Did The Penguin Just Tease Batman Villain Poison Ivy?

The Penguin Episode 3 revealed a pivotal new drug on Gotham's streets - but is Poison Ivy behind it?

By Kofi Outlaw

The Penguin Episode 3 "Bliss" finally revealed the new drug that Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) and her brother Alberto (Michael Zegen) were planning to unleash on the streets of Gotham City: Bliss. It was this new narcotic that would've allowed the Falcone kids to up-end their father's hold on the drug "Drops," with drug profits that they alone would control. Penguin (Colin Farrell) ruined that plan when he impulsively killed Alberto (Episode 1) – but after convincing Sofia that the killer was a traitor from her own camp (Episode 2), Oz actually got her to bring him in on the new venture.

WARNING: SPOILERS FOLLOW!!!

In The Penguin Episode 3, Sofia takes Oz to the secret warehouse where she is manufacturing the new drug, Bliss. Oz immediately notices deliveries coming into the facility – bags marked with the logo of Arkham State Hospital – revealing that it was Sofia who actually came up with the scheme for this new drug, during her years there. Inside the warehouse, Sofia also reveals that her new drug is made from a very rare and fragile mushroom, which has blood-red spores on top of it. These "Bleeding-Tooth" fungi spores produce a euphoric effect (hence Oz giving it the name, "Bliss"), which Sofia plans to sell as the ultimate party drug.

Later on in the episode, we see Penguin and his crew make their first play, selling Bliss to an entire club of ravers. The drug has the desired effect, with partygoers left in a literal state of bliss from taking the substance, allowing them to not only sell out of their supply but also convince a Triad gang leader to go into business with them. The drug game in Gotham has officially changed.

Is The Penguin Introducing Poison Ivy to The Batman Universe? 

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(Photo: DC / Warner Bros. Television / HBO)

There are several immediate questions about Bliss that Batman fans should consider. The biggest one is who knew about the euphoric effects of those mushrooms, and how to cultivate it into a consumable drug to pacify patients? 

In DC lore Poison Ivy's alter-ego is "Dr. Pamela Isley," a PhD botanist working in Gotham City. After suffering some brutal personal tragedy (depending on the version of the story) Isley is transformed into a being who can control plant life – but obviously, that superpowered version one be what we get in The Batman Universe. However, a version of Ivy who offers a naturalistic alternative to the pharmaceutical industry (and maybe pays the price?) seems much more likely. 

Trailers for The Penguin have teased flashback scenes of Sofia Falcone while at Arkham – could we be in for a cameo from Dr. Pam Isley? Establishing who helped Sofia learn about the mushrooms and develop the Bliss drug seems like necessary backstory – as well as a perfect pathway to getting a version of Poison Ivy that is more in line with Matt Reeves' Batman Universe. With Gotham having been flooded by The Riddler, environmental issues would logically be at the forefront of Gotham City's concerns – and a perfect reason for an environmental terrorist to strike. 

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Bliss could just be one hand of Poison Ivy's offerings; the other hand could hold pestilence and/or death, in the form of other rare plants. 

The Penguin s airing on Sunday nights on HBO and streaming on Max. 

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