Gotham: The War Between Nygma and Penguin Will Continue

The winter finale of Gothamon Monday night saw what might be the irreparable end to the Ed Nygma (Cory Michael Smith) and Oswald Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor) relationship.

It was a separation that seemed inevitable once Oswald decided to murder Ed's new love in hopes of keeping his best friend all to himself. Nygma eventually discovered what happened and immediately set to get his vengeance. That would all seem fair in the game of mob war, except in the process of Ed taking everything he believed Oswald loves away from him, Oswald finally figured out how to make a self-sacrifice and prove that his love for Ed is real.

The problem is that Oswald's breakthrough came too late and Ed had been pushed too far to come to the same conclusion. So, in the bright light of day, Ed shot his former best friend in the stomach and sent him drifting in the Gotham City harbor. The ramifications of his unrequited love will now reverberate throughout the rest of the season, according to executive producer John Stephens.

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"From [episodes] 15 to 22, it's two people out in the open who used to be friends and now want to destroy one another," Stephens explained to TVGuide.com and one other reporter during a FOX TV event. "That war between them, between two people who are best friends but also at war, plays through the whole season."

A war between the two seems like the worst case scenario for a bromance that became a fan favorite relationship in mid-Season 1 and has only grown over the course of the show. However, Stephens admits that even if Ed and Oswald are enemies, there will always be more complicated emotions underneath.

"The thing about it is [Cory and Robin] both play their characters of such levels of complexity that they can play, 'I hate you, I'm going to kill you, but you're also my best friend.' It's never one note, so you always get that push pull," Stephens said.

With all great relationships though, there are times of turmoil and reconciliation. While Ed and Oswald are farther apart than they've ever been at this point in time, there is hope that eventually they will find a reason to be on the same side again.

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"I feel like, if this show survives years and years, they might be apart but we have to imagine that situations will bring them back together because they are like souls," Stephens explained. "At the end of the day, these two have more in common than anyone else on the show. They will probably find their way back together, and when they get back together it will be all the more gratifying because they were apart for each other."

Don't look for that too soon though. We can only imagine how pissed Oswald will be when he finds his way out of the river.

Gotham returns Monday April 24 at 8/7c on FOX.