Will Jerome Become the Joker? (Gotham TV Show)

I watch the TV show Gotham. For those who don’t know what it is, I’ll just give a brief overview before I begin this post.

It is basically the background on the Batman comics before Batman became Batman. How all the villains became villains-- their backgrounds and origins, as well as Bruce Wayne’s journey to becoming the Dark Knight; however it mainly focuses on Jim Gordon (future commissioner) while he is still a detective in the police force handling all these situations. 

*P.S. If anyone is interested in watching this, I do highly recommend it because it is a lot of fun, very intense, well written (usually), and interesting especially for Batman/comic book fans. However, I should put a warning label on it that it can get a little violent and graphic. Only bloody-type graphic, there's no sex scenes or anything, but if you can't handle people getting stabbed in the eye, fingers getting chopped, people getting beaten by baseball bats, getting chopped in half or beheaded, or stuff like that (and you actually see it happen), then this might not be the show for you.

Anyways, as I said, the show gives a lot of the villains a history and origin story. Most of the villains/characters in the comics have an established backstory, but the show has taken many liberties and has reinvented most of the characters’ origins (which gives the show an edge and mystery). The end result for the characters will obviously be the same or at least very similar to what everyone is familiar with, but the journey getting there is usually different to what was recorded in the comics. 

The Penguin and the Riddler have already had a tremendous amount of focus (they have practically been main characters). Other villains have been coming into play also. While watching, you can usually tell who the villain will be, either by their alias (ex. “Jervis Tetch” is the Mad Hatter or “Edward Nygma” is the Riddler), there are some hints to their backstory, costume, and/or props (ex. the Scarecrow is developing fear gas or Mr. Freeze has a frozen wife), or they flat out tell you who they are and what they do. However, every once in a while, it is a little vague, thus coming to the point of this post.

Jerome Valeska (played by Cameron Monaghan)

The one Batman villain who has an obscure past and no alias is ironically the most famous one: the Joker. In the famous comic, The Killing Joke, a backstory was offered up, but the Joker himself admitted that his memory of it might be fuzzy or even completely made up. So, the writers of Gotham have free reign on Batman’s arch nemesis here. And this is where my frustration lies.

WARNING, SPOILER ALERT!!!

Back in season 1, a character, a teenager, was introduced-- Jerome Valeska. He was young (just a few years older than Bruce) and he murdered his mom, then was sent to Arkham for the deed. Before anyone found out it was him that killed her, he played the innocent, mournful, caring child. As soon as he was discovered, he dropped the act completely and displayed his cold, psychotic, unfeeling side while laughing maniacally at his deed. He showed up again later after being broken out of Arkham and went on a killing spree, all the while completely enjoying it and laughing. There is a sort of method to his madness. His father who is a psychic, tells him he will be a scourge to Gotham. He is killed eventually, but even in death, he is still smiling.  

Films of his murders and laughing inspire a murderous cult following. One of his most devout followers finds his body tries to resurrect him. When it doesn’t work, he cuts off his face to wear as a mask so that their "leader" can speak to the masses. However, the resurrection does end up working eventually and Jerome goes out for revenge. He staples his face back on, giving him a permanent, deranged-looking smile. He goes after Bruce who eventually bests him, punching his face off. Jerome is then put into Arkham again.

This guy sounds like a potential Joker, right? The Joker in the comics has no alias, so why couldn't it be Jerome Valeska? Plus, the show is perfectly free to make up any backstory it wants and this seems to be leading somewhere. So what am I frustrated about?

