Isabella Could Have Many Origins On 'Gotham'

Even with all the Mad Hatter mania going on this season, the plot I find most exciting so far is the slowly developing love triangle between Penguin, Ed, and the Kristen Kringle-lookalike, Isabella, on Gotham. Her chance meeting with Ed in the wine shop seemed too good to be true, and things on Gotham often wind up having secret meanings. After all, a chance glimpse of what looked like Fish Mooney in the final frame of an episode led to the character being resurrected a half-season later by Hugo Strange. Similarly, I doubt that the fact that Isabella is identical to Kristen will turn out to be irrelevant to the overall story. Especially because this season has already introduced one doppleganger — Bruce Wayne's twin that was raised in captivity because of Hugo Strange's experimental facility. Isabella could be connected to that double, even though from what we've seen so far, she doesn't seem like she was raised in captivity the way Bruce's clone was.

However, that's not the only possibility. There have been a few elements introduced in Season 3 that could explain why Isabella looks so much like Kristen Kringle, who was presented as pretty unambiguously dead last season. So far, the producers, writers, and cast of Gotham have been keeping quiet about Isabella's appearance, but these options should help give some kind of clue about where this story might be going.

1. It Could Be A Coincidence

Look, it's unlikely, but maybe there just so happens to be another woman who lives in Gotham City who has the same voice and face as Kristen with a different hair color, and she just so happened to run into Ed, possibly becoming a second victim of his unhinged, fractured personality.

2. She Could Be A Relative

Kristen Kringle seemed pretty unattached, considering that no one beyond Lee bothered to even look for her once she disappeared. But maybe she had a sister who was determined to find her murderer and has tracked Ed down in order to get revenge.

3. This Could Be The Work Of Hugo Strange

He raised Theo Galavan from the dead, he raised Fish Mooney from the dead — he's never brought back someone who's been chopped into pieces, but Fish's body must have been destroyed by falling off of that building, and he managed to pull off her resurrection.

4. Or Part Of The Masked Woman's Plan

She revealed that she was behind Hugo Strange's work, and she's been toying with Bruce for years in hopes of possibly replacing him with his double. Since Kristen's personal history is still mysterious, maybe like Bruce, she's the child of a rich family tied to Wayne Enterprises.

5. She's A Product Of The Lazarus Pit

There's lots of justifications in the comics that could make Kristen transform into Isabella. One in particular is the Lazarus Pit, a chemical deposit used by villain Ra's al Ghul in order to live for centuries. Now, neither Ra's nor the Lazarus Pit has been introduced on Gotham yet, but there's always a chance this could be its way in.

6. Ed Is Imagining Her

Another small chance, but Ed has already been established as mentally unstable on Gotham, and he's had visions of people that weren't really there before — like when he fantasized about having an alter ego. It's possible that Isabella doesn't look like Kristen at all and the truth will be revealed when someone besides Ed meets her.

The truth about Isabells may not be revealed for a while, but these theories should at least help you can eye out for clues as Gotham Season 3 continues.

Images: Nicole Rivelli, Jessica Miglio/FOX (4); Giphy (2); DC Comics