‘The Penguin’ Delivers the Gender-Swapped Joker and Harley Quinn Romance I’ve Always Wanted

This week’s episode of HBO’s The Penguin features the return of Sofia Gigante (formerly Falcone). Determined to take down Oz Cobb for good, she is prepared to gamble everything—including her fragile alliance with the Maronis—to establish herself as Gotham’s most formidable crime lord. Signs point to a potentially treacherous ally joining her quest.

Warning: Spoilers for episodes 4 and 5 of The Penguin.

The Falcones? An unfamiliar name now. That’s because they’ve all been eliminated, courtesy of Sofia (Cristin Milioti), whose father was the notorious mob boss Carmine Falcone (Mark Strong), better known in Gotham as The Hangman. Whether she truly earns such a title is a subject of debate, but it’s somewhat moot now, as Sofia has largely avenged herself for being wrongfully accused of murder and subsequently incarcerated in Arkham Asylum by her father’s henchmen. Not the kind of fatherly love one hopes for.

Despite her harrowing decade in Arkham, Sofia’s time there wasn’t wasted—it’s where she first encountered Dr. Julian Rush (Theo Rossi). At first, the compassionate psychiatrist was assigned to assess her mental competency for trial. However, he left due to rampant corruption in the facility, as Sofia endured torture at the hands of both guards and inmates who were in Carmine’s pocket.

What does Julian feel for Sofia—love, obsession, or guilt? It’s complex, but what’s clear is that they’ve maintained a connection. He is one of the few individuals Sofia trusts, supporting her claim of innocence long after her release. In episode 4, it’s Julian she turns to when Oz (Colin Farrell) betrays her after a drug deal goes disastrously wrong.

Is their relationship merely professional, or are romantic sparks igniting between Gotham’s prospective power couple?

The Penguin subversively reinterprets the beloved Joker and Harley Quinn romance

In the fifth episode, titled “Homecoming,” The Penguin serves as a narrative reset. Sofia contends with the repercussions of her family’s suspicious demise involving a gas leak, while Oz and Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz) establish a new operations headquarters in Crown Point. Concurrently, Salvatore Maroni (Clancy Brown) makes his escape from prison. To add a twist, Dr. Rush decides to switch allegiances, approaching Sofia with his own proposition: “I’d like to be part of whatever comes next, if you’ll allow me.”

The premise of an ex-Arkham psychiatrist who becomes obsessively enamored with his patient rings a bell. This closely mirrors Harley Quinn’s journey, where she became infatuated with the Joker, descended into madness, and joined him in his sinister endeavors. Cristin Milioti confirmed that this homage to one of DC’s most notorious couples is indeed deliberate. Personally, I’d love to watch the mild-mannered Julian gradually transform under Sofia’s influence and become her fierce protector.

“When we commenced filming, I had only read the initial four scripts, and the final four were provided to us while we were shooting, so I was learning about their dynamic in real-time,” Milioti shared with Decider. “I’m happy to hear your thoughts because I see it too. I found it captivating just from reading the scripts.”

Lauren LeFranc, the showrunner of The Penguin, also commented on the “distorted and unusual” relationship dynamics between Julian and Sofia. This subverts the familiar gangster film archetype where women are often sidelined. She made a point to clarify that Sofia is the one firmly in control in this partnership.

“Many gangster films depict men treating women in a patronizing way. It’s refreshing to show Julian Rush as someone who admires and respects Sofia, positioning him as the secondary figure in their relationship, while Sofia is well aware of it. This type of relationship dynamic isn’t frequently explored.”

What secrets does Dr. Julian Rush harbor?

At this point, it remains uncertain whether Dr. Rush will prove to be a valuable ally to Sofia in her criminal ventures or if he will hinder her ambitions. After all, he will need to reconcile his moral values with her… suspect methods (like shooting Johnny Viti at point-blank range). He must adapt to Sofia’s world if he wishes to keep pace with her and dismiss the moral compass that once guided him in aiding her during their time at Arkham.

There has been speculation that Julian could be a version of The Scarecrow or Dr. Hugo Strange, a well-known adversary from Batman lore who happens to serve as Arkham’s resident psychiatrist. But we’ll need to stay tuned to The Penguin next Sunday on HBO and Max to uncover the truth.

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