified the bomb to act as a battery, which has been powering GCPD. Now they want to turn it back into a bomb, in order to trap Bane and his men like rats in a maze. Unfortunately, this also means that they’ll need to detonate it in Wayne Tower, which Bruce and Selina set off to do. At Wayne Tower, Selina questions Bruce’s plan. But he is prepared to sacrifice everything to save the city. He arms the bomb and the duo narrowly escapes, only to watch the structure come crashing down.
As they make their way back to GCPD, the two are attacked by Bane. The trio fights it out, but Bane easily captures Selina in his grasp. As he taunts Bruce with her life, Selina pulls out a knife and is able to break free of his grasp. As this happens, Bruce attaches the Nightwing device to Bane. This naturally attracts a swarm of bats to take down the masked menace so that they can escape. Later, Bane recovers from the bat attack before seemingly taking another dose of venom. Bruce once again visits Alfred, who finally wakes from his slumber. In their bonding moment, Bruce vows to protect Gotham, even if there’s not much left to protect.
Gotham Reborn
With the General now dead, the entire crew try to figure out how to stop the attack. They learn that Bane’s forces are converging around GCPD in all directions. Gordon decides to have one final standoff as a distraction for Lee, Barbara and all of the other refugees to escape underground. Outside GCPD, the group confronts Bane and his army of mercenaries. Just as all hope seems lost, Barbara and the refugees arrive. Bane orders his men to fire, but they refuse to murder innocent civilians and a baby. They turn on their leader, and good triumphs over evil. However, an injured Nyssa arrives at the sub to make a seemingly clean getaway.
In the aftermath, our heroes finally begin reunification with the mainland. Gordon asks to hold his daughter, and her mother suggests that they name her Barbara Lee Gordon. Selina finds a Bruce brooding, and he’s still not content because Nyssa got away. He feels responsible for what happened to the city, and Selina encourages him by standing by his side. At Nygma’s hideout, he and Penguin eventually form a pact to make Gotham pay for its negligence.
Later at City Hall, Gordon is finally bestowed the title of commissioner. Bullock mentions that he’ll be missed in the bullpen, but Gordon counters that the mission is still the same nonetheless. A teary-eyed Bullok offers his help anytime, and the two embrace. Bruce informs the new commissioner that he’s decided to leave city because his life is too public in Gotham. Selina asks around for Bruce at GCPD, learning that he left her a goodbye letter. At the airport, Alfred reveals that he’s starting the reconstruction of both Wayne Manor and Tower before he and Bruce also say their goodbyes. As the plane takes off, Selina arrives to realize that she’s just missed Bruce. As Bruce gets one last glimpse of Gotham city, Selina looks on heartbroken while the plane disappears into the distance.
What did you think about Gotham season 5 episode 11? Let us know in the comment section below!