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Can Jerome Return to Gotham?

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Mar 162016

I have been following GOTHAM series in FOX network and have to tell you that it still has me hooked. I love the series’ twist on characters that we thought could not be improved or reinvented. They find new visions for the character development at every corner and with the advent of Hugo Strange to his project “Indian Hill” just makes the plot more interesting.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

We have seen that Dr. Hugo Strange is developing a program called “Indian Hills” to bring back “dead” criminals in an effort to develop an army that I feel has some similarities with the Talons army that was introduced in the pages of Batman by the COURT OF OWLS story arc by acclaimed comic book writer Scott Snyder. Another important clue from the series is the announced return of Theo Galavan to the series as Azrael (?), though the man was shot dead by Jim Gordon and finished beautiful by an umbrella shoved through his mouth courtesy of Oswald Cobblepot. How could a dead man return to the world of the living? With the help of Victor Fries serum of course.

Now, if Strange was able to get a hold of Galavan’s body, as he has done with other criminals (remember Firefly’s?) what if he was also able to get Jerome Valeska’s body from GCPD as well? Very possible, since the maniac killed his father, there was no one to reclaim the body. So…would Hugo have the ability to bring back a character that Jokerdom has described as the closest thing to the REAL Clown Prince of Crime? Well, I found and interesting article that might be heading in that direction. Here is the article found in SCENE CRUSH (January 13, 2016)…

Anyone following FOX’s Gotham (those brave souls) well-remembers the proto-Batman series’ quick introduction of almost-Joker figure Jerome, before Season 2 seemingly put a cap on the character in the most eye-rolling setup possible. Well, get ready to stretch that grin once more, as Ben McKenzie hints we’ve not seen the last of Cameron Monaghan’s cackling madman.

You’re warned of basic Gotham spoilers through Jerome’s arc from here on out, but where many presumed that that FOX DC drama have tipped too heavily toward the character’s Joker future, Season 2 outing “The Last Laugh” threw a wrench in that theory by killing off the Jerome character and insinuating his legacy as a “Joker Virus” on the city.

Anyone following FOX’s Gotham (those brave souls) well-remembers the proto-Batman series’ quick introduction of almost-Joker figure Jerome, before Season 2 seemingly put a cap on the character in the most eye-rolling setup possible. Well, get ready to stretch that grin once more, as Ben McKenzie hints we’ve not seen the last of Cameron Monaghan’s cackling madman.

…

MACKENZIE: “Not only can we [bring Jerome back], but we might. I can’t say definitively, but yes. I’ll put it this way: almost nobody that you’ve seen go away is dead. They are all able to come back.”

Granted, we left Gotham in 2015 on a deeper descent into the mysterious “Indian Hill” facility that already introduced a young Mr. Freeze (House of Cards star Nathan Darrow), and will soon embrace Bat-mythology even further in B.D. Wong’s Hugo Strange, so it’s not beyond the realm of possibility to resurrect Jerome somehow. Divisive though he may have been, there’s little argument Cameron Monaghan produced the strongest responses Gotham has seen yet, and the series itself isn’t in a place to ignore success.

(Original article: ‘Gotham’ Hints Proto-Joker Jerome Will Return for Last Laugh)

RIP Jerome Valeska…. When we ‘almost’ had a JOKER

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Oct 112015

OK, I will admit I am not happy about the demise of the character of Jerome Valeska from the series GOTHAM, but in a sense I can see one reason why we could not have had him turn onto the Joker (much to my regret). This is what I was thinking…

Joker is an unknown.
1. No one know who Joker is. Part of his mystique was his anonymity, and that gave him power because in true nature…he could be anybody he wants to be and made it very easy to disappear into the multitude of people in the city. When the police knows the identity of a criminal, it gives them a certain power over him, and normally it is a matter of time before he is arrested. I would have to admit that in the Gothamverse having a Joker whose past is known (and it would have been easy to tie Jerome to Joker) will in some way take away from the character. When Joker makes his final appearance in Gotham, he has to come out of nowhere, taking the city by surprise and embarking in a wave of sensational crimes like it has never seen before. A kind of force of nature if you may call him that, that is primal, without ties to a past or a place. Only then he can become the Joker that Batman deserves.

That said….

Certainly anarchy is a very powerful and liberating concept. Joker took it and amplified it in Nolan’s DARK KNIGHT, and in a sense drives the concept of the character even in the comics but not everybody can be the Joker…only the Joker can be the Joker.

It is true that the idea of chaos and mayhem are just concepts, that anybody could embrace to become the ultimate maniac…but Jerome did it so well that is tremendously sad to see such a good actor like Cameron Monaghan that had given so much to the character only to go in such a quick, senseless way. I would have preferred to see Jerome do one of those Joker escapes, where everybody thinks he’s dead only to return later with a vengeance…that in my opinion would have been more deserving of the performance.

The people at FOX have set the standards for their most famous homicidal maniac way up in the sky in my opinion. The new and final Joker, whenever he arrives will have to take Jerome’s ‘insanity virus’ and take it to the extreme. Is that even possible?

