Gotham only has a handful of episodes left before it bows out for good, which means that the characters are beginning to line up with how they are in the typical Bat-mythos. And it seems that one major part of Batman’s story is about to fix into place in the next episode of the prequel’s fifth season.
As the title suggests, “Ace Chemicals” is set to feature a major showdown between Bruce Wayne and Jeremiah Valeska, which may just end up with the latter becoming the Joker. This new promo certainly wants us to think that’s going to happen, anyways.
The trailer promises that Jeremiah’s going to pull out all the stops in persecuting his future nemesis. “Today’s the most important day of your life,” the maniac tells Bruce, as the teen relives the dark day that his parents were gunned down in Crime Alley, the event that kicked off the show back in the pilot episode.
Various acts of terrorism follow before a clip shows the pair facing each other on a gangway at Ace Chemicals, over some vats glowing a toxic green. Batman fans should be familiar with this scenario, too, as it’s the fateful face-off that typically ends with the would-be Clown Prince of Crime falling in the vat and ending up with bleached skin, green hair and a permanently-fixed grin, according to most versions of the Joker’s origin story.
Gotham has never toed the line when it comes to being totally faithful to the comics, though, so we’re not sure things will be so clear cut as they appear. The promo could easily be misleading us as to the real outcome of this showdown. In any event, the episode will surely create the teased third Valeka persona that Cameron Monaghan will be embodying for the remainder of the series. But will he be the Joker?
Catch Gotham 5×07 “Ace Chemicals” next Thursday on FOX to find out.