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. And considering that he’s still among the living, logic dictates that he’ll be showing up before long, at least for one episode.
Luckily for us, Monaghan himself has pretty much given us confirmation via his Instagram page with a photo captioned “New York, New York,” which, as you may know, is where Gotham films. Granted, all we can see is a chair marked for “Jerome,” but it’s enough to get any one of us excited. Still, we can’t help but ponder what the villain’s mug will look like this time around.
Obviously, it currently remains unclear as to which episode will hail his comeback, but odds are that they’re taping for something set to air early on in the back half of the season – unless, of course, this photo isn’t exactly new. If that’s the case, he could very well show up before 2017 concludes, but we’ll keep you posted, regardless.
Gotham airs on Thursday nights on Fox.
