If Gotham had a Greatest Hits album, the first three tracks would be all about Jerome, Cameron Monaghan's prototype of that most iconic of Batman villains, The Joker. Both the actor and the character's limited storylines have been Gotham at its best, and while we already knew he was coming back for Season 4, executive producer and writer John Stephens has revealed that on top of the other weird parings we'll soon see, Jerome won't be wreaking havoc all by his lonesome in the future.
You're totally gonna see him this year. You're gonna see him in a new position this year, and he's gonna form an alliance with a character who he has not been near at any time soon. . . . Essentially, we're gonna see him and Oswald Cobblepot come closer.
John Stephens definitely created some interesting mental pictures when making that foe-teaming reveal to ComicBook.com. We all know how things go when Penguin gets invested in pairing off with others. First there was Fish Mooney, and then his relationship with Butch was destroyed -- not that Butch will have any memory of that -- and he also played a giant part in botching his partnership with Ed. We basically have Oswald to thank for creating the Riddler, so will his time with Jerome be what brings out The Joker in a proper sense? We can only hope.
It makes sense that Jerome would tag along with Penguin in Season 4. We've learned that Jim will have his crosshairs on Oswald in the first half of the season, not to mention on Bruce's rise to Dark Knight-hood, and we're betting Jerome has a bone (or skin graft) to pick with Jim.
If we're talking about creating the most psychologically threatening situation possible, I think that Jerome would make a much better tag team partner for the new iteration of The Scarecrow that's coming. I mean, we've already seen Jerome lose his face, reattach it with staples, and then lose it again after Jim punched it right off. Now just imagine that scenario, or something equally surreal and morbid, while being under the influence of Scarecrow's fear toxin. That would certainly give Bruce Wayne an interesting follow-up to the last time he crossed paths with Jerome.
Of course, viewers' dream pairing is likely The Joker finding a Harley Quinn, but that won't be happening. It was previously revealed that Gotham will definitely not be introducing the gum-chewing supervillain, despite what was teased last season. So for anybody hoping to see Erin Richards' Barbara take on the role, it won't be happening here. In any case, we're getting a different take on Babs in Season 4, as she'll be a less erratic character following her electrocution.
Gotham will bring Jerome and all of the other characters back to Fox for Season 4 starting on Thursday, September 21, at 8:00 p.m., followed by the time-slot premiere of Seth MacFarlane's sci-fi dramedy The Orville. For all other shows returning and debuting on the small screen soon, head to our fall premiere schedule.
