If you’ve been keeping tabs on Gotham at all, you probably already know the Fox drama has decided to introduce famous villain Mr. Freeze. In fact, House of Cards actor Nathan Darrow has already been added as the very famous face. He's expected to appear in tonight’s big winter finale, and a little bit ahead of the episode, Fox has released the first look at the character. Check him out, below.
While a lot of the villains that have been introduced on Gotham have been younger versions of their Batman counterparts, this picture gives us a look at a man who already seems to be sporting the iconic Victor Fries look, complete with goggles and the freeze gun. While the character is expected to pop up in tonight’s episode, Darrow has been signed on for multiple episodes and USA Today reports that a major portion of the character’s backstory, as well as the freeze gun, will make an appearance when Gotham makes its big midseason return this February. For now, the goggles are a little reminiscent of Captain Cold over at the CW. But for whatever reason—and maybe because the character is in shadow—the goggles look all the more over-the-top and outrageous. Maybe it's just because they are bright white in color?
Gotham’s been giving us a lot of chills with its villains this season. The “Rise of the Villains” theme has led to a ton of baddies on the small screen. But no offense to the slightly unhinged Barbara Kean and super intense Theo Galavan, Victor Fries should be an even more interesting baddie on the small screen. In fact, his backstory is one of the more compelling we’ve encountered so far. I’m assuming if you’re reading this, you already have a little knowledge about the character, but like his comic book counterpart, Darrow’s Mr. Freeze will have trouble dealing with people on a regular basis. The one person who truly connects him to society is his wife, Nora, who is unfortunately struggling with a terminal disease. Fries is a cryogenic researcher who desperately wants to freeze his wife, leading to the Freeze gun and apparently the questionable fashion choices.
We’ve known for about a month that Gotham has also signed on Being Human’s Kristen Hager to play Victor Fries’ wife. She’ll be alive although terminally ill at some point on the series and will help her husband with his “mad plan.” Again, if you’re familiar with the comics, there’s really only one way that this plays out. But it should still be an engaging tale as we watch it unfold.
I’m particularly excited about this addition to Gotham. I know some people haven’t been happy with how quickly villains have been added to the drama, but I honestly think the plotlines we’ve been privy to in Season 2 have worked a lot better for the overall narrative. I don’t mind Mr. Freeze being added, and we won’t have too much longer to wait to find out if his story is a good one.
Fox’s Gotham winter airs tonight at 8 p.m. ET. You can find out when it returns and what else is coming up with our midseason premiere schedule.
