The Gotham Episode You Likely Forgot Starred Willa Fitzgerald
"Gotham" was something of a risk when it was announced all the way back in 2013. A show centered around Batman's famous city, but not actually featuring the Caped Crusader, is a big ask for comic book fans who likely wanted to see a much-beloved superhero on the small screen. Still, it paid off, as "Gotham" proved to be fairly successful, airing for 5 seasons on Fox and containing 100 episodes. While the show didn't feature Batman, it did feature a whole host of his large stable of supervillains in their early days, and even a young Bruce Wayne himself.
Much like any show, "Gotham" also featured a wide array of guest actors, some of which were well known at the time and some who would become popular after their appearance on the show. 100 episodes is a lot for even the most dedicated fan to remember all of, however, and it's likely that some viewers have forgotten more than a few of these guest stars. As it turns out, Willa Fitzgerald, who is probably now best known for her star-making performance in the first season of "Reacher" and as the lead for the first two seasons of "Scream," was one of these guest stars.
Fitzgerald played a murder victim in Gotham
During Season 1 of "Gotham," Willa Fitzgerald appeared in Episode 19, titled "Beasts of Prey." Her role was relatively small, but very pivotal to the story and how it unfolded. Fitzgerald played Grace Fairchild, a murder victim at the hands of Jason Lennon aka the Ogre, who kidnaps and murders high class women and leaves behind photos of broken hearts as his signature. Fairchild's story is revealed via flashbacks, so Fitzgerald's character rarely appears in the modern setting of the story and doesn't interact with central characters.
In the comics, the Ogre is a completely different character, one who is genetically altered to have increased strength, just like his ape brother. Obviously, the character in "Gotham" is far different than the one who appears in the comics, but this was not an unusual thing for the show. Again, Fitzgerald's role is not a large one in the episode and she never appears again, but it's still interesting that an actress with such a big future ahead of her would appear in a one-off "Gotham" episode in its debut season and then almost immediately move on a starring role in the "Scream" series on MTV.