In the last six episodes of season 3, Gotham finally introduces The Riddler – but could there be a Dark Knight rising as well? Here’s where we left off with your favorite characters.
Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie)
The season so far: At the beginning of season 3, Gordon has given up on the Gotham City PD, become a bounty hunter and is catching mutated escapees from Indian Hill on his own. He even finds a new love interest in spunky Gotham Gazette reporter Valerie Vale (Jamie Chung). But when Jim’s lost love, Leslie (Morena Baccarin), returns to Gotham with a fiancé, the former detective finds himself struggling with his decisions. Ultimately, (and, at one point, in a hallucinogenic dream), Jim decides he has to return to the GCPD. He also once again saves Gotham City from a number of apocalyptic threats, including thwarting a resurrected Jerome from sending Gotham into chaos.
What to expect: Jim thinks order has been restored to Gotham, but there is a new threat brewing in the shape of a giant green question mark. Plus, Jim is reunited with his Uncle Frank (James Remar), who is secretly affiliated with the evil Court of Owls. This can’t be good.
Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz)
The season so far: Bruce isn’t that innocent kid just trying to find his parents’ murderer anymore. In season 3 so far, he confesses his feelings to Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova), finds out he has a crazypants doppelgänger who was created by Hugo Strange (BD Wong) at Indian Hill, and finally confronts the Court of Owls, a mysterious and nefarious group who runs Gotham and wants to eliminate Bruce. He also attempts to steal a crystal owl statue, which seems to have some sort of otherworldly powers. Yet, when Jerome Valeska (Cameron Monaghan) — aka “The Joker” — kidnaps Bruce to finish the job of killing him, we begin to see the inkling of the Caped Crusader he is to become.
What to expect: Is this really the beginning of Batman? We know that Alexander Siddig has joined the cast as Batman arch-nemesis Ra’s al Ghul, who is the man pulling the strings behind the villainous Court of Owls and who also will have control over Bruce’s doppelgänger. Plus, this last part of season 3 does have the tagline “Heroes Rise.” Let’s just say, we’re very encouraged.
Dr. Leslie “Lee” Thompkins (Morena Baccarin)
The season so far: Leslie gets her old job back as the GCPD’s medical examiner. Having moved on from Jim, she is also engaged to Mario Calvi Falcone (James Carpinello), a fellow doctor and son of mob boss Carmine Falcone (John Doman). Although she still has a soft spot for Jim, Leslie soon comes to regret her feelings for him when he kills Mario on their wedding night. You see, Mario is infected with a rage virus, which comes from Alice Tetch’s (Naian González Norvind) blood, sister to hypnotist Jervis Tetch (Benedict Samuel), aka “The Mad Hatter.” Mario is about to stab an unsuspecting Lee when Jim saves the day. While she eventually ends up believing Jim’s reasoning, she can’t really forgive him.
What to expect: But, wait, some of Mario’s blood splashes on Leslie’s face. Is this going to be a problem? Something’s been broken in her, and it looks like she isn’t going to be so goody-goody anymore.
Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova)
The season so far: Selina has had a rough go of it in season 3. She joins Fish Mooney’s band of mutated thugs, but isn’t too keen on Fish killing people. When Selina thinks her friend, Ivy, has been killed, she bolts and seeks comfort with Bruce. They end up dating, sort of, and she helps Bruce steal the owl statue. But when Selina’s estranged mother (Ivana Milicevic) shows up, it complicates things, especially after it turns out mom is only there to con Bruce for some money. Bruce realizes the ruse from the start and goes along with it, for Selina’s sake, but doesn’t tell Selina about it. This infuriates her, and she decides she’s done with Bruce, once and for all.
What to expect: Just as excited as we are to see Bruce become Batman, the prospect of watching young Selina finally turn into Catwoman is equally as thrilling. From the show’s teaser, we catch a glimpse of Selina lying prone in a back alley, like she’s been thrown from a window, surrounded by cats. Yeah, it’s happening soon.
Oswald Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor)
The season so far: Ah, Penguin. Oswald drops the crime-boss thing (sort of) and becomes an everyman hero to the people of Gotham as their mayor, as he tries to keep the city safe from the Indian Hill monsters, including putting a bounty on his old nemesis Fish Mooney (Jade Pinkett Smith). With Edward giving him confidence, Oswald does a good job but when he realizes his true feelings for Edward, things start to turn dark once again. Barbara Kean (Erin Richards) is the one who figures out Oswald killed Isabella, and plots with Edward to take the Penguin down. But poor Oswald can’t get over his love for Edward and won’t hurt him when he gets the chance. Instead, he lets Edward shoot him.
What to expect: Is this really the end of the Penguin? Highly unlikely. Our guess is he’ll wash up somewhere and someone will help him regain his strength so he can take on Gotham again (and Batman, of course).
Edward Nygma (Cory Michael Smith)
The season so far: Edward starts off season 3 in Arkham, but Oswald Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor) gets him out so he can help him win Gotham’s mayoral race. Also, Oswald has a thing for Edward. But Edward falls for Isabella (Chelsea Spack), a dead ringer for Kristen Kringle, the woman he once loved (and murdered), and Oswald can’t handle it. He orchestrates Isabella’s death in a car crash, and when Edward discovers it was Oswald who killed his love, he first ruins him and then shoots him, dropping him in Gotham Harbor. Edward has gone over to the green side.
