‘Gotham’ Has A Potential Joker In Every Episode. Here’s One Of Them.

Bleeding Cool noticed something obvious in their review copy of the first episode of FOX’s Batman prequel TV show Gotham. They wondered if a comedian in the pilot — played by Jon Beavers of this embarrassing dance routine — might be The Joker. Not a bad guess, considering Joker started out as a failed stand-up comic in The Killing Joke.

Beavers is seen performing in a closed club while only clubowner Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Oswald Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor) watch. Then Mooney has to attend to some business, maiming or murdering someone in front of the comedian, who reacts with this sad clown impression:

That he wasn’t amused by chaotic violence already answers whether or not he’s the Joker. But even without that, we already know it’s a red herring based on things showrunner Bruno Heller said back in May. He revealed the real Joker will be introduced in a later episode, but several possibilities will be introduced in episodes throughout the season. He wasn’t subtle about it when he said, “You do not want to miss an episode, because you may miss meeting The Joker for the first time.”

Now Bleeding Cool provides a few more specifics:

Every episode in the first season will introduce a character that might be a future Joker, each emphasizing aspects of the character’s iconography: a card sharp, a flower seller, a clown, or just a guy with a very big grin. All relatively unknown actors. All potentially a Joker.

Gotham airs Mondays at 8/7c this Fall on FOX. Expect to see a different potential Joker in every episode, followed by possibly no answers at season’s end — depending on ratings — then a Season Two reveal that the character most popular with focus groups was the Joker all along. What a boner!

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