Can Gotham’s Solomon Grundy Really Become Butch Again? Here’s What The Actor Says
Warning: spoilers ahead for Episode 8 of Gotham Season 4, "Stop Hitting Yourself."
Butch Gilzean on Gotham went through a major change for Season 4 when he became the zombie villain Solomon Grundy. The character was killed in Season 3 and seemed like he would be gone forever until the reveal that his real name was actually Cyrus Gold, a.k.a. Solomon Grundy in DC Comics canon. In his first couple of appearances in Season 4, Grundy didn't give any sign that he remembered his life prior to taking a bullet to the head. That changed in "Stop Hitting Yourself" when Grundy faced off against Tabitha in the fight club and began to flash back to their time together. The episode seemed to indicate that there's still some Butch left in Solomon Grundy.
Of course, Grundy still spent most of the episode mindlessly fighting for Ed Nygma, so the big question is whether there's enough Butch left for Grundy to become the man he once was. Actor Drew Powell spoke with CinemaBlend about all things Solomon Grundy, and he had this to say about whether the Solomon Grundy persona is permanent:
While few things on Gotham are entirely set in stone, Drew Powell believes that the Solomon Grundy transformation was too complete for the character ever to go back to the Butch we all knew in Seasons 1 - 3. Grundy is certainly a different person than he was before going by biology alone. His time in the Slaughter Swamp before reanimating into Solomon Grundy changed him physically, and he even regenerated his missing hand. Even if Grundy could regain all of his memories of his life as Butch, the changes in his body would mean a very different life. Still, there are clearly still some sparks of Butch in Grundy; if he continues to interact with Tabitha, he may begin to regain even more of his memories.
Many fans will undoubtedly miss Butch as he was, and Drew Powell revealed that he too misses some elements. That said, he also explained that the time was perfect for Gotham to try something new with his character. He went on to tell me this about moving on from Butch:
Judging by the events of the latest episode, Tabitha will be the one working to get through to Butch in Season 4. Admittedly, she did whack him in the face with a spiked weapon with enough force to knock him to the ground, but it was a last resort after he went after her. She promised that she would go back for him, and her return to his life -- or death, as the case may be for Gotham's zombie bad guy -- could certainly kick off some evolution that brings Butch Gilzean and Solomon Grundy together in one man. That should make for an intense twist, although at least he has two hands now.
For more on what makes Solomon Grundy tick on Gotham, check out this exclusive clip that will be featured with the digital season pass for Gotham Season 4:
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You can catch more of Drew Powell as Solomon Grundy in new episodes of Gotham on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. For your other viewing options, swing by our fall TV guide. If you're not up on the shows that won't be back, take a look at our breakdown of 2017 TV cancellations.
Laura turned a lifelong love of television into a valid reason to write and think about TV on a daily basis. She's not a doctor, lawyer, or detective, but watches a lot of them in primetime. CinemaBlend's resident expert and interviewer for One Chicago, the galaxy far, far away, and a variety of other primetime television. Will not time travel and can cite multiple TV shows to explain why. She does, however, want to believe that she can sneak references to The X-Files into daily conversation (and author bios).
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