Gotham (TV Series)

Rise of the Villains: Knock, Knock (2015)

Cameron Monaghan: Jerome Valeska

Photos 

Quotes 

• Jerome Valeska : Ladies and gentleman, good evening!

  Theo Galavan : Very good. Boyishly charming. The laugh is fabulous. Use that.

• [Jerome Valeski and Robert Greenwood have a disagreement on who should be the boss] 

  Theo Galavan : Boys, we're a team. We don't fight amongst ourselves.

  Arnold Dobkins : Yeah, we're a team, boys.

  Robert Greenwood : [Greenwood holds onto the sword]  And I'm the captain.

  Jerome Valeska : [Jerome drops the electric chainsaw he was holding]  Captain of my foot.

  Robert Greenwood : I've murdered a dozen women. Terrorized the city. What have you done? Chop up your mommy?

  Jerome Valeska : Everybody has to start somewhere. See, I have a vision and ambition and brains. You're just a nutty old cannibal. How many people can you eat before that shtick gets old.

  Robert Greenwood : I could eat one more.

• [Jerome and the Maniax see a school bus of cheerleaders pass by their truck] 

  Jerome Valeska : [Jerome makes goggles with his hands over his eyes]  I spy with my little eye something that is... yellow.

  [the girls are seen cheering on the school bus] 

  Robert Greenwood : Yay, Gotham!

• [Jerome Valeska stands over the tied up Commissioner Essen in the police precinct] 

  Jerome Valeska : [Jerome whistles]  Hell of a first week you're having, Commissioner. I wish I could tell you that things were gonna get better for you. They're not.

• [Theo Galavan has both Jerome Valeska and Robert Greenwood play a game of Russian Roulette, the winner becomes the boss of the Maniax] 

  Theo Galavan : [Theo pulls out a pistol and one bullet]  You all know this game. right?

  Jerome Valeska : [Jerome grins]  Mm, love it.

  Theo Galavan : [Theo loads the gun and holds it out in-between both men]  Who wants to be the boss?

  Jerome Valeska : [Jerome looks at Greenwood]  Ladies first.

  [Greenwood takes the gun without hesitation, pulling the trigger, the hammer clicks] 

  Jerome Valeska : [Jerome takes the gun from Greenwood]  Hey, Greenwood, what's the secret to good comedy?

  [the hammer clicks] 

  Jerome Valeska : Timing. And what's courage?

  [the hammer clicks] 

  Jerome Valeska : Grace under pressure. And... who's the boss?

  [Jerome with a big smile on his face, fires the hammer of the pistol, as Theo grins and Greenwood flinches] 

  Jerome Valeska : [Jerome grimaces into Greenwood's face]  I'm the boss.

  Theo Galavan : [Theo takes the gun]  I believe you are, Jerome. I believe you are.

• [Theo Galavan congratulates the Maniax on making a name for themselves] 

  Theo Galavan : Fine job yesterday, gentleman. We opened big. The whole city knows your name now. So, bravo. Let's give ourselves a round of applause.

  [Arnold is the only one to clap, in circles] 

  Theo Galavan : Now that we have Gotham's attention, it's time for the maniax to make their grand entrance.

  Jerome Valeska : Wasn't that it?

  Theo Galavan : That was the overture. Now the audience is hushed, expectant. The curtain rises...

  Jerome Valeska : Then what happens?

  Theo Galavan : Oh, then we confront Gothamites with their most primal fears. Take from them all they hold dear and sacred.

  Jerome Valeska : [Jerome grins]  And then what happens?

  Theo Galavan : Why, then, we offer them salvation. And then they are ours.

• [Jerome Valeska begins to call out a cheer for the cheerleaders] 

  Jerome Valeska : [Jerome calls out a letter]  Give me an O!

  [Jerome fires a pistol inside of the bus] 

  Jerome Valeska : I said give me an O.

  [the cheerleaders whimper an O] 

  Jerome Valeska : Give me an N!

  [the cheerleaders whimper an N] 

  Jerome Valeska : Give me another O!

  [the cheerleaders whimper an O] 

  Jerome Valeska : What does that spell? O No!

  [Jerome begins spraying a hose of gasoline inside of the bus of girls] 

• [Jerome Valeska speaks to the tied up Commissioner Essen in the police precinct of dead officers] 

  Sarah Essen : Why are you doing this?

