Gotham revealed over hiatus that legendary DC Comics big bad Bane was on the way for the fifth and final season, but the show has yet to introduce him in all his villainous glory. With only three episodes left before the final credits roll, next week is finally set to unleash Bane on Gotham City, and an epic new trailer reveals that it's not going to be pretty for the good guys.
The trailer also teases a huge comic moment that many fans have undoubtedly been more or less expecting since news broke that Bane was coming to Gotham. Take a look at Bane in action with a pretty awesome voice!
We may have had to wait until the final few episodes of Gotham to see post-transformation Bane, but it looks like Gotham will make Bane worth the wait. While Shane West's version of the character isn't quite as huge and hulking as other incarnations of the character in TV and film, his Bane is clearly juiced up and murderous enough to wreak plenty of havoc.
Some of that havoc appears to involve a major moment from the comics, although we can count on a distinctly Gotham twist. As fans of DC Comics know well, Bane famously broke Batman's back in an unforgettable arc, sidelining Bruce Wayne for a while and forcing him to pass the cape and cowl onto somebody else while he recuperated. It was a terrifying twist to see the Bat broken, especially since it went down in the Batcave.
There's no Batcave of Gotham at the moment thanks to Jeremiah blowing up the first version of Bruce's underground lair, and Bruce is still a growth spurt or two away from being ready to fill the Bat suit, but Bane looks like he'll be breaking at least one back nonetheless. In fact, there's a moment in the trailer that seems to give away a moment that could certainly break Bruce, accompanied by an unnerving crunch. Take a look at the moment slowed down:
Bruce apparently gets slammed down on the street by Bane, with Selina in the mix as well. If this is the moment that Gotham adapts Bane breaking Bruce Wayne's back, it's a departure from how it went down in the comics. On the page, Bane slammed Batman down on his knee, breaking the Bat's spine and changing everything.
If this is how Bruce gets a broken back on Gotham, then it would at least be less graphic. Does anybody really want to see the teenage David Mazouz slammed down on an adult's knee to have his character's back broken?
All of this said, we have reason to believe that the glimpse of Bane slamming Bruce in the trailer isn't what it seems. Sure, it looks like the legendary baddie is breaking Bruce's back in homage to the comic arc, but would this really be Gotham if there wasn't a crazy twist? Spoilers ahead for the next episode of Gotham.
Way back in October, Sean Pertwee, a.k.a. Alfred Pennyworth, dropped a shocking piece of info about what was going to happen to his character in Season 5. According to Pertwee, Alfred and Bane "have an altercation," and Alfred gets his "back broken." Bane is going to be breaking a back, but it won't be Bruce's unless two characters are being broken by Bane in the next three episodes!
With this in mind, it's probably safe to say that what appears to be happening to Alfred in another promo for next week is not a misdirect. Check it out!
Ouch! Poor Alfred will be the victim of the Bane back break on Gotham. All things considered, it's not terribly shocking. Alfred would do anything to protect Bruce, and he's felt guilty about his inability to throw off Jervis Tetch's hypnosis back when Jeremiah was enacting his crazy plan to forge a connection to Bruce. Although Bruce doesn't blame him for his part in the disaster, Alfred blames himself, and that's a recipe for Alfred sacrificing his own safety.
It's also possible that Alfred is specifically targeted by Walker and/or Bane to get at Bruce. Alfred is the one person who pretty much everybody knows Bruce is attached to, as Selina has the ability to lurk in the shadows. Alfred is a natural target for those who want to hurt Bruce. Could that be how he gets his back broken on Gotham?
Only time will tell. If the back-breaking on Gotham goes down similarly to how it happens in the comics, Alfred won't be permanently down for the count, but it's possible that this is Alfred's last stand in the present on the show. He may not be up and at 'em until the flash-forward that may or may not introduce characters like Robin and Barbara Gordon. That all depends on whether or not some crazy Batman twists happen before the end. End spoilers.
The trailer is also the first time that we really get to hear Bane's voice, and I already love it. Due to the mask, there's always the risk that versions of the character will be too muffled for their words to be heard, let alone believably frighten the people around them. In fact, Gotham star Ben McKenzie revealed that his "one beef" with The Dark Knight Rises was the voice. Bane's voice on Gotham is different enough from Eduardo's and creepy enough to be frightening without being difficult to decipher.
On top of all the Bane craziness, the new trailer reveals that Babs will be going into labor to give birth to the baby that many figure will be the future Batgirl, although there's the chance that Gotham could deliver a twist and reveal Babs' baby to be the future villain James Gordon Jr.
At the very least, Babs going into labor is helpful in gauging how much time has passed in Season 5. Thanks to the hiatus time jump and Barbara's full-term pregnancy, we know that it's been about a year in-universe. Poor Gothamites! No wonder Ed and Oswald are so willing to risk everything with a bonkers submarine plan.
The next episode of Gotham will air Thursday, March 21 at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. The final arc promises to be an intense experience, so be sure to tune in before the end when you'll have to check out your other viewing options.
