Early clips of Gotham Season 2 haven’t instilled tremendous confidence in star Ben McKenzie’s claims the Bat-prequel drama had learned from its mistakes, so do the latest fare any better? Villains rule the day once again in three new sneak peeks, though we at least learn what Jim Gordon’s up to.

The first, via TVInsider, picks up with Edward Nygma after his finale breakdown, and if nothing else, it’s refreshing to see Cory Michael Smith show off some range as a more confident, if deranged iteration of the character. The second THR Sneak peek sees Jim again facing demotion at the GCPD, while the third (from Entertainment Weekly) follows up with a favor from the newly-crowned Penguin.

Elsewhere of Gotham Season 2, we know the second run will make series regulars of Drew Powell’s Butch Gilzean, Chris Chalk’s Lucius Fox, Nicholas D’Agosto’s Harvey Dent, and Morena Baccarin’s Dr. Leslie Thompkins. Producers will incorporate such Bat-baddies as Clayface, the Mad Hatter, Mr. Freeze, Hugo Strange, Tommy Elliot, and potentially even the Court of Owls, while early episodes will serve as a “pre-embryonic” (sigh) origin story for the Joker.

In addition to Natalie Alyn Lind’s Silver St. Cloud and True Detective star James Frain’s role as sinister philanthropist Theo Galavan, Gotham Season 2 will also feature Michael Chiklis as Captain Nathaniel Barnes, Jessica Lucas as Galavan’s sister (and future Tigress) Tabitha, along with Dustin Ybarra as a homicidal cannibal. Victoria Cartagena and Andrew Stewart-Jones have also been downgraded from their series regular roles of Renee Montoya and Crispus Allen, while you can check out the first photos here.

Gotham Season 2 will return on Mondays this fall, so take a look at the teasers above and below while we wait.

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