Let me tell you: There is no confirmation that Jerome will actually be the Joker. In fact, early on when he first appeared, it was hinted more that Jerome would inspire the future Joker and not become the Joker himself. This seemed to be the more likely case with his death and the whole cult following thing. Even his father's words about him becoming a scourge to Gotham replayed as a voiceover as the cult slowly formed. I was so bummed out because originally when I heard those words, I thought "Oh! Because he's going to become the biggest, most threatening super villain in Gotham: the Joker!" and got super excited. But no, then it started to hint that he was only inspiring the future Joker.
But seriously, how could they DO that? He is literally the perfect Joker! I think the creators began to realize that, which is why they brought him back and didn’t kill him off again (apparently he was going to get killed again in his face-off [haha!] with Bruce the last time he was seen instead of getting put back into Arkham). But that doesn’t seem like an official confirmation. Something really needs to happen with him that feels more Joker-like in order to make me feel more at ease. 
So far he’s been a complete psycho, killing people, laughing maniacally, even setting up murder amusement parks, and so on. But that could still just be leaning towards him inspiring the future Joker. He even has a personal connection with Bruce Wayne and Bruce is traumatized by his encounter with Jerome. I could totally see that playing into their interactions in the future. But... still. I could easily see this show throwing that all away and punching me in the gut like that. The future Joker reminds Bruce of his encounter with Jerome, but worse or some nonsense like that.

This is why I need some reassuring hint that Jerome will be the Joker for sure. I don’t think anything big needs to happen just yet, like his hair doesn’t have to turn green or anything (I think that should be reserved until close to the end of the series when Bruce officially becomes Batman. Because Batman and Joker go hand in had, so I think both their transformations should come about the same time). However, I still think that there should be some bigger hints of where his path is headed. I do not like feeling aorund in the dark like this. 

The show has replaced actors with new ones before. Like they did with Poison Ivy. At first I was like "what?"with that choice because I liked the idea of Ivy being closer to Bruce's age and slowly growing from that awkward, weird little girl into what everyone knows as Ivy. Making the jump like that surprised me and I wasn't ready. But I really like the new actress so far (of course, not a lot has been done with her yet, so...). That's why I know the show is not afraid to just replace characters with other people.

I will be sorely disappointed if Jerome is not the Joker. He is SO good! He combines traits from Ledger, Hamill, and Nicholson all into one. I am seriously attached. I honestly don’t think they could just get rid of him and replace him with anyone else at this point and have him do any better. It would be like trying to replace the Penguin. 

So... that’s all I have to say about that. My fingers are crossed. Jerome for Joker!

SCENE- Jerome Killed His Mom

Great piece of acting. The first glimpse of his Joker-esque side.

SCENE- Who's the Boss?

Another great scene. Jerome and a fellow escaped Arkham 

inmate compete for the leader role in their new gang through

a game of Russian Roulette.

My Favorite Scripture Stories

Even if you aren't religious, these are some great reads.

I have a lot of favorites, but these are the ones I managed to narrow it down to. My ultimate top favorites! Also, I'm not including parables, but real stories that actually happened. So here we go in no particular order:

JOSEPH IN EGYPT (Genesis 37, 39-47)

SUMMARY: Joseph was the favorite son of Jacob and was "highly favored" by his father. This made his older brothers extremely jealous. What made it worse is that Joseph had dreams where he ruled over not just his brothers, but everybody. Finally, his brothers had enough and they sold him into slavery then told their father that he was killed by wild animals. Meanwhile, Joseph was taken to Egypt and sold to the captain of the guard, Potiphar. Over the next several years, Joseph rose in Potiphar's house and soon ran the entire household. However, he also attracted the attention of Potiphar's wife. She repeatedly tried to seduce him, but he rejected her. One day, she grabbed him and demanded he sleep with her, but he ran away, leaving his coat with her. She used the coat as evidence to "prove" he attacked her. Joseph was thrown in prison. 
He was in prison for three years and while there, he became head of the prison. One day, Pharaoh's wine bearer and baker were locked up. They had strange dreams which Joseph interpreted correctly; the wine bearer would be set free and the baker would be hanged. He asked the wine bearer to tell Pharaoh about him, but he forgot. 
Sometime later, Pharaoh had very strange dreams that troubled him greatly. Nobody could interpret them and his wine bearer recalled Joseph. Joseph was brought before Pharaoh and he interpreted the dreams: seven years of plenty were coming followed by seven years of famine. Pharaoh decided to put Joseph in charge of storing grain, making him ruler over all Egypt "only Pharaoh will be greater." 
When the famine came, other countries came to Egypt to buy grain. One day, Joseph's brothers came, but they didn't recognize Joseph. Joseph accused them of being spies and kept one in prison while they went back to get their youngest brother, Benjamin (Joseph's only full brother). Jacob was reluctant to give up Benjamin, but he eventually gave in after they ran out of grain. When the brothers returned to Egypt, Joseph invited them to a feast. He decided to test his brothers' hearts and put a silver goblet into Benjamin's share of grain. He accused them of stealing and found his cup in Benjamin's grain. He moved to arrest him, but the brothers would not let him take him. Joseph realized that his brothers had changed and finally revealed himself. His entire family was invited to come to Egypt.

