A good television show is one that will keep its fans invested. And that is exactly what Gotham on FOX has done in regards to the character Jerome, who is portrayed by the extremely talented Cameron Monaghan. For those of you who are not caught up on the two and a half seasons of Gotham, I suggest coming back after you have done so, as there will be SPOILERS for some major events that have occurred thus far on the show.
So we start with the introduction of Jerome, which came in late in season one during the episode entitled “The Blind Fortune Teller”. In the episode, Jim Gordon is investigating the death of a woman, who was a part of a circus. Her son, Jerome, appears very shaken up by the ordeal. But as the episode goes on, Jim realizes it is all a ruse, and Jerome is the one responsible. It is here where we get our first look at how crazy and psychotic Jerome really is. Monaghan became an instant fan favorite from just a single episode on the show, and rumors began to swirl that he would eventually become this universe’s take on the classic Batman villain, the Joker.
Then as the build for season two began, fans got extremely excited to see Jerome appeared to be very much involved in the events of the early trailers. And sure enough, Jerome’s crazy antics were the highlight of the first few episodes of season two. Monaghan once again stood out as the best part of the show, despite only a small taste of what he could do with the character. He would go on to murder his father, making him now responsible for the murder of both his parents. But unfortunately for Jerome and his fans, the character would die at the hands of Theo Galavan very early in the season, in the episode titled “Rise of the Villains: The Last Laugh”.
As a huge fan of the character, it was extremely hard to see him go after only four episodes. If a character can become your favorite part of a show despite only appearing in four episodes of two seasons, you know the actor has it nailed. Then the season went along, and an interesting angle began to emerge. Hugo Strange was experimenting with dead bodies and was bringing them back to life. It was at this point that the “Jerome will be brought back to life” buzz really started to catch fire.
From that point on, I would tune in each Monday hoping this would finally be the week where I got to see Jerome back on my television once again. And each of those weeks would pass by, and not a single scene of a living and breathing Jerome. Then the season finale aired, and the bus filled with Strange’s experiments was let loose on Gotham. While we did not see Jerome, there was no denying you could hear his crazy laugh in the background. If I wasn’t invested enough, I was surely hooked in now.
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This fall season three premiered, and just like last year, I tune in every single week hoping this will be the time my wait will finally end. Things were not helped by Monaghan, who occasionally posts teases on social media, with subtle references to the Joker, and others that are clearly about the character. Within the past few weeks, Monaghan actually sent out a tweet (that has since been deleted), where he appears to be in full Joker mode.
Finally, following the mid-season finale of season three, Gotham delivered the official announcement that many fans of the show have been waiting for: Jerome is coming back this January. This is the type of promo that will keep fans coming back for more. While the network has yet to release an official return date for the series in the new year, we know it will be back before January concludes. And with it, everyone’s favorite maniac will return as well. You can check out the promo below.
So it is safe to say many Gotham fans will constantly be checking when the show will make its return officially. If the show returns in late January, we can guarantee it will only take a week or two before Monaghan will once again be a part of the hit show. Anticipation will only build further if the young actor continues to make teases like this one on his social media accounts as well.
So while I hated it when they killed him off over a year ago, I have to admit, Gotham and its show runners knew what they were doing. They could have easily rushed him back, but it simply would not have had the same effect. His eventual return has kept me, along with plenty of other fans, extra invested in the show. This is because not only am I thinking about the show’s current storylines, but also one that I knew would come down the road.
So bravo FOX. While keeping a fan favorite off a show for more than a season is certainly risky, it certainly has paid off. The return of the crazy psychopath played by the star that is Cameron Monaghan has Gotham atop the list of most anticipated shows for the start of 2017. I love shows like The Flash, Arrow and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, but Gotham has played their cards perfectly, and for this writer, it will be the show I most look forward to seeing come January.