This week’s episode of Gotham confirmed a long-standing fan theory: Penguin’s accountant, Arthur Penn, is the show’s version of classic Batman villain, The Ventriloquist. While never a top-tier menace alongside the likes of Joker, Riddler and Bane, The Ventriloquist has always been a popular enemy among Bat-fans and has appeared in comics, video games and the 1990s animated series. Known as the meek and unassuming Arnold Wesker, his weak psyche is “controlled” by a gangster-themed ventriloquist’s dummy who encourages the man handling him to commit an array of felonies.
Initially, it was reported that The Ventriloquist would be one of Gotham season 5’s main antagonists, but when it was subsequently confirmed that the final run would consist of a reduced episode count, it seemed like plans for Wesker may have been scrapped. This was reaffirmed by showrunner John Stephens who, when was asked prior to the season 5 premiere which villains he was disappointed to miss out on adapting, and The Ventriloquist was his first pick.
Some fans believed that Gotham’s Ventriloquist had already been introduced back during season 4 in the form of Penguin’s faithful accountant, Arthur Penn; he too boasted circular glasses, a mousey demeanor and formal suit costume. As the episodes went by, however, this transformation began to look more and more unlikely, particularly after Penn’s apparent death earlier this season, but it now seems the theory was correct after all.
Gotham’s latest episode, appropriately titled “Nothing’s Shocking,” found Penguin and Riddler beavering away on their plan to build a submarine from scratch and escape Gotham City with as much treasure as they could carry. Their efforts were interrupted by the arrival of Penguin’s former assistant, Arthur Penn, who was presumed dead after being shot by an irritated thug a few episodes ago. Penn hadn’t resurfaced alone, however, and to Penguin and Riddler’s utter bemusement, the accountant pulled out a dummy called Scarface and began using him to communicate, switching to a stereotypical New York mobster accent when doing so. While Penn himself remained as feeble and subservient as ever, he appeared to be taking orders from the far more dominant and volatile Scarface and would’ve shot his former boss were it not for the intervention of Riddler, who put Penn down with a bullet of his own.
It’s interesting to consider that throughout the last two seasons, Gotham has been steadily building Penn’s Ventriloquist backstory. The accountant was constantly belittled, abused and underappreciated by Penguin, a frustration that (presumably combined with his near-death experience) resulted in his psyche splitting into “Scarface,” allowing the dummy to say the things Penn always wished he could’ve said to his boss.
Despite this altered origin story, Gotham’s Ventriloquist stays fairly faithful to the comic books in terms of both design and personality, especially compared to some other villains on the show. Scarface’s bad attitude and the fact that Penn was “freed” when Penguin destroyed the dummy are both taken straight from the source material. In an extra touch, Penguin also mistakenly refers to his employee as “Arnold” on several occasions - a clear nod to the villain’s real name in the comics.
Unfortunately, Penn is unlikely to cheat death a second time (although it wouldn’t be the first time) and it’s perhaps safe to assume that, had Gotham season 5 not been the show’s last, The Ventriloquist would’ve had a far more significant role to play in the overall story. With that said, it’s still commendable that the show was able to give this popular villain a respectable, if brief, showing before the series concludes.
Next: Gotham’s Joker Wasn’t The Proper Joker (But Still The Show’s Best Villain)
Gotham season 5 continues with “The Trial Of Jim Gordon” March 7th on Fox.
