Theo Galavan Had A Big Change Of Plans On 'Gotham'

In what was undeniably the most shocking move of the season so far, Theo Galavan killed Jerome on Gotham, finally proving that the circus runaway isn't actually the Joker. Not only is that shocking because there were so many clues placed to make audiences think that Jerome was really the Joker, but also because he and Theo were working together. Though Theo certainly isn't trustworthy, the murderous move was still something of a betrayal. As he stabbed Jerome, he whispered that this wasn't part of the plan. And while I was sure that there would be a reveal that Jerome was really alive, nope — Gotham really killed him off, and beyond the Joker implications, this is definitely going to affect Galavan's plans to take over the city.

Jerome was christened as the leader of the Maniax, the evil collection of villains that Galavan hand-picked from Arkham Asylum. Who will fill the gap? The Arkham breakout was blamed on Jerome's father, who was staged with a can of Galavan's knockout gas. Jim Gordon and Harvey Bullock are on the case, but so far, nothing is pointing them towards Galavan, especially because Theo posed himself as the "hero" of Gotham City by stopping the Maniax attack on a charity benefit. Without anyone orchestrating acts of violence, how will Galavan continue to be the city's hero?

I'm sure being a billionaire will be a big help, because Theo's funds will allow him to spring as many other inmates out of Arkham as he wants. But this can't all simply be in service of getting a few hugs from Gotham City's elite. He's looking for citywide domination, and might be taking the whole "more flies with honey" thing literally.

It took about three seconds for Theo to convince Jim, Bruce, and Alfred that he's the city's newest hero (he even got a compliment out of Jim!) and with their help, he has the law enforcement and the other richest person in the city under his thumb. His other allies are his deadly assassin sister and Barbara, who didn't seem fazed at all to lose Jerome, even though they became friends in Arkham.

Hopefully, tracking down Barbara will help Gordon recognize the Galavan-Maniax connection. But since leaving Jim alive was part of Galavan's master plan all along, who even knows. At this point, it seems like the only person who can really roll with Galavan is Barbara, who knows just how to play him, with a kiss at after his bloody magic act. Whether that will ruin her new relationship with Tabitha or both plays are just so she can steal more power remains to be seen. At this point, the only thing that's totally clear about Theo's plan is that Barbara will continue to be a part of it.

Images: Nicole Rivelli/FOX (2); Giphy