The second season of the American television series '' Gotham'', based on characters from

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

related to the Batman

franchise Franchise may refer to: Business and law * Franchising, a business method that involves licensing of trademarks and methods of doing business to franchisees * Franchise, a privilege to operate a type of business such as a cable television p ...

, revolves around the characters of James "Jim" Gordon and

Bruce Wayne Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...

. The season is produced by

Primrose Hill Productions Bruno Heller (born 13 January 1960) is an English screenwriter, producer and director. He is known for creating the HBO television series ''Rome'' and CBS television series ''The Mentalist''. He has produced the TV series '' Gotham'', based on ...

, DC Entertainment, and

Warner Bros. Television Warner Bros. Television Studios (operating under the name Warner Bros. Television; formerly known as Warner Bros. Television Division) is an American television production and distribution studio of the Warner Bros. Television Group division of ...

, with

Bruno Heller Bruno Heller (born 13 January 1960) is an English screenwriter, producer and director. He is known for creating the HBO television series ''Rome'' and CBS television series ''The Mentalist''. He has produced the TV series '' Gotham'', based on ...

Danny Cannon Daniel John Cannon (born 5 October 1968) is a British film and television producer, director and writer, known for executive producing the 15-season show ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'' series franchise (and directed multiple episodes inclu ...

, John Stephens, and

Ken Woodruff Ken Woodruff is an American television writer and producer. He has written and produced for CBS's ''The Mentalist'' for six seasons, and was a producer and writer for Fox's '' Gotham'', also created by ''Mentalist'' creator Bruno Heller. Woodruff ...

serving as executive producers. The season was ordered in January 2015 and every cast member from the last season returned with the exception of

Victoria Cartagena Victoria Luz Cartagena is an American theater, film, and television actress. Cartagena is known for her role as Zoe Lopez in ''The Bedford Diaries'', and for portraying Renee Montoya as series regular in the first season of '' Gotham'' and the t ...

Renee Montoya Renee Maria Montoya is a fictional character appearing in media published by DC Entertainment. The character was created by Bruce Timm, Paul Dini and Mitch Brian for '' Batman: The Animated Series'' and was preemptively introduced into mainstre ...

(who would later return for the third season of '' Batwoman'');

Andrew Stewart-Jones Andrew Stewart-Jones is an English actor, best-known for playing the role of Crispus Allen in '' Gotham''. Career Stewart-Jones first came on to the television scene in 2003 in HBO's ''Sex and the City'' as Jules. Next he guest starred in 2005 ...

as Crispus Allen;

John Doman John Doman (born January 9, 1945) is an American actor best known for playing Maryland State Police Superintendent, Deputy Police Commissioner and Major William Rawls on HBO series ''The Wire'' (2002–2008), Colonel Edward Galson on '' Oz'' (2 ...

as Carmine Falcone; and

Jada Pinkett Smith Jada Koren Pinkett Smith (; née Pinkett; born September 18, 1971) is an American actress and talk show host. She is co-host of the Facebook Watch talk show '' Red Table Talk'', for which she has received a Daytime Emmy Award. ''Time'' name ...

Fish Mooney Maria Mercedes "Fish" Mooney is a fictional character created by producer and screenwriter Bruno Heller for the television series '' Gotham'', portrayed by actress Jada Pinkett Smith. In October 2022, Heller expressed further interest in Pinkett ...

, although both Doman and Pinkett Smith returned as guest stars. New additions to the cast include

James Frain James Dominic Frain is an English stage and screen actor. His best known television roles include Thomas Cromwell in the Showtime/ CBC historical drama ''The Tudors'' (2007–2009), Franklin Mott in the HBO drama ''True Blood'' (2010), Warwi ...

as Theo Galavan;

Jessica Lucas Jessica Lucas (born September 24, 1985) is a Canadian actress. She is known for her roles in television, such as '' Edgemont'', ''Melrose Place'', ''Cult'', and '' Gotham'', and in the films '' The Covenant'', ''Cloverfield'' and the 2013 ''Evi ...

as Tabitha Galavan; and

Michael Chiklis Michael Charles Chiklis ( born August 30, 1963) is an American actor, television director, television producer and musician. He is best known for his role as Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Detective Vic Mackey on the FX police drama ''The S ...

as Captain Nathaniel Barnes. Also, Morena Baccarin,

Chris Chalk Christopher Eugene Chalk (born December 7, 1977) is an American actor. Early life Born in Asheville, North Carolina, studied at Asheville High School and graduated in 1996 and went to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Career Chalk ...

