'The Penguin' nails Arkham's dark side, but fans have a real problem with one character
Contains spoilers for 'The Penguin'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Just when we think HBO's 'The Penguin' has peaked, it surprises us with another episode that raises the bar even higher. Whether it's a deep dive into Gotham's underworld or the exploration of the lesser-known character Sofia Falcone, this 'The Batman' spin-off has been a real treat for fans. Episode 4 of 'The Penguin' has yet again astonished us with a raw, and extremely disturbing portrayal of Arkham Asylum—one that even Todd Phillips's 'Joker' franchise couldn't deliver.
In the recent episode of 'The Penguin, released on Sunday, October 13, we get a sneak peek into how Sofia (Cristin Milioti) ended up in the asylum. However, it contains a twist worth your time and attention. (Major spoiler ahead) It turns out that The Hangman was Carmine Falcone, and when Sofia discovered the truth, he framed her and had her sent to the asylum. Sofia was betrayed by her own family, denied the opportunity for a trial, and spent a decade in the asylum for crimes she never committed.
'The Penguin' shows the much darker reality of Arkham Asylum
Arkham Asylum houses the mentally ill criminals of Gotham City. This facility has been portrayed in several DC movies and TV shows, serving as a prison for many of Batman's foes. The history of the asylum in the comics is dark and disturbing, characterized by questionable practices, such as the electrocution of patients
'The Penguin' dedicates one episode to show Sofia's life in the asylum. The drops and electrocution aren't even the worst things happening within the four walls. The deep level of corruption that leads to an innocent person suffering for a decade is what makes The Penguin’s asylum even more twisted.
From Sofia's arrest to the team of psychiatrists obeying Carmine's orders to portray her as a killer, and even giving her the chance to murder an inmate—only for her to still be labeled a killer when she refused — it’s all deeply disturbing.
Fans hail The Penguin's version of Arkham
Forget 'Joker', 'The Penguin' has just set the bar too high for all the upcoming DC projects with attention to detail and bringing forth much convincing, raw, and twisted depiction of characters, places, and events.
Shortly after 'The Penguin' Episode 4 was aired, a fan took to Reddit and wrote, "Yeah this is the most disturbing version of Arkham I've seen. The reality of it is what makes it scary." Another fan added, "It was so realistic and messed up. The situation that happened to Sofia was just traumatic and horrific. Fantastic presentation of Arkham that being said."
One impressed Reddit user commented, "It was the best depiction of Arkham in live-action. The atmosphere and the actors were incredible. We've seen asylums in other works (Gotham, American Horror Story) and they are always over the top and unbelievable. But the Arkham interns in this episode really looked insane." "I agree, this version was real and raw and demented," reads another comment.
Fans call out Batman after watching 'The Penguin'
The scary depiction of Arkham has made fans call out their favorite superhero. Since Batman puts away his mentally ill rivals into the asylum, fans now want better treatment for these villains. Someone wrote, "It makes it feel much more uncomfortable to imagine Batman putting criminals in Arkham. Like, is it really helping anything to beat the shit out of people and get them locked up in that nightmare?"
"Hopefully he starts investigating and putting an end to that corrupt shithole in the next movie, give the people there a chance to come out the other end healed instead of as supervillains," wrote another fan. That said, Episode 4 has easily become our favorite of the series so far and is available to stream on Max.
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