Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Penguin episode 3, “Bliss.”
One theory concerning Gotham City’s new drug, Bliss, inThe Penguincould provide the perfect set-up needed to introduce two iconicDC Universevillains into the series. Spinning off from Matt Reeves’The Batman, which saw Robert Pattinson don the cape and cowl as the Dark Knight,The Penguindelivers an insightful exploration of Gotham’s criminal underworld. This has been evident throughout, butThe Penguinepisode 3, “Bliss,” takes it to the next level, asColin Farrell’s Oswald “Oz” Cobbhas now gone into the drug business.
Oz Cobb has, so far, spent the majority ofThe Penguintrying to avoid being killed byCristin Milioti’s Sofia Falcone, and has kept the fact that he is her brother’s killer well-hidden. Keeping his friends close and his enemies closer,The Penguinepisode 3 saw Oz partnered with Sofia, as the pair entered into business with the Triads in an effort to disperse their new drug, Bliss. While Oz is playing a dangerous game, the introduction of Bliss inThe Penguincould open the door for even more threatening villains to show their faces.
The Penguin’s New Drug Explained - What Is Bliss?
Bliss Is Sofia Falcone & Oz Cobb’s New Drug In The Penguin
The idea of Bliss was first mentioned inThe Penguin’spremiere episode by Alberto Falcone, with the drug said to be his and Sofia’s ticket to the top of the Falcone family hierarchy, and therefore Gotham’s entire criminal underworld. Following Alberto’s demise, Sofia takes over the operation, and brings Oz into the fold inThe Penguinepisode 3, aptly titled “Bliss.“Bliss is revealed to be a drug made from the basidiospores of Bleeding Tooth fungi. This blood-like substance hardens into a crystal that can be ingested, and creates a euphoric state in its user.
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There is a drug named Bliss in DC Comics, first seen in 2010’sTitans (Vol. 2) #26, but there is little connection between this version of the designer hallucinogen and the drug seen inThe Penguin. In the comics, Bliss is designed by Teen Titans villain Elijah, created from the reprocessed hormone secretions of kidnapped pre-adolescents.The Penguin’sBliss stems from mushrooms, and is a potent euphoric stimulant. However, Sofia also reveals that Bliss was given toinmates in Arkham Asylumto keep them"content and submissive,“suggesting there may be a darker purpose to Bliss' creation.
The Penguin Could Set Up Poison Ivy As The Series’ Drug Mastermind
Poison Ivy Would Be A Fantastic Addition To The Penguin
The idea of a new substance being derived from mushrooms inThe Penguinhas led to some speculation that one iconic DC Comics botanist-turned-ecoterrorist could be making an appearance in the series. While Sofia Falcone is seemingly leading the drug operation inThe Penguin,it’s possible someone even more powerful could be masterminding the scheme, and this may be Gotham City’s Pamela Isley, a.k.a. Poison Ivy. Introduced to DC Comics in 1966’sBatman #181,Poison Ivy is a very powerful villainwho has the ability to control plant life, and favors nature over humanity.
Dr. Pamela Isley was transformed into the superpowered Poison Ivy after being being injected with poisons and toxins as an experiment by Dr. Jason Woodrue.
While this darker and grittier franchise, currently comprisingThe BatmanandThe Penguin, has already introduced villains such as the Riddler, the Penguin and the Joker, it would be great to see more ofBatman’s rogues gallery brought into live-action. Poison Ivy is a brilliant candidate who fits perfectly into the Bliss storyline ofThe Penguin. She is one of Batman’s most enduring and powerful enemies, andher hatred for humanity would certainly lead her to an attempt at subjugating the citizens of Gotham with a new addictive drug.
The Penguin’s Bliss Can Offer A New Answer To Joker’s Iconic Laugh
Bliss' The Penguin Debut Opens The Door For The Joker’s Return
While Barry Keoghan debuted as"Unseen Arkham Prisoner” inThe Batman, a deleted scene from the 2022 movie confirmed that he is this universe’s version of the Joker. Imprisoned in Arkham Asylum, it’s very possible that Keoghan’s Joker has interacted with Sofia Falcone, given her stay in Arkham Asylum. Since she suggests thatArkham inmates were given Bliss to keep them submissive, it stands to reason that the Joker would also have been given doses of the drug. This can provide much-wanted answers about the Joker’s personality and characterization.
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As seen inThe Penguinepisode 3, Bliss can be used to incite pure euphoria in its user. This is demonstrated during Oz and Sofia’s test run at the nightclub, with many scrambling to use Bliss as escapism from the recent catastrophic events in Gotham, including the Riddler’s attacks and the city being flooded inThe Batman.The fact that Bliss creates this euphoria could explain the Joker’s iconic and recognizable laugh, especially if he has been subjected to more Bliss than other Arkham Asylum inmates to keep him docile.
Barry Keoghan’s Joker Deserves Development Now More Than Ever
Barry Keoghan’s Joker Could Be The Audience’s New Favorite If Handled Right
Following the release ofJoker: Folie à Deux, which starsJoaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, a version of Joker, the movie has received criticism for not delivering a comic-accurate iteration of the Joker. This was, in fact, the point of the movie - for Fleck to renounce Joker. Even so,many wanted to see some of the Joker’s violent and brutal actions in live-action again, and there is still demand for this, so the opportunity may be there for Barry Keoghan’s Joker to get far more development, and perhaps become the new favorite interpretation of the iconic DC villain.
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Barry Keoghan’s Joker would, no doubt, be a darker, more raw and more threatening version of the villainthan has been seen in DC’s recent live-action projects. Arthur Fleck didn’t harm anyone inJoker: Folie à Deux, though did murder six people in 2019’sJoker, while Jared Leto’s Joker never captured audiences' imaginations. The Bliss storyline opens the door forThe Penguinto shed more light on Keoghan’s Joker within the walls of Arkham Asylum beforeMatt Reeves' upcomingThe Batman - Part IIsees him pose a true danger.
The Penguin
Cast
Created by Lauren LeFranc, The Penguin is a crime-drama spin-off television series of 2022’s film The Batman. Set shortly after the events of The Batman, Oz Cobb, A.K.A. the Penguin, begins his rise in the underworld of Gotham City as he contends with the daughter of his late boss, Carmine Falcone, for control of the crime family’s empire.
