After five years and 100 episodes, Gotham is reaching the end of its television journey. The Batman prequel premiered on Fox in 2014 and since then has taken viewers on Bruce Wayne’s journey from Crime Alley orphan to the Dark Knight of Gotham. Tonight, Gotham will air its final episode and we’ll finally see what we’ve been building to since that first hour…Batman!

We had a chance to chat with the cast of Gotham as they said their final goodbyes to the series.

Wrapping up Gotham was especially bittersweet for our newly minted commissioner, Ben McKenzie, who fell in love with his wife Morena Baccarin while working on the show. In addition to playing Jim Gordon, McKenzie wrote and directed some of the series’ most memorable episodes.

Reflecting on the experience, McKenzie revealed which character was the hardest one to write for. “I would say my wife is hard to write for because she’s very demanding,” he said. “If I write her the wrong lines, it’s a tough night in the household. She’s tricky!”

On the subject of Gotham’s female characters, Jim’s one-night stand with Barbara earlier in the season shocked many fans. When asked about the moment McKenzie merely replied, “Poor choices for Jim.”

Of course, you can’t wrap up five years of playing Commissioner Gordon without taking a moment to reflect on his legacy.

“So many actors have played Gordon well, and of course, Gary Oldman is an exquisite actor so his version of Gordon in the films was terrific,” McKenzie offered. “But I’m very grateful to have held the baton for a while and pass it on to who-knows-who’s next.”

For years, Chris Chalk has played Lucius Fox as the voice of reason, using his intelligence to save the characters on more than one occasion.

“The good thing about Lucius is he’s very resourceful,” Chalk said. “My favorite thing Lucius has built was the suit. I like the suit. There’s always these little things because the props department is so amazing. There’s always these little devices they find. That kind of stuff is awesome to me.”

We asked Chris if Lucius would have any unfinished business after the show airs it’s final episode, and one particular thing came to mind: “Lucius Fox bucket list… Marriage. I think he deserves love. I think all the characters deserve love,” he shared.

Like Chalk, romance was on Cory Michael Smith’s mind as the show wrapped and he reflected on Edward Nygma’s love life.

“I’ve had some pretty devastating relationships with women on the show,” he acknowledged. “They’re all pretty miserable in the end.”

Don’t expect Ed’s luck to change during the finale either.

“I don’t think season 5 will be a season of love for Ed,” Smith suggested.

Although Robin Lord Taylor was emotional saying goodbye to the role of Oswald Cobblepot, he was all smiles when we spoke to him, as he read a zinger from an old jokebook entitled The Penguin’s Put-Downs, Jokes and Riddles.

“Why doesn’t the Penguin need a monocle in the artic? His ice-sight gets better,” he quipped.

Although his days as the Penguin are over, Robin joked that the material from the jokebook could make a good season 6. “Just tell Netflix.”

Camren Bicondova recently revealed in a social media post that she won’t be playing Selina during the final episode. Since the episode takes place ten years in the future, Lili Simmons will be picking up the mantle to play an older version of Selina. It’s an announcement that makes sense, but is still bittersweet, and we were unaware of it when we spoke with Bicondova, who gave us a carefully phrased hint when she said, “You won’t be seeing me in a catsuit.”

However, Bicondova did give us some clues on how the final version of Selina might look.

Gotham is always different, as far as the costumes go, from the comic books,” she teased. “Our costumes have never been what we expect them to be. So, you won’t see me in one as far as latex and stiches go, but it’s always different.”

For five years, these actors have brought their comic book counterparts to colorful life, leaving their mark on an 80-year legacy that shows no sign of slowing down. With Gotham’s final episode, we’ll soon see them take their final bow and enter the dark night of their beloved city. Their journey may be ending, but for Bruce, Selina, Jim, Lucius, Oswald and Ed, things are only just getting started.
 

Gotham’s series finale, “The Beginning…,” airs tonight at 8 p.m. (7 p.m. CST) on Fox. For all the latest Gotham news, features and conversation, click here.

Joshua Lapin-Bertone writes about TV, movies and comics for DCComics.com and DCUniverse.com, and is a regular contributor to the Couch Club, our weekly television column. Follow him on Twitter at @TBUJosh.

Special thanks to Ben McIntyre for assisting with this interview.