In Gotham, the Joker is not a man but a viral ideology

Cultures · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Rather than assigning the Joker identity to one person, the television series Gotham distributed the villain's traits across twin brothers Jerome and Jeremiah Valeska. By treating the character as a philosophical ancestry rather than a single origin, the showrunners explored how chaos can be inherited, mimicked, and ultimately weaponized.

The creators of Gotham initially intended to avoid the Joker entirely, preferring a grounded police procedural. However, executive producer Bruno Heller eventually pivoted, deciding that the Joker should emerge as a cultural mien—a tradition of forebears rather than a man who simply falls into a vat of chemicals. This led to the concept of proto-Jokers, characters who embody specific facets of the iconic villain’s psyche.

Jerome Valeska, introduced in Season 1, served as the chaotic, nihilistic chainsaw to the Joker’s legacy. Though intended as a one-off, actor Cameron Monaghan’s performance turned him into a fan favorite, prompting his resurrection in Season 3. Yet, the showrunners killed him twice to ensure he remained distinct from the true Joker, fearing that audiences would reject a definitive origin story for such an iconic figure.

Jeremiah Valeska, the twin brother introduced in Season 4, provided the scalpel to Jerome’s chainsaw. A calculating, obsessive psychopath, Jeremiah was designed to represent the more methodical, terrifying aspects of the Joker. By the series finale, Jeremiah underwent a final transformation, becoming a nightmarish amalgamation of both brothers. This approach allowed the show to maintain ambiguity, leaving it unclear whether Jeremiah ever officially becomes the Joker, even as he adopts the character's traditional aesthetic.

This narrative strategy drew mixed critical reactions. Some praised the subversion of expectations and the exploration of a viral ideology, while others criticized the reliance on fan service and the lack of originality compared to film iterations. Ultimately, the Valeska twins functioned as a canvas for the show’s producers to parse out the Joker’s traits, turning a singular villain into a recurring, infectious threat that could, in theory, be anyone.

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