Heartwarming / Gotham Season One

As a Moments subpage, all spoilers are unmarked. You Have Been Warned.

Season 1

1x01: Pilot

• Jim Gordon comforting Bruce Wayne after his parents are killed.
• Alfred giving a hug to Bruce as soon as he arrives on the scene and - as they leave - encouraging him to stand tall and be brave in the face of the media/world.
• Selina at Thomas and Martha's funeral. She seems to see a kindred spirit in Bruce because they're both orphans.
• Barbara shutting down Montoya's suggestion that Jim's corrupt.
• Harvey Bullock is not a good friend of Jim's by any stretch at this point. But he is his partner and no better is this clear than when he bravely walks into the slaughterhouse demanding Jim's freedom.
• It's kind of morbid, but Butch offering Penguin a "turn" on Fish's victim. It's pretty clear that he has a soft spot for the "kid," or at least doesn't mock him like everyone else, and this probably sets the stage for Penguin's later respect for Butch.

1x02: Selina Kyle

• Alfred's reaction when he catches Bruce self-harming, full bore Anger Born of Worry followed by tightly hugging him.
• Selina comforting a young boy crying on the bus that's about to take them upstate to juvie. You can already tell that she'll make a great Cool Big Sis to Holly Robinson one day.
• Bruce wants to donate money to help the street children being rounded up, but Gordon makes him realize that more substantive donations, like clothing, would be more helpful. Gordon also reminds Bruce that, unlike the street kids, he has Alfred looking out for his best interests.

1x03: The Balloonman

• Seeing the smile — probably the first since his parents died — on Bruce's face after he and Alfred have a mock swordfight.
• Bullock showing genuine concern for Gordon when he's being carried away by a weather balloon.
• Gordon unloading his disgust with Gotham's rampant corruption at all levels to Kean.
• Seeing Alfred slowly growing to trust and like Gordon. He doubts that one man can make a difference in a Wretched Hive like Gotham, but he knows Gordon won't stop trying, and that's more than what anyone else is doing.
  Bruce: "Do you believe he'll catch the man who killed my parents?"
  Alfred: "I believe he will try."

1x05: Viper

• Alfred starts the episode threatening to burn all the paperwork about Wayne Enterprises to get Bruce to stop obsessing over it, but after seeing some persuasive evidence that something is rotten inside the company, he joins Bruce in the research. Bruce actually smiles at this.
• Falcone reminiscing about his mother. It almost makes you forget he's one of the bad guys.
• Gordon and Bullock seem to be getting closer and closer to being friends. At the start of the episode they're getting a burger together, and later Harvey seems genuinely concerned for Jim after he disappears. He even offers help if ever Jim needs it.

1x06: Spirit of the Goat

• Gordon finally being open to Barbara about Oswald, and how Barbara is willing to stand by him against Montoya's accusations. She was even planning on fleeing Gotham with Gordon.
• Alfred being worried about Bruce being abducted by the Goat. When Bruce says he has no one to be stolen from, Alfred looks heartbroken.
• Bullock has been covering Dix's expenses at the care home.
  • And buying him magazines. Dirty magazines, much to his nurse's annoyance.
• Yet another sign that Gordon and Bullock are moving forward as partners, Bullock compliments Gordon on the latter's takedown of the Spirit of the Goat and they both sit down, exhausted, with Bullock resting his hand on Gordon's shoulder.
• In a strange way, Oswald coming to the police station to help Jim out. Granted, it's probably part of some master plan, but Oswald genuinely considers Jim a friend, at least in that he can trust Jim more than he's ever trusted anybody, and is too valuable to be allowed to be arrested.

1x07: Penguin's Umbrella

• Captain Essen reveals the reason she's so complicit is that she has a family that she wants to be kept safe.
• When Victor goes after Gordon, Captain Essen is the only cop in the precinct to stand by him, and then Gordon asks her to leave, so her family won't get hurt.
• Bruce hugging Gordon tightly in farewell when both of them believed that Gordon might die in his ensuing battle against the mob.
• Montoya and Allen coming to Gordon's rescue against the mob when the rest of Gordon's coworkers abandon him and Montoya later apologizing to Gordon for misjudging him.
• Bullock eventually coming back to Gordon, especially at the darkest hour, to support Gordon's play against the Mob even though it could mean his death. Hell, Bullock figures he's a dead man anyway. And even though Bullock snarks at Gordon's rather idealistic plan of trying to arrest everybody, Bullock's got his partner's back the whole way in.
• Cobblepot's one request at the conclusion of his manipulation scheme so far, spare Gordon. It shows his honorable nature considering that since he depended on that one honest GCPD cop to have the conscience to spare him, Penguin likely would conclude that it is only fair to give him the same consideration. Plus, there is some Pragmatic Villainy in it for the Penguin; keeping a reliably honest cop on the force who is a neutral in the organized crime rivalry is likely an asset if handled with some care.

