I thought he was one of the highlights. When he's hugging Bruce at the crime scene, that short exchange with Gordon is perfect. He just sadly tells the new guy Gordon "good luck" because he knows how ****ed up the city is.
The relationship between Bruce and Alfred was surprisingly well done in a short amount of time, relative to basically every other relationship we see in the pilot. Most of Gordon's various relationships are just beginning. Most of Bullock's various relationships are played as having a lot of history that will be uncovered.
Alfred comes from a military background and wants Bruce to have that military strength, because that's what he knows best. Bruce knows that Alfred, now his legal guardian and surrogate father, has always had his best interests heart. That's why he accepts the gruffness and for the most part doesn't have a problem with it. That moment after Alfred hugs him when tries to toughen him up is clearly not the first time Alfred has been tough on him, because Bruce obliges immediately like it's nothing new. But at the end of the day, the kid has the authority to put his foot down. And he does in that last scene, when Alfred is being skeptical of Gordon for Bruce's sake. There is a mutual respect between this ex-Marine (who, again, is now his legal guardian and could just as easily send him off to another room while the grown ups talk about murder and police corruption) and this odd 12-year-old kid. It has existed before we meet them and looks to be tested going forward. It's an interesting friendship to explore.
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