It’s what the Gotham fans have been wanting. There was talk of maybe the penguin actually becomes the Joker, but with the episode that has the internet buzzing, the outstanding performance by Cameron Monaghan portraying Jerome. But is this Jerome character actually the Joker. Well by the performance, that devious ear-to-ear grin, sullen eyes and insane maniacal laughter, he’s about 80 percent there. And he made the word “whore” sound like a bad word again.
Here is what Executive Producer Bruno Heller had to say about the Jerome character:
I can tell you this is a long game plan and a long story that we are telling here. What I can promise you is this is not a bait-and-switch. This is not someone who is just a character who is going to disappear. This is not a red herring. It’s the beginning of the story of how the Joker came to be, how the Joker was created, where he came from, who he is. Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Cameron Monaghan is the Joker. He might be. But like I say, this is a story that begins about seven or eight years before the actual Joker arrives on the scene in his fully-fledged persona. As we’re telling with all of these characters, the origin story of that villain begins Monday.
I want to reiterate for those fans who might think that we are playing games, this is not a game. This is not a trick. It’s the beginning of the Joker saga.
Now if Jerome is actually the Joker, would this in a way mess up the dynamism in the relationship between the Batman (when he comes) and the Joker. Because Jerome’s character has already delved off the deep end in a sense.
The main issue betwixt the Dark Knight and the Joker (IMHO) is a case to argue that Batman’s presence gives birth to crazies as much, or even more so than Batman neutralises. So the idea of Batman creating his own demons to fight in the form of the Joker (and others) has been a philosophical-masturbatory concept explored in the comics, like The Killing Joke and Arkham Asylum, and the Dark Knight Rises film.
So by potentially bringing out the Joker this early, they may have subverted this creator/created dynamic. This is only of course if they can show a scenario that really pushes Joker mentally over the edge when the Batman eventually gets involved in the series in the future.
Then again, all of this hinges on whether Jerome is actually Joker. Gotham‘s origin story of the Joker may start from narrating the life of a relative like his dad, uncle or something or something. Who knows. Seems like Gotham‘s trolling just a little bit. But in the end Gotham is putting on one hell of a show.