As Gotham enters its fifth and final season, fans are understandably disappointed. However, there’s a silver lining: the introduction of new villains, offering a break from familiar faces like Penguin and Flamingo.
Ten months ago, executive producer John Stephens shared some plans for the show’s conclusion. In an interview, he revealed that there were many characters viewers were not fully aware of, and it was time to introduce them. He specifically mentioned Scarface and The Ventriloquist, promising a dark version of Scarface in the final season.
Excitement waned when plans for season five revealed some story elements would be cut, leaving Scarface confined to the comic books. But fans rejoiced when Fox granted the show a few more episodes, allowing the writers to include Scarface. With such an eagerly awaited character, let’s take a behind-the-scenes look at Scarface on Gotham and learn more about the infamous dummy.
Who Plays Scarface’s Character?
Mr. Penn, Penguin’s lawyer, dies earlier in the season but makes a comeback through two villains, Scarface and The Ventriloquist. Both characters are portrayed by Andrew Sellon, who played Arthur Penn. Surprisingly, when the show hired him as Mr. Penn, they didn’t know he had ventriloquist skills. Andrew joked that it wasn’t on his resume, but considering it landed him a role in a popular series, he should add it.
Sellon’s ventriloquist skills are so impressive that he might be a real-life ventriloquist. Fans were excited to see a live-action ventriloquist in the “Nothing’s Shocking” episode, which aired on February 28, 2019.
More about Scarface
Scarface was created in 1988 by John Wagner, Norm Breyfogle, and Alan Grant for “Detective Comics” #583. The puppet is a mob boss, and while its creepy design is unique, The Ventriloquist’s portrayal brings it to life, making it feel like a real person rather than a killer puppet. However, it’s unclear if the puppet is real or The Ventriloquist’s alter-ego. The story of how Penn found the doll in an abandoned magic shop only adds to the mystery surrounding Scarface’s identity.
When Penn is relieved to have Scarface removed from his control, it’s unclear what hold the puppet had on him. Was he delusional, or is the puppet cursed? The ambiguity and mystery surrounding the puppet’s autonomy level are perfectly executed, but unfortunately, we may never find out the truth as the season ends.
Parting Shot
Gotham has been a show worth waiting for, but it has kept some villains hidden for too long. Now that we’ve finally seen them, it may be a fitting way to end the series, but we still would have loved more of The Ventriloquist and Scarface. The mystery makes them even more intriguing. If another season were to be produced, we wouldn’t be surprised to see them again, despite Penguin blowing Scarface’s head off and his “master” also dying at the hands of Riddler.
We can’t complain, though. Gotham delivered as always, reviving Scarface from the comic books in an intense and chillingly accurate portrayal. So, despite the final season being short, we’re grateful to have seen two new villains and discovered Andrew Sellon’s real-life ventriloquist skills.
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