What to expect: Edward is now poised to fully and finally become The Riddler, one of Gotham’s more ingenious, quizzical villains. In the teaser, he asks, “Who controls Gotham?” and it looks like he spends the majority of the time figuring that out and wreaking havoc.
Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue)
The season so far: Harvey does his best to stick by the strict policies set down by GCPD Captain Nathaniel Barnes (Michael Chiklis), but he misses his old partner and helps out Jim when he can. Yet, when Barnes is infected with the same rage virus, the captain slowly turns into a homicidal vigilante who kills criminals he deems “guilty.” Luckily, Jim and Harvey finally figure out what’s happened to Barnes and lock him away in Arkham. Harvey then takes over as temporary captain, but is thrilled when Jim decides to come back to the force.
What to expect: Harvey is still captain, but we’re pretty sure that’s not going to last for long. Gordon’s rise up the GCPD ranks is imminent.
Alfred Pennyworth (Sean Pertwee)
The season so far: Stalwart guardian of Master Bruce, Alfred has continually been the voice of wisdom – and a well-skilled trainer – for the young man. He is there to guide Bruce, especially when Bruce wants to set things right with Wayne Enterprises and when he wants to take down the Court of Owls. Although he never wants Bruce to knowingly put himself in danger, Alfred also helps Bruce in his plan to break into the Court of Owls’ vault and use the key to steal the crystal owl. When Bruce is taken by Jerome, Alfred teams up with Jim and Harvey to rescue him. This Alfred is such an ass-kicker.
What to expect: Now that there are two Bruce Waynes, it might make Alfred’s life more difficult. He’s also going to have to let Bruce go at some point so the young man can go off to find his inner bat.
The Sirens Crew
(Jessica Lucas, Erin Richards, Drew Powell)
The season so far: Barbara Kean (Richards) and Tabitha Galavan (Lucas) now run Penguin’s old club, calling it The Sirens, but Barbara still lusts for more power in Gotham. While Nygma initially believes it was Butch (Powell) and Tabitha who were responsible for Isabella’s death, capturing them and even cutting off Tabitha’s hand in the process, Barbara comes to the rescue with the news it was actually Oswald. She sees the fall of the Penguin as her chance to become the new crime boss of Gotham.
What to expect: Now that the Penguin is seemingly gone, it looks like Barbara is taking over as mob boss and helping Riddler in his nefarious plans. Problem is, Tabitha still wants to kill Edward for chopping off her hand. Could this mean tensions between Tabitha and Barbara?
Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith)
The season so far: After escaping Indian Hill, Fish discovers she has the power to make anyone do her bidding when she touches them, but that power is draining her of her life every time she uses it. She needs Hugo Strange to fix her. She first kills Strange’s assistant, Ethel Peabody, while trying to find the mad doctor, and when she finally does, he tells her he can’t stop the deterioration process. Gordon and Oswald find Fish and Strange, but they let them escape in order to save Harvey’s life. We feel this is a big mistake.
What to expect: From the looks of it, Fish comes back with a vengeance in the last six episodes, possibly cured by Strange after all. Could she usurp Barbara’s tenuous hold on Gotham’s criminal underworld?
Lucius Fox (Chris Chalk)
The season so far: Lucius has been a big help to the GCPD this season. It’s Lucius who figures out that Alice Tetch’s blood carries the superhuman rage virus, and he finds a way to test someone who might have it. This is how Jim discovers Mario has been infected, even though Mario had found a way to mask the virus in his system.
What to expect: Lucius will get more air time in the last six episodes, as he is the only one smart enough to decipher Riddler’s puzzles. He becomes a worthy adversary for the Riddler. This should be fun.
Arkham Asylum Inmates (Benedict Samuel, Michael Chiklis, Cameron Monaghan)
The season so far: Master hypnotist Jervis Tetch (Samuel) aka The Mad Hatter has been the primary villain in Season 3 so far, having caused much angst for Jim Gordon and trying to infect the city’s top officials with his sister’s blood. He is defeated by Jim and is now in Arkham, along with Barnes (Chiklis), who is in full rage mode, and Jerome (Monaghan) aka the Joker, who has been recaptured without his face. Look for these three to cause more trouble in the future.
What to expect: The burgeoning Batman is going to have his hands full.
Ivy Pepper (Maggie Geha)
The season so far: Although Selina thinks she’s dead, Ivy is very much alive. True, she is pushed into a drain pipe after her run-in with Fish, but she is touched by one of Fish’s people, who can accelerate the aging process. One small touch turns Ivy into a gorgeous adult woman. She learns to use her looks — and love for plants — to get what she wants, but when she steals a necklace that has a special key in it, she’s suddenly being hunted by the Court of Owls. She seeks out Selina and Bruce for help, and they come up with the plan.
What to expect: We’re not sure how Ivy might fit into the last six episodes, but we know she plays a bigger part down the road as one of Gotham’s villains.
Have thoughts on what’s to come in the remainder of the season? Tell us in the comments! Comments
Gothamseason 3 returns Monday, April 24 at 8/7C on Fox
