Gotham is taking this Thursday, February 7, 2019 off, but fear not, as FOX's Batman prequel series won't be taking too long of a break. Premiering in the fall of 2014, Gotham - created by Bruno Heller - serves to tell the origin stories of all of DC fans' favorite heroes and villains from the world of the Caped Crusader. Or at least that was the original idea. As Gotham has gone on, the series has gotten progressively crazier, further diverging from the established backstories of major characters.
While there's a certain contingent of diehard fans bothered by Gotham's approach to rewriting comic book lore (it recently changed Bane's origin to make him friends with Jim Gordon), those willing to accept Gotham as its own creative beast have come to enjoy the wild ride the series has taken them on. Sadly, Gotham is currently in the middle of airing its 12-episode fifth and final season before it signs off for good, although FOX did offer the showrunner's a chance to end the series properly; that's more than can be said for late, lamented genre shows like Almost Human, Terra Nova, and Lucifer (the latter did get a stay of execution from Netflix).
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Unlike the aforementioned shows though, Gotham can at least say it was at one point a huge ratings hit. In the early seasons, Gotham was one of the highest-rated shows on FOX. That's presumably why the network extended it the courtesy of wrapping up on its own terms. By the end of season 5, Gotham will play host to not only a fully formed Batman, but also fully realized versions of The Riddler, The Penguin, and Catwoman, with Selina Kyle recently beginning her fateful feline transformation.
This week though, fans have no new Gotham episode to look forward to, and there's no readily apparent reason why one isn't airing. Thankfully, Gotham will return next Thursday, February 14 with a brand new episode.
The previously Gotham episode, entitled "Pena Dura," saw a lot of big events take place. Eduardo Dorrance (Shane West) - the dangerous man who'll eventually become the Bane of Batman's existence - arrived in the titular city, and his presence promises nothing but bad things for its residents. Further revelations about Ed Nygma's mysterious return from the grave were also revealed, as well as the identity of the person pulling his strings. Selina also continued her even more antagonistic relationship with Bruce after seemingly offing Jeremiah Valeska.
Next week's episode, entitled "13 Stitches," looks to feature a one-on-one confrontation for the ages between Eduardo and his old associate Jim Gordon, with the impression being given that this battle will lead directly to Eduardo's metamorphosis into Bane. Bruce Wayne is also set to further his combat training in the field, with the help of Lucius Fox. Gotham has seven more episodes total remaining in its final season, and none of them are to be missed, as the true beginning of Batman's rise looms.