Gotham: 5 Times We Felt Bad For Jim Gordon (& 5 Times We Hated Him)

As opposed to the comics or other films, the Gotham tv show is all about Jim Gordon and his journey to become the commissioner we know and love. However, Gotham can change people and do things to really alter your personality. This is exactly what happened to Gordon. Jim Gordon began the first season of Gotham as a bright and excited detective, eager to solve Gotham’s problems. However, in a place like Gotham City, he was forced to lose this naivety rather quickly when he realized that the people he needed to fight were often his fellow colleagues. Nevertheless, he continued to solve crimes and try to solve the murder of Bruce Wayne’s parents, even though his success began making him a target.

Due to him being successful, many things make you feel bad for him, he loses so many people along the way and certainly has to make some compromises. However, sometimes these compromises and choices just leave you shaking your head in disappointment. If there ever is a season 6, it seems like viewers are in for more heartbreak and anger towards Gordons sometimes misplaced morals.

10 Felt Bad: ‘Killing’ Oswald

Nothing makes you feel worse for both characters than this scene. It occurs in the first few months of Gordon working in the police force and he is already forced to be somewhat corrupt.

Whilst Oswald Cobblepot is held at gunpoint over the docks by Gordon, many viewers feel sorry for Oswald’s untimely death. However, most people also feel terrible for Gordon as he wrestles with his doubts and struggles not to become the man he is being made to be. Thankfully, Gordon spares Oswald but it doesn’t stop fans from feeling bad for this rather traumatic event.

9 Hated Him: Making Promises

As seen multiple times, making a promise to a victim of a crime is a terrible thing to do. Especially in Gotham, since in some cases, you can’t fulfil that promise.

So when Gordon sat down next to Bruce Wayne and promised he would find who did it, everyone watching instantly disliked him. First of all, Bruce was only 8 and he was distraught at the loss of his parents, so this kind of hope that Gordon had given him would break him when it was revealed that Gordon had no leads. Secondly, it was an irresponsible thing to do and he was berated by his colleagues.

8 Felt Bad: Being Arrested

For a policeman, Gordon seemed to get arrested on multiple occasions. The first time was for the murder of Oswald Cobblepot which thankfully didn’t last long as he walked in soon after.

However, the many times Gordon gets arrested leaves you feeling rather sorry for the guy. After all, he is just trying to improve Gotham and make it safe, and he just seems to be punished for it! Ultimately, you have to feel sorry for him every time those handcuffs get put on, even though you know he’ll be out by the end of the season.

7 Hated Him: His Treatment Of Barbara

This mainly occurred in the beginning part of the first season in which Barbara wasn’t an unstable psychopath. Rather she was Gordon’s fiancee who was devoted to him, even though for the most part she seemed to be ignored.

It was rather frustrating to watch Barbara being pushed aside so often by Gordon. She is ignored and never the sole focus of Jim, as he always put work first. Rather than fighting to keep her safe he pushes her away and ignores her fears, forcing her to leave Gotham and find solace in Renee Montoya, her ex-girlfriend.

6 Felt Bad: Leaving Barbara

Whilst you hate the way he treated her and you certainly see it coming, it is impossible to not feel for Jim Gordon’s loss. Since enrolling into Gotham, Gordon has lost so much and now he lost his love.

The breakup itself seems hard on both of them, even though they move on rather quickly. Nevertheless, most viewers feel sorry for Gordon who has now lost the only normality he had a hold on in such an unstable city.

5 Hated Him: Getting Back With Barbara

If the Jim and Barbara saga wasn’t exhausting you enough, then this one will just tip anyone over the edge.

The two become rather toxic in the end, with Barbara spending most of the 5 seasons desperately trying to gain the favour of her ex-fiancee. So when they got back together for one night, fans were torn. On one hand, the show is somewhat staying true to the comic in the sense that the two should get married and have a child, but on the other hand, it isn’t a pairing anyone wants and Jim ends up being with Lee.

4 Felt Bad: Fired/ Demoted

Similar to the amount of time Gordon seems to spend in a cell, he also seems to spend most of his time either fired or demoted for trying to improve the city.

It takes Gordon a while to figure out that people have more power than him and can easily manipulate his bosses to stop Gordon from sticking his nose in where it doesn’t belong. Nevertheless, he still gets screwed over multiple times, being fired, working in Arkham, and becoming a beat cop to name a few. It’s hard to not feel for the poor guy as he struggles to do what’s right and just gets punished for it.

3 Hated Him: Sofia Falcone

Throughout the show, it is clear that Jim Gordon goes through his fair share of women. However, this decision had to have been the absolute worst.

She was never going to be the right person for Jim and just ended up causing problems and betraying him. His choice to go along with this was clearly a mistake and not one person watching supported the pointless relationship between the two.

2 Felt Bad: Breaking Up With Lee

As previously mentioned, Gordon gets arrested countless times, however during perhaps his worst arrest he ends up having to break up with Lee. Leaving her and her unborn child heartbroken and alone.

It’s easy to hate Gordon for what he did but when you look into it, he was equally as heartbroken and it can’t have been an easy decision to make. After all, he does end up marrying her.

1 Hated Him: Corruption

Although he spends so much of his time in Gotham fighting crime and corruption, Jim Gordon seems to have so many corrupt friends as well as dealing with a ridiculous amount of villains.

When you actually look into it, the only real friends he has who aren’t corrupt are Bruce and Alfred. Ultimately, it’s ridiculous how often he does Cobblepot ‘a favour’ and forces many viewers to question his moral standing.

About The Author