It doesn’t matter what model of Batman, comics or films or sequence, Arkham Aslyum for the criminally insane isn’t an establishment promising professionalism and the very best in psychiatric care. This was on “The Penguin” creator Lauren LeFranc’s thoughts when she created Dr. Julian Rush, performed by Theo Rossi, a personality, very like the sequence, that places a really completely different spin on “Batman” lore.
“We brought in Dr. Rush thinking about how infamously in the comics, there’s so many psychiatrists from Arkham, and they’re all usually insane or villains themselves,” mentioned LeFranc. “It doesn’t really breed a lot of healthy practices.”
Choosing up the place “The Penguin” government producer Matt Reeves left off in “The Batman,” displaying a bleak imaginative and prescient of Arkham the place the Riddler (Paul Dano) meets the Joker (Barry Keoghan), LeFranc expands upon Reeves’ imaginative and prescient, portray a darkish hellscape the place Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) is institutionalized, below false circumstances, and experiences one thing extra torturous than jail.
“It’s not really rehabilitative in the way that Sofia claims she’s been rehabilitated in the first episode,” mentioned LeFranc.
When Sofia returns from her ten-year stint at Arkham, she is determined for everybody to see her as regular and for all times to return to the way it was earlier than her now-deceased father, the highly effective mob boss Carmine Falcone (Mark Sturdy), altered the course of her life by having her dedicated to Arkham. The irony being, as we see in Episode 4 flashbacks, Sofia was in good psychological well being previous to her barbaric therapy on the asylum.
As LeFranc advised IndieWire, a part of the inspiration for her model of Sofia was Rosemary Kennedy, whose father had her lobotomized her at age 23 for being tough, and, in contrast to Sofia, was by no means in a position to inform her personal story. Initially, the creation of Dr. Rush turned a story software that allowed LeFranc to unfurl Sofia’s story, not solely to the viewers however Sofia herself.
“I wanted to introduce a character from Arkham, and I wanted you to not know who this man is in the second episode,” mentioned LeFranc. “And then we come to Episode 4 and you realize that he and Sofia have a deep history in Arkham. He’s someone who did end up believing her.”
In true Arkham custom, Rush crosses skilled boundaries however in methods which are surprising, revealing, and compassionate. Carmine Falcone was so feared, solely Sofia’s brother Alberto (Michael Zegen) stands by her, however he’s powerless, even with legal professionals, to free her. With all of the signed affidavits declaring Sofia insane and falsely portray her as “The Hangman” killer, docs on the establishment fall in line as effectively. Within the darkest moments, trapped within the darkest hell, Rush, a junior physician, is the one one who sees what is actually taking place to her.
“Though his hands were tied and he couldn’t do much about it, [he] also enabled us to establish EMDR [Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing] therapy, which is a very useful therapeutic tool to dig into your past trauma and to try to confront it,” mentioned LeFranc.
In Episode 4, LeFranc and group put their very own cinematic spin on the therapeutic therapy, with waves of purple mild in a noirish setting, as Rush helps Sofia unlock the painful reality about her father (he was really the Hangman, who killed a number of intercourse staff) and her mom (she didn’t commit suicide by hanging, however was one in all her father’s victims). It’s a reality that units Sofia free, as she stops hiding her scars and anger, and seizes management of the Falcone crime household by killing off those that had been loyal to her father, and rebranding it the Gigantes in honor of her mom.
These EMDR revelations don’t simply have a profound impact on Sofia however Rush and their already unconventional patient-doctor relationship. In Episode 5, Rush reveals up on the Falcone Mansion, now a criminal offense scene, to not admonish or counsel her for killing off her household — he agrees with Sofia when she says, “I think we’re past the point of analysis, don’t you?”
“When I saw what happened on the news, I knew it was you, that you did what you had to do. I can already see it,” says Rush, explaining why he got here. “What it has given you — the release. And I’d like to feel that too, with you. I’d like to be a part of whatever’s next.”
Within the subsequent scene, Rush watches, like a doting foot soldier, as Sofia grabs the reins on the head of the Falcone crime household desk when she shoots Johnny Viti (Michael Kelly) within the head.
“I was interested in the idea of creating a dynamic between Sofia and Julian Rush that felt where she’s the alpha and he’s the beta,” mentioned LeFranc. “Where he is in awe of her and, and sees something darker in himself and sees what she’s evolved into and is really fascinated by that and wants to be around her and wants to be a part of that.”
This goes to complete completely different degree after we subsequent see the 2 characters collectively in Episode 6, as a post-coital Sofia will get dressed, she checks to ensure the tied-up and bare (pants round his ankles) Rush wasn’t harm throughout their BDSM encounter.
“I deserve it,” replies Rush, as Sofia unties him from the chair, and opens the door, to which he replies, “Bored with me already?”
“I have work,” Sofia coldly replies.
LeFranc advised IndieWire that this was a part of her overarching need to create various kinds of roles for ladies characters than we’ve come to anticipate in crime dramas.
“Sofia doesn’t feel a deeply emotional connection to him, again, sort of flipping on its head this idea of you’ve seen a lot of crime dramas — many men sleep with women and then discard them. And that to me felt relevant for Sofia, she’s going to use Rush for the things that he brings as a psychiatrist and certainly does utilize him [in the last two episodes series],” mentioned LeFranc. “But also will take advantage of him in whatever way — he’s fascinated with her, that’s kind of nice for her to enjoy, and then she’ll call him when she needs him.”
Episode 7 of “The Penguin” airs on HBO and Max on November 3.
