Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode 4 of The Penguin.
Summary
Episode 4 ofThe Penguinwas one to remember. Audiences finally learned more about Sofia Falcone’s backstory at Arkham Asylum and watched as she enacted her plan, which has dire consequences for the series moving forward.
The Penguinis the first spin-off series set in Matt Reeves' world ofThe Batman. Set slightly after the events of the 2022 superhero film,The Penguinfollows breakout star Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot, aka the Penguin, who is trying to cement his place among the crime bosses of Gotham. Following the death of Carmine Falcone inThe Batman, the city’s criminal underworld is in chaos and Oz sees this as his chance to climb the ranks. Throwing a wrench into his plan isthe return of Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti), Carmine’s daughter, who has desires to take over her family’s criminal empire.
Sofia Falcone’s Backstory Revealed
When Sofia Falcone first appears inThe Penguinit’s revealed that she’s been locked up in Arkham Asylum for a decade on murder charges. These actions have earned her the name of the Hangman, although her family still wants to dismiss her as a lunatic who has no place running the Falcone business.
In Episode 4 ofThe Penguintitled “Cente’Anni”, Sofia’s full backstory is finally revealed. As a young girl, Sofia walked in on her mother’s body after she’d hung herself, but years later she finds reason to believe that her mother didn’t commit suicide. After talking to a reporter, Sofia suspects her father,Carmine Falcone (played by Mark Strong), had something to do with her mother’s death, along with the murders of several other women. All the women had died from apparent suicide by hanging, but they had evidence of strangulation and bloody scratches on their hands - similar to Sofia’s mother.
After Oz, who was Sofia’s driver at the time, revealed to her father she had spoken to a reporter he confronted her about it. Sofia reveals her suspicions about his involvement in her mother’s death and, in retaliation, Carmine sends his corrupt police officers to imprison her and pins all the murders on her. Hence,Sofia Falcone becomes known as The Hangman, by the press. Sofia is thrown into Arkham Asylum for six months until she can go to trial and is quickly targeted and attacked by the inmates. She also makes a friend in the next cell, named Magpie (Marié Botha). Despite her claims of innocence, it quickly becomes apparent that Sofia’s doctors,Dr. Julian Rush (Theo Rossi)and Dr. Ventris, do not have her best interests at heart. After many forced sessions of electro-convulsive therapy, Sofia endures a mental breakdown.
This only becomes worse after her brother, Alberto, visits her at Arkham to reveal that she won’t be going to trial. Her doctors have falsely attested to her violence and psychopathic mental state, and all her family have written false letters of support, condemning her to a decade in Arkham Asylum.
What Happens at the End of The Penguin Episode 4?
When Sofia returns from Arkham Asylum she claims she is rehabilitated, but her family continues to push the narrative that she is mentally unstable in order to keep her from becoming head of the family. This doesn’t stop Sofia from enacting her plan inThe PenguinEpisode 4. Arriving unannounced at a family dinner, Sofia proposes a toast, reminding her family of the murders they pinned on her and how not a single one stood up for her,apart from her brother Alberto. She ends her toast with the words “Cent’anni”, which means “100 years”, suggesting that they all may live 100 years.
Later that night, Sofia leads her young cousin Gia down to the greenhouse with the promise of cake. They spend the night there, with Sofia promising it will be a fun sleepover, like the ones she and her brother used to have. In the morning, before Gia awakens, Sofia returns to the house with a gas mask on. Overnight, it’s revealed that Sofia has closed all the doors and windows and pumped the house full of toxic gas, killing every family member inside.
Which Characters Live and Die?
The PenguinEpisode 4has one of the highest body counts in the series yet. Sofia’s plan effectively kills every significant member of her family who was gathered at the dinner, including her uncle Luca, his wife (who was having an affair with Johnny), and Gia’s parents. However, one family member was specifically left alive thanks to an open window. The episode ends when Sofia walks into Johnny’s (Michael Kelly) room with a gun, telling him to put some pants on so they can talk.
Sofia’s plan effectively grants her revenge on all the family members who dismissed her and condemned her to a life in Arkham. Keeping Johnny alive was likely a strategic move. As a mob boss, Johnny knows all the players in the crime underworld and with Sofia now in control, she’ll want him to help her rise to power. Gia is the only other surviving family member, although she is now an orphan, so it’s unclear what her future will be. One thing is for sure, Sofia still needs toenact revenge on the Penguin, particularly now that she knows he killed her brother, Alberto. Given how swiftly Sofia dispatched her entire family, Oz will certainly have to fight to escape her wrath in the episodes to come.
The PenguinEpisodes 1-4 are available to watch on Max. New episodes air on Sunday nights.
The Penguin
Cast
Created by Lauren LeFranc and starring Colin Farrell, The Penguin builds on 2022’s The Batman. The Max series chronicles the eponymous villain’s attempt to reach Gotham’s criminal peak, rising through the underworld in the middle of a power struggle.
