About “Gotham” in a few words:

Gotham is a crime drama series that explores the origins of many of the characters in the Batman universe. Set in a dark and corrupt version of Gotham City, the show follows Detective James Gordon as he navigates the city’s treacherous underworld and encounters a variety of notorious villains, including the Penguin, the Riddler, and the Joker. The series also delves into the early years of Bruce Wayne’s life, exploring how his traumatic childhood experiences shaped him into the Dark Knight we know and love. With its gritty atmosphere and complex characters, Gotham is a must-see for any fan of the Batman mythos.

Meet the characters from Gotham

James Gordon

James is the straight-arrow cop who somehow manages to be both stubborn as a mule and heartbreakingly idealistic, like he’s got a moral compass that’s seen better days but refuses to break. He’s the kind of guy who’ll stand in the pouring rain refusing to take a bribe and then go home and forget to eat for two days — heroic and forgetful in the cutest way. He’s got that weary, tired optimism, always scribbling case notes and humming police radio rhythms when he’s thinking (yes, really), and he’ll argue with authority just because it’s the right thing. Loyal to a fault, he’s constantly juggling law and chaos and looks better in a trench coat than anybody has a right to.

Selina Kyle

Selina is a slippery, streetwise cat with a grin that means trouble and pockets full of stolen things she swears she “found,” which may or may not be true. She’s playful and lethal, all at once — will steal your wallet and your heart, then disappear into a rooftop sunset, probably with a cupcake she swears she didn’t steal. Independent to a fault but secretly craving connection, she’s got imperfect morals and weirdly sentimental habits (like keeping tiny trinkets in an old shoebox), and she’s allergic to being told what to do. She’s a survivor with a soft spot for stray animals and bad decisions.

Harvey Bullock

Harvey is the gruff, cigarette-smelling detective who’s equal parts comic relief and a surprisingly solid backbone of the precinct. He complains a lot — about paperwork, about the weather, about “kids these days” — but then shows up when it counts, grunting and throwing his weight around like that’s the plan. He’s crude and blunt and probably has a box of mismatched coffee mugs on his desk, but beneath the scowl he’s fiercely loyal and oddly sentimental (don’t tell him I said that). He looks rough, acts rough, but somehow you’d want him in your corner during a brawl.

Oswald Cobblepot

Oswald — beloved tiny mobster with a laugh that should be illegal — is ambitious, theatrical, painfully polite, and quietly terrifying all at once. He wears fancy suits, likes his nails neat, probably eats oysters at weird hours, and will smile at you while arranging your downfall like it’s a tea party. Charming, strategic, and petulant in the best villainous way, he’s got big feelings and an even bigger plan, and he’ll tilt his head at you like a disappointed pigeon as he executes it. He claims not to like birds but also has the worst penguin obsession you’ve ever heard of, which is adorable and creepy together.

Bruce Wayne

Bruce is the broody, haunted prodigy who’s part detective, part rich kid who trains too much and reads too many old books, and yes, he broods — a lot. He’s fiercely determined, calculating, and weirdly childlike with certain comforts (cherishes an old toy? probably), and he vacillates between being hyper-serious and awkwardly formal at social events. Driven by loss and an obsessive need to fix things that aren’t fixable, he’s both visionary and terrifyingly single-minded, sometimes forgetting to eat when plotting his next move. He’s a young man learning to be a symbol and also someone who still needs a lot of crying-into-a-coffee-mug moments.

Alfred Pennyworth

Alfred is the dry-witted, impossibly competent butler who will both scold you for not wearing a scarf and quietly remove your enemies’ kneecaps if needed. He’s proper, with a sly joke tucked behind every stern look, and he won’t hesitate to lay down the law while also making the best toast you’ve ever had — he makes a mean breakfast and an even meaner plan. Loyal doesn’t even begin to cover it; he’s like a father, bodyguard, and therapist all rolled into one impeccably pressed suit. Soft spot? Oh yes. Cold-blooded efficiency? Also yes.

Edward Nygma

Edward is the polite, awkward genius who tucks riddles into conversations like little cursed gifts and grins when people try to solve them. He’s brilliant, insecure, and obsessed with puzzles — like, needs-to-press-every-button-on-the-panel kind of obsessed — and his social skills are charmingly catastrophic in a way that makes you both nervous and sympathetic. He flips between painfully shy and terrifyingly confident (sometimes in the space of a single pizza), and there’s this deliciously unsettling layer where his jokes start feeling like threats. He’s a walking brain cell with a penchant for bow-ties and bad decisions that somehow always leads to drama.

Barbara Kean

Barbara is glam, volatile, and utterly unpredictable — you never know if she’ll throw a wine glass in a hissy fit or plan a meticulous power move while wearing stiletto heels. She’s fiercely image-conscious, dramatic in the best melodramatic sense, and either dangerously charming or terrifyingly unhinged depending on the day. She loves control but also seems to relish chaos, which makes her both magnetic and exhausting to be around (in a very compelling way). She’s the kind of person who’ll redecorate your living room at midnight and expect you to thank her for it.

Leslie Thompkins

Leslie is the calm, moral anchor with hard hands from work and a surprisingly dry humor that sneaks up on you when she’s saving lives. Compassionate and stubborn, she’ll patch you up and then lecture you about your terrible choices, and then patch you up again because of course she will. She’s pragmatic, fiercely protective of her clinic and her principles, and has this soft spot for plants (and people) that makes you think she might secretly organize them by political ideology. Quietly fierce and steady, she’s the clean, beating heart in a city that’s a little sick.