Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Penguin Episode 4.
The penguin has only revealed a villain in it The Batman universe that is even worse than the Riddler or the Joker. At the time of The penguin By the end of episode 4, the entire series up to that point had been recontextualized. The character who many thought was shaping up to be the villain of the show, The penguinSophia Falcone/Hangman, is actually revealed to be an incredibly tragic figure, driven by her decade-long stay in Arkham Asylum.
Via The penguinArkham Asylum’s storyline, Sofia’s storyline is massively massive. Not only does it allow the character to become immensely more investable, but it also allows Christine Milioti to establish herself alongside Colin Farrell as an exceptional performer in The penguins ensemble cast. Hanging over this storyline, however, is one of the biggest villains in the whole of The Batman Universe. More so than unhinged madmen like Riddler or Joker, the villain in question has connections that make them far more effective as a compelling antagonist.
The Batman Universe’s Worst Villain Isn’t Riddler or Joker, It’s Carmine Falcone
Sofia’s father is always evil, but the penguin makes him deplorable
The villain who is established as the worst in The Batman universe so far is Carmine Falcone. Played by John Turturro in The BatmanFalcone is always shown to be a bad guy, from his killing of people tied to Thomas Wayne – and potentially the Waynes themselves – to his murder of Catwoman’s mother and attempted murder of Selina. however, The penguin provides Carmine Falcone, this time recast as Mark Strong, with a story that moves him beyond any redemption or sympathy Given how he treats his own family.
Related
in The penguin Episode 4, it is revealed that Carmine killed more women than was presented in The Batman. To make things worse, he framed the innocent Sophia, his daughter, for the murders, and used his immense wealth and connections to have her admitted to Arkham Asylum and basically tortured into insanity for ten years. Given how much The penguin Episode 4 makes audiences care about Sofia, the crimes are much more personal and therefore much more shameful.
The Riddler’s initial motivations were somewhat sympathetic as he was fighting for the poor citizens of Gotham, but The Batman Highlight how he took things too far. The penguin Also did this by showing that Riddler’s crimes affected the people he apparently protected, like Victor. This retroactively makes Riddler a bigger villain, but his worst actions are on a bigger scale. Carmine’s crimes in The penguin Episode 4 are familial, making the sense of betrayal run deeper and making him the most despicable villain in The Batman Universe.
The Penguin masterfully adds context to the Batman while providing a standout new character
as mentioned, The penguin Adds a lot of context to The Batman. On rewatch of the film post-Penguin Episode 4, the crimes Carmine is accused of becoming much more real. so too, The penguin Retroactively makes Catwoman’s quest for revenge against Carmine even betterAnd his eventual death more satisfying. What is even more impressive, however, is how The penguin is doing so while providing a standout new character in Sofia Falcone, proving the show to be an excellent standalone story in The Batman universe, but one that also enhances what came before and what will come after.