Where do I begin with this one? It has everything any good story needs. It follows the “Hero’s journey” which most excellent stories/epics follow (even today’s stories: Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, etc.). There’s the call to adventure, the crossing of the threshold, challenges and temptations, the revelation/abyss, the transformation, the atonement, and the return. The hero’s journey is actually based on the journey of man (which is why it’s so compelling to most people). Also, Joseph’s story is symbolism for Christ’s journey so blatantly, it’s ridiculous. There’s symbolism EVERYWHERE!

All the intrigue with the backstory, the reasoning behind everybody’s actions is so interesting. Why does Jacob favor Joseph (and Benjamin) more? Why does Joseph pick certain brothers to stay behind when they come to Egypt? Why does Judah sacrifice himself for Benjamin? Joseph’s mother was extremely beautiful, it can be assumed Joseph got some of those genes, so of course Potipher’s wife came after him. People often think Joseph was a completely innocent figure who was mistreated by his brothers, but LOOK at the text! He was 17-years-old, favored/spoiled by his father, he tattled on his brothers when they didn’t do their jobs right, he talked about ruling over his hardworking brothers right to their faces. I mean, Joseph was kind of a punk! Not that he deserved to be sold into slavery, but he probably wasn't 100% innocent either.

This story is so inspiring to me. To think, Joseph went from the lowest of the lows to the highest of the highs. He did (practically) nothing and had no idea why he was put in all those circumstances, but he trusted in God and eventually saw that it was all for a greater purpose. Literally everything that happened to him was leading up to him ruling over Egypt and saving not just his family, but the world.

Also, who doesn’t love Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat? That is one of my favorite musicals of all time! Awesome music! Not to brag, but I can name all the colors of the coat in order ;P

(If anyone wants a good read about this story, check out Joseph: A Story by Terri L. Fivash. It’s SO good and really captures the essence of the story while tying in all sorts of interesting historical facts and excellent character development.)

THE CONVERSION OF ALMA THE YOUNGER (Mosiah 27:8-37, Alma 36)

SUMMARY: The prophet Alma's eldest son, Alma went through the land with King Mosiah's four sons doing very wicked things. They led many people away from the church. They were the worst of the worst. Alma the Elder and the believers prayed for them in anguish. Persecutions became so bad that King Mosiah had to put out a proclamation forbidding it. Finally, one day while the five young men were walking, an angel suddenly appeared to them and rebuked Alma in particular for his actions. He told him off and then warned him to "seek to destroy the church no more" or else he would be cast off. After the angel left, Alma became so paralyzed with fear that he passed out and did not move. The sons of Mosiah brought him to his father. Alma the Elder actually rejoiced, recognizing that it was the power of God. He gathered everyone together to pray for his son, hoping that he would be able to overcome whatever he was going through. Finally, after three days, Alma awoke and declared himself repented. He apologized for everything he had done and vowed to go out and attempt to fix all the wrong he had done and to spread God's word.
Alma later gave an account of what he was going through while unconscious to his son, Helaman. He was in endless torment and believed he would be cast off forever. He remembered every single one of his sins and how he had dragged so many others down to destruction with him. He wished that he could be destroyed rather than face his maker with all that was weighing on him. For three days, he felt the torture of a damned soul until finally, he remembered his father's teachings about Jesus Christ who would one day come into the world. He desperately cried out to Him for help and as soon as he did, he was instantly relieved. His pain was suddenly replaced with joy.

