After the events of the Gotham season 2 finale, a number of fans are wondering what to expect in season 3. We’ve already heard some rumors about who is coming to the show (and who’s being recast), but there hasn’t been much information about the season’s overall plot.
That may have changed, however, as actor Cory Michael Smith (who plays Edward Nigma on the show) recently commented on one of the themes that Gotham‘s third season will contain. Without going into detail, Smith’s comment opens a range of possibilities for those speculating on the show.
While at the 56th Festival de Television of Monte Carlo, Smith took a moment to speak to the Italian news site Cinefilos.it. Translated back to English, his quote on the upcoming season reads something like this:
“Gotham, like many superhero stories, is a parallel of today’s society, of what happens every day. And in the third season, in the fall, when the United States will stand preparing to face one of the most important presidential elections in their history, even Gotham will address in parallel the issue. “
The idea that the show could present a parallel to the U.S. presidential election is an interesting one, though it’s unclear how that might play out on the show. The most obvious way would be to have an election in Gotham running in the background, possibly for the mayor’s office. Candidates who draw their inspiration from Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump (or at the very least a Trump-like candidate, since he seems to be the most obvious target for a “parallel” plotline if only one of them is included) could get the people of the city worked up against either the heroes of the show or the villains… or could inspire the villains themselves.
It’s also possible that the parallel with the presidential election will be much less literal and more thematic. Even if actual politics wasn’t involved, having a divisive character gaining exposure could make things very difficult for Gordon and company as they deal with the ramifications of season 2’s ending. After all, in the world of social media and the 24-hour news cycle, one doesn’t have to be running for office to be on everyone’s mind.
This all speculates that the parallel to the U.S. presidential election that Smith referred to will be a major plot point or story arc, of course. Without more details, it’s possible that there will simply be a single episode that deals with a Trump-like character (or an election between a Clinton-inspired candidate and one that’s Trump-inspired). Regardless, it’s much more likely that we’ll see the politically-inspired action unfolding in the background – unless the show takes a page out of Arrow‘s playbook and has a major character (perhaps even a villain like Penguin or the Mad Hatter) running for mayor.
Next: Gotham Season 3 Casting Vicki Vale
Gotham season 3 airs on FOX in fall 2016.
