‘The Penguin’: The Story Behind Sofia Falcone’s Time At Arkham State Hospital & Why It Was Important To “See Her Driven Mad”
deadline.comSPOILER ALERT! This story contains details from Sunday’s episode of The Penguin on HBO. If HBO’s adaptation about the classic DC villain can be described as dark, then the fourth episode titled “Cent’Anni” is a straight-up black hole because it explains how Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) became the maleficent foe to Colin Farrell’s Oz Cobbs.
Though cent’anni is a common Italian toast to 100 years of good health, no one is exactly celebrating the decision to commit Sofia to Arkham State Hospital after she questions her father’s role in her mother’s death.
There, Sofia is subjected to relentless amounts of torture, which makes the violence so far on The Penguin seem relatively civilized in comparison. (And it was only supposed to last for six months!) But no matter how upsetting it was to watch Sofia get repeatedly zapped in shock treatment, it was important for Showrunner Lauren LeFranc to show what turned the Hangman into someone that Oz should fear. “I really like storytelling that takes a pause on plot and lets you dive deeper into a character.
If you’re engaging the audience properly, people should be willing to go on a ride with you,” LeFranc tells Deadline. “It probably felt odd to spend time with Sofia when we’re in a show called The Penguin.
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