Why so serious? First look at Gotham’s version of the Joker

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

If you are one of the people who has stopped watching FOX’s GOTHAM, last night’s episode gave a nice origin story for Jonathan Crane (AKA Scarecrow). But, if you stuck around for the preview of next week’s episode, you would have seen that the DC Comics series is about to introduce Batman’s biggest foe and provide an all new origin for The Joker.

While the trailer doesn’t specifically refer to him as The Joker, the creepy grin, maniacal laugh, and teased rundown of all the villains introduced to late is a pretty good indicator along with the promise that this bad guy is “no joke”.

SHAMELESS fans may recognize the actor as Cameron Monaghan who plays Ian Gallagher on the Showtime series. The press release for the episode has him listed as a character named Jerome which does not seem to link to any existing origin stories for The Joker. As an unreliable narrator, DC Comics has had a wide array of backstories for the villain, but I would expect GOTHAM to drag this one out and develop the character over several episodes (and possibly seasons).

Next week’s episode, entitled “The Blind Fortune Teller”, will also showcase the parents of Dick Grayson (AKA Robin). Who knows, maybe Jerome here had something to do with their untimely demise.

GOTHAM airs Mondays on FOX.