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The Penguin Series Review Episodes 5 & 6

by Alexandra Mitchell
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Half way done and half way to go. This roller coaster of a show has kept me intrigued, on the edge of my seat, and gasping for more. Let’s dive into the next two episodes!

Episode # 5 –  “Homecoming”

The heat is rising in Gotham as we’ve reached mid-season and the boys are burning the purple car. Victor ThePenguin_S1Ep5Pic1-291x300(Rhenzy Feliz) is fully in it, following his rescue of Oswald (Colin Farrell). I hate to see it go that way, honestly. I think if he had left, Penguin would have, in a weird way, respected that decision. And if they were truly headed for L.A. then I’m sure he could have gotten himself a new ID and hidden away enough not to be able to be found. Penguin may have assets but I doubt he has the ability to send an assassin several states away for possibly many days to try and track someone down to kill them. Because to the Falcone family, Penguin’s just a low-level boss and Vic’s just his driver. They wouldn’t help. So really, this was his chance to actually make something of himself. Not the gangster way. But that’s all Oz has ever wanted. To be like Rex (Louis Cancelmi), his neighborhood gangster who took care of the people. What a psychological reveal for Penguin. Aspiring to be loved by the people when all he’s ever been is ignored, despised, or pitied. Oh, Oz…

ThePenguin_S1Ep5Pic2-300x260But his people are loyal. His low-level guys stick with him, why? Because he pays them. Here’s the difference between Penguin and every other crime leader in Gotham, he was and is one of them. He came from the streets. He still lives in the streets. He knows what it means to scrape for every single thing. So he pays them their worth for their work and they follow him. They’re even following him to kidnap Taj (Aria Shahghasemi) and force a deal with the Maroni family. Penguin wants to make a deal for the shrooms. But he doesn’t know what Sofia has (Cristin Milioti) done yet…

He finally sees the news. It’s a whole new ball game. With the Falcone family wiped out, Sofia is in charge and she’s not pulling punches. Viti (Michael Kelly) was the only one kept alive and it’s purely for the resources. She’s giving him a choice. Cooperate and tell her what she wants to know or perish miserably. And in a shock to no one, he tells her everything. Her mom was going to leave. She was going to take the kids and leave but he killed her that night. Of course, no one would stand up to Carmine (Mark Strong) so here we are. He sends his daughter away for his crimes and she suffers years in absolute hell because her family helped sign letters of defense. Yeah, I’d go scorched earth too. 

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Meanwhile, Penguin is figuring out this deal with the Maroni’s but he’s not one to share the playground. He sends a guard to off Sal (Clancy Brown) and meets with momma (Shohreh Aghdashloo) to exchange the shrooms for Taj. The guard doesn’t quite finish the job, but it’s BBQ City as Penguin watches. A very nice reminder for everyone here that this man is a villain. This is not an anti-hero. He’s not just ideologically inclined. He’s evil. He does not care who he kills. Particularly if it is someone between him and what he wants. In an effort to protect his weaknesses, Oz sends Vic to Crown Point with his mother (Deirdre O’Connell). He knows Vic will do his best to protect her, even if they do get spotted by Squid (Jared Abrahamson), the neighborhood dealer. Francis is struggling and I only hope Victor can be what she needs.

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A fresh start is all Sofia needs now. She rebrands the family. They are the Gigante family now, after her mother. Bye Johnny, should have kept your mouth shut. But she’s finally getting the lesson. Pay the lower men well and they’ll do whatever she wants. She wants Oz’s head on a stick and she knows someone else who does too. Sal Maroni is a free man. Well, objectively speaking. His wife and son were burnt to a crisp while Penguin watched. But a team-up might be just what the doctor ordered. Murder Twins Unite! Together, with our powers combined, we can kill Oz Cobb. If the dirty little rat doesn’t escape through the underground first. Sneaky, sneaky Oz. Filthy little rat with filthy little secrets…

Episode # 6 – “Gold Summit”

ThePenguin_S1Ep6Pic1-300x233While most of the mushrooms were damaged in the exchange, Oz has made a wonderland of his underground paradise. Building an empire one dirty rat at a time. He wants to get the local small gangs involved. There could be international possibilities with this drug if they play their cards right. Even Vic is packing a gun now and taking things on a more serious level. Penguin is still after that quest to be the neighborhood hero. We’ll see how it goes for him.

Meanwhile, Sofia and Julian (Theo Rossi) are still having their weird sexual, power dynamic issue. I don’t know if the term would be p*ssy whipped or if he’s just obsessed with her on this weird level, but they creep me out. She knows she can use him for whatever she wants because he’s precisely said that’s why he’s there. I don’t know, but there’s ick all over them. Sal’s also there, as a hostage. A cushy situation for a hostage to have their own kitchen access. But ultimately, they do want to work together to crush Oz so it’s less a hostage situation and more a vacation visiting friends, I suppose. But it’s also a moment for Sofia to feel like an actual family…but just for a minute. 

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Penguin gets a generator to Crown Point, hoping to make his mother’s life a little more comfortable. She just wants her music. She’s slipping, bringing up Jack (Owen Asztalos) and Benny (Nico Tirozzi). Vic’s trying but it’s not easy balancing that line of supporting memory loss while also not making the person panic. It’s painful as hell watching someone lose their mind that way. But even Francis is aware enough to beg Oz not to let her be a vegetable. This poor woman has been through so much. Lost two sons already and is losing her mind. She just wants to be at peace. As if Vic doesn’t have enough stress, Squid is on him about getting in whatever Vic’s got going on. Bummer a guy like that couldn’t have been wiped out in the explosion, but here we are. 

Meanwhile, Sal and Sofia get into Penguin’s place just to do some digging. Unsurprisingly, it leads to Eve (Carmen Ejogo). She knows it’s coming. God, what a brilliant section with these two women facing off. Eve and Sofia are both smart, wicked smart. But they are from opposite sides of the tracks. Sofia grew up in every ThePenguin_S1Ep6Pic3comfortable thing. A life of jewels and luxury. Eve is a whore. And she has girls who work for her, they are her family. But she doesn’t have nice things. She lives a life of giving nice things to other people, whispering whatever they want to hear in their ears. And while Eve doesn’t hate Sofia, she certainly doesn’t like her. Sofia gets that, but she also clarifies something that proves Penguin lied. He never told Eve the truth about Sofia not being the murderer. And in this moment we see two women who’ve been constantly used at the hands of men in different ways reach a mutual respect and agreement. Eve and Sofia are both looking out for themselves and their families. But will it be enough?

Penguin is making moves to get himself better entrenched in local government. Carmine had inroads in politics, and Penguin knows he needs the same. Making maneuvers on a local councilman, he wants the lights back on in Crown Point. All the resources are being diverted to the wealthy neighborhoods and it stops now. But Penguin’s got his fingers in all sorts of pots, including the meeting of the low gangs. This is their moment to seize everything from the Falcone’s and Maroni’s. They can do it if they work together and act quickly. ThePenguin_S1Ep6Pic4-300x198

Also acting quickly is Victor. Squid is up his butt and wants in on their new enterprise. Vic has to figure this out and do it fast. You see the gears turning as he’s trying to get himself out of this. Sadly, the only way out is a bullet. But it changes him and he’s fully feeling the weight of this life he’s chosen. “Don’t worry kid. It gets easier.” But as the lights come on in Crown Point, we see Sofia find Francis and Victor dancing and I have a feeling that’s just not true…

 

We will wrap up our look at The Penguin soon. Find it on Max. 

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