Sophie Mercer

"*You sit here in this ivory tower talking about poor people like they're a different species. Yeah, you make your sympathetic noises, but you don't really care about them, only what they can do for you.*"
—Sophie to Penelope[src]
**Sophie Mercer** is Penelope's reckless and impulsive younger sister who develops a romantic relationship with Dylan Leary and even helps him blow up Mercer Steele, her family's manufacturing company.

## Biography

### Early life

Sophie and Nadine were essentially raised by their older sister, Penny, as their mother died when they were young and their father was too busy working. Unfortunately, their father would hit a rough patch and Mercer Steele be in trouble of going under, so Penny reluctantly married Samuel, who in turn agreed to bring business to Mercer Steele.

### Meeting Dylan Leary

On her way to leave flowers at her father's grave, Sophie crosses paths with Leary, who is visiting his dead wife and two kids. For them, Sophie leaves a couple flowers. She often comes to spread flowers out around the other graves. Leary is amused when a supposed proper lady such as Sophie proceeds to swear, but she retorts that she never said she was proper. After visiting her father, Sophie returns to the mayor's estate, where she has since moved into following her father's death. She joins Blake and Penny for breakfast, but Samuel excuses himself. Penny then reveals that Ms. Thornhill's son, Spencer, would like to call on Sophie, but she isn't interested in him, especially since the only time they've ever encountered one another was at her father's funeral, and she doesn't trust a man who becomes infatuated with a grieving woman. Penny is upset at her sister's uncanny ability to write off every man that comes her way. Sophie makes a rude remark in regard to Penny's marriage to Blake and then apologizes, explaining that she simply wishes her sister would stop treating her like a child.

Sophie spots Leary outside the Banshee and follows him insider, where she reveals her father was Byron Mercer. Sophie then walks over to the piano and plays a few notes. Leary is impressed, but she's sloppy and she knows it. Her teacher said she was awash in the stink of wasted potential. She also dropped out of finishing school.

### Helping Leary blow up Mercer Steel

Sophie discovers Leary's plan to bomb all the factories that hire coolie labor. She remarks that it's not something he'd want the wrong person to see, to which he asks if she's the wrong person as he slowly approaches. The two then begin to kiss. Afterward, Sophie suspects that Leary's plan is simply to keep blowing up factories until they stop hiring coolie labor. However, if Leary wants lasting change then he has to be in the room where it happens, like city hall and the state senate. She then asks if Leary is ever sorry he came to America, which he isn't. People come from all over the world for a better life, but all Sophie has ever wanted was to escape. Leary is a bit angered by her privileged outlook, as she has nothing to complain about. He's seen whole villages wiped out by famine. He tries to walk away, but Sophie grabs his hand and they proceed down the road.

Sophie reluctantly agrees to go out on a date with Spencer, but she takes him to the Banshee, more specifically, the fighting ring out back, where he is clearly out of his element. Leary joins them and scares Spencer off, and after the fight, Sophie and Leary have sex. The next morning, Sophie awakens in bed alone. She heads into the bar and looks out the window, where she sees Leary feeding the weak and hungry. When Leary finally returns, she asks why he hasn't targeted her sister's factory, to which Leary replies that Penny has the Hop Wei guarding Mercer Steel.

After a big fight with Penny, during which Sophie accuses Penny of being just like Samuel and not caring for the poor, and Penny accuses her of being an entitled brat, Sophie looks to get back at her sister by revealing to Leary that there's a back entrance to her father's factory. It's a small supply tunnel that no one knows about. So, she takes Leary to the tunnels where she used to play as a girl. There's a staircase that leads up to the storeroom just off the factory floor. Leary and a couple of the workingmen begin to set up the dynamite but are attacked by a couple of Hop Wei hatchet men. Sophie is struck and Leary is sliced in the neck during the exchange, but he and Sophie manage to escape otherwise unharmed and set off the dynamite to up Mercer Steel. Sophie then returns home, where she finds Penny sleeping on the couch. She appears somewhat remorseful for her actions and lays a blanket over Penny while weeping at her side.

