Back when Gotham started its first season, I don't think anyone in the world could have pictured where things would have left off in Season 3, particularly when it comes to the relationship between Jim Gordon and Barbara Kean. The former couple have gone in completely separate ways in the past two years, but does that mean Gotham has completely disregarded the pair's comic history of raising a daughter that turns into Batgirl? Not necessarily, according to star Erin Richards, who spoke with CinemaBlend and other outlets at San Diego Comic-Con, saying this when asked if Baby Batgirl was an impossibility.
I don't think so. I think it's still possible. I think that this version of Barbara that we'll see will actually be the most surprising to Jim as a development. I think he might be taken aback by how she's turned out. And not necessarily in a bad way.
In case anyone ever thought that Gotham would play by the rules of either comic books or normal human behavior, those thoughts are proven wrong by the fact that a Jim and Barbara romance is still possible. Or at least a copacetic conception, if bonafide romance is out of the question. But either way, we definitely didn't expect to hear Erin Richards sound that positive about the prospects.
Mostly because Barbara is obviously the factor in this equation that didn't seem to be pointing in any Batgirl-esque directions. She spent Season 3 conniving her way to the top of the food chain in Gotham City's underworld, forming and breaking alliances at will. Even with her Sirens cohort Tabitha, who ended the season by causing Babs' electrocution, though it obviously didn't kill her.
In fact, it's Barbara's post-electro-shock personality that Erin Richards seems to think will be the key to any potential rekindling between Babs and JIm in the future. (And possibly her shock-blonde hair.) During our roundtable interview, Richards told us that Season 4 will usher in a much more calm Barbara, and while that calmness doesn't necessarily mean she won't be out for blood with Gotham's other baddies, she'll at least be in a state of mind that presumably doesn't push others away as much. And if she and Jim get chummy again, that could make for some interesting fireworks when Lee returns as a villainess tag-teaming with the mentally-jumbled Ed and new-ish villain Solomon Grundy. (We were hoping Baby Batgirl would happen with Lee, but only when we thought Barbara was too bat-shit crazy for motherhood.)
Interestingly enough, though, Gotham Season 4 is already setting Barbara up for a matriarchy of sorts, as she'll return to good terms with Tabitha in order to train Selina and guide her towards becoming a swifter villain. (Yes, Catwoman is on the way!) So if she spends part of the season nurturing and offering life lessons to the teenaged petty thief, then maybe Barbara will be willing to take it a step further with a newborn.
Knowing this, we'll definitely be paying close attention to all things Jim and Babs when Gotham returns to Fox for Season 4 on Thursday, September 21, at 9:00 p.m. ET. To see when everything else is hitting the small screen soon, head to our summer premiere schedule and our fall premiere schedule.
