'Gotham' TV Show, Air Date & Cast: Things You Should Know to Be Ready for Show's Midseason Return

"Gotham," the freshman hit series, has been renewed for a second season on the FOX Network, following the mid-season finale of the show, titled "Lovecraft."

The Jan. 5 episode, "Rogue's Gallery," will feature inmates taking over Arkham Asylum, where Det. James Gordon is now employed. And it will show Oswald Cobblepot finally assume his true identity as The Penguin. But before that happens, there are some plot points that you should brush up on before you're ready for the show's midseason return.

James Gordon, Harvey Bullock, Harvey Kent, Oswald Cobblepot, Bruce Wayne, Fish Mooney, Renee Montoya and Selina Kyle are the main players on the hit Batman origin series, and so far viewers have already learned a great deal of backstory to educate them on the super hero crime drama.

The first episode, "Pilot," introduces viewers to rookie cop James Gordon and his corrupt and inept partner Harvey Bullock, who've been sent to investigate the murders of Thomas and Martha Wayne, an act that was carried out right in front of their young son, Bruce Wayne. The senseless murder was also witnessed by the agile, street-dwelling petty thief Selina Kyle.

While the death of the Waynes seems unmotivated at first gander, it quickly becomes obvious that their deaths are tied into a network of insidious schemes planned out by many of the Gotham's movers and shakers.

The following episodes "Selina Kyle," "The Balloonman," "Arkham" and "Viper" shows Gordon facing off with a number of single-episode criminals, including a group of assailants who want to collect children, a vigilant who's ridding the city of the scumbags who function at the top of society, and a man who's handing out vials of a street drug that causes euphoria before delivering a calcium deficient death.

During this time, Gordon is forced "to get with the program" and murder Oswald Cobblepot -- which he does not. Instead, he pretends to so, demanding that Cobblepot leave town. And Cobblepot does leave town -- for about a week -- before returning and renewing his plot to take over Gotham by finding a low-ranking job within Carmine Falcone's restaurant before moving his way to the top.

Meanwhile, "The Spirit of the Goat," "Penguin's Umbrella," "The Mask," and "Harvey Dent" shows power shifts as secrets involving Cobblepot, Harvey Dent, Fish Mooney, the mayor and Falcone are unveiled. From a serial killer who's marking off the children of the rich to a broiling war between Falcone and Maroni that's been fueled by Fish Mooney, the series does not fail to supply the high-stake drama.

At one point, Gordon attempts to arrest the corrupt mayor and Falcone before his mind is changed for him when Falcone kidnaps his girlfriend. Also, has to faceoff between Gordon and a Gothamite who makes candidates fight to the death for a position of the financial firm takes place. In addition, as Gordon moves in on the Wayne family's killer, Selina moves in with Bruce at Wayne Manor, and the two develop a close relationship.

On the final episode, "Lovecraft," assassins appear at the Wayne Manor to kill Selina, leading her and Bruce to run for their lives, but they are saved by Gordon and Alfred. Gordon suspects that Dick Lovecraft, a detective, is behind was behind the assassination attempt, although he isn't. During the mid-series finale, viewers find out that Alfred has a father's love for Bruce, and Gordon is reassigned to work at the town's asylum, Arkham.