Jim Gordon's Uncle Frank May Be A 'Gotham' Enemy

Detective Jim Gordon is back at the GCPD after the trippy first half of Gotham Season 3, but he's still suffering from some emotional issues after hallucinating about his father's death in a car accident. Now that problem is going to be addressed when Gotham introduces Frank Gordon, a new recurring character played by James Remar. Appearing for the first time in the Monday, Jan. 30 winter finale, "The Gentle Art of Making Enemies," Jim's Uncle Frank seems like an odd inclusion, given that his nephew will be a little preoccupied with saving the city from Jerome.

When Deadline reported Remar's casting, it described Frank as "a master at playing both sides and a man who knows how to keep a secret." So, right at a time when Jim is missing his family, along comes this mysterious guy who is on "both sides," presumably meaning both Jim's and that of some kind of bad guy. And his timing is interesting — "Frank abandoned the family after Jim’s father’s fatal car crash and now, 25 years later, he’s returned to reconnect with his estranged nephew," Deadline reported.

Like Selina's mother, it's possible that Frank is newly in town in an attempt to take something from his nephew, or influence him in some way. James Gordon's only possession seems to be a bottle of liquor, so if Frank wants anything out of him, it'll need to be either GCPD interrogation techniques or accidental homicide skills that will help Frank kill his ex-girlfriends' husbands.

Deadline's report concludes by saying, "Frank harbors a dark secret, one that will upset the very foundations of Jim’s world and force him into a terrible choice between saving his family and saving his city." That might seem like a strange place to end, because most of what that's been revealed about Jim's family starts and ends with the fact that he and his father were both in the military. That matches DC Comics, where Jim's family rarely, if ever, is featured. His wife and kids are often major characters, but not his parents, and definitely not his uncle.

However, if you'll remember the earlier episodes this season, it's been hinted at that Jim's family — his dad in particular — is connected to the Court of Owls, or, at least, has the same ring as a major Court member. There's also a shadowy man at the head of the Court whose face hasn't been shown yet, and now there's a big guest star signed to a guest role of indeterminate length. Could Frank be the man working with Kathryn to bring down Bruce Wayne and take over Gotham City? It sure seems possible, so I wouldn't be surprised if Jim finds out that his family is deeply connected to Gotham's history.