When Gotham first premiered on Fox in 2014, it was billed as a Batman origin story that began with the tragic murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne. Throughout the years, we've watched as Bruce Wayne has inched his way closer and closer to the mantle of the Dark Knight, and now, with the series reaching its fifth and final season, the arrival of the Caped Crusader is imminent. However, it's now become clear that Gotham was never just going to be about the rise of Bruce Wayne. Now, we realize that it was also always going to be about the other side of the coin, the Joker.

During Gotham's first season, it was said by the series' stars and producers that fans would see many possible origin stories for the Clown Prince of Crime. And that was true -- for a little while. We saw the likes of a failed club comedian, the Red Hood Gang and some other clown-inspired crazies, but the arrival of Cameron Monaghan's Jerome Valeska changed everything. Little did we know that his first appearance in Season 1 was actually the initial building block to the first, truly satisfying Joker origin story.

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A Tale of Two Brothers

In DC canon, the Joker doesn't have a definitive origin story. Certain comic stories have certainly tried throughout the years, but nothing was ever made absolute. As the character states himself, he prefers his past to be a multiple choice answer. And, at first, this is the type of tale Gotham seemed to be weaving, with many characters made to be potential Jokers. When Jerome Valeska came on the scene, however, it seemed like Gotham stopped teasing possible Jokers and instead followed that specific character on the path to becoming the man in the purple suit.

Monaghan's Jerome had the laugh, the anarchy-infused soul of a madman, the unpredictability and all the right elements borrowed from previous incarnations of the Joker to make him a shoe-in for Gotham's Clown Prince of Crime. Even death couldn't keep him down (the first time, at least). However, Gotham threw us a massive curveball when the show introduced Jerome's twin brother, Jeremiah. That's right, the series employed one of the oldest tricks in the book -- the evil twin trope. But here's the thing. Somehow, through all the bloodied shenanigans, it worked.

Jerome died, but not before bestowing upon his sane(ish) brother a departing gift: A special concoction of laughing gas that pushed him over the edge. Jeremiah didn't simply become his brother, he carried his mantle. As he unleashed his calculated mania on Gotham City, Jeremiah became a bigger threat than his brother ever was.

And therein lies perhaps the brilliance in Gotham's origin story for the Joker. It doesn't explore the Joker just as one character, but as an idea. Just like Batman.

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A Mix of the Old, and the New

While Gotham has carved a very specific and unique tale for the Joker's rise, the series also found a way to honor the character's history in the comics, movies, video games and cartoons. The alter ego of Jerome/Jeremiah Valeska may be new, but the characters have gone through some recognizable story beats. For example, Jerome's face was once cut off -- and stapled back on -- in a clear nod to the New 52's Batman: Death of the Family storyline. What's more, Jerome was later left with permanent smile scars on his face, just like Christopher Nolan and Heath Ledger's Joker.

Whether Jeremiah is wearing skin-colored makeup to hide his white skin like Jack Nicholson's Clown Prince of Crime or shooting Selina Kyle point blank, The Killing Joke-style, Gotham has been borrowing elements from all mediums to weave one wholesome tale that, in its madness, manages to somehow make sense.

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Now, as Gotham City finds itself in a No Man's Land-inspired predicament, Jeremiah Valeska has yet to reveal himself. We don't know what this final stretch of episodes will bring yet, but a Season 5 promo did reveal that it will lead to a fateful confrontation between Bruce Wayne and Jeremiah... at ACE Chemicals. If the name sounds familiar, it's because it's the chemical facility that is most associated with the birth of the Joker. It's the place where Batman and Joker became forever tied, sworn enemies and opposing forces in a never-ending battle for the soul of Gotham City.

For all intents and purposes, Jeremiah is as close as we can get to the Joker, but perhaps one final push is what will truly transform him into the fan-favorite character seen in the comics.

Whether Jeremiah falls into a vat of chemicals or not doesn't ultimately matter, because the confrontation between hero and villain at ACE Chemicals is symbolic in and of itself. It's a turning point in both characters' history, and now Gotham is bound to transform it into an unavoidable climax to an origin five years in the making. Just as this confrontation will lead to the rise of Batman, it sure looks like it will also lead to the birth of the Joker. If that is the case, then Jeremiah Valeska will be the one true Joker in the Gotham universe. That is, unless the series has one final swerve up its sleeve. An ace in the hole. Or a Joker card. Could Jerome somehow come back? Will the failed comedian from the pilot return? This being Gotham, it's certainly not impossible.

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Whatever happens, this final season will reshape Gotham as not only an origin tale for Gotham City's greatest hero, but also its worst villain. Forget about Todd Phillips upcoming Joker origin movie. Forget about Tim Burton's Batman, the comics and cartoons. Gotham is giving us the greatest Joker origin story yet. It's complicated and crazy and improbable, just like the Joker himself.

Airing Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Fox, Gotham stars Ben McKenzie as James Gordon, Donal Logue as Harvey Bullock, David Mazouz as Bruce Wayne, Robin Lord Taylor as Penguin, Camren Bicondova as Selina Kyle, Erin Richards as Barbara Kean and Sean Pertwee as Alfred Pennyworth.