Cent’Anni
Episode 4 of The Penguin starts with us in the alleyway, with Oz and Sofia blindisded by Nadia. She decides to make Oz pay for his betrayal. She’s going to take the lab, and brings up how he showed up at the prison striking a deal. She also reveals that Penguin killed Alberto, which breaks Sofia’s heart. Oz tries to talk himself out of this, while Sofia stares daggers through him, until Victor shows.
As for Sofia, she rings Dr Julian Rush and asks for his help, but not before claiming that Oz is responsible for what’s happened. This is a betrayal that cuts deep for her, especially when flashbacks shed more light on Oz and Sofia’s ties.
They have good banter together while he works as her driver, but Sofia is still reeling over the death of her mother. At a fundraiser, a reporter, Summer Gleeson, points out that she’s just one of many women who have commit suicide by hanging. This is something made all the harder to swallow given Sofia was there and happened to be the one who found her mother hanging.
This small act has worked to drive Sofia’s character but her devotion to family is unquestionable. In fact, as the years pass, Carmine speaks to Sofia in confidence and decides they should break tradition. He wants her to take over as head of the family when he passes. This is something she’s been wanting, especially after we hear a sly dig earlier on with Penguin, claiming she’s not eligible for a promotion because of her gender. Sofia has an itch she can’t scratch though, and it stems from Carmine’s past, and all these girls that have died.
Sofia meets with Gleeson, determined to get to the bottom of what’s happened. The official cause of death is hanging but the impressions around the neck, given the crime-scene photos she pores over, seem to indicate strangulation. The police missed this off, and also evidence of fighting back. Summer wants access to the club records, believing it’ll protect the women. Now, it turns out her own mother had the same marks under her fingernails too, but Sofia gets spooked. She threatens Summer, lashes out at Oz who warns her away from this, and heads home.
Sofia is reprimanded by Carmine not long after, as Penguin spills the details about her meet with Summer Gleeson. The police believe Carmine is the murderer, and that meeting with Gleeson has undermined her chances of succeeding in the family. That night, Sofia is arrested for murder. She’s stuck with the Hangman moniker and, sadly, thrown under the bus. She’s locked up in Arkham, and needs to be there for six months before trial. There’s nothing anybody can do, and Alberto sees her off, trying to rile her up with last words of: “Don’t let him win.”
Sofia’s mental state is fragile, and alongside a psychological evaluation, she’s also the talk of the hospital too. She’s called Hangman and ends up making a friend in Magpie, her cellmate. This is also where we see Bliss, and how it keeps inmates docile and under control. Well, apart from one woman. It seems that someone on the inside set her free to go after Sofia, who’s beaten down to a pulp.
Dr Julian Rush shows up the next day and questions Sofia’s story about being framed for murder. He claims to be here to help her but it’s hard to know right now if he’s being truthful. He and the officer in charge, Dr Ventris, try to goad her into killing a fellow inmate, but when that fails, they instead start electro-shock therapy on her.
Sofia does her best to hold it together, until Alberto shows and claims that the trial is off. Ventris and Rush have decided she’s not mentally fit to stand trial. Despite six months passing, she realizes that she could well spend the rest of her life in Arkham. Sofia snaps in the mess hall and eventually beats a fellow inmate, Magpie, to a pulp.
Fast forward to the present, and Julian is there to help Sofia. She hasn’t forgotten that he abandoned her to Dr Ventris and his sick games behind bars. He wants her to get a fresh start and after getting patched up, she agrees. And that’s precisely what she does. She shows up in a bright dress, in the middle of Luca’s big family speech commemorating Alberto, and calls them out for backstabbing her. Sofia announces she’s turning her back on the family too, deciding that she’s going to have a brand new beginning, on her own terms.
That night, Sofia heads into the greenhouse to eat cake with Gia. She’s the little girl from the dinner table earlier on, and the only one who looked at Sofia with any kindness. The pair sleep in the greenhouse that night, and in the morning we understand why.
It turns out Sofia gassed out the entire house, killing everyone inside. This also contextualizes the scene we saw of Sofia keeping her window half open that night prior to this. The only one still alive is Johnny, whom Sofia shows up to see that morning, and tells him they need to talk.
The Episode Review
Penguin returns this week for an episode that focuses exclusively on Sofia and, specifically, the themes of trust and family loyalty. This is something that Sofia takes very seriously and her history with her family is evidence of that. Oz has always been opportunistic, but hearing him being the one who killed Alberto is a step too far for her, given he was the only one who believed in her and wanted to help.
Sofia is a woman scorned by her family turning their back on her, and this episode we see her get her revenge in the most brutal way possible. However, Sofia is not a complete monster either, given she saves Gia before offing everyone else in one fell swoop. This scene in particular is so well orchestrated, and it speaks to the writing in this series, which has been surprising good throughout.
The acting is excellent and the little nods to Batman and, in particular, Arkham, are certainly appreciated. Quite where we go from here on out is anyone’s guess, but judging by what we’ve seen here, it’s clear that this conflict is far from over. And this time, Sofia means business.
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