The past few days have been wild for DC fans, particularly fans of DC television. Sure, HBO’s Lanterns has been absolutely crushing it each week with its gritty murder mystery that just so happens to also be a superhero show but that’s not what we’re talking about. We’re looking ahead to the next television series in the DCU, The People v. Gorilla Grodd. The Superman spinoff is currently in production and while the series will see Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) dabble in a little true crime docuseries action, what’s really been the hot topic is the villain presumably at the center of the “crime”, Gorilla Grodd. Various set photos and videos have emerged from the show’s production that have given us truly insane (in the best way) glimpses of one of DC’s biggest villains and it’s great.
Videos by ComicBook.com
But for as much fun as it’s been to see Grodd out and about town, singing in an acapella group, riding a scooter, decked out in graduation gear, and more and while it’s all giving us some The CW vibes in the best possible way, those images and videos have also raised a lot of questions about what is actually going on with this series. After all, this Grodd guy looks like he’s just out having a good time and being a delight, not doing crime. And it’s that element of all of this that has me thinking that I might have figured out what is really going on with The People v. Gorilla Grodd — and Grodd having the time of his life might actually serve a much darker purpose.
I’m Convinced Gorilla Grodd is Up to No Good (And Honestly, That Would Make So Much Sense)
Back in August, we finally got our first concrete details about the series, including not only its title, but it’s plot. Per the series description, in The People v. Gorilla Grodd, a superintelligent ape (Grodd) is convicted of murdering his father, the King of Gorilla City. The Daily Planet’s Jimmy Olsen reopens the case for an eight-part “true” crime docuseries to examine if Grodd was wrongly convicted in what is described as “one of Metropolis’ most famous murder trials.” Now, while that premise might suggest that Grodd is actually in prison when we start the series and what we are seeing is background from before the “crime”, it’s also possible that something else is going on: Grodd might be doing all these wholesome and delightful things to manipulate public perception in furtherance of a much larger nefarious plot.
If you know anything about comics, then you know that sounds like something Grodd would do. The character first appeared in The Flash #106 in 1959 and has been a problem (particularly for The Flash) ever since. He is a massively intelligent gorilla — we’re talking smartest being on the planet intelligent here — who also has telepathic and mind control abilities and is massively physically powerful as well. He is most frequently portrayed as wanting to take over the world, enslaving humans to his will as he sees humans as inferior and, frankly, he wouldn’t mind wiping them all out. He also has no problem turning on his fellow apes, especially those that get in the way of his quest for power. Now, you might look at how brutal Grodd is and be asking why a charm attack would be his play and that loops back to his hyper intelligence. If Grodd has been put on trial and/or convicted for murder and forced to bend to human law and order, he is clever enough to come up with an alternate plan: win the humans over and then betray them.
Think about it: if Grodd sees humans as dumb and inferior and easily controlled, why wouldn’t he take advantage of the attention on him to present himself in a fun, wholesome light to further the idea that he couldn’t possibly be the monster they think he is? The singing, dancing, and scootering could be an attempt to convince people that Gorilla Grodd is just like them and deserves grace and a second chance. And, once he gets it, all hell could break loose. And frankly, that would be a great story and also hilarious. In addition to Gisondo returning as Jimmy, we know that the series will also see Beck Bennet come back as Steve Lombard, Mikaela Hoover return as Cat Grant, and Wendell Pierce return as Perry White. If the work they’re doing with the docuseries ends up opening the door for Grodd to pull some villainy, seeing this group scramble to expose him would be hilarious — and The People v. Gorilla Grodd is supposed to be a comedy. It would ultimately make for a great way to bring a strange but terrifying villain into the DCU in the most entertaining way possible.
The People v. Gorilla Grodd is currently in production and does not yet have a release date — but we are so ready for when it arrives.
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