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Gotham – Please Don’t Introduce The Joker

By Steve Lam

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Ever since the introduction of the maniacal Jerome (played by the talented Cameron Monaghan) in Gotham‘s sixteenth episode, The Blind Fortune Teller, audiences have questioned if we were seeing the Joker’s origins.  After all, the most likely scenario is the writers using this character as a red herring — it can’t and shouldn’t be that obvious.  Well, a March 16, 2015 article from Blastr has the actor himself confirming that the character of Jerome is indeed a young Joker.  And the producers plan to bring him back during the second or third season.

This is where I get a bit passionate.  Many of you would think that I, being a Batman fan, would be giddy with excitement at the prospect of seeing the Joker appear on Gotham.  This couldn’t be further from the truth.  Gotham‘s first season has solely relied on established characters for its storytelling.  Because of that, there’s been a real lack of myth building and character development.  The writers were depending on the “oohs” and “ahhs” of audiences seeing known characters, instead of truly creating fresh heroes and villains.  Most previews were a tease alluding to younger versions of future baddies.

Like I said before, I’m going to be getting passionate.  So here’s an open letter to Gotham‘s producers and writers:

To the Masters of Gotham‘s World,

It has recently come to my attention that the character of Jerome in the episode titled The Blind Fortune Teller is actually a younger version of the Joker.  I am imploring you to not go down that route.  This is in no way saying that Cameron Monaghan is a bad actor.  In fact, he was extremely impressive.  If he were old enough, he’d be my first choice as the Joker for the new Suicide Squad film.  My complaint deals with the introduction of the character himself.  The Joker, you see, is a force that explodes onto the scene of Gotham City, his background is as jumbled as his psyche.  He cannot be tapered in.

By giving the Joker an origin and a biography, you’ve essentially taken out the myth.  The key ingredient that makes him threatening.  Let me put it to you this way: Hannibal Lecter was an extremely scary character until they destroyed the legend in Hannibal Rising (2007).  When the writers of that debacle gave our infamous serial killer a background and reasons for his actions, it humanized him.  The allure of the character was now gone.  The original attraction to Dr. Lecter was that he was beyond human, something dark and sinister that couldn’t be stopped.

The Joker, like Hannibal Lecter, is one of those characters who can never have a backstory.  Besides, the Clown Prince of Crime has been known to be a trickster and a liar — he has no real background information.  To give him an origin would be rewriting the Joker.  It wouldn’t be a reinterpretation, it would be killing a legacy.  There’s also the creation of a wrinkle where the circus, the Graysons, and all of GCPD now know who the Joker actually is.

As a television show, you have the luxury of long-form storytelling in terms of creating new villains and developing them into compelling characters.  As a series focused on James Gordon, you don’t need Batman’s future archenemy to make an appearance.  The Joker is someone we should see in his full glory on the silver screen.  He cannot be played small, and cannot be given a conventional history.  He’s not a normal person.  There are no reasons to his insanity … he just is.

Please preserve the Joker’s character and leave his origin as vague as can be.  An unknown past will only make this already potent figure even more powerful.

Sincerely,

Steve Lam, Bat-Fan

There you go.  There’s my passion plea.  Even though the chances of this being read by the movers and the shakers are essentially nil, I still had to get it off my chest.  What do you think?  Do you agree that the Joker should not be introduced on Gotham?

Fox’s Gotham will return on Monday, April 13, 2015 at 8:00PM EST with its nineteenth episode.

Next: What will happen after Gotham's spring hiatus?

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