Last Monday’s outing of "Gotham" presented a shocking twist by killing-off one of its villains, Jerome Valeska. The character, played by Shameless’ Cameron Monaghan, has been highly-rumored as the Fox drama’s contemporary take on the iconic Big Bad, The Joker. But since Mongahan’s portrayal of the character has been so remarkable, some worry that offing him was a mistake.
Pop Sugar questioned the creative team behind the "Batman" prequel in a report, stressing out the impact of Monaghan’s performance in the previous episodes. “The bigger question is: why do this at all? Monaghan's Jermone/Maybe Joker is by far the most entertaining character on the show right now, but instead of having him carry the season, the writers have him shine bright only to burn out. It feels like a cruel bait-and-switch to tease Batman's biggest nemesis, then have him immediately murdered by a less interesting villain,” the site commented.
Now that followers of the Bruno Heller-produced drama have confirmed that Jerome is indeed not The Joker, actor Cameron Monaghan echoed his thoughts about portraying the demented character. “I think he’s the Joker in that he represents the idea, the greater concept. And somewhere, some kid or some person watched [his videos/the news coverage and it burrowed into their mind, and one day it will snap and take them over. The idea of this person will possess someone completely new. So, I love that idea — something about it really is chilling and excited me when I read the episode", the actor told TV Line in an interview.
Meanwhile, executive producer Danny Cannon weighed-in about the buzzy character whom fans are eager to see on the well-watched TV series. In a report from Entertainment Weekly, he inferred that the character is more than just a person, but a way of thinking.“I think the Joker isn’t so much a single person as he is an ideology. [He’s] an idea that we can all live without fear and we can all be free and we can all not live within the world’s restrictions and not live within the rules at all,” the showrunner explains.
Later adding that fans should see more of this ideology as "Gotham" moves forward. “This guy walks between the lines and I think that’s an ideology. It’s not a single person. It’s a way to live your life, and I think that’s what we explore,” he continued.
To this end, Cameron Monaghan and showrunner Danny Cannon weighed-in about The Joker’s influence to the world, as something not just a demented person but as a whole idea in itself.
Catch the second episode of "Gotham" Season 2 next Monday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.
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