Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for The Penguin Season 1 Episode 4.

This week's episode of The Penguin, "Cent'Anni," is not an easy watch. Not because of exacerbated violence or gore but rather because of how it shows Sofia Falcone's (Cristin Milioti) life immediately before, during, and after her time at Arkham asylum. As it turns out -- and contrary to people's expectations -- she is not the Hangman, and was framed by her own father, crime boss Carmine Falcone (Mark Strong), once she found out that he was behind the serial killing of women who mysteriously died the same way as her mother. As wild as it may be to imagine that a father would subject his own daughter to this, what happens to Sofia is actually inspired by a tragic and very real tale of one of the most powerful families in US history.

Sofia Falcone's Time at Arkham Is Based on Rosemary Kennedy's True Story Close

Of the many shocking things that happen to Sofia Falcone at Arkham, perhaps the most heartbreaking one is the highly invasive procedures she is forced to undergo. As the episode reveals, she never had any sort of mental health issues, and was even an advocate for women's mental health awareness by leading her family's charity and philanthropy initiatives. Once she is sent to Arkham, though, the medics responsible for her case, Dr. Ventris (T. Ryder Smith) and Dr. Rush (Theo Rossi), constantly perform shock therapy on her, likely on Carmine Falcone's orders to make Sofia seem like she actually had mental disorders from the start. As The Penguin showrunner Lauren LeFranc reveals in a new featurette, this was inspired by Rosemary Kennedy's case.

Although LeFranc mentions in an interview with EW that "not much is known" about Kennedy's case, in recent years, a lot of new information has been unearthed. The eldest daughter of Joseph and Rose Kennedy, Rosemary was part of an overachieving group of siblings that included a future President, Senators, and more. Due to complications at birth, Rosemary had learning disabilities that made it difficult to keep up with her siblings, although her actual condition has never been confirmed. She was often angry and frustrated because of this gap, leading to tantrums and mood swings, as documented in her biography Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter. Her parents tried to deal with her condition by sending her to multiple boarding schools and facilities around the country, but to no avail. As her seizures and tantrums became more frequent, Joseph, who found his daughter "difficult," made the decision to have Rosemary lobotomized in 1941, when she was just 23 years old.

Nowadays, the idea of having a person lobotomized to treat mental illness is grotesque, but back then, the stigma tied to mental illness was even bigger. Rosemary's parents were concerned that her condition could affect the family's political prospects, but that's hardly an excuse for such a dangerous decision. As one might expect, the procedure made things worse, rendering Rosemary unable to speak and care for herself. She was secretly removed from family life and sent to a facility in Wisconsin, where she led an existence out of the public eye. Sofia Falcone's own "treatment" in The Penguin is somewhat less invasive than an actual lobotomy, in which the doctor directly operates on the patient's brain. Electroconvulsive therapy is still used as an alternative for patients with severe depression, acute schizophrenic syndromes, and suicidal tendencies, despite its history of abuse and the surrounding debate.

Sofia and Rosemary Are Both Victims of the Narcissistic Misogyny of Powerful Fathers

There are many similarities between the stories of both Sofia Falcone and Rosemary Kennedy, beyond just the mental health aspect. They are both part of powerful families known to have tragic outcomes for their members. Sofia lost her brother, Alberto Falcone (Michael Zegen), who was the only person to ever believe and care for her, even during her ten-year period at Arkham, while Rosemary lost two brothers to political assassinations, for example. Most of all, though, they are both victims of the misogyny that dominates the context in which they were raised, and both had to endure the challenge of growing up in the shadow of dominant paternal figures such as Carmine Falcone and Joseph Kennedy.

In "Cent'Anni," it's almost a surprise to hear that Carmine initially considers Sofia to be a better heir to the Falcone affairs than Alberto, given how she was raised as a kind of "little princess" figure, always kept on the bright side of the family business, while the men dealt with its the darker aspects. When Carmine understands she may eventually prove to be dangerous for him by revealing his psychopath nature, he removes Sofia from the family and sends her to Arkham. Something similar happened to Rosemary, and to an even more drastic and tragic outcome. While we can't know exactly how Joseph Kennedy was as a person, the decision to have his own daughter lobotomized for fear of her condition affecting the family affairs implies a big concern with public image, enough to supplant any worries about her well-being, at least. Joseph was himself an influential figure in American politics, as Carmine was influential in the Gotham underworld. Both of these men's children followed in their footsteps. Although it may seem natural to some to see their children doing so, it may also be a symptom of a dominant and narcissistic personality, depending on the case.

Both Sofia and Rosemary were victims of powerful fathers who prioritized their public image over the well-being of their own children. In both their cases, the misogyny ingrained in the patriarchal structure of their families made things even worse, given how vulnerable they were seen by their fathers. Rosemary's case is certainly more tragic, given how her father's actions towards her practically ended any chance she had of having a normal life for the sake of his reputation, while her siblings went on to enjoy successful and accomplished lives. Sofia, on the other hand, still has a shot at becoming the Falcone boss and has already started working in that sense by wiping out every relative that worked with her father against her.

The Penguin is available to stream on Max in the U.S. New episodes air weekly on Sundays.

710 The Penguin TV-MACrimeDrama

It follows the transformation of Oswald Cobblepot from a disfigured nobody to a noted Gotham gangster.

Release Date September 19, 2024 Cast Colin Farrell , Cristin Milioti , Rhenzy Feliz , Michael Kelly , Shohreh Aghdashloo , Deirdre O'Connell , Clancy Brown , James Madio , Scott Cohen , Michael Zegen , Carmen Ejogo , Theo Rossi Seasons 1 Prequel The Batman (2022)

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