I’ve loved this story ever since I was a kid. When I was young, I probably couldn’t really tell you why I liked it so much, but it just stood out to me. Now, (like Joseph’s story) I think there is something very inspiring about it. 

I think some people kind of have this misconception of Alma that he was just this troublemaking kid that was going around like a modern day rebellious teen would; graffitiing landmarks, stealing from stores, speaking out against the church, doing drugs, and whatever. However, the Book of Mormon clearly states that Alma was a “very wicked man and an idolatrous man” and “a great hinderment to the prosperity of the church of God” (verses 8-9). In fact, angels never appear to men unless the work of God is actually in peril and/or needs assistance (think about it; Joseph Smith, Laman and Lemuel beating Nephi, Mary, etc). So his damage must have been THAT bad. 

I think his example of going from THAT bad to one of my favorite, most righteous prophets is super inspiring. 

Harrow

I also think his description of his experience while he was unconscious is extremely interesting and descriptive. He uses phrases like “wracked with eternal torment” and “my soul was harrowed up to the greatest degree” and “the very thought of coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with inexpressible horror” and “that I could be banished and become extinct both soul and body, that I might not be brought to stand in the presence of my God, to be judged of my deeds.” It’s pretty intense. For those who don’t know, a harrow is that thing that farmers use to dig up the dirt. It stabs into the ground and then is pulled along (nowadays by a tractor, but back in old times, by an ox or a horse) tearing apart the ground and loosening the dirt. Imagine your soul being ripped to shreds like that.

I love this imagery Alma gives of what it’s like to sin greatly and then face repentance. People love to live in the moment and never think of the consequences. But as Alma says, the consequences sure go beyond physical ones. 

Lastly, to contrast Alma’s vivid descriptions of his tormented soul, he manages to remember his father’s teachings about Jesus Christ. Then, when he helplessly cries out for His mercy, he is instantly relieved and his torment is replaced by joy. I LOVE that!

For all the parents out there who have rebellious/inactive children, it’s a lesson for you, that if you have taught them well and even continue to attempt to teach them and it seems to fall on empty ears, perhaps one day, they will remember. Those teachings never really go away.

(Again, a reading recommendation: Alma the Younger by Heather B. Moore. It really digs into Alma’s backstory and reasoning for falling away, then it gives you a sense of what his wickedness was like and how it affected not just him, but everybody around him.)

THE TITLE OF LIBERTY (Alma 46)

SUMMARY: A large man, Amalickiah, desired to be king and gathered many followers through flattery and cunning. The use of monarchy had become extinct and had proven harmful in the past; the Nephites no longer had kings. Amalickiah led the people away not just from their people, but from their God. Chief Captain Moroni, the leader of all the armies, got wind of what was happening and got very upset. He tore his coat and wrote "In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children" on it then fastened it to a pole, creating a flag and calling it the Title of Liberty. He put on all his armor and marched through the city, calling out for followers of Christ and freedom to come with him. People ran out with their armor on and followed him. They even tore their own clothes and threw them at Moroni's feet as a covenant. They went after Amalickiah and his followers and captured most of them, but Amalickiah and a small band escaped.

I’m summing up this section of the Book of Mormon into the Title of Liberty because it’s one of the most standout parts, but I do actually like all the stories with Captain Moroni. He is my favorite scripture character, for realsies. What a boss! I can describe pretty much all the battles/stories from the War Chapters in detail because I love them so much.

