Everything We Know About 'Gotham's Jerome

After 15 episodes and a whole lot of teases, you might think Gotham is finally ready to reveal its Joker. But you'd be wrong, because though the show has included endless clues and red herrings, the identity of the most popular villain in all of DC Comics is still a mystery. The latest potential Clown Prince of Crime is a teenager named Jerome, who first appears in the Feb. 16 episode "The Blind Fortune Teller." The show's promo heavily hinted that, this time, it's for real. So, could Jerome be Gotham 's Joker? (Even if the answer's no, it's still exciting to see Cameron Monaghan, famous for playing Ian Gallagher on Shameless, turn up in a fun new role.)

Of course, there's no way to know ahead of time if this kid is actually Batman's greatest enemy, or just another false alarm. In the comics, the Joker has famously never been given a reliable backstory, so anything's possible. But we're not completely in the dark when it comes to this new character. The show has dropped several hints about Jerome's identity, all of which could definitely play into a future as a psychotic criminal. Here's everything we know about Jerome so far.

Let's just say this dude's not exactly "good guy" material.

He Works At The Circus

If there's one thing I've learned from four seasons of American Horror Story, it's that creepy things go down under the big top. We don't know yet what Jerome does at the circus, but one promo did make clear that it's more than just a job to him: it's his family. Gordon ends up questioning him after a body is discovered at the local circus (yes, Gotham has one of those), so we know Jerome is involved somehow, and the crime hits close to home. You know what a lot of circus performers wear as part of their costumes: greasepaint. Just like a certain villain I could think of.

He Loves His Mom... A Lot

Another fun fact we learned from Gordon and Jerome's little chat is that the redhead is close with his mom. Like, too close. He tells the detective that she's "perfect," and describes her gentlemen friends as "lovers, sex partners, really." Here's a piece of advice, kid: when you're a potential suspect in a crime, it doesn't make you look good to start jabbering on about your mom's sex life. It's possible that Jerome's mother is the "blind fortune teller" from the episode's title, or the murder victim, or both.

He's Got The Giggle

The one trait that everyone knows the Joker for is his maniacal, terrifying laugh. And in that promo, Jerome is certainly cracking up about something. The villain thrives on chaos, and finds humor when any sane person would be afraid. So if Jerome is indeed laughing about his mother's murder — or any other horrible crime that comes up — well, that's a pretty good sign that we've finally found our man.

Images: Jessica Miglio/FOX; KingofJokers1996, AstroPelican, Ighosti/Tumblr