Jim Gets A Heart-To Heart With His Father

The Oct. 31 episode of Gotham, "Red Queen," marked a huge development for Jim Gordon. Not only did he decide to return to his position as a detective, but his father appeared to him in a vision, reminding him of the values he was raised with and his mission to save as many people as he can. But who is the mysterious man in the dark on Gotham ? He is working with Kathryn, the woman who threatened Bruce Wayne and now is in possession of his clone. And he also happens to have the exact same ring that Jim's dad was wearing in the vision Jim experienced after being poisoned by Jervis Tetch (and later, saved by Lee's new fiancé. Awkward).

The man's face wasn't visible, and his voice doesn't sound exactly like Jim's father, but it's possible that it is the same man, which would mean that Jim's father somehow faked his own death in order to rule the Court of Owls (or, at least, whatever group is currently being teased on on Gotham, which feels a lot like the Court of Owls). Certainly, having the same ring isn't enough to prove that they're the exact same person, but it's also a clear sign that even if Jim's dad isn't the man in shadows, he is or was connected to the Court. This means that now that Jim is a detective again, he might have to take his own dearly missed father down — or someone who had a close connection to him.

The Gordon family motto, "while we breathe, we shall defend," is a real quote, and it's attributed to a regiment in the Texas National Guard. Now, Gotham hasn't placed its city in the real world yet, but it doesn't seem particularly Texan. Still, the quote does fit with the Gordon family, because from what's been revealed already, Jim not only was a police officer, but was also in the military. Since it's just a simple phrase in Latin, it also could have been adopted by any organization, including one like the supposed Court of Owls — though so far, the Court has been more about wealthy people taking control of the city than it has been about protecting anyone.

Whoever this man is, his presence could wind up being a huge development for both Gotham as a whole and for Jim as he tries to figure out who he really is and reckons with his possibly dark past.

Images: Jeff Nuemann/FOX (2)