Filming is underway on season three of Fox’s Gotham and Cory Michael Smith (Ed Nygma/The Riddler) says at this point Ed has figured out who he really is. Now, it’s all going to be about moving toward the ultimate destination of fully embracing The Riddler. Season three of Gotham will kick off on September 19, 2016 and in support of the upcoming season, Smith talked about the popular series during our roundtable interview at the 2016 San Diego Comic Con.
Cory Michael Smith Interview:
Will viewers be surprised by what’s happening with Ed this season?
Cory Michael Smith: “Yeah, I think so. I know pretty much the season trajectory; I’m pretty stoked about it. But, first things first. I’m still in Arkham and there’s a time jump. Time has passed and I’m still in Arkham and I have to figure out how to get out. Once that happens, then the fun begins.”
Your character has gone through one of the biggest evolutions on the show. Picking up from where you left him, what are you excited about?
Cory Michael Smith: “Well, you know he’s still certainly not The Riddler yet. We’re working there. I think he has an idea of who he is. I think he has the sort of confidence that he found, especially in Arkham. It’s just that now he’s been relegated to a cell for months and months and months and his spirit is down. But once he gets out, has a nice bath, gets his suits back… He’s able to make friends now he realizes at Arkham, so once he’s out he figures out his alliances and gets himself back going. The excitement and the joy that he was experiencing by finally embracing his true identity, we get to jump back on that track.
You know, he’s someone that now has decided though he may have friends and alliances, he doesn’t need anybody. His great lesson to Oswalt was, ‘If you don’t have any attachments, nothing can hurt you.’ I don’t know that Oswalt is actually capable of that, but I think Ed is capable of that. I think there’s a level of sociopathy to Ed that can disconnect. He thinks he likes people. Like, he thought he loved Crystal but it’s more obsession. I think he can actually shut down. So, that’s kind of what I’m excited for. Things are going to get pretty dark for Ed this year.”
Should his friends and allies be worried?
Cory Michael Smith: “No. I mean, as long as everyone is aware that Ed will always be smarter than them and not threaten him or knock him for that or question him, I think it’s fine. I think he can co-exist with people as long as they don’t get in his way.”
Are you looking forward to taking it even darker?
Cory Michael Smith: “Yeah, very much so. I mean, the thing that I love about him and I think what separates him from a lot of the other villains in the Batman universe but especially in our show, is his joy and his glee. That will never go away. It’s just the things that he is gleeful about are going to change. That’s what’s going to be so dark. I don’t need him to be like this brooding, angry, vicious person. There’s so much of that. For him, it’s going to be about finding the games and playing games on people. That’s the joy, you know? It’s messing with people in that way.”
Watch the full Cory Michael Smith interview:
