How to watch

Gotham Watch Order in the correct order

How to watch Gotham in order

Last updated: November 10 2026

Written by: ChronoAlice

Gotham tells the story of Batman's city before Batman, following a young Jim Gordon through five seasons of corruption, chaos and colorful villains.

Fox's Gotham begins on the night Thomas and Martha Wayne are murdered, with rookie detective James Gordon promising a young Bruce Wayne that he will find the killer. What follows is a pulpy, increasingly wild origin story for Gotham City itself, featuring early versions of the Penguin, the Riddler, Catwoman, Poison Ivy and the Joker. The series ran for 100 episodes from 2014 to 2019.

๐Ÿ• Release Order

Gotham is one continuous story, so release order is the backbone of any rewatch.

  1. Gotham Season 1 (2014)
  2. Gotham Season 2 (2015)
  3. Gotham Season 3 (2016)
  4. Gotham Season 4 (2017)
  5. Gotham Season 5 (2019)

Fans often ask whether Pennyworth, the series about Alfred's early life in 1960s London, is a prequel to Gotham. It was made by Gotham's developer Bruno Heller, but it is a separate continuity with a different Alfred.

๐Ÿ“– Story Chronology

If you enjoy the idea of a Batman-adjacent timeline, you can treat Pennyworth as an optional, unofficial prelude before diving into Gotham's five seasons.

  1. Pennyworth (2019)
  2. Gotham Season 1 (2014)
  3. Gotham Season 2 (2015)
  4. Gotham Season 3 (2016)
  5. Gotham Season 4 (2017)
  6. Gotham Season 5 (2019)

Which Order Should You Choose?

Watch Gotham's five seasons in release order. The story builds steadily from a crime procedural into a full-blown comic book saga, and Season 5's finale flashes forward ten years to deliver the payoff fans waited for. Pennyworth is a fun bonus for Alfred fans, but it is not required and does not connect directly to Gotham's plot.

๐Ÿ”— Related Guides

  • Batman Watch OrderGuide
  • The Dark Knight Trilogy Watch OrderGuide
  • Joker Watch OrderGuide

Did we miss anything? Let us know and we'll keep this guide up to date!