HBO’sThe Penguinis one of the most consistent TV shows ever made, not only in quality but in matching expectations. You can almost set your watch by some of the most familiar elements and, even after only 6 episodes, the seventh feels like a greatest hits compilation: a sharp burst of tragedy; Oz is confronted by his bad decisions; Sofia and Sal plot his downfall; death; Oz hits an all-time low point. But familiarity breeds no contempt forDC’s best live-action show.
As we head towards the end ofThe Penguin, Oz’s development from a low-level mobster to an actual kingpin has been impressively complex. LikeThe Sopranos, which has been the constant comparison point, Oz’s story hasn’t exactly been straightforward, and his consolidation of power has been made far more interesting by its obstacles as much as its progress.
Cast
Episode 7 picks up from Sofia’s invasion of Oz’s apartment fromThe Penguinepisode 6’s ending, but first jumps back in time to shockingly reveal what happened to Penguin’s brothers in the 1980s. From there, Sofia and Francis Cobb spar, Oz is confronted by Sal Maroni, and Sofia makes herself even more of a threat.
The Penguin Episode 7’s Story Gives Oz His Batman Origin
Trauma Is A Shared Gotham Experience In Matt Reeves' Universe
The Penguinepisode 7’s cold open is actually a bit of a mixed bag. In terms of story, there’s nothing to complain about:the tragic origin of Oz Cobbis a remarkably successful way to tie all of Oz’s character quirks together. But I have to acknowledge that the accent work is again a little uneven, as much as it feels like a stacked deck to compare young Ryder Allen to Colin Farrell.
The prologue is an important bit of contextualization for Oz’s story, and what Ryder does very well is sell the almost strange affection the young boy holds for his mother.The sequence that sees him watch her interact with his older brother sets him up as the magpie of information he’d later become, but there’s also a thinly veiled Oedipal dynamic too.
Obviously,The Penguinchanges most of what we know about Penguin as a DC character, which caused some anxiety early on, but it’s completely justified. Matt Reeves' image of Gotham introduced interesting ideas inThe Batman, and Lauren LeFranc has expanded them well for the spin-off, reflecting Batman’s own trauma in Oz’s new origin. I’d argue that the decision to ignore the more familiar origin for this complex new version has actuallyled to a more interesting backstory entirely.
The Penguin’s Performances Continue To Get Better
Even Without Gotham’s Most Famous Mask-Wearer, Everyone Has Disguises
Almostevery character inThe Penguinis a double: they project one side of themselves while suppressing their more vulnerable side. This episode brings that idea to a head after previous flirtations: mostly in the holy trinity of Oz, Sofia, and Francis, but it’s true of basically everyone other than Victor (by design). Even the most hardened gangsters have tender undersides, or are working through trauma; Theo Rossi’s psychiatrist is a secret sadist; Oz is in constant conflict with his own weaknesses, even as he gains power.
Deidre O’Connell remains excellent as the tragic Francis Cobb, playing two distinctly different characters at once. She is a walking embodiment of one ofThe Penguin’s most insistent ideas: the issue of self-image, and watching her deal with her traumatic prison is painfully accurate. Just as rewarding is her snap back to reality as the formidable drive behind much of Oz’s scheming.
Colin Farrell is a revelation, of course, and despite the episode focusing on the tragedy of his origin, there can be no doubt that he is a monster. One of the most enjoyable deceptions ofThe Penguinhas been the gaslighting process that’s played with Oz as a sympathetic character before reminding us all that feeling anything but outright disdain for him is foolish. Again, the sympathy acrobatics are out in full force in episode 7.
Farrell is best when Oz is desperate or enraged, and we get both barrels here. Sofia’s kidnapping of Francis puts him in a vulnerable position, of course, and his backstory fleshes out precisely why. He’s then forced to balance that with rage at what Sal and Sofia have taken from him, and the sting of his ascendancy crumbling to dust. It’s a complex performance and watching him goad Sal about the smell of his wife burning is a moment of precise, brilliant grotesquerie that stands out as the most memorable scene of the episode.
Sofia Gets Faces Her Own Karma (Sort Of)
Batman Faced His Destructive Influence As “Vengeance”, And Sofia’s Falling Into The Same Pit
For multiple episodes, we’ve been on a journey to Sofia’s dark heart as she looks to reclaim herself after decades of Falcone institutional abuse.The Penguinepisode 7 rather pulls the rug out on her, forcing her to reckon with the reality of what she’s become and kicking off a more dangerous period of her villainy.
The decision to bring back her niece Gia (played by Kenzie Grey) is a very good one, given the opportunity to show Sofia the dark mirror she’s created in herself. Considering the show’s simmering exploration of legacy, to throw that back in Sofia’s face just as she feels at her most powerful is very good storytelling.
Again, anyone who has kept up with theseepisodic reviews ofThe Penguinwill already see the next part coming, but Cristin Milioti is just really f*cking great as Sofia. For the past few episodes, she’s led us towards Sofia being a cold, numb monster, devoid of emotion and terrifying as a result. Here, we get a sharp reminder of her humanityand Milioti’s ability to flip back to a more sympathetic performance ought to be studied.
Victor Takes A Side Seat & Sal Maroni Steps Up
The Penguin Uses Its Supporting Cast Well, Even When It Doesn’t Use Them At All
After a bigger part last time out, Rhenzy Feliz’s Victor sits the episode out. Sometimes it’s right to recognize that, while a character is good, their presence is distracting. Episode 7 is focused on the relationship between Oz and his mother and how his enemies weaponize that. Having Victor come in as a sort of voice of reason wouldn’t allow the story to play out as it does. Instead, his only involvement is as a pointed note of weakness for Oz.
There’s more of Clancy Brown’s Sal Maroni, who offers the opportunity for a great head-to-head with Ozand eventually, a perversely perfect pay-off to his story. Brown is very good as the personification of furious rage, as you’d expect, and his final scene in the episode is hauntingly memorable.
How The Penguin Sets Up Its Finale
With one more episode ofThe Penguinto go, the stage is obviously set for a final confrontation between Oz and Sofia. The most interesting development for that in episode 7 comes from Sofia’s interaction with Gia and her decision immediately afterward: it almost feels like she’s abandoned her entire plan simply to cause as much destruction as possible. And Oz is in the cross-hairs.
If you’ve been a fan of Farrell’s desperate performances as Oz under the most intense pressure, the ending sequence that sees him robbed of pretty much everything in his armory will have been particularly good news. And as much as it’s a cliché to say it, there is surely no possible way Batman can have seen that climax without feeling the urge to get involved in some way.
The Penguinfinale is longer at 68 minutes, and there are some key things to wrap up, but even without the finale, this is an exceptional TV show that promises a lot forThe Batmansequeland beyond.
The Penguin
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.
The Penguinfinale will release on Sunday, November 10 on HBO
