Back in July at San Diego Comic Con, I had the honor for the third year in a row of interviewing various cast members from the Fox show “Gotham” in the press room.  Today, September 19th, is the premiere of “Gotham” season three, and with these interviews I have all sorts of information of what we can expect with it’s return.  If you though Gotham City was dark now, just wait.  It’s going to get darker.  

Shows like “Gotham” do have a tie to “Supernatural.”  For one, it’s a genre show produced by Warner Brothers, the same studio that owns “Supernatural.”  They are essentially siblings in the WB family.  Also, some “Supernatural” talent has actually touched “Gotham” as well, such as Ben Edlund and directors John Behring and Nick Copus.  Or there’s the fact that several fans that like “Supernatural” also like “Gotham,” so if you fall in that category, this preview is especially appealing to you. 

Oh right, for those that don’t want to know…SPOILER ALERT!!!!

“Gotham” season three kicks off six months after the season two premiere when Hugo Strange’s “monsters” are unleashed on the city.  There’s also the return of Fish Mooney, which shakes up the Penguin quite a bit and no doubt will have a big impact on the events.  There’s a lot more as well and several great items were revealed in the below interviews:

David Mazouz (Bruce Wayne)

What side of Bruce Wayne are we going to get in season three?  “Honestly, in most of season one Bruce was grieving, and he couldn’t really do a lot.  He couldn’t make his own jump to Batman, it was just too early.  In season two he definitely made that evolution, I think a lot of people would agree with that.  I think he made major steps toward becoming the caped crusader.  In season three, because is season two those steps were so big, there’s going to need to be a check and there’s going to need to be a step back.  Bruce realizes that if he continues on the path that he’s going on he’s putting people he cares about and loves in danger.  He needs to figure out what his purpose is in Gotham and what he really wants to do in the end.  He’s going to do a lot of figuring himself out in season three.”

What about the Doppelganger that looks a lot like him in the season two closer? Mazouz confirms that the character is played by him, Tarzan wig and all.  He cannot say who the guy is, just that he’s in season three.   “It has been a blast playing him.  It’s so much fun, I’m excited for the audience to see it.  I love playing two characters.” 

Mazouz had plenty to say in this interview about the unique elements of “Gotham” from other Batman stories, including the relationship between he and Alfred.  He really respects the way the villains are done though.  “The way that the writers and the actors have brought together the villains on Gotham is unlike anything we’ve seen in a Batman incarnation.   You like them.  You want them to win.  I mean the Penguin, I think I speak for everybody, Robin Lord Taylor has killed with in the role.  You’re rooting for him even though he’s a killer maniac murderer.  You want him to win, that’s so wrong on so many levels.”

Mazouz might also have some great insight about season four, especially since it is the Batman origina story.  “By the end of season three that will all change.  Season four will set a whole new path for him.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfQ-rXKZ0Nc

Ben McKenzie (Jim Gordon)

Jim Gordon is going through some drastic changes right now.  He’s no longer with the Gotham City PD and is instead a bounty hunter of the monsters.  However, Ben McKenzie kicked our interview off with a big reveal about his character for season three that might have not been shared with others. “Breaking news guys, big news, Jim has his own apartment this season.”  Cheers from the table everywhere!  Ben is pretty excited, plus he was glad that he wasn’t the only one that noticed from a freeloader Jim Gordon has been for the first two seasons.  Although, living alone might now be doing his character any favors.  All of the heroes are flirting with the dark side, and Jim is as well.  

“I think he scares himself at times with how far he’s willing to go.   He struggles with that and he feels enormous guilt over some of the things that he’s done that he’s not proud of, particularly when it destroys relationships, like his relationship with Lee Thompkins.  That’s the noble warrior that they wanted to create here.  A guy who is truly a hero but is in a lawless land and he has no choice to do terrible things to do good. He learns those really hard lessons.” 

They are bringing in a whole new crop of new villains, including the Mad Hatter, a personal favorite of his from the comics.  This is the first time I’ve gotten to interview Ben, and he’s very impressive!  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObUEdKNCjrM

Robin Lord Taylor (Oswald Cobblepot, aka Penguin) and Camren Bicondova (Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman)

One of the things you don’t see in the video portion of this interview is the opening conversation about the very stunning act of in season two Oswald eating his family.  Robin clarified the act of cannibalism for the reporter asking the question.  “He didn’t eat them so as much as he tasted them and then served them to his mother-in-law.  It’s a nice family shrine.”  Camren also tried to defend the act.  “They’re not really his family, so it’s still really creepy, but it’s not as creepy.” Robin had a good answer to that,   “They had it coming”

Last season was about the rise of the villains and this season is about their fall.  How far and how fast? Robin said, “It’s about how the city, Gotham, corrupts and also how it gives people power and takes power away.  Every character is going through a major transformation this year.”  Camren continued, “Everybody has their own specific role on how Gotham is going to be changing and Gotham has a very specific role on how everyone else around it is changing.  The Court of Owls being introduced this year we’re going to see how one specific group of people controls everybody and the everybody doesn’t even know they’re being controlled.”  

The monsters will unite the villains and heroes of Gotham in season three.  Robin explained they have a common enemy  “In Oswald’s sense, he’s going to make a huge power play this year.  He will use the monsters to rattle the people around him.  Its given him a platform.” 

As for Selina, she’s going to make alliances this year.  “At some point after becoming vulnerable for certain occasions, she’s going to realize that she can’t make herself vulnerable,” said Camren.  “Because in a place like Gotham, vulnerability can get crushed.  You can’t survive in a place like Gotham and be vulnerable.  She reminds herself of that.  She goes down a really dark path and starts to worry about herself.”  

When we last left Oswald, he fainted after seeing Fish Mooney.  What impact will her return have on their characters?  

“Fish Mooney sort of defines who our characters are,” said Robin.  “Everything that Oswald knows about, the underbelly of Gotham City, he learned from Fish, and very similar with Selina as well.”    Fish coming back and the Monsters has given Oswald the focus to find himself again.   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xmfc5vuzpgY

Erin Richards

Barbara is a villain now, and Richards equates Barbara’s journey as a roller coaster ride.  “I knew she wasn’t this simplistic, one-sided kind of character, but I wasn’t aware it would go quite this far.”  She talks a bit about how the journey of the characters on the show and how far they have come in the first two seasons and what to expect from Barbara in season three.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gfs98BZixIo

Morena Baccarian (Lee Thompkins)

At the end of season two Lee lost the baby and split with Jim, going through some hard times.  Where will she be at the beginning of season three?  “She will end up finding love, solace, in a new character in Falcone’s son, his name is Mario Falcone.”  She will return to Gotham though and run into Jim, and things will get complicated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrL4wxteZYs

Jessica Lucas (Tabitha)

How is Tabitha doing at the beginning of the season?  

“She survived.  This season Tabitha and Barbara join forces as a couple at Sirens.  You know, they’re up to their old tricks, torturing people, killing people, there’s a love story there too.”  A love story?  Between who?  It sounds like it’ll be Barbara since she has split with Butch, who will still be around by the sounds of it. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tM27pJ3P3I

Here’s the “Gotham” season three first look that was shown at Comic Con.  It’s pretty freaky!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHZFAO9Vw0Y

What about season three excites you the most?  Anything in the teasers here catch your interest?  What about “Gotham” most appeals to you?  Feel free to share your reactions in the comments!   

Gotham airs at 8pm/7c Mondays on Fox.

(Crossposted on The Winchester Family Business, http://www.thewinchesterfamilybusiness.com/articles/article-archives/interviews/20123-gotham-at-sdcc-2016-interviews-and-season-three-preview)

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