1x08: Masks

• Oswald presenting his mother with the jewelry he "appropriated" is rather sweet, however creepy the following scene may be.
• Bullock being the one to rally the police to help find and save Gordon.
• Alfred taking Bruce out for pizza after the bully problem is solved.
  • Alfred agreeing to train Bruce.
• Rather surprisingly, Fish Mooney gets one with her cheerfully applauding her mother's singing. It's perhaps the one completely genuine emotion from her we've seen.

1x09: Harvey Dent

• Bruce and Selina playing together. After eight episodes of Troubling Unchildlike Behavior, it's so nice to see Bruce laughing and having fun at last. And as a result of that, Alfred decides to let Selina stay with them after all.
  • Prior to this, Bruce and Selina's first meeting, with all the weight of what their relationship will become supported by an adorable Toy Ship moment.
    • Another thing to note is that when Selina turns to face him, Bruce's breath noticeably catches, stuttering through his sentence. Love at First Sight indeed.
    • Also during their first meeting she introduces herself using her real name something she rarely does.
  • Bruce clearly figuring out that Selina is deceiving herself with her elaborate story about her mother, but keeping it to himself so she can have her happy memory of her parents.

1x10: Lovecraft

• Selina coming back at the end, both to say her thanks to Bruce for doing what he could saving her skin from the lady assassin, and then tricking Bruce into getting close enough to give him his First Kiss. And giving back the stuff she stole from him.
  • Alfred coming in right after saying "the house is quieter without her" knowing what just happened, and is okay with it, even he misses Selina.
• Alfred's deadpan quipping upon finding Bruce safe at episode's end.
  • And the hug they share immediately after.
  • The way he pleads with Fish Mooney to help find Bruce before the assassins could, appealing to the one part of her heart that hasn't turned ruthless.
• Nygma's goodbye hug to Gordon, showing he really does care about the people he works with, in his own horribly awkward way.
  • Bullock is genuinely upset that Gordon's getting shipped off to exile at Arkham, even after all the bickering they've been through. Then again, they've become Fire-Forged Friends. (Either that or Bullock's worried he's gotta break in another rookie partner...)
• Selina and Pepper. It's clear that Pepper is a Creepy Child, and the street kids avoid her. But Selina is friends with her, and asks worriedly how she's been when she sees her again. She knows that Pepper is dangerous, but she still acts nice, and only really starts to get worried when Bruce tells Pepper his name.
  • While initially creepy and questioning to Bruce, Ivy remarked to Selina that she probably brought him with her, because she thought he was cute. Something Selina shamelessly admits and something Ivy seems to agree with. Though that could be some tension with the future Dark Knight and Poison Ivy.
  • While Selina thinks Ivy is scary, Bruce thinks of her as a "little girl."

1x11: Rogues' Gallery

• Selina finds Ivy sick in an alley and brings her to Barbara's apartment so she can look after her. For all her faults it shows she does care about her friends.
• How positively gleeful Harvey is to see Jim again and how he instantly goes after his Bad Boss.
  • Followed by Sarah happily welcoming him back and sharing a wine bottle with the two.
• Jim meeting Leslie "Lee" Thompkins.

1x12: What The Little Bird Told Him

• Nygma explaining the meaning of the riddle- the cupcake with the bullet sticking out of it- he left for Kristin: a beautiful woman is a dangerous thing. Despite being annoyed by his weird and awkward attempts at courting her up until this point, she actually gives a little smile- despite thinking it was weird and menacing earlier, the explanation behind it is very flattering. She starts to smile even more when he asks and immediately answers another funny but morbid riddle implied to be designed to make her laugh.
• Fish rushing to Liza as the latter's being strangled by Falcone. Despite conditioning her into a "weapon" to usurp Falcone, she cared about Liza in her own way, and even considered her as a daughter. Unfortunately, she's held back by Butch and can do nothing but watch Liza be throttled to death.
  • Before Fish meets with Falcone, Liza is rightfully worried about what to comes, and Fish reassures her.
    "Don't worry, baby. Mama's got this."
  • It's very bittersweet considering what comes next, but Falcone actually acknowledges that Liza was just a young girl caught in Fish's schemes, which makes it even more tragic that Liza paid the price for it even when she began to care about Falcone and even wanted out of Fish's schemes.

