Gotham introduced a whole bunch of new villains in Season 2, and they ranged from the totally crazy to the fairly realistic. Some of the most mysterious new bad guys are the members of the Court of Owls, who were evidently pulling the strings for Hugo Strange in some of his most heinous experiments. The Court will play a big part in the upcoming Season 3. According to co-executive producer Ken Woodruff, they'll be some of the most fascinating characters of Gotham to date. Woodruff had this to say about Gotham's Court of Owls and their regard for the goings-on of Gotham City:
Sometimes those interests are counter to the heroes of Gotham, but sometimes they're aligned with them. So, what's nice about a group like the Court of Owls is that you can really keep their motivations and actions mysterious. You never know, from one move to the next, if they're going to be aiding these villains, banding them together and helping them, or are they going to feel like these villains are gaining too much power and throwing off the balance in Gotham. That's the most interesting part about it. They can really play God and act as the devil.
Ken Woodruff shared his thoughts on the Court of Owls in a chat with Collider, and they certainly paint an intriguing picture of what's to come in Gotham Season 3. Most of Gotham's most memorable villains over the years so far have been unambiguously and insanely antagonistic. A powerful group more dedicated to serving its own purposes than in vexing the good guys will be something new for the heroes as well as their nemeses. Shades of gray could add some nuance to the battle of good vs. bad in Gotham City.
Of course, the Court of Owls didn't exactly get off to a good start in Season 2. Their introduction showed that they were allied with Hugo Strange and his reanimation projects rather than with Gordon and his goals. Batman comic fans weren't surprised when the Court made its grand debut as an organization interested in resurrection; the Court of Owls of comic lore had the habit of bringing long-dead assassins (known as Talons) back to life with a special serum. It makes sense that they would have a stake in Strange's experiments with the dead.
The Court of Owls is shaping up to be pretty perfect for Gotham without going 100% against what comic fans know from DC lore. The comic Court has been comprised of Gotham's elite for centuries to pull strings from behind the scenes. There's no reason why they shouldn't be as big a threat now as they have been in eras past and/or will be decades in the future.
Season 2 of Gotham ended on a pretty crazy cliffhanger that indicated the Court has already been busy pulling strings on Bruce Wayne. A Bruce doppelgänger wandered out of the bus filled with Indian Hill experimentees. Given that Strange's experiments were mostly sanctioned by the Court and Bruce is definitely one of the Gotham elite, it seems that the Court may have plans to approach Bruce for his support...and replace him if he resists. Dun-dun-dunnn.
Gotham returns to Fox for Season 3 on Monday, September 19 at 8 p.m. ET. Check out our fall TV premiere schedule to see what else you can watch in the near future.
