Jerome Returns for Season 3b of Gotham (videos)
One of the best villains of all time returns to Gotham Monday night....And I cannot be more excited.
One of my favorite things about the show Gotham on FOX is that, when you boil it down to the simplest of terms, it is a Bruce Wayne/Batman origin story. BUT what the show has really become is a Batman VILLAINS origin story. I am loving what they are doing with Penguin and the Riddler (#Nygmobblepot), Selina Kyle, Poison Ivy, and, strangely enough, even Barbra Gordon...But the villain that EVERYONE wants to know the origin of is the Joker.
Cut to episode 16 of Season 1: We meet a shy, innocent circus boy named Jerome Valeska who's mother has just been found murdered (oh no!). The episode continues as a typical Gotham Who-Done-It...and then (TWIST!) we find out Jerome did it! And that he's not so shy and innocent as we were led to believe. In fact, he's a bit unhinged. Now, this episode could have gone down as a great one-off guest cameo by Cameron Monaghan....But then he smiled...AND THEN HE LAUGHED.
And though it has never been officially confirmed, everyone KNOWS that Jerome is the Joker. You cannot convince us otherwise!
Which is why it came as a surprise when Jerome was (SPOILERS) killed in season 2 episode 3...After only appearing in 4 episodes,(which, in my opinion are 4 of the best episodes that Gotham has ever had) they killed off the fan dubbed "Joker"; confusing and astounding audiences.
After his death, the episode showed a montage of people around Gotham watching footage of Jerome and laughing maniacally at his villainous antics. Leaving the viewer to believe that these people are either his future followers, or, that anyone has the potential to become "the Joker" with enough madness.
...Which was a real letdown. The viewers clearly wanted Jerome to be the Joker. He's got the laugh, he's got the smile, he's got the mannerisms...If it quacks like a duck, and looks like a duck, don't kill it and tell me it's ham, okay??
Then season 2b gave us Doctor Strange (no, not Benedict Cumberbatch Dr. Strange, that's Marvel. This is DC. Bad guy Doctor Strange.) who we later found out was bringing people back to life. Specifically, past villains.
So the fans started hoping and praying and crossing their fingers that ONE DAY, Doctor Strange would resurrect Jerome so that he could continue his legacy as the fan favorite Joker.
And after an ENTIRE SEASON OF WAITING...our prayers have finally been answered.
"Sanity...is just a prison in your mind."
Gotham returns (WITH JEROME!) Monday, January 16th on FOX.