1x13: Welcome Back, Jim Gordon

• The first thing Oswald does upon gaining Fish's club is show it to his mother. What follows is one of his only sweet, genuine smiles when she tells him she's proud of him.
• Fish's and Butch partnership is this: after being saved by Butch, Fish wakes up to see the latter watching over her with a smile as she comes to, evidently happy that she's alive while giving her an ice pack for her struck jaw. Fish then gives her appreciation to Butch with a warm smile, which is rare considering the sadist she can be.
  • Fish's refusal to abandon Butch when the latter stayed behind to hold off Zsasz's assassins. She's even protesting as he pushes her out of the window, while letting a Big "NO!" She had just lost Liza, and now she's afraid of losing Butch.
  • The aftermath has Bullock dropping off Fish at the docks so that she's able to leave Gotham in discretion. In the beginning of the episode, he bluntly stated that Fish knew the game she played and the price she'd paid for it, and yet went out of his way to help her. Fish promises her to Bullock that she'll return, and the two share a final kiss.

1x14: The Fearsome Dr. Crane

• Gordon making it perfectly clear to Essen that Edward Nygma is the only person he trusts to go over the evidence he found. Nice to see somebody finally giving Nygma the respect he's tried so hard to earn.
• Harvey Bullock in love. He's surprisingly smooth, yet still a bit of a bull in a china shop. It's endearing.
• Nygma and Ms. Kringle's interaction in this episode is surprisingly nice.
• Another Nygma moment, at the end of the episode when Gordon's having his Big Damn Kiss while the rest of the station look on dumbfounded, Nygma just has a big grin, clearly happy for Gordon.
• Alfred and Bruce watching the sunrise.

1x16: The Blind Fortune Teller

• In an odd way, Penguin's scene at the beginning of the episode where he kills a guest at his nightclub for insulting his mother. Say what you want about Oswald, but there's no denying how much he loves his mother.
• Fish showing she actually does have a heart by kissing the forehead of one of her fellow prisoners who sacrificed himself to get her escape plan off the ground.
• Gordon is indirectly responsible for Robin's birth, by encouraging his parents to end their family feud. Aww...
• Jim and Lee's dates. She doesn't mind him discussing work and even happily helps him with the case, expressing an enjoyment in working together and solving crimes.

1x17: Red Hood

• Alfred saying how much better his life has become thanks to Bruce. In turn, Bruce calling him "my friend" during his 911 call.
• As soon as Gordon gets the call that Alfred has been stabbed, he immediately runs over to the hospital to comfort Bruce.
• While he has the dual motive of testing Butch's loyalty, it's surprisingly sweet of Penguin to admit to still missing and respecting Fish even after everything she did to him.

1x18: Everyone Has A Cobblepot

• Selina showing up at the hospital upon hearing what happened to Alfred. And consoling Bruce.
  • When Bruce says he intends to go after Alfred's assailant, she very reasonably concludes that he's insane. Then she offers to help in his searches, and even after he turns her down, she says the offers still stands.
• Gordon gets angry with Bullock over his partner's false testimony that got Flass off the murder charges. But Bullock points out to him "Everyone has a Cobblepot," a bad choice every cop was forced to undergo so that the corrupt powers would have blackmail material on them. Gordon was seemingly the first one to break the cycle, and Bullock expresses some regret that his "Cobblepot" (victim) didn't come back.
  • When forcing the deal with Loeb, Gordon is at least able to get the incriminating stuff on Bullock, which at least — for now — puts his partner in a good footing. And that they got each other's back.
• The way Gordon and Bullock realize that what Loeb has in the remote farmhouse is not a bunch of files but his own dark secret, a mentally unhinged daughter who accidentally murdered her own mother. They humor the poor young woman as she tries to host for them.

1x19: Beasts of Prey

• Fish comforting Kelley after sacrificing him to the Dollmaker, as thankfully he's still alive. Despite her plan to escape which involved sacrifices, she seems to genuinely care about him as he's somewhat her only ally and friend in the dungeon. What makes it even more heartwarming is that upon her successful escape, she takes him with her.
• A disconsolate Barbara comes home having been dumped by Jim to find Selina and Ivy squatting in her flat. Rather than kicking them out the lonely Barbara just joins them on the sofa to snack and watch TV together, glad to finally have some company.

1x20: Under the Knife

• Alfred's teasing Bruce over his decision to invite Selina to the Wayne Enterprises charity ball.
• Barbara offering to help Selina dress up for the occasion, and then Bruce's stuttering and adorable expression when he sees Selina.
• A short but sweet moment: When Gordon is desperately trying to get in touch with Leslie Thompkins because he believes the Ogre is after her, he demands to know where she is, asking Nygma to skip the riddles. Nygma pauses for a second and straightforwardly tells Gordon what he knows.

1x22: All Happy Families Are Alike

• Falcone telling Gordon to clean up Gotham as he retires, giving him the knife that Gordon's father gave him, telling the younger Gordon that his father was the most honest man Falcone ever knew. Seeing that come from a mob boss is pretty heartwarming.