Yes, the Joker is definitely above any definition of insanity and goes to any limits he has to go to get his point across, but GOTHAM is a show based in reality. With the limitation of the media to root the characters in a ‘real environment’ how far can they take the Joker? Will they really find someone like Jerome out there?

I found the idea of people just going crazy killing people for fun, after seeing Jerome’s footage on the news a little farfetched. It is not normal human behavior. Just because you see someone killing on TV does not mean you’ll think it is fun and go out to try it yourself, but then , Gotham is a strange city. Maybe there is an underlying low degree of madness in its citizens and they need an inspiration to take it to the highest levels of depravity.

I don’t know…maybe it is just me being a Jokerholic here and adoring Cameron’s performance in the series, but I am divided into deciding if KILLING Jerome was really the best outcome for the character…hope that FOX did not make a mistake here and let go an awesome character that could fill the future clown’s shoes.

For now…Thanks Cameron for an unforgettable performance. Jerome will be missed, but you showed your caliber as an actor. Best wishes in the future…

Please read what Cameron Monaghan has to say about his character on the show on TVLine HERE

Gotham Season 2 is Cooking…RAISE OF THE VILLAINS

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Aug 302015

Well, truth be told.

The first season of GOTHAM was kind of slow, and unusual. First I’d say unusual because you see a world you know…GOTHAM CITY…without a Batman (at least yet) and the introduction of all this characters, from a total new and vast DC Universe (Gothamverse) that is taking its time, with snippets of origin stories here and there that seemed to take forever. It also did not help that midseason seemed disjointed when there was that hiatus while they added more episodes.

But…

At the same time, it was interesting. Yes, this storytelling does not have the appeal of THE FLASH or ARROW, but it was successful enough to grab my attention for the whole season. I personally wanted to see more Nigma becoming the ruthless criminal he is, Zsasz crumbling under his own manic obsession with self-mutilation, and what is on with Gordon’s first love Barbara…? Is that the background that will explain why his [future] sob is so perturbed in the comics? And a surprise newcomer was Fish, which I hope returns for next season, but in the meantime it is time to add some more chaos to Gotham and that is what Season 2 is bringing forth , just look at the preview and tell me you are interested…especially of seeing A LOT MORE JOKER????

Here you have it…ENJOY!!

GOTHAM: “Joker is not a single Villain, He’s an Ideology…”

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Jul 182015

Hey…I kind of like that philosophy, and can’t wait to see what is going to happen in GOTHAM with Jerome and how he could become the well renowned Joker of Gotham City.

But Joker apart…the series is really good in all aspects of exploring the development of key characters from the Batman universe. Can’t wait either what is going to be of the new king of Gotham…OSWALD COBBLEPOT. And Nygma is slowly losing grips with reality… Quite engaging storytelling I tell you. Hope it does not lose its steam halfway through the season as it has happened with other good series in TV.

Jerome “Joker” Valeska Crashes Gotham Panel at SDCC

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Jul 152015

For those of you that could not make it to SDCC this year, the Gotham Panel, based on the popular TV show that depicts the origin of the Gotham characters in a very realistic way, updated fans on the future of the series, with input from the entire cast and staff of the show. A surprise was to see Cameron Monaghan, “AKA Jerome Valeska and possible future Joker in the series crashing into the auditiorium at the end of the presentation and when “escorted” out of the auditorium by security Monaghan uttered in a menacing voice: “How high is your pain tolerance”

Here is a recording of the panel thanks to YouTube and Flicks and the City

Official: More of the Joker’s Origin Explored in GOTHAM Season 2

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Jul 092015

It has been teased all along since his first appearance and later when the first season ended that Jerome, a young man that seems to be the young version of who would become the Joker later on, will be further explored as he goes through his slow transformation into who is going to be Batman’s greatest nemesis. So apparently this character is the one destined to become the Clown Prince of Crime (at least for the series), I personally had my doubts are the beginning, but it seems the information is coming from the horse’s mouth…. just LOOK AT CAMERON MONAGHAN’s (Jerome) instagram picture…

GOTHAMJoker

(Picture and report source INSTAGRAM and FOOD WORLD NEWS)

“This is very much the beginning of the Joker saga,” the series’ showrunner Bruno Heller told People Magazine last February, when asked about Cameron Monaghan’s Joker. “People will have to watch in the long run to see where this character goes and whether he is the Joker or not, but the whole show is about origin stories, and origins can be very complex and convoluted things. I will not confirm that it’s the character himself – he may be – and I’m not trying to trick the audience, but we have a very precise and engaging story to tell.”

For those who did not have a chance to see Cameron’s previous performance in GOTHAM season 1, please click on the link below:

(Video courtesy of Jo D’Mango at YOUTUBE)

And the new GOTHAM villain is….NO JOKE!!!

Joker, Preview 1 Response »

Feb 092015

Just wanted to give my Jokerholic friends a heads up.