Drew Powell Andrew Powell (born January 19, 1976) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Hoss Cartwright on the PAX series '' Ponderosa'', Cadet Drew on ''Malcolm in the Middle'', and Butch Gilzean/Cyrus Gold/Solomon Grundy, a series regula ...

, and

Nicholas D'Agosto Nicholas D'Agosto (born April 17, 1980) is an American actor, best known for featuring in ''Final Destination 5'', '' Heroes'' and ''The Office''. He starred in the Showtime series ''Masters of Sex'' and the Fox series '' Gotham''. Early li ...

were upped to series regulars after having recurred on the previous season. The season was broadcast over 2 runs: the first 11 episodes aired from September to November 2015; and the other 11 episodes aired from February to May 2016. The season also holds two subtitles. The first half of the season is subtitled ''Rise of the Villains'' while the second half is subtitled ''Wrath of the Villains''. The season premiered on September 21, 2015 and concluded on May 23, 2016 on

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

Premise

Gotham has taken a major turn, with Penguin being the sole crime boss and commissioner Loeb being forced to retire. However, things start going haywire with the arrival of the Galavan family in Gotham; they seek revenge against the Wayne family over one of their ancestors being disgraced. In the second half, Professor Hugo Strange has begun experimenting with resurrecting the dead and giving them unnatural abilities.

Cast and characters

Main

Ben McKenzie Benjamin McKenzie Schenkkan (born September 12, 1978) is an American actor and commentator. He is best known for his starring television roles as Ryan Atwood on the teen drama '' The O.C.'' (2003–2007), Ben Sherman on the crime drama '' Southl ...

as James "Jim" Gordon *

Donal Logue Donal Francis Logue (born February 27, 1966) is a Canadian actor. He starred in the film '' The Tao of Steve'' and has had roles in the TV series ''Sons of Anarchy'', ''Vikings'', ''Grounded for Life'', ''Copper'', '' Terriers'', and, as Detecti ...

as Harvey Bullock *

David Mazouz David Albert Mazouz (; born ) is an American actor. He is best known for his leading role as Bruce Wayne in Fox's Batman-prequel TV drama '' Gotham'' (2014–2019). Mazouz started his acting career with several guest roles before joining the Fo ...

* Morena Baccarin as Leslie "Lee" Thompkins * Zabryna Guevara as Sarah Essen *

Sean Pertwee Sean Carl Roland Pertwee''England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916–2007'' (born 4 June 1964) is an English actor, narrator and producer with an extensive career since the 1980s in television and cinema productions. He is known ...

Alfred Pennyworth Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Pennyworth is depicted as Bruce Wayne's loyal and tire ...

Robin Lord Taylor Robin Lord Taylor (born June 4, 1978) is an American film and television actor and director, known for his role as Oswald Cobblepot in the Fox TV series '' Gotham'', as well as ''Accepted'' (2006), ''Another Earth'' (2011), ''Would You Rather'' ...

as Oswald Cobblepot / Penguin *

Erin Richards Erin Richards is a Welsh actress, director and writer, best known for playing Molly Hughes in the television series '' Breaking In'' and Barbara Kean in the television series '' Gotham''. Life and career Richards was born in Penarth, Wales ...

as Barbara Kean *

Camren Bicondova Camren Renee Bicondova (born May 22, 1999) is an American actress and dancer. She is best known for her role as Selina Kyle / Catwoman on the Fox television crime-drama '' Gotham'' (2014–2019). Life and career Bicondova was born in San D ...

as Selina "Cat" Kyle *

Cory Michael Smith Cory Michael Smith (born November 14, 1986) is an American actor, known for his role as Edward Nygma / The Riddler in the Fox television drama series '' Gotham''. He appeared in '' Camp X-Ray'' in 2014. He appeared in 2013 in '' Breakfast at ...

