This season of Gotham is all about villains, and with Barbara Kean not being the Barbara that Jim Gordon ends up marrying I’m wondering if she’ll be anyone. They’re slowly pointing out that Jerome is a big fan of laughter, he’s smart and he has no problem with the chance of him dying. Those are some of the qualities of one Joker, and if you’re like me and see Joker having Harley Quinn with him at all times, then naming Barbara and a possible Harley Quinn isn’t that too out there.
We all know that they are playing fast and loose with the origins and character ages, so let’s look at Barbara Kean. She’s not a doctor, but she was an art Gallery Owner so she had class and I’m assuming was pretty well off. It wasn’t until being captured and tortured by The Ogre did she change her ways and snap into the Barbara we’re seeing now. In the comics Harley is turned due to an infatuation of The Joker while working as his therapist in Arkham Asylum. If you put the two stories side by side the origin of Harley Quinn looks pretty much the same. She was someone who was respected, but was turned but still kept her infatuation. In the comics Harley is all about The Joker, in Gotham Barbara is still obsessed with Jim Gordon but in a psychotic way.
This past episode of Gotham showed the mind games that Barbara can play and an odd option of clothing. Theo Galavan told the Maniax that they would have to change their appearance, so why would Barbara be any different. There are subtle hints here and there that allow the audience to make their own assumption. When Barbara leads Jim to the alley, there are some shapes on the wall , once being a heart, possible a symbol of how Barbara feels towards Jim. She is always wearing a brown jacket over a black shirt while wearing red gloves. If you were to take the jacket away then you’d have Barbara wearing red and black, the same colors Harley Quinn wears. I’m not saying that Barbara will be wielding a mallet and wearing a full costume like Harley Quinn, but if she starts wearing more red and black in the upcoming episodes then there’s a reason why. The writers aren’t stupid and I’m assuming they work with costuming and the director to make sure the audience knows what they are trying to convey.
If Barbara turns out to be Gotham’s version of Harley Quinn, I’d be ok with it. She has the look and when she kisses a bloody Jim and gives a blood filled smile you know she has something wrong with her inside. Her personal bodyguard can only help her with her mind games, as she’ll do what she wants and if you disagree or cross her then you deal with him. If you remember Batman: The Animated Series just think of the big guy as both of the hyenas out together in human form. This is only the second episode and there are plenty more to come, so we’ll see how everything really plays out.