“The Penguin”, episode 4, gave us a completely new protagonist in Sofia Falcone

Up until this point, it felt like the Penguin was just a sleazy underboss trying to get to the top, but perhaps with a heart of gold. But in the Batman world. His contrast would be the different crime families in which he played, but especially Sofia Falcone, who hid the fact that he killed her brother and tried to take advantage of her. After her time in Arkham, when she was convicted as a serial killer, she would rise to power herself.

Episode 4…changed things quite a bit. Spoilers follow.

Not only has Sofia already figured out that Oz killed her brother and has been playing her since the beginning, but it now feels like Sofia Falcone is the real protagonist of The Penguin that we should be excited about here . Oz may care about Victor and a few other people here and there, but Sofia does I really didn't do anything wrong. And even after murdering a house full of people, she did it I really didn't do anything wrong.

We learn her full backstory, and while “backstory” episodes can be pretty hit and miss, this episode is a doozy and an Emmy-worthy turn for Cristin Milioti. As it turns out, Sofia stumbled upon the unfortunate truth that her father had apparently murdered a number of prostitutes, presumably those with whom he was having affairs, and disguised their strangulations as executions by suicide. But then Sofia Also realizes that her own mother's suicide was also a murder committed by him.

Oz reveals her to Carmine because she spoke, albeit briefly, to the press where she learned facts about the case, and she is forced to confront her father. Whether Oz intended this or not (it doesn't seem that way), Carmine throws her into Arkham and bends the family and the legal system to his will, keeping her there for a decade. She is completely sane, but is becoming at least somewhat insane after years of abuse, although now that she has resurfaced she is bent on cold revenge, even if her father himself is dead.

The scene where Sofia is almost instantly transformed from mafia socialite to Arkham inmate, complete with stripping, squirting and cavity searches, is harrowing, and now I completely understand why there was originally the plan to create an entire series based on her time in Arkham is relegated to this flashback. Funnily enough, we're briefly introduced to another minor Batman villain, Magpie, who Sofia eventually beats to death after believing she was a spy (it's unclear if she was a spy, but it didn't seem that way to me).

The episode ends with a wild moment in which Sofia kills her entire extended family via carbon monoxide poisoning at her uncle's mansion, sparing only her cousin and Johnny Vitti's young daughter, presumably to cement her rise to power. Incredible sequence. Incredible episode.

Now, of course, she's going to get revenge on Oz, and there's certainly no coming back from this relationship now that she knows he killed her brother. But after last night I don't understand how we… don't want Sofia to win? She deserves it, and Oz is a self-serving traitor.

But that's what it's all about, isn't it? He is the penguin. Batman villains aren't usually known for being heroes, and Colin Farrell himself has repeatedly warned viewers not to feel too insecure about Penguin. He promises something particularly brutal in episode 8, whatever that may be.

I think that's great. I don't need Oz to be a misunderstood gangster hero. I don't need Sofia to be an evil mafia queen. The change in that dynamic as we saw last night was outstanding and I can't wait to see more. I'm becoming more and more convinced that The Penguin could be the greatest superhero series we've ever seen if it manages to stick the landing.

Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, And Instagram.

Get my science fiction novels Herokiller series And The Earthborn Trilogy.