A Guide to "Gotham’s" Easter Eggs

It’s hard to write a prequel. From the get-go, the show is loaded down with unrealistic expectations, and your audience already knows its ending. That’s the main challenge thatGotham faces every week. The new drama on FOX depicts a pre-Batman Gotham City: It tells the story of a young James Gordon (played by Ben McKenzie) and an even younger Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz), while also tracking the origins of Batman’s most famous villains. Gotham has set some lofty goals for itself, and for the most part, it’s achieved them admirably. Essentially, the show is a weird mixture of both Tim Burton’s and Christopher Nolan’s sensibilities: pulpy yet gritty, schlocky yet serious.

Gotham is clearly for the casuals. But still, the writers scattered several Easter eggs for the more devoted fans to find. Here are 11 that you might have missed—​a blend of obvious references, obscure winks, and foreshadowings of future plots.

Episode: “Penguin's Umbrella”

Obscurity level: Nitpicking

A minor Batman villain by mainstream standards, Victor Zsasz made his debut in the seventh episode of the season, as an enforcer for Fish Mooney. If you're not a comic fan and you didn't play the Arkham games, you may not have even heard of the guy—he's a bit too gross and gruesome for mainstream exposure. In the comics, Zsasz is a pure psychopath, a serial killer who preys on young women. Nearly every Batman villain has an obsessive gimmick (Catwoman loves cats, Riddler loves riddles), and Zsasz is no different. He's known for carving a tally mark on his body for every person he kills, and the sick bastard is covered in them in the books. You only see this begin in episode seven of Gotham: Zsasz cuts into his left arm after killing a police officer, and we hear him whisper, “Twenty eight.” He's got a long way to go before he reaches his full, comic book glory.

Episode: “Pilot”

Obscurity level: Noobish

Early in the pilot, Bullock shoots and kills Mario Pepper, who is suspected of killing the Waynes (though we later find out that it was a frame). Mario was the abusive father of Ivy Pepper, a shy, redheaded girl dressed in green, with a particular love for plants. Gotham's creators confirmed that this young girl will eventually become Poison Ivy, the seductive eco-terrorist with the poisonous kisses. This was initially confusing; in the comics, Ivy's real name is Pamela Isley. Gotham, however, has already played fast and loose with many of the characters' origins. Clearly, they want to establish a distinct identity for the show.

Episode: “Viper”

Obscurity level: Nitpicking

In this episode, Bullock and Gordon learn about a chemical compound called Viper, which gives its users super strength. One robber, for example, is able to hoist an ATM Machine onto his back. Viper is an early, unstable version of Venom, the chemical compound that comic supervillain Bane injects directly into his veins. In the comic book storyline “Knightfall,” Bane uses this superstrength to literally 'Break the Bat'; he shatters Batman's spine over his knee, paralyzing him from the waist down. Obviously, we're not going to be seeing a Batman vs. Bane showdown in Gotham any time soon—Bruce Wayne doesn't even have hair on his face yet. Still, it's interesting that the writers are planting the seeds for future storylines at such an early date. Do they have a multi-season master plan? Or is this just shameless fan service for the die-hards?

Episode: “Harvey Dent”

Obscurity level: Noobish

Here's another obvious reference, if you know what to look for. We meet Harvey Dent for the first time in episode eight. He's a young, charismatic prosecutor, but he will eventually become the Batman supervillain known as Two Face. There are obvious and subtle foreshadowings to this. When Dent is first introduced, he's flipping his trademark doubleheaded coin. Dent has a manic, aggressive attitude; he's on the right side of the law, but he clearly has a dark side as well. The series also shows Dent's scenes in partial light, so that half of his face is always covered in shadow. It's a neat camera trick that shows the characterization rather than stating it directly.

Episode: “Pilot”

Obscurity level: Nerdy

This one's a little tricky to spot. After Martha and Thomas Wayne are shot to death in the pilot, the camera does a slow zoom out. Most of us were probably focused on poor Bruce, who's screaming in uncontrollable grief. But if you squint a little, you'll notice that Bruce and his parents' bodies form an unmistakable bat symbol on the concrete. It's both appropriate and perfectly subtle.

Episode: “Pilot”

Obscurity level: Nerdy

It's a good thing that the Joker isn't in Gotham yet—that's a more an end-game type plotline. But still, that doesn't prevent the writers from dropping a reference here and there. Here, in an establishing shot of Gotham's skyline, you can see some suspicious vandalism— "SMILE"—in upper left corner of the screen. Several eagle-eyed viewers caught this Joker reference by replaying the pilot, frame by frame. And apparently, there are more Joker references, in every episode, that have yet to be found. How many have you managed to find?

Episode: “Spirit of the Goat”

Obscurity level: Noobish

One day, Ed Nygma will become the Riddler, the brilliant, clever mastermind with a penchant for puzzles. But until then, he's an irritating forensics guy who has to beat us over the head with Riddler references. It doesn't get any more obvious than this: a shot of Nygma, drinking out of a coffee mug, with a question mark on it. Questions. Riddles. Get it?

Episode: “Pilot”

Obscurity level: Nerdy

For a guy who makes a detective's salary, James Gordon sure lives in a swanky place. His fiance, Barbara, is loaded, and they share a stylish loft overlooking Gotham. The loft sits behind a massive clock, and this is a direct reference to their future adopted daughter (also named Barbara), who would eventually become Batgirl/Oracle. Oracle's technological home base was also a loft, and like Gordon's home, also sat behind a massive clock. We're guessing that it's the exact same location, converted for a different purpose.

Episode: “The Mask”

Obscurity level: Nitpicking

Black Mask is another minor villain in the Batman rogue's gallery. In the comics, he's a spoiled rich boy with an axe to grind against the Waynes: he uses his wealth and connections to murder business rivals and launch crime sprees. In Gotham, Black Mask is a white-collar boss who forces his job applicants to compete in an office Fight Club. Is this a rebooted reinvention of Black Mask? Or is this the abusive father of the Black Mask that Batman will fight decades from now? Time will tell.

Episode: "Lovecraft"

Obscurity level: Noobish

One of our favorite plotlines is the budding relationship between Bruce and Selina Kyle, the runaway street kid who will eventually become Catwoman. In the comics, Batman and Catwoman have a storied, on/off, unfulfilled romance. In Gotham, it appears to be going the same way. There's Bruce, with his socially regressed, earnest precociousness, and then there's Selina, with her streetwise, lackadaisical wit. They complement each other perfectly. From their bizarre food fight to their adolescent first kiss, they're both awkward and adorable. We want to watch these two save and fight each other for seasons to come.

Episode: “The Mask”

Obscurity level: Nerdy

In the B-plotline for “The Mask,” Bruce confronts and beats up a bully, with Alfred's approval and support. To most viewers, this marked the beginning of Bruce's transformation into Batman (and also established Alfred's complete ineptitude as a father figure). More observant fans, however, noticed that the bully's name was Thomas Elliott, the real name of Batman supervillain Hush. In the comics, Thomas and Bruce are childhood friends. Gotham alters this backstory in an interesting way: By beating up his bully, Bruce is now partially responsible for creating one of his villains. Hopefully, we'll continue to see Thomas in future episodes and seasons, and witness his building resentment.