But as for the Title of Liberty, it is definitely a great story. The politics of that time are interesting to look at, especially in relation to the wars. If you really think about it, the idea of judges were still a new concept, so Amalickiah had a pretty good window to slip right in there and stir things up. I really appreciate the Title of Liberty because it’s so relatable yet fantastical at the same time. How much political corruption and turmoil are we in today? Wouldn’t it be just awesome if we had a modern-day Captain Moroni who could rally the people and remind them what they stand for? “In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children.” Amen, brotha! Captain Moroni is having none of this rebellious, sinful nonsense! He rallied the people and led them against the rebels, prepared to kill Amalickiah (and possibly his followers) if they didn’t recant their ways. Moroni ain’t messin’ around! 

I love all the detail Mormon puts into this story about what Captain Moroni did in an effort to prevent this rebellion; how he prayed, how he put on his armor, how the people came and declared they would not forsake Christ, how Moroni tore his coat and turned it into a flag, how Amalickiah fled from them. I love it all!

QUEEN ESTHER (Book of Esther)

SUMMARY: King Ahasuerus needed a new wife and all fair maidens were brought before him, including a Jewish girl, Esther. Esther was eventually chosen as queen and the king loved her above all others (but he did not know of her heritage). Shortly after their marriage, Esther's cousin, Mordecai, uncovered a plot to assassinate the king, but it went unrecognized.
Meanwhile, a member of the court, Haman, was having some drama. He was recently promoted to some high position that required all to bow to him. However, Mordecai refused to do so which enraged Haman. He decided to have not just Mordecai, but all the Jewish people killed for the insult. He went to the king and petitioned to have the Jewish people exterminated on a certain day. He managed to convince the king and the petition was passed. Mordecai sent a message to Esther about the petition and asked her to go to the king and ask to have it repealed. The law of the land was that no one could go in unto the king without being summoned or else they would be put to death. Esther decided to do it and asked everyone to fast for her.
She eventually went to the king and he allowed her to come. He asked her what she desired and offered her anything she wanted. She invited him and Haman to a banquet. Haman believed he was being favored by being invited to the banquet, so he prepared to have Mordecai hanged by having an extremely tall gallows built, 50 cubits high.
That night, the king had trouble sleeping so he had the royal records read to him. It reached the point in the records where Mordecai uncovered the assassination plot and the king realized that he was never rewarded. He called Haman in and asked him how he would reward someone who delighted the king. Haman, believing the king was talking about himself, began listing off all sorts of things he wanted. The king was satisfied with all this stuff and told Haman to do all these things to Mordecai himself, shocking Haman.
Later, Haman and the king attended Esther's banquet and the king asked what she wanted. She finally told him about the petition and her heritage, accusing Haman of starting it all maliciously. The king left in shock and anger. Haman tried to plea for his life with Esther, but the king came back, finding him practically on top of her. It was enough for the king and he arrested him. A servant suggested hanging Haman on a new gallows that had just been built, 50 cubits high, to which the king agreed. Mordecai was honored and promoted and the Jews were saved.

This is an excellent standalone story. Even with no religious background, this is a great story to read. It’s got twists and turns, irony, romance, humor, suspense, and all those good things. Plus, it’s a great example of faith.

There’s a lot of background that people often don’t consider when reading this story. The big one is what was at stake when Esther went in unto the king. People don’t realize how intense it actually was for her and how much her life actually was on the line. For one, people absolutely were not allowed to see the king without a summons, not even the queen. The king could be pressured by the court to follow the law and put her to death-- even if he didn’t want to-- in order to maintain his image or something. Something else to consider with this particular king, he had already banished/divorced his previous queen simply because she had disobeyed him. Taking that in mind, this king was either very merciless/easily offended or gave into peer pressure from the court very easily. 

All the stuff with Haman is excellent. All the irony stems from him (which if anyone knows me at all, knows that I LOVE ironic twists). He tries so hard to bring people down, counts his chickens before they hatch, tries to place himself higher than everybody, etc. and it all comes back and bites him in the butt in a hilarious and terrible way. 

