Who actually was The Hangman in The Penguin? Details explored 

The Penguin, developed by Lauren LeFranc, offers a revived DC comics tale that began with Matt Reeves' 2022 film, The Batman.

The show followed Oz Cobb's life in detail and explored his ensuing relationship with Sofia Falcone. Unlike the earlier DC projects, it involved a change to the identity of Falcone's alias, The Hangman.

The comics often portrayed Sofia Falcone as a serial killer, going by this alias, while also being an heir to an influential family. They also highlighted a reason why she may have developed this alter ego. The act of killing itself allowed her to process some of her deepest and darkest traumas, so there might have been a wicked sense of catharsis in her act.

The spin-off series, executive produced by Reeves, changed the identity of this alias. It also shaped how we interpret the nature of crime in the family, and the trauma being passed down generation after generation. In this version of Gotham's tale, Sofia's father, Carmine Falcone, is actually The Hangman, while she is the one left with that bleak reputation.

The HBO series, however, doesn't reveal it right away. It takes its time unpeeling the layers of the family's troubling past (at least their enduring effect), and helps us connect the dots about this big revelation.

The Penguin revealed the truth about The Hangman, but The Batman foreshadowed it

Matt Reeves' 2022 neo-noir introduced John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, the elusive crimelord who knew how to get what he wanted by any means necessary. He was knee-deep in the corruption that had plagued the city, but his cruelties spanned beyond that. Carmine was also known to take the lives of women who didn't see eye to eye on matters.

The film established a history of his abusive, homicidal behavior, as the women were seemingly strangled to death. The Penguin reveals how it connects to his identity as the actual Hangman. The show shows Sofia's brother, Alberto, dying at the hands of Oz Cobb, leading Sofia to investigate the matter, while also hoping to replace him as the family empire's heir.

It begins shortly after Sofia leaves the Arkham Asylum, where she was sent to recover from her inclination toward her murderous crimes. She was accused of killing seven women, which also included her mother. It gave her the reputation as The Hangman. In reality, she was implicated in these crimes by her father, who was killed shortly before her return from the hospital.

The detail about The Hangman's identity was revealed in the show episode 4, Cent'Anni, but even before that, Carmine was presented to have such tendencies. It represented his usual way of taking control of the narrative by silencing the women in his life in any way possible. That also left Selena Kyle away from the family.

The Penguin reveals few insights about Selena and Carmine's troublesome relationship, where the latter threatened to kill the former the way he killed her mother: by strangling her. Although a pivot from the comic representation of The Hangman's identity, it feels like a welcome change to offer another layer of crooked gender dynamics, even in Gotham.

Trending

Also read: The Penguin: Everything we know so far, explained

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback