In Monday’s episode of “Gotham,” “Beasts of Prey,” campy femme fatale Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith) took a bullet to the gut. Though she’s certain to hang on for the rest of the season, Pinkett Smith confirmed that she and Fish will not be returning for Season 2. Since Fish has been the center of the series, her departure is going to leave a huge hole for the show to fill. Who could take her place as the main antagonist? Let’s look at the candidates, and their odds of becoming “Gotham’s” next Big Bad.
The Joker
The Joker has been teased for most of Season 1, with several men — including a nameless stand-up comic, son-of-the-circus Jerome (Cameron Monaghan) and a number of Red Hoods — in the running for the Clown Prince of Crime. Could the Joker finally emerge in Season 2? Maybe, but it’s not likely. We expect several more possibilities, but the creative team seems content to keep the Joker as “Gotham’s” hole card.
Odds: 25 to 1
The Riddler
Edward Nygma (Cory Michael Smith), the future Riddler, has so far been mainly a very creepy cameo character and occasional comic relief as he irritates Gordon (Benjamin McKenzie) and Bullock (Donal Logue) with his puzzles and terrorizes Kristen Kringle (Chelsea Spack) with his romantic interest. Smith has recently said that Nygma is going to become much more self-possessed, but there isn’t enough time before Season 2 for him to become the OCD criminal (and snappy dresser) we know from the comics. E. Nygma will stay an enigma for a while — a longshot in the arch-villain race.
Odds: 20 to 1
The Ogre
Introduced on Monday, the Ogre (Milo Ventimiglia) is a serial killer whom the GCPD has left alone, due to his habit of terrorizing the loved ones of any policeman who comes after him. Naturally, he’s the latest obsession of cop-with-a-conscience Gordon, and his methods and way of targeting his enemies could make for a long story line. Though Ventimiglia has only been confirmed for three episodes, there’s no reason why he can’t be signed for a full season if his character is a hit. After all, Ventimiglia isn’t returning for NBC’s “Heroes” reboot later this year.
Odds: 10 to 1
The Penguin
Oswald Cobblepot’s (Robin Lord Taylor) endless cycle of rising and falling, as well as his penchant for taking massive amounts of physical abuse, has given both Fish and Gordon plenty of trouble. The show’s been setting him up to be Gotham City’s kingpin and Batman’s arch-nemesis from the beginning. However, Batman is nowhere to be seen and unless Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) has a major growth spurt in the next few months, we can count on the Dark Knight failing to rise for, oh, about eight more years. It’s too much fun watching Cobblepot take his licks and alternate between incompetent weasel and Machiavellian power-player for him to suddenly take over. The Penguin should stay in his place for a while — always a Rockhopper, but never an Emperor.
Odds: 5 to 1
Commissioner Loeb
Gillian Loeb (Peter Scolari) was behind the scenes for most of Season 1, but the commissioner is an expert string-puller and the source of the corruption that flows from the top down in the GCPD. With ties to drug rings, the Wayne murder and psychos like the Electrocutioner (Christopher Heyerdahl) — and a hatred for do-gooder Gordon — Loeb (introduced in the Batman comics in 1987) is positioned to become Season 2’s main baddie. It took the combined efforts of Gordon and a young Batman to bring him down in the comics (eventually leading to Gordon’s promotion to police commissioner), but “Gotham” has been more than willing to ignore comic history. There’s no reason Loeb can’t stick around for years.
Odds: 2 to 1