If anything can be said about Gotham, it’s that several truly brilliant young actors have turned in some memorable performances as they re-imagine some of the greatest villains to ever leap off the pages of comic books. Robin Lord Taylor has given us a multilayered Penguin markedly different from actors who have preceded him; Cory Michael Smith plays Edward Nygma with a straighter face than previously seen in live action; Maggie Geha is currently giving Poison Ivy some much needed on film redemption; and Cameron Monaghan damn near stole the entire series with his maniacal interpretation of Jerome Valeska, the proto-Joker.
Having been recently teased first with a goosebump inducing promo and later with a grainy picture, Monaghan’s impending return has already gotten fans in an uproar – in a good way. One could even say that the “Joker cult” we’ll see in early 2017 could be interpreted as a metatextual proxy of how the Clown Prince of Crime is seen as a pop culture icon in reality.
The latest teaser comes via Monaghan’s Instagram account and shows Lee Thompkins pulling back a sheet to reveal the skinned face of Jerome’s corpse. This image could be more telling than one may suspect. Think about it: Although a Joker dead skin mask is in keeping with the Batman: Death of the Family comic book storyline, this could be a bait-and-switch of sorts.
In other words, Monaghan himself could be back, playing an obsessed fan who has absconded with Jerome’s face while the true charismatic criminal is lying on a slab. Should this happen, we can only hope Jerome rises from the dead (something that can and has happened on this show) and reclaims his visage. If not, many viewers may ultimately feel like they had a steak waved in front of their faces of which they never truly got to feast on.
Hopefully we’re not left missing Jerome’s face when Gotham returns with new episodes on Monday, January 16 on Fox.
