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Sofia Falcone in an Arkham uniform in The Penguin

The Penguin: Why Was Sofia Falcone in Arkham Asylum?

The Penguin introduces Sofia Falcone in the first episode of the series. However, the character has a complicated history. When we meet her for the first time in the show, it’s revealed that she has just recently been released from Arkham Asylum. So, why was she there?

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Why Was The Penguin’s Sofia Falcone in Arkham Asylum?

Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone in The Penguin

At around the halfway mark of the hour-long series premiere of The Penguin, Oz Cobb is surprised to see Sofia Falcone at the home of the crime family. The character, portrayed by Cristin Milioti, states that she’s been “rehabilitated” and was released from Arkham. The mental institution was introduced in The Batman and was shown to be where criminals such as The Riddler and Joker are kept. While viewers are initially unsure of why Sofia was kept at Arkham, it’s later hinted at when she and Oz go out for dinner.

While having dinner with Oz in The Penguin, Sofia is clearly being stared at by other patrons of the fancy restaurant. It’s with this observation that she remarks that people are probably in disbelief of the fact that a “psycho killer is just roaming free.” She then remarks on the moniker given to her of “The Hangman” and how she was forced to read everything in the papers about her murderous acts. So, the reason for Sofia’s incarceration at Arkham is due to her being a serial killer known as The Hangman.

Related: The Penguin: Is Victor Aguilar a Character From DC Comics?

The Hangman was introduced in the Batman comic book Dark Victory, which featured Sofia Falcone as the killer. The comic featured Sofia, you guessed it, hanging her victims and leaving clues similar to the word game Hangman. Dark Victory is considered a classic as it’s a sequel to The Long Halloween, and it makes sense that Matt Reeve’s Batman universe would pull a gritty serial killer character from the comics to keep the rouges gallery grounded.

And that’s why The Penguin‘s Sofia Falcone was in Arkham Asylum.

The Penguin releases new episodes on Sundays on HBO and Max.


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Author
Image of Ernesto Valenzuela
Ernesto Valenzuela
Ernesto Valenzuela is a Freelance Entertainment writer for The Escapist. For the past seven years, he has covered various festivals, movies, television, and video games for outlets such as /Film, Collider, and DiscussingFilm. In 2020, he received a Bachelor's Degree in Digital Media Production from the University of Texas at El Paso. When he’s not explaining why Metal Gear Solid 2 is the greatest game ever made, you can probably find him catching up on the One Piece anime.