[SPOILER ALERT, THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS DETAILS ABOUT THE 'GOTHAM' EPISODE 'THE LAST LAUGH']
The latest episode of 'Gotham' was a whirlwind of violence and unexpected twists. Although there were several teasers of Jerome Valeska turning into the Joker in 'The Last Laugh,' the series has taken a different turn by getting Cameron Monaghan's character cursed by his own father and killed on live TV.
But why kill Jerome off so early in the second season? 'Gotham' executive producer Bruno Heller explained the decision to Deadline.
"It's a twist that leads to more twists. The creation of the Joker is a larger and more epic story than people realize, and this show is very much about kind of the deep, secret history," Heller said. "So, as the show rolls on, people will see how a mythology is born, how a kind of cultural mien is created that will lead us to the Joker himself."
Bruno Heller added that once the Joker emerges, he could be a part of Gotham lore.
"When the Joker appears, he is an inevitable part of the history of Gotham," he said. "He's not someone who created himself out of nothing. He's part of a whole cultural history, a whole tradition. I know that sounds kind of highfalutin, but that's what the twist is about."
The 'Gotham' executive producer also confirmed that the show is taking a different direction with the Joker's origin story.
"Sometimes backstories are more complicated and interesting than, you know, falling into vat of toxic chemicals or being bitten by a spider," Heller said. "Like they say, nobody creates themselves out of whole cloth, whether it's Elvis Presley, or you name it - Jesus. There's a tradition in forebears and ancestors of those characters that went into creating them. So, to me, Jerome is genuinely the mother and father of the Joker. He is the seed of the Joker."
But who will portray the Joker in the next episodes of 'Gotham?'
"We have not cast an actual Joker yet," Heller confirmed.
