Has 'Gotham' Really Seen The Last Of Jerome?

The former leader of the Maniax was such a compelling character that it came as a huge shock when Jerome died on Gotham last week. Everything about him suggested that he'd become the next Joker, prompting fans to wonder if Jerome could ever return to Gotham and make good on that promise. While at first he seemed like too cartoonishly obvious of a suspect to actually become the Joker, with more episodes it became clear that even with the big smile and cartoony laugh, Cameron Monaghan was making Jerome a compelling villain, similar to what Robin Lloyd Taylor was able to do with the young Oswald Cobblepot. Plus, with Jerome gone, the remaining Maniax may be a little scattered, especially after most of their ranks were killed. Jerome's loss will affect many aspects of Gotham, which makes me want him back even more.

In the post-"The Last Laugh" interview below, Gotham producer Danny Cannon said that Jerome didn't really die after all, because his ideology will live on. In that way, there could easily be more Jerome-inspired criminals or even a flashback to commemorate his memory as he begins to affect the city's future villains, the way his father predicted. But did he really die? It looks like that body on the medical examiner's table was, in fact, a real corpse. So there won't be a surprise reveal that the man who really died was actually someone else.

Still, there is some tradition of resurrection and immortal characters in the DC Comics universe, so there's a slight chance that Jerome could literally return to Gotham. Ra's al Ghul is hundreds of years old, but stays young through the use of chemical deposits called Lazarus Pits that he finds around the world. And since there's a popular theory that Galavan could be Ra's, it makes sense that his most famous prop could be popping up in Gotham. That might help explain why Theo didn't seem very remorseful about killing Jerome as a part of his whole "hero" charade.

Other villains who have defied typical mortality include Green Lantern foe Vandal Savage, a caveman affected by radiation that gave him incredible powers, or Lord Death Man, whom Batman defeated by shooting him into space. But since there hasn't been much supernatural lore on Gotham yet, unless it's revealed that the show's villain of the moment is actually an aristocrat from the 1800s, it might be time to say goodbye to Jerome and instead focus on the next generation of villains inspired by his antics.

Images: Nicole Rivelli/FOX (2)