Sofia Falcone’s Arkham Asylum release is … well, interesting

Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) is in Arkham on The Penguin. Or at least that’s what Oz Cobb (Colin Farrell) thinks until she shows up at her family’s home. But why exactly was Sofia in Arkham in the first place? The show lets us know a bit about it.

No one wants to go to Arkham Asylum. It is the birthplace of characters like Harley Quinn thanks to Harleen Quinzel’s patient, the Joker, and just genuinely seems terrifying. The forensic psychiatric hospital is actually meant to rehabilitate people, a fact that Sofia mentions in the first episode of The Penguin.

Sofia, the other daughter of Carmine Falcone, is seemingly trying to take her place as the don of the Falcone family after the death of her brother, Alberto Falcone (Michael Zegen). Her reappearance in the family isn’t great for Oz given the fact that he is the one who killed Alberto, but Sofia’s journey in the first episode is interesting. She’s free from Arkham and ready to take on anyone who stands in her way.

But we don’t know much else about why Sofia was there aside from the murders she was accused of. This is probably why Oz, of all people, is shocked she made it out of Arkham. This little tease does give comic fans a lot to unpack because we know who Sofia Falcone is.

She is also known as “The Hangman,” after all, a bit of comic lore that fans will appreciate. So, let’s talk about this serial killer’s comic book background a little.

The comic take on “The Hangman”

The Hangman in the comics kills cops, so some may not see her as a real villain, especially in Gotham. But the cops in Gotham are incredibly corrupt, with the exception of Jim Gordon, who works with Batman more than his own detectives to solve crimes. As The Hangman, Sofia killed cops on holidays and would use the game “Hangman” to taunt those trying to catch her.

Her victims in the comics were a mix of corrupt cops and other “straight” law enforcement agents who all contributed to Harvey Dent’s rise to power. In fact, she attempts to kill Harvey Dent but, eventually, Two-Face is the one who kills The Hangman.

Sure, that brings up the question of Harvey Dent and his history in Matt Reeves’ Gotham, but we also don’t know how much this take on Sofia Falcone is pulling from the comics. She could be the same woman or maybe they’re giving her a different backstory altogether.

We don’t know yet if this Sofia is the same as comic-accurate Sofia Falcone, so until we know more, I’m more interested in how she handles Oz Cobb’s lust for power.