We finally know what the deal is with Theo Rossi’s creepy therapist character in ‘The Penguin’

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for The Penguin episode 4, “Cent’Ann.”

Like many aspects of The Penguin, Dr. Julian Rush was a mysterious entity. Played by Sons of Anarchy‘s own Theo Rossi, the Arkham therapist lurked in the corners for the first few episodes.

That is, until Sofia Falcone’s (Cristin Milioti) landmark episode, “Cent’Ann.” As Sofia recuperates from a head injury following an encounter with the Maronis, the episode takes the viewer on an exploration of what landed Sofia in Arkham ten years ago. Unsurprisingly, Sofia is innocent of her Hangman moniker. Regardless, she endures years of torture under the watch of her father’s paid Arkham psychiatrists. The only outlier is Dr. Rush.

Episode 4 shows the introduction of Rush and Sofia when she first becomes institutionalized. Sofia’s claims that she was set up by her father come off as paranoid ramblings, but the more time Rush spends with her, the more he starts to believe her. After multiple rounds of electroshock treatment, Sofia refuses to change her story and the two become close. Though not quite to the extent that The Joker and Harley Quinn, the two share a significant bond that breaches the code of conduct.

The episode reveals that while Rush was part of Sofia’s treatment team — if it can even be called that — he resigned in shame. He couldn’t stand by and watch the system chew Sofia up and spit her out. Sofia sees this as a betrayal, leaving her alone in a prison for a decade. Rush claims that he is trying to redeem himself for that now, but it’s not without its complications.

Rush crosses the line of acceptable etiquette in The Penguin

There is still clearly some line that is begging to be crossed. The first viewers see the two together, Rush is putting Sofia in a hypnotic state. Going into an episode, Rush has to pin her down, but the physical is more than professional. On multiple occasions, the two have looked at each other for too long, or maintained a beat longer than is necessary.

Sofia explains this further in the fourth episode, declaring she is aware of Rush’s intentions when he looks at her. It is pretty apparent that nothing has occurred between them — yet — but there is a reason that the two keep seeing each other that isn’t just about mental health. For all of Rush’s claims that he wants to help Sofia, the underlying tension there is hard to ignore. There is some aspect of his character that can’t pull him away from her electric persona.

Who can blame him, really? Sofia steals the show in episode 4. In a series entitled The Penguin, no one would really protest if it segued right into the Sofia Falcone show. After revisiting her past via head trauma, Sofia comes to an undeniable conclusion. Her entire family — save her brother Alberto — signed legal documents to the effect that she was mentally incompetent. Her only crime was talking to a reporter for 30 seconds. The men who run The Family no longer have control over her, and it’s time to clean house. In a way, the Falcones orchestrated their own demise by being the reason this Sofia was created. Rush’s role for the rest of the season has still yet to be determined, but there is no question that it will be a wild ride.