The Penguin Episode 4 “Cent’Anni” put a major spotlight on Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) and the backstory of why she ended up being committed to Arkham Asylum for ten years. All eyes were definitely on Sofia during the episode – which was a perfect opportunity to continue setting up another big Batman villain who may be hiding in plain sight.
Twisted Medicine
The Penguin Episode 4 framed the flashback to Sofia’s time in Arkham around a concussive head wound she received during her scuffle with Penguin (Colin Farrell) and the goons with Nadia Maroni (Shohreh Aghdashloo). An unconscious Sofia is reduced and cared for by Dr. Julian Rush (Theo Rossi), whom she formed an unusually intimate bond with while at Arkham.
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In Penguin Episode 2 we saw Rush using a red-light therapy on Sofia to trigger horrific trauma fantasies of being locked in Arkham and her brother Alberto Falcone dying. This led to fan theories that “Julian Rush” is just another name-change for The Batman Universe, and that we’re seeing a new origin for classic Batman villain Dr. Hugo Strange – possibly Dr. Jonathan Crane (aka The Scarecrow). The Penguin Episode 4 only fuels that theory further: When she’s back on her feet, Sofia calls out Julian’s true nature: his curiosity at watching someone’s mind get broken; having complete control over that individual, and missing that level of control. It solidifies a dark bond between Sofia and Julian – as the mob princess’s next act is to go out and slaughter almost her entire crime family, based on Julian’s unwitting advice.
At the moment, however, both fan theories about Julian Rush’s villainous future in The Batman Universe seem equally plausible. The kind of psychological blueprint we’re getting for the character certainly makes him seem like the mind-manipulating sadist that is Hugo Strange – and truthfully, the more grounded versions of Strange seem like a villain much more suited for Matt Reeves’ take on Batman lore.
On the other hand: The Penguin Episode 3 introduced a new drug called “Bliss” to the streets of Gotham, manufactured by Sofia Falcone and distributed by Penguin. Many fans saw the psychotropic mushroom Bliss is made from as a calling card that Poison Ivy (or rather Dr. Pamela Isley) is lurking in the shadows of Arkham; however, there have been conflicting theories that the engineering of Bliss – a drug that creates an unparalleled level of euphoria in users – would inevitably lead to the creation of an opposing drug, which sparks unparalleled levels of fear in users.
Hearing about Julian Rush’s obsession with playing god with the minds of others – and knowing that he was partially in control of using Bliss to pacify Arkham’s inmates – it seems increasingly plausible that he could take a turn into using Gotham as his lab, watching human minds unravel in the dystopian world left after the Riddler’s attack. It would be an interesting new take on The Scarecrow – not to mention a strong way to tie the events of The Penguin to The Batman 2.
The Penguin airs new episodes on HBO and streams on Max.