as Edward Nygma *

as Theo Galavan / Azrael *

as Tabitha Galavan *

Lucius Fox Lucius Fox is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Bruce Wayne / Batman. He is Bruce Wayne's business manager at Wayne Enterprises who runs the business interests that s ...

as Butch Gilzean *

as Harvey Dent *

as Nathaniel Barnes

Recurring

Tonya Pinkins Tonya Pinkins (born May 30, 1962) is an American actress and filmmaker. Her award-winning debut feature film ''RED PILL'' was an official selection at the 2021 Pan African Film Festival, won the Best Black Lives Matter Feature and Best First Fea ...

as Ethel Peabody * B. D. Wong as

Hugo Strange Hugo Strange is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character is one of Batman's first recurring villains and is also one of the first Batman villains to discover t ...

* Ian Quinlan as Carl Pinkney *

Natalie Alyn Lind Natalie Alyn Lind (born 1999/2000) is an American actress. She is known for her television series appearances, such as her recurring roles as Dana Caldwell in '' The Goldbergs'' and Silver St. Cloud in '' Gotham'', and for her starring role as ...

Silver St. Cloud Silver St. Cloud is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the vigilante Batman. The character debuted in ''Detective Comics'' #470 (June 1977) and was created by Steve Englehar ...

Melinda Clarke Melinda Patrice "Mindy" Clarke (born April 24, 1969) is an American actress. Clarke is known for portraying Faith Taylor on the soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'' (1989–1990), Julie Cooper on Fox's teen drama series '' The O.C.'' (2003–2007) ...

as Grace Van Dahl * Chelsea Spack as Kristin Kringle *

Michelle Veintimilla Michelle Veintimilla (born November 11, 1992) is an Ecuadorian American film, television, and theater actress. She played the role of villain Firefly in the second and fourth seasons of the Fox television series '' Gotham''. Recently, she port ...

as Bridgit Pike / Firefly *

Ron Rifkin Ron Rifkin (born Saul M. Rifkin; October 31, 1939) is an American actor best known for his roles as Arvin Sloane on the spy drama '' Alias'', Saul Holden on the drama '' Brothers & Sisters'', and District Attorney Ellis Loew in '' L.A. Confiden ...

as Father Creel * Nathan Darrow as Victor Fries / Mr. Freeze *

Cameron Monaghan Cameron Riley Monaghan (born ) is an American actor and model. He is known for his role as Ian Gallagher on the Showtime comedy-drama Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elem ...

as Jerome Valeska * Stink Fisher as Aaron Helzinger *

Carol Kane Carolyn Laurie Kane (born June 18, 1952) is an American actress. She became known in the 1970s and 1980s in films such as '' Hester Street'' (for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress), ''Dog Day Afternoon'', ''Annie ...

as Gertrude Kapelnut * Anthony Carrigan as

Victor Zsasz Victor Zsasz ( or or , the last being the original Hungarian pronunciation), also known as Mr. Zsasz or simply Zsasz, is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics.'' Batman: Shadow of the Bat'' #1. The character first appea ...

Richard Kind Richard Bruce Kind (born November 22, 1956) is an American actor and comedian, known for his roles as Dr. Mark Devanow in ''Mad About You'' (1992–1999, 2019), Paul Lassiter in ''Spin City'' (1996–2002), Andy in ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' (2002 ...

as Mayor Aubrey James *

Clare Foley Clare Foley is an American actress. She is known for playing the roles of Ruby Taylor in '' Do No Harm'', Ashley in ''Sinister'', a young version of Piper in '' Orange Is the New Black'' and Ivy Pepper, a version of Pamela Isley in the first tw ...

as Poison Ivy

Notable guests

Peter Scolari Peter Thomas Scolari (September 12, 1955 – October 22, 2021) was an American actor. He was best known for his roles as Michael Harris on ''Newhart'' (1984–1990), Henry Desmond on ''Bosom Buddies'' (1980–1982) and Wayne Szalinski on ''Hone ...