Sophie has breakfast prepared for Penny, but she's too consumed by her work. The factory was all the freedom she had from Blake, but now that it's gone, she won't be able to fulfill any meaningful orders. Sophie questions why she doesn't sell it and take the money to paint and travel, but Penny refuses to prove her husband right about her not being smart enough to run a business. Sophie retorts that she doesn't have to prove anything to anyone, but Penny simply wants to be alone. And so, Sophie visits Leary for the first time since the bombing. Sophie has regrets for ruining her sister in the way she has and asks if Leary has regrets, which he does. She asks if he ever gets tired of all the violence, to which he replies that it's the only way things get done. Leary recalls Buckley saying he could have political influence, which Sophie agrees, considering he'd be able to swing the entire Irish vote. Leary doesn't trust politicians, to which Sophie replies that he doesn't have to trust them if he owns them.

Sophie is walked home by Leary. Unfortunately, they are spotted by Penny, who tells Sophie to pack her things and get out, realizing her betrayal. However, before she can leave, Sophie finds Penny in the middle of a fight with Blake, who punches and chokes her. Sophie comes to her aid and jumps on Blake's back, but he knocks her into a wall and turns his attention back to Penny, who he begins to choke the life from until Jacob intervenes and bashes him over the back of the head with an iron poker, killing Blake almost instantly.

### Jacob's hanging

Sophie and Penelope call the police to report Blake's death, though Penny neglects to mention the fact that Jacob killed the mayor, because doing so would make him a target. So, when they begin questioning exactly who killed Blake, against her sister's wishes, Sophie reveals Jacob killed the mayor. Penny explains that he was just defending her, but Buckley wants an arrest. Sophie then heads down to the Banshee, where she informs Leary of Mayor Blake's death.

Jacob is apprehended and escorted to the police station, but their path is blocked by the workingmen, who attack the officers in order to get to Jacob, who they beat up, before hanging just outside of the Banshee. Sophie attempts to stop them, but the mob is too riled up, and she is knocked to the ground, forced to watch helplessly as Jacob breathes his last breath. Leary finds her on the ground and carries her inside, but she's more concerned with why he didn't stop it. Leary argues this was going to happen one way or another. He tells Sophie to go back home to her life of luxury, as she was never more than a tourist on their end to begin with. So, she does just that and finds Penny sitting in the floor, unsure what to do next. It is then that she reveals to Penny that Jacob is dead.

### Penny's imprisonment

Sophie returns home to find Buckley waiting. He informs her that Penny had an episode, a mental collapse of some kind, and stabbed him in his office. He has no intent of pressing charges, but for the time being, she has been placed in an insane asylum.

## Skills and abilities

Sophie is a somewhat skilled piano player, at least to untrained ears. According to Sophie, her teacher, Madame Le Claire, said she was "awash in the stink of wasted potential."

## Appearances

### Season 2

* Learn to Endure, or Hire a Bodyguard
* The Chinese Connection
* Not How We Do Business
* If You Don't See Blood, You Didn't Come to Play
* Not for a Drink, a F\*ck, or a G\*\*damn Prayer (credit only)
* To a Man with a Hammer, Everything Looks Like a Nail (credit only)
* If You Wait by the River Long Enough
* All Enemies, Foreign and Domestic
* Enter the Dragon
* Man on the Wall

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Season 2, episode 4: ***If You Don't See Blood, You Didn't Come to Play***
2. ↑ Season 1, episode 4: ***The White Mountain***
3. ↑ Season 2, episode 1: ***Learn to Endure, or Hire a Bodyguard***
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Season 2, episode 2: ***The Chinese Connection***
5. ↑ Season 2, episode 3: ***Not How We Do Business***
6. ↑ Season 2, episode 7: ***If You Wait by the River Long Enough***
7. ↑ Season 2, episode 8: ***All Enemies, Foreign and Domestic***
8. ↑ Season 2, episode 9: ***Enter the Dragon***
9. ↑ Season 2, episode 10: ***Man on the Wall***