Gotham sets the stage for the arrival of The Joker in a movie-style trailer teasing the climax of season five.
The Batman prequel series has spent five years building up the arrival of The Clown Prince of Crime in Gotham City, with the show being exceedingly cagey by hinting that either Jerome Valeska or his twin Jeremiah (Cameron Monaghan) will evolve into The Joker.
A sneak preview of next week's episode 'Ace Chemicals' looks like it may be the final step towards Jeremiah's transformation, when he uses a toxic gas to force Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) to re-live the day of his parents' murder.
The line between nightmare and reality blurs as Jeremiah and Bruce battle above a vat of toxic chemicals, with the criminal making a chilling warning that will strike a chord with all Batman fans.
"You need me," Jeremiah tells Bruce. "I'm the answer to your life's biggest question. Without me, you're just a joke without a punchline!"
Batman fans will also remember that one of The Joker's disputed origins had him turn from low-level criminal into Mr J when he was dumped into a vat of toxic fluid at... Ace Chemicals.
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Gotham executive producer John Stephens has previously insisted that viewers will "never see a full transformation into the Joker", but promised there was yet more evolution for the character to come.
Likewise, David Mazouz won't get a chance to wear the Batman costume in Gotham's finale because he's still too young, but the Dark Knight will be seen in action with the use of an older stand-in.
Gotham season 5 airs on Fox in the US. No release date has been announced for the UK yet.
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Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.