as Gillian B. Loeb *

Todd Stashwick Todd Stashwick is an American actor and writer. He is known for his roles as Dale Malloy on '' The Riches'' and Deacon on '' 12 Monkeys''. Early life and career After performing at several local improvisational theaters, he was hired to tour wi ...

as Richard Sionis * James Andrew O'Connor as Tommy Bones *

Maria Thayer Maria Christina Thayer is an American actress and comedian. She first earned public recognition for her portrayal of Tammi Littlenut on the cult series ''Strangers with Candy'' in 1999. Thayer has also had supporting roles in the comedy films '' ...

as Scottie Mullen *

Mark Margolis Mark Margolis (; born November 26, 1939) is an American actor. He is known for playing Alberto "The Shadow" in '' Scarface'', Antonio Nappa in '' Oz'', and Hector Salamanca in ''Breaking Bad'' and '' Better Call Saul''. His performance in ''Break ...

as Paul Cicero * Michael Potts as Sid Bunderslaw * Raúl Castillo as Eduardo Flamingo *

Michelle Gomez Michelle Gomez (born 23 November 1966) is a Scottish actress. She gained recognition for her roles in the comedy series ''The Book Group'' (2002–2003), ''Green Wing'' (2004–2007), and '' Bad Education'' (2012–2013). She went on to appear ...

as The Lady *

Tommy Flanagan Thomas Lee Flanagan (March 16, 1930 – November 16, 2001) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He grew up in Detroit, initially influenced by such pianists as Art Tatum, Teddy Wilson, and Nat King Cole, and then by bebop musicians. ...

as Tom "The Knife" *

Kristen Hager Kristen Hager is a Canadian actress. She co-starred in films '' Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem'' (2007) and '' Wanted'' (2008), and played Leslie Van Houten in the independent film '' Leslie, My Name Is Evil'' (2009). From 2011 to 2014, Hager star ...

Nora Fries Nora Fries, also known as Mrs. Freeze, is a fictional character appearing in media published by DC Entertainment, commonly in stories featuring the superhero Batman. She is married to Batman villain Mr. Freeze, and was introduced in the DC Animate ...

Lori Petty Lori Petty (born October 14, 1963) is an American actress, director, and screenwriter. She is noted for her roles in the films ''Point Break'' (1991), ''A League of Their Own'' (1992), '' Free Willy '' (1993), and the title role in '' Tank Girl' ...

as Jeri * Michael Bowen as Patrick "Matches" Malone *

Paul Reubens Paul Reubens (; born Rubenfeld; August 27, 1952) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and children's entertainer. He is known for his character Pee-wee Herman. Reubens joined the Los Angeles troupe The Groundlings in the 1970s, an ...

as Elijah Van Dahl *

as Carmine Falcone *

Ned Bellamy Ned Bellamy (born May 7, 1957) is an American actor. Early life and education Bellamy was educated at UCLA. His brother, Mark Bellamy, was the United States Ambassador to Kenya from 2003 until 2006. Career After graduating from UCLA, Bellamy ...

as Warden Carlson Grey *

* Brian McManamon as Basil Karlo

Episodes

Production

The show was officially renewed by

for a 22-episode second season on January 17, 2015. For this season, the producers decided not to follow the " case-of-the-week" format of most episodes in the first season. The season saw all series regulars from season 1 returning with the exception of

, and

and

, who were regulars on season 1, returned to the show in guest star positions. In June 2015,

joined the series as billionaire industrialist Theo Galavan and

was cast as Tabitha Galavan.

then joined in July 2015 in the role of Captain Nathaniel Barnes, the GCPD's new captain and Gordon's ally who will one day become his enemy. The show also upgraded Morena Baccarin,

and

from recurring or guest roles to series regulars. The total cost of production for the second season of ''Gotham'' was $111 million.

Reception

Ratings

Critical reviews

The second season of ''Gotham'' received positive reviews from critics, generally being regarded as an improvement over the first season. On

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

the season has a rating of 74% based on 15 reviews, with an average rating of 6.58/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "While still tonally uneven in season two, ''Gotham'' is back with a renewed focus, moving away from disjointed case-of-the-week plots into a darker, more stable serialized story."

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

gives the season a score of 62 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".