The Penguin: Who’s the Real Hangman Killer in the HBO Show?

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for The Penguin Episode 4, “Cent’Anni.”

While The Penguin‘s first three episodes see Sofia Falcone branded as the Hangman serial killer, the Bat-Verse spinoff’s fourth installment, “Cent’Anni,” reveals she’s innocent. So, who’s the real Hangman in The Penguin?

Who’s the Real Hangman Killer in The Penguin?

It’s never stated outright, but The Penguin Episode 4 strongly implies that Sofia’s late father, Carmine Falcone, was the real Hangman. As Sofia learns from Gotham Gazette reporter Summer Gleeson, there’s a mountain of circumstantial evidence tying Carmine to a decade’s worth of hangings – including the apparent suicide of Sofia’s mother, Isabella. Notably, all of the women (apart for Sofia’s mom) worked at a nightclub bankrolled by Carmine, the Iceberg Lounge. They also showed signs of manual strangulation and had defensive wounds on their fingers. The latter hits home with Sofia especially hard, as Carmine had unexplained scratches on his face they day her mother supposedly hanged herself.

Related: The Penguin: What’s the Deal with Sofia Falcone’s Neck Scratches?

So, why did Carmine Falcone carry out the Hangman killings? Well, for starters, he’s hardly the greatest guy in Gotham City. As the head of Gotham’s most powerful crime family, Carmine kills anyone who causes him problems without giving it a second thought. So, at least some of Carmine’s victims presumably died to protect his shady business interests. That said, the possible murder of Isabella – who seemingly posed little threat to the Falcone underworld empire – hints that Carmine’s motivations stretched beyond self-interest. Indeed, it seems that The Penguin‘s Carmine got his kicks from hurting women, regardless of whether they’d provoked him or not. This marks a distinct break from the show’s DC Comics source material, where Carmine’s kids are the serial killers, not him!

Are There Any Hints Carmine Is the Hangman in The Batman?

Yes, although they’ve very subtle. Certainly, we never see Carmine stage any hangings in The Batman, nor is the “Hangman” nickname mentioned. That said, he does strangle Iceberg Lounge waitress Annika Kosolov and nearly bumps off Selina Kyle/Catwoman in similar fashion shortly before his death. What’s more, dialogue in The Batman makes it clear that Falcone killed Selina’s mother, Maria, the same way. So, from the very start, the Bat-Verse’s version of Carmine was someone not above killing women – if anything, he derived sadistic pleasure from it – and relied on strangulation as his go-to murder method. That’s a pretty good fit for the Hangman!

Related: The Penguin: Why Did the HBO Series Recast Carmine Falcone?

Plus, there’s an exchange between Falcone and Batman in The Batman that suggests the latter committed some pretty dark deeds prior to the movie proper. “You think you’re gonna scare me with that mask and that cape?” Falcone says. “I’m gonna start crying and all of a sudden, some big secret’s coming out? Let me tell you something. Whatever I know, whatever I’ve done, it’s all going with me to my grave.” Could this be Falcone’s way of nodding to his history of faux-hangings? Don’t rule it out!

The Penguin is currently streaming on HBO and Max, with new episodes dropping Sundays.