‘Gotham’: Ben McKenzie On Bringing Jim Gordon to the Dark(er) Side
Don’t call him an antihero—yet! Gotham’s leading man, Ben McKenzie, has taken Jim Gordon from Boy Scout with a badge to a rogue crime fighter with a lot of blood on his hands. But while this season’s walk on the dark side may have cost Batman’s future bestie a life with true love Lee Thompkins (Morena Baccarin) as well as his standing within the GCPD, McKenzie says it’s all good as long as Jim gets to be a little bad.
Jim’s dark turn this season gave you so much great stuff to play.
Yes, it did! One of the things I think we did was learn from things we could’ve done better in the past. After the first season, we felt we needed to lean into the serialization way harder, so I’m proud of this season in terms of how it really focused on the characters. Not just Jim but the evolution of Oswald (Robin Lord Taylor) and Nygma (Cory Michael Smith). Bruce (David Mazouz) has evolved a lot too.
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Between Oswald in Season 1 and Galavan (James Frain) this year, Jim is the guy who can’t kill people for good.
[Laughs] I know. He’s awfully ineffective for such a heroic guy. As much as we want to dig into the characters and give them the sort of pathos that helps ground the series in reality, we also wanted to open it up to do really fun reversals and rebirths and body swapping–type things.
This season was all about the villains. Who’s your favorite bad guy?
It’s always been Nygma. I’ve always had a soft spot for him, and I think what Cory Michael Smith’s doing is great. He’s been brilliant this year and last year. I think we’ve got some plans for him next season. And there’s one villain I’m really excited about that I cannot share with you. [Laughs]
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What about a favorite scene this season?
That’s a tough one. It’s not one scene, but the episodes where Jim goes to prison and we see him reorient his life and then emerge anew. It was a really enjoyable journey to go on as an actor. So much superhero lore is about overcoming a loss through fantastical elements, but Jim’s just a man. So to experience the loss of Lee and his child—I can imagine going through something similar in my personal life—was a powerful experience.
Without Lee or the GCPD, where does Jim go now?
The plan is to kick him into Season 3 unmoored from all of the things she helped him hold on to and, in some dark way, enjoying a life free from any attachment to anybody. We could [see] him roam the streets at will for a bit and come back [to the GCPD], possibly as a leader of men. I think that’s what we’re aiming for.
You weren’t a comic book kid growing up. Have you gotten better versed in the Batman business since the show started?
I definitely feel more learned in this world, for sure. Don’t quiz me on it, though! [Laughs]
Gotham, Season Premiere, Monday, September 19, 8/7c, Fox.
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I couldn't see the last parts of the article before. I definitely agree with Ben McKenzie about his favorite scene or most memorable parts of the season. He was tremendous in the prison arc and really had the opportunity to shine in the most subtle, but moving ways. Bravo, Ben. One of the things that has always struck me is how compelling and expressive you are with nuances in body language in ways that makes most dialogue an afterthought. Thinking back on that, and how devastated and shattered Jim was to lose any semblance of human connection and family and that hope, it's no wonder that he feels that he's lost everything that matters, other than his freedom. Being out of prison and trying to do what he could to protect Lee and offer a safer life has led to nothing. Gotham's more dangerous than ever and all of Jim's efforts have been in vain, personally and professionally.
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It's definitely difficult to feel very positively about Jim's now former fiance if she chose to cut all ties while he was in prison and not even tell him anything about their child regardless of her decisions, but leave that task to Harvey, who not only had to give Jim the heartbreaking news about losing what would have been a family, but was the only one who stood by Jim, worked for his release, and showed that he cared. Jim may have wanted to spare Lee and their baby pain when he first went to prison, but what he was clearly doing was conveying that message, not that he didn't want to know about their baby. As a parent, he deserved to know and to hear the truth from her. And if she didn't tell anyone the truth, then there goes any respect.
it looks like the writers are all about stripping away hope, so we'll see if there's a way to get any in return at some point.
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