Gotham 1.13 “Welcome Back, Jim Gordon”

This was such an intense and meaningful episode, and yet it managed to keep the most brutal, personal, revelatory moment for the end. Way to go, Gotham, if you keep it up, you’ve got me.

In spite of having the full-on gang war as the subtext, this week what we were given was a quick reminder of why this series is strong and getting top reviews in the first place: character development and a great understanding of how Gotham really works.

It is not just another city, with gangsters, some corrupt cops and a lot of thugs running around shooting at everyone.

No, Gotham is a devilish place, where, no matter how good or noble your intentions may be, you’ve got to act dirty, to become part of the mud you’ve been trying to fight and avoid, or helplessly succumb to it. In order to fight its ways, you can’t be the outsider, the do-gooder. Gotham will turn you, twist your arm, throw you to the floor, spit in your face and tell you to come back if you want to have another taste.

Sure, there are good deeds and good intentions hidden between all of the living filth and dirt that the city’s become. But it feels so damn hard to find them, and it is so easy to, just a little bit, bend the rules in your favor…

So yes, Detective Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) does come back, as the title so aptly already tells us. But it is not a happy, or easy, comeback, despite of what one might want for the character.

No, the happiness he could be experiencing after the start of…something, with Dr. Leslie Thompkins (Morena Baccarin), is merely reduced to one line by Detective Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue), quickly set aside by Gordon. Because, if you know the character or Batman’s world at all, you know that smiles or happy couples are rare, and are things that certainly don’t last.

The fact that made this episode so strong, apart from the focus on the characters’ evolutions, was that, after having played with other elements for a few weeks — Arkham, super-villain-y origins, Alfred being badass — it took the series back to the element that made it strong and recognizable in the first place: corrupt cops running the city, with no one being able to do a damn thing about it. However, if it had just taken that same route once again it might have been boring, don’t you think?

That’s why it was so clever to not just pump it all up into high gear, overtly confronting Gordon to all the GCPD, and having Bullock risk his life by siding with his partner, though he still believes his heart is in the right place, but his methods aren’t, but also having the experience change the show’s dynamic. With Gordon’s actions, desperately reaching out to Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor), with whom he has an unresolved feud, Jim is on the path to becoming what we saw in Harvey on the first episode. Back when he talked as pals with mobster Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith) — with whom it looks he’s got more than affection for — while a new-to-Gotham Jim Gordon couldn’t believe his eyes.

Also, and very important as well, we are back on track with both Alfred (Sean Pertwee) and young Bruce (David Mazouz), back in Gotham after their escape to the Swiss Alps. It turns out that time away from Gotham has only made Bruce’s resolve stronger, though more pain ensues when Selina (Camren Bicondova), being Selina, crushes his heart and his hopes of finding his parents’ killer.

However, Master Bruce does have the moral guidance and total support of a relentless Alfred, who patches the boy up, reminding him that there’s still a lot to be done. Good stuff all around at Wayne Manor.

Plot advancing very nicely while developing the main characters’ story and having twists and bumps along the way? This episode of Gotham is a winner in my book.