I finished watching today’s episode of GOTHAM which starred Jonathan Crane and his father in search of a cure for fear (great origin episode by the way) but what caught my attention is the fact that on the previews for the show next week, the big hint is the quote you see in the title….COULD IT BE? ARE THEY HINTING A POSSIBLE JOKER ORIGIN STORY?

Well, it was less than thirty seconds long, but the kid evil laugh is a little creepy and scary…maybe this is it. What new origin are they cooking for our favorite clown? Hope they don’t give much. I don’t want the whole episode focused on the kid who will become the Joker (or two like they did with Crane), but I would still would like to see what hints they will throw out there.

I know many people out there DON’T want to see a Joker, but the series is doing a good job with hinting all the characters personalities in their futures impersonations as well as giving very plausible origin stories based on science and real facts. ( the only one I think they need tweaking is Nigma, but that is just me).

Just check out the episode. I think it will be interesting. The series is not that bad…I find it refreshing to have a Batman series without well…Batman. It is interesting knowing that all these characters we love (and hate depending on what team you play) had a life before the creep in the Bat-suit starting jumping from roofs.

Take a look at the preview from MOVIEWEB.COM

Remember GOTHAM airs every Monday at 8pm on Fox…see ya there next week!

GOTHAM: Could we start to see hints of the series “Joker” soon?

DC Universe, DCU, Joker, Movies, News 1 Response »

Jan 162015

Yeah, we know….it is too early in the Batman history to see a Joker. He should be what? A young man in his late teens early 20s maybe?

Well, the writers of the successful TV series from FOX, Gotham, have decided on hinting to possible Joker candidates throughout the series (obviously not setting anything on stone as Joker’s origin is best left where it is…in the unknown) and they seem they will be starting with the second round of episodes for season 1 (or should this be Season 1.5?). Personally, I hope this is not one of those hints…I really can’t see the man who would become the Joker related in any way with the Grayson’s at this time of the Batman history…it would be just too tacky in my opinion.

Anyways, here is the actual report from our friends at VIXEN VARSITY.

HalysCircusPoster

Filming for Gotham episode 16 took place earlier this week and some interesting on-set images and spoilers have surfaced online via Vixen Varsity.

The episode titled The Blind Fortune Teller will take place at a circus and viewers will be introduced to The Flying Graysons – Robin’s parents. According to the website, following a murder at the circus, Gordon questions the ringmaster and “an evil clown”.

Now, “could this be some sort of nod to The Joker? It’s unlikely, but you never know!” speculates ComicBookMovie.

Here are some more rumoured plot details about the episode, as per Vixen Varsity:

– A fight breaks out between clowns and trapeze artists.
– Detective James Gordon meets Dr Leslie Thompkins at Haly’s circus.
– Mary Lloyd, daughter of a clown is in love with John Grayson, son of a trapeze artist.
– Dr Leslie Thompkins checks out the injured circus folk.

The next episode of Gotham season 1 (episode 12) titled What the Little Bird Told Him airs on 19 January, 2015.

(Picture courtesy of Vixen Varsity via Tweeter)

New GOTHAM TV Series to Include Joker….YUS!

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May 152014

Recent report from Newsarama about the new GOTHAM TV series seems to hint to some interesting plot developments and possibly inclusion of The Joker in the roster of criminals making their appearance on the show…. Here is an excerpt of the report:

GOTHAM Showrunner Spills on the JOKER, Says Show Will Surpass the BATMAN Movies

Bruno Heller, the showrunner for next season’s highly anticipated Gotham series from Fox, has confirmed that he intends to features a slew of Batman villains in the television show — including The Joker — and believes his show will “surpass the [Christopher Nolan] Batman movies.”

“In terms of what [director and executive producer Danny Cannon and director of photography David Stockton] are doing — visually — Gotham will surpass the Batman movies,” he said. “The movies are a very rigorous, kind of Germanic take on that world. They’re visually stunning, but not particularly visually pleasurable. I would say this is much more on the street level of Gotham. There’s more people, it’s a more colorful place, it’s a more vivid place, it’s more crowded. The inspiration for me and Danny was New York in the ’70s, because we both remember that as a seminal moment, coming to the city for the first time. This is very much that kind of Gotham — intensely visual and three-dimensional and layered and gritty and dirty and sexy and dangerous.”

Gotham takes place when Bruce Wayne is a boy whose parents have just been murdered, and Heller called young actor David Mazouz “without a doubt, the best actor to ever play the part of Bruce Wayne.”…

…Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Heller said all of the first season is already mapped out, and the series will feature not only young Bruce Wayne and rookie cop Jim Gordon, but also Harvey Bullock, the Penguin, Riddler, young Catwoman, Poison Ivy, former “tough marine” Alfred Pennyworth, and others — and “possibly Harvey Dent.” The series will show what “inspired” the villains to eventually become their older selves….

(You can read the whole article HERE. Original article by Vaneta Rogers for NEWSARAMA)