Although Cameron Monaghan has never been a part of Gotham‘s principal cast, many would likely argue – and I would agree with them – that Jerome Valeska has easily emerged as the finest villain the series has thus far produced, thanks to sharp writing and the young actor’s incredible performances. Now, that’s not meant to be a knock against Robin Lord Taylor’s Penguin or Cory Michael Smith’s Riddler, but it’s just a testament to how well Monaghan has brought this proto-Joker to life.
When we last saw Jerome, he’d paid homage to Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s Batman: Death of the Family by wearing a dead skin mask with such style. But after he’d had all his fun in an amusement park straight out of The Killing Joke, James Gordon succeeded in apprehending the young knave – and punching off his face in the process.
Afterward, it was said Jerome was having his face surgically reattached, and would then be returned to Arkham Asylum. In fact, executive producer John Stephens was quick to remind us all of this in an interview with Cinema Blend at San Diego Comic-Con when he teased a possible return.
“What I will say about Jerome is that Jerome is in Arkham right now, and when you think about Arkham’s record of keeping people locked up, we will probably see him again before the end of the year.”
Knowing how much of a blast Monaghan has while playing the character, odds are that we’ll see him in at least one episode this season. And while we fully expect his next guest shot to have an event-like feel to it, one thing’s for certain: Harley Quinn won’t be arriving with him.
Gotham returns for its fourth season on Thursday, September 28 on Fox.
