The Penguin breaks its rhythm in episode 4 with an outing that’s almost entirely a flashback. With Sofia Falcone at its center, we finally find out her links to the Hangman, how she ended up in Arkham, and just what her history with Oz Cobb really is. Powered by a tour-de-force performance from Cristin Milioti, it’s a stunningly crafted and deeply disturbing episode of The Batman spin-off.
Below, we take a deep dive into exactly what happens in the latest episode, breaking down the biggest revelations, as well as some of the deep-cut Easter eggs you might have missed. Naturally, we’ll be getting into spoiler-territory when dissecting this so make sure you’re up to date before reading on. And while you’re here, check out our guides to The Penguin timeline and our The Penguin release schedule while you’re at it.
The Penguin episode 4 recap
The latest episode of The Penguin begins in the thick of the confrontation with the Maroni family with Oz and Sofia being held at gunpoint outside of the Iceberg Lounge. It’s quickly revealed that Oz has betrayed Sofia as Nadia Maroni confirms that it was him who killed her brother, as he grovels for his life. Thankfully, Victor Aguilar arrives in time, knocking Nadia down and allowing both of them to escape.
We then get a flashback to Sofia’s story in the lead up to her Arkham incarceration. It begins with her at a fundraising event in honor of her later mother, Isabella Falcone, back when Oz was still her driver. We learn that her mother killed herself by suicide, as a journalist approaches her to ask about a series of suicides by hanging that have taken place over the past few months. All of the women worked at the Iceberg Lounge, which her father owns. Suspicious right?
Back at home with Falcones, Sofia and Alberto are being quizzed about their businesses, while Sofia still mulls over the circumstances of her mother’s death. Carmine Falcone tells her that he wants her to take over as the head of the family, which she accepts. However, the tone quickly escalates when she mentions that she never remembers her mother being sick. Sofia is clearly doubting her memories of this time.
Sofia makes the fatal mistake of trusting Oz as she starts questioning her father’s actions, first to Alberto and then meeting with a journalist who shares insights into the coroner reports. All the evidence points to self defence on the victims, as Sofia remembers her father having injuries too on the night they found her mother.
At her father’s birthday party, things go from bad to worse for Sofia as it becomes clear that Oz has betrayed her to get a leg up in the business. Her father tells her that she’s clearly not herself when she asks him how he got his wounds on the night in question. Oz drives her home, but they’re stopped on the way by the cops. Sofia is being taken to Arkham for the crimes of the Hangman.
Alberto says he’ll get her out of there whatever it takes, but she begins her stint under the watchful eyes of Dr. Ventris and Dr. Julian Rush (who we’ve already seen in the present day). Sofia has a very rough time of it as she thinks she’ll be in there for only six months, but things go from bad to worse when she meets her fellow inmates.
We see the other patients, including Sofia’s neighbor Magpie, taking the drops too, giving a bit of a clearer insight into how she got the idea for the drugs. She doesn’t linger long on this though before one of the inmates who isn’t chained approaches her and beats her up. She’s then given a chance for revenge, handed a fork by the guards to kill the inmate who attacked her. She can’t do it, but the inmate instead takes the fork and kills herself. Sofia is taken for electric shock therapy as weeks turn into months and she begins to lose her grip more and more on reality.
At the six months mark, Alberto reveals that she’s not getting out yet and, even worse, will be stuck in there without a trial. "I’ll get you out of here," he tells her, as she heads back into the hospital where Magpie is waiting for her. But Sofia is now paranoid, thinking that she’s been spying on her. She kills Magpie, slamming her head against the canteen table.
We then cut to the present day when Sofia is recovering on Rush’s couch, revealing the Oz betrayal. She then asks him about their time in Arkham. "What did it feel like to watch a person unravel?" Sofia questions him, revealing she was in Arkham for 10 years. Men are always lying to her, she says.
Sofia then goes to the Falcone home, where everyone is sitting for dinner, to confront them about betraying her. "I trusted you, I loved you, and yet not one of you tried to help me," she tells them all. Sofia then starts her plot for vengeance, taking Camille’s young girl outside to the greenhouse where they have a sleepover. When she’s fast asleep, Sofia goes back inside and gases all of her family, killing them all – apart from her uncle.
The Penguin episode 4 Easter eggs
Summer Gleeson: Summer Gleeson, the journalist who confronts Sofia at her mother’s fundraiser, works for the Gotham Gazette, which is the major newspaper in the city in both the comic books and in the wider The Batman series. She’s also a character in Batman: The Animated Series who makes it her work mission to find out who the Batman really is.
Carmine Falcone: Carmine Falcone returns from the dead for a series of flashbacks in The Penguin episode 4. However, he looks a bit different this time around. He’s played by Mark Strong instead of John Turturro in the show because the original actor had scheduling conflicts.
Dr Ventris: Sofia’s psychiatrist Dr Ventris has some potential comic book links. There’s a character in the Batman comics called Floyd Ventris, who was a criminal who served time at Gotham State Penitentiary, before taking on the villainous identity of Mirror Man.
Magpie: Another character who Sofia encounters in Arkham is Magpie, a DC supervillain who targeted jewels. First introduced in 1986’s The Man of Steel #3, the character has been an adversary to Superman and Batman over the years. However, after she meets an untimely end here, it seems her criminal days are over.
The Penguin airs weekly on Sky and NOW in the UK. and on HBO and Max in the US. Read our The Penguin review to hear our verdict.
For more streaming picks, read our lists of the best movies on Max and the best shows on Max that you can watch right now.
