Why Can't Jerome Be The Joker?

The Joker can obviously have an origin that we the audience can see. This show being a prequel is all about that. However the rub is that the characters cannot know who the Joker is. Which is an issue because it's hard to believe anyone would simply forget Jerome in a few years. So for my own opinion as much as I like Jerome I hope there is some twist that shows he's not going to become the Joker.

The only real concern I have is that Jerome being the Joker is internally inconsistent.

Early on, it was said that while they wouldn't have the actual *Joker*, they would suggest an environment that would eventually lead to the Joker. Hence things like that guy early on in a purple suit calling someone a clown after being bumped into or guys like Jerome and the infectious madness. You could easily see how a series of prototypes leading up to the ultimate character who would be the Joker could occur. Guy A starts the trend, B takes it further, C improves it, D masters it.

Still, Jerome was canonically described by a seer (his father, right?) as someone who would be forgotten, which corresponded with the idea that he may start the trend, he wouldn't be the ultimate figure. He'd be eclipsed by the real Joker.

Jake Meridius Conhale, at your service!
"Old Man" of the BSG (RDM) boards.

I agree with every single point made by the OP here. This isn't Harry Potter. There are dozens of different Batman adaptations, and nobody complained like this when Nolan made DRAMATIC changes to the source material. Not even when Burton did it, and his were pretty absurd. You think people nowadays would be okay with The Joker being named Jack Napier, and also being a gangster who killed Bruce's parents? Is falling into chemicals the only thing that matters? Who gives a *beep* That's the weakest and most expendable element of his character. How can a show ever surprise you if you know everything that's going to happen already?

He is the one and only, Joker! 

For one, he really shouldn't have any problem figuring who Batman is in the future. But I do think this show will reset things and could easily kill off any character and replace them with the 'proper version'.

Obviously, Jerome can be the Joker. It's not a question of whether he can be but whether he should be. I think there are a couple of reasons why many people think he shouldn't.

First, at the outset there was one simple reason and that was that the showrunners said he wasn't the joker. There was a claim early on that nearly every episode included someone who could become the joker. That adds a nice element of mystery that is lost if the most obvious potential Joker becomes the actual joker.

Second are the two reasons you mentioned. It's true that some versions give the Joker a definitive origin, but the comics have actually used that to play off of each other, creating mystery by embracing multiple, contradictory origins. You may have seen the recent controversy when DC decided to give him an official origin. People hated it. The other factor is that TDK did the joker so well and used his multiple origin stories so effectively that I think people want to see more of the same.

Then there's the idea of Joker as a response to Batman. Again, it's not that your version is impossible or anything, but many people do not prefer it. You have to remember that Batman isn't Superman. There's an element to batman of dealing with the unintended consequences of his own actions that is lost in Gotham's version. Part of the complexity of batman is lost and he becomes a simpler character and that is a mistake.

Then there's the actor. I liked him at first and thought he was great as a part of the maniacs but the closer he gets to being the Joker, the less I like him. As he progresses towards jokerness he becomes more and more of an imitation, an impersonation. There was a moment in this last episode where he was doing a 100% impression of Ledger. It's not that he's a bad joker, just that he brings nothing interesting or innovative to his version. All the best Jokers, Mark Hamill, Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, brought a new interpretation to the role. This guy is not at all.

Then there's the timing. This seems to be a big reason for many people. Separate this out for a moment from the issue of Joker as a response to Batman. It's just too early for the Joker. Bruce is nowhere near being the batman. Yes, he can beat Jerome up and that's cool, but that's not him being batman. For Jerome to be Joker now there either has to be literally years of terror reigning in Gotham before Batman comes along, or a multiple year long lull in the Joker doing anything, or, the option they seem to be taking, Jim Gordon has to essentially be batman. Maybe the biggest problem with the show right now is that Jim keeps stopping all of batman's villains. The way the show is going, Batman isn't necessary. If Jim could hire 10 competent police officers they would be good because right now Jim and Harvey are pretty much handling things.

When you take all of those reasons and put them together you have a case that Jerome shouldn't have been the joker. But it seems clear that he is or will be and there's really no going back now.

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28 days 6 hours 42 minutes 12 seconds. That is when the world will end.

He's The Joker in my mind, no doubts about it , and if they try any more " oh he was just the inspiration " *beep* then I'm officially done with the show.

The mystery of his origin didn't just suddenly become popular after TDK, though. In the majority of canon comics, his origin was kept a mystery. He was the Red Hood before and then he fell into a vat of chemicals and became The Joker, that's all we really know. We don't know his real name, we don't know his background , and we don't know if his evil and psychopathy are more from " nature " or more from " nurture ". ( I like that Batman 89 and this show have him as a psychopath from the get-go, though. That's usually how it works in the real world , lol ) The Killing Joke even kept mystery around his origin while giving him one at the same time. ( "Sometimes, I remember it one way, sometimes another... If I'm going to have a past, I'd prefer it to be multiple choice ! " . This is the very same line that inspired TDK's "multiple scar stories " element . ) Good point on everyone giving this show *beep* for giving a background and not Batman 89, though, although I'm sure there are plenty of die-hards out there who have a problem with that and numerous other changes made to the continuity ( "WHAT ?! DA JOKUR DUN KILL DA BATMANZ PARENTZZZ " )