Gotham – Predicting Gordon’s Arkham Encounters

When Gotham picks up again on January 5th, James Gordon will have a new job at one of the most notorious locations in the Batman mythos — Arkham Asylum.   The biggest question remains now is: who will he run into?  Will he or she be friend or foe?  We’re going to present some candidates and see how likely they are to show up after Gotham‘s hiatus.

Dr. Leslie Thompkins

This is a shoe-in.  Leslie Thompkins was seen in the promo for the post-hiatus episode, and her presence will be a welcome addition to the Gotham family.  There’s no doubt that Thompkins will be an ally to Gordon, but will they add some hidden secrets to her character that’ll spice up the conflict?  Perhaps something she was involved in at Arkham.  The writers should definitely introduce some skeletons in her closet.

Dr. Roger Huntoon

Yep, if you watched NBC’s Constantine pilot Non Est Asylum, that’s the guy we’re talking about here.  Of course, if they do introduce Huntoon in Gotham, it’ll be a different universe Huntoon.  Acting as Arkham Asylum’s chief administrator, he’s later replace by Jeremiah Arkham.  I’d say that it’s pretty likely that we’ll see him on Gotham.

Jeremiah Arkham

I know that Jeremiah Arkham, in this time period, might be a bit young to be running the facility, but a couple of things could happen.  The writers took some liberties with Victor Zsasz’s character and had him appear as a contemporary of Gordon’s.  This would make Zsasz much older when Bruce dons the cape and cowl.  Assuming the writers do the same here, they might take the same liberties with Jeremiah.  They could also write Jeremiah in as a teenager visiting his uncle, Amadeus Arkham.  My guess is that he might make a cameo on Gotham.

Amadeus Arkham

This name couldn’t have come at a more appropriate time.  The founder of Arkham Asylum and, in a twist of fate, would later be housed in his own institution when he goes insane.  Will he be introduced as the one who holds the keys?  If not, and if he’s dead already, I’m willing to bet that he’s still going to make an appearance on Gotham — in flashbacks.  We’re very likely going to see him.

Corrections Officer Aaron Cash

This character is not so well-known, but would be a great ally for Gordon.  A little history on the fellow: he’s a guard who later gets his left arm taken off by Killer Croc.  Since he’s not too integral to the history of Batman, taking liberties with his characterization wouldn’t be much of a big deal.  We could maybe see a young Cash before he’s maimed.  I would say that this is a toss up.  We’ll just have to see how well-versed Gotham‘s writers are in Batman’s more obscure characters.

Waylon Jones

This brings us to Killer Croc himself, Waylon Jones.  Could we see a younger version?  If we do see Jones and Cash in the same room, it could really raise the tension knowing what’s in store for Cash (just think of Phil in Hot Tub Time Machine).  I think the chances will be very slim that we see Waylon.  But if they do introduce Cash on Gotham, it would be insane to not give Waylon at least a cameo.

Alyce Sinner

As a protege of Jeremiah Arkham, she should definitely be introduced if he’s in the picture.  Because she’s a villain whose acts can happen in real life, Sinner can really give Gotham a dark, realistic vibe.  In whatever capacity, the writers should try and introduce her character.  Even if Jeremiah is shown, I think the chances are slim that we’d see Sinner on Gotham.

Final Thoughts

That’s it.  Those are my candidates of who we might meet when Gotham comes back after its hiatus.  Some of you might be saying, “Whoa, whoa, whoa!  Where’s Harleen Quinzel?”  Well, even in the fictional history of Batman, she’s younger than Bruce.  So, unless Arkham Asylum is breaking child labor laws, I don’t see her working anywhere near that place.  The writers could pull a fast one on us and we probably won’t even meet any known characters other than Leslie Thomkins.  Why?  They resolve Gordon’s issue within two to three episodes.  That’s something that I hope the writers don’t do.  They really need to up the conflict and tension on that show, and putting Gordon in that environment is the right thing to do.  Here’s to hoping that we see an insane start in the new year (pun intended).

Fox will air new episodes of Gotham starting on Monday, January 5, 2015 at 8:00PM EST.