  Jerome Valeska : To rule the world. Blah, blah, blah. But we'll settle for some dead cops and some good PR. Kidding.

  Sarah Essen : Yeah. Whatever. I get it. You're just crazy.

  Jerome Valeska : Crazy? Look at me. You can see I'm not crazy.

  Sarah Essen : Very soon, little man. You will be dead. And the world will go on without you. You'll be nothing. No one will even remember your name.

  Jerome Valeska : Mm. No. That is where you're wrong, old lady. We will leave a mark on this city. We will spread across it like a virus. Do you know why?

  Robert Greenwood : [Greenwood interrupts]  There's nothing more contagious than laughter.

  Jerome Valeska : [Jerome pulls out his pistol and shoots Greenwood dead before looking back at the Commissioner]  My line. There's nothing more contagious than laughter.

  [Jerome laughs hysterically] 

• [Jerome Valeska tosses bodies off of the rooftop with the other escaped inmates] 

  Jerome Valeska : [a body is tossed off]  Perfect.

  Arnold Dobkins : What shall we do with the... spare?

  Jerome Valeska : [the inmates looks at the remaining victim]  Ooh! I know.

  Jerome Valeska : [Jerome takes the red spray can and spray paints an exclamation point on the final kidnap victim's white strait-jacket]  Aaron. Would you kindly?

  Arnold Dobkins : [Aaron tosses the final body off of the roof and the inmates read the word they spelled with the bodies]  Maniax!

  Jerome Valeska : Now that's a headline.

  [Jerome laughs] 

• [Jerome Valeska hijacks a bus full of cheerleaders] 

  Jerome Valeska : [speaking to the kidnapped girls on the bus]  I want you all to know this was a very difficult decision for us. It was between you and a senior citizen bingo party. In the end, we decided to skew a little younger. Youth won the day. Sorry.

• [Theo Galavan tries to prep the Maniax for their next spotlight crime] 

  Theo Galavan : First, you gentleman need to learn a little stagecraft.

  Robert Greenwood : Stagecraft?

  Theo Galavan : You're going to be on TV. You have to present yourselves with style and vigor. Dobkins, say good evening ladies and gentleman.

  Arnold Dobkins : [nervously says]  Good evening, ladies and gentleman.

  Theo Galavan : Again, with a smile.

  Arnold Dobkins : [with a scared smile]  Good evening, ladies and gentleman.

  Theo Galavan : [Theo sighs and points to Robert]  You.

  Robert Greenwood : [Robert clears his throat]  Good evening, ladies and gentleman!

  Theo Galavan : Not bad. Sinister and authoritative.

  Theo Galavan : [Theo looks at Aaron before looking to Jerome]  Never mind. Jerome.

  Jerome Valeska : [Jerome stands on his chair with a high theatrical voice]  Ladies and gentleman, good evening!

  Theo Galavan : [Jerome sits back down chuckling to himself]  Very good. Boyishly charming. The laugh is fabulous. Use that.

• [last lines] 

  [Gotham News broadcasts the video recording of Jerome at the police precinct] 

  Jerome Valeska : Hello, Gotham City! We're the Maniax. And I'm Jerome, the shot caller of our little gang. We're here to spread the message of wisdom and hope.

  Jerome Valeska : [Jerome pulls out his pistol and fires it at a whimpering officer on the ground]  Some people have no manners. You're all prisoners. What you call insanity, it's just a prison in your minds that stops you from seeing that you're just tiny little cogs in a giant absurd machine.

  Jerome Valeska : [Jerome screams into the video recorder]  Wake up! Why be a cog? Be free like us.

  Jerome Valeska : [laughing uncontrollably while holding the smile up of a dead officer]  Just remember, smile. Oh! Time to go. But don't worry. We'll be back very soon. Hang on to your hats, folks. 'Cause you ain't seen nothing yet!

  [Jerome laughs hysterically, recording ends] 

• Jerome Valeska : There's nothing more contagious than laughter!

• [Commissioner Essen spits in Jerome's Valeska's face] 

  Jerome Valeska : That was strangely pleasant. Do it again.

  Jerome Valeska : [Commissioner Essen head-butts Jerome in his face]  Oh!

  Sarah Essen : That's gonna leave a mark.

  Jerome Valeska : [Jerome laughs with blood running down his nose]  You got me.

  Jerome Valeska : [stepping to Essen with his hands up and blood coming down his face]  My turn.

  [Jerome laughs heavily]