(A reading recommendation: Esther the Queen by Heather B. Moore. It really personalizes all the characters and shows what was at stake for everybody, including the king and Esther.)

NEPHITES AND THE SIGN OF CHRIST’S BIRTH (3 Nephi 1)

SUMMARY: Five years previous, Samuel the Lamanite prophesied that on the night that Christ would be born, the sun would set, but there would be no darkness. With the time soon at hand, many people have begun to say that it is a foolish thing to believe in and have fallen away. In fact, many of the non-believers decided that if the sign did not come by a certain day, those who did believe would be put to death. The prophet Nephi worried about his people and prayed for deliverance. He was answered that the sign would come and that Christ would come into the world that very night. Just as was said, the sun went down that night and there was no darkness. The wicked became so afraid of the sign that they fell down and appeared to be dead.

For not being super detailed, this story is so intense! I could not even imagine being in this position. I mean seriously, imagine believing in something so extraordinary like that and then having your fellow men threatening to kill you if it didn’t happen by a certain date. I can just picture families and friends being torn apart because of fear. I always try to picture how the non-believers set up the eventual genocide. Like, did they gather them in the streets and surround them with their swords raised? Would it be similar to when Ammonihah killed all the believers there by fire? How did they prevent them from leaving before the assigned date? I kind of picture it like the French Revolution where they guarded the gates and people needed a pass to get out.

I also love it when the wicked are proven wrong SO hard! These wicked people fell to the earth from fear and “became as if they were dead” (verse 16) because they were so astonished and afraid. See, it’s things like this that kind of give me hope for wicked and rebellious people today. Because the chapter goes on to take about how they remembered the prophesies they had heard and how they knew that the Son of God would soon come. It goes to show that the wicked people deep down do know that what they’re doing is wrong and even if they claim they do not, they might believe in the teachings of Christ, especially if they once believed before. I just hope those people today can overcome their stubbornness and pride before these extraordinary things happen.

ELIJAH AND THE PRIESTS OF BAAL (1 Kings 18:14-40)

SUMMARY: After three years of famine, Elijah meets King Ahab and decides that he and the priests of Baal will have a face off. He declares that each side will have an altar with wood and a bullock, but no fire. Both sides will pray to their god for fire and which ever one brings fire is God. The people decide it is a good deal. The priests of Baal go first and they spend literally all day crying out to Baal to bring fire and take their sacrifice, but nothing happens. They jump on the altar, they cut themselves, they do everything they can think of, but still nothing happens. Elijah even mocks them a bit for all their efforts. Finally, they give up and it's Elijah's turn. He constructs his altar and prepares his sacrifice according to Jewish tradition. He then has buckets of water dumped on it repeatedly until it is running around the altar. He calls upon the Lord, asking Him to let the people know that He is God. Fire comes down from heaven and consumes everything; the sacrifice, the altar, and the water, everything. Everyone is amazed and believes. The people mob the priests of Baal and kill them.

This story cracks me up because Elijah is such a sass master. Also, like I said above, I love when the wicked are just proven SO wrong! 

The buildup to the story is great: Elijah had called a famine upon the land in order to compel the people to righteousness, therefore everyone is desperate. The priests of Baal believe that they must call upon Baal for rain, which is stupid because he certainly hasn’t done anything for them thus far and Elijah obviously made the famine happen right in front of everybody. Crazy Queen Jezebel is convinced Baal won’t give them rain because Elijah is alive and he wants him dead. That’s where the awesomeness of this story begins. 

I love how completely nuts the priests go in an effort to get Baal to take their sacrifice while Elijah just stands by laughing at them: “Oh maybe your god is on vacation”, “I don’t think you’re loud enough. Do you think he can hear you?” Haha! Great zingers!

Then Elijah “wastes” water by completely drenching his altar. Like, there’s no way he could cheat and secretly set it on fire. And then God sends fire and takes the bullock, the entire altar, AND every last drop of water with it. It’s just so epic!

(And then the priests of Baal are killed too, so you know.)