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The Penguin Series Review Episodes 7 & Finale

by Alexandra Mitchell
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The last two episodes are here and I am loving it! I’m so glad I finally jumped on the series, even if I was late to the game. I’ve fully enjoyed Farrell’s take on Penguin and am looking forward to more. Matt Reeves, behind both the films and the show, has stated in the past that this was meant to bridge the gap between the films, The Batman and The Batman II, and stand as a single season. However, the film has seen repeated delays, and depending on the time of turnaround on a show, it’s not out of the realm of possibility. So as of yet, no season two has been confirmed, but Hollywood is full of surprises. For now, let’s dig into the juicy last two episodes of this series!

Episode # 7 – “Top Hat”

ThePenguin_S1Ep7Pic1Also full of surprises is this episode. The opening appears as a flashback, showing us a young Oz (Ryder Allen), enamored with his mother (Emily Meade) and jealous of sharing her with his two brothers, Jack (Owen Asztalos) and Benny (Nico Tirozzi). Mom’s gotta get work done, so she tells the boys to go out. They’re walking the neighborhood heading to their favorite spot to play, the underground. They see Rex (Louis Cancelmi) on the way, and Jack warns against him but Oz gleefully knows exactly what he is: a gangster. His eyes light up as if he’s met his own personal hero. You can tell this kid is just a little bit different. The boys reach the train spot and play some flashlight tag. The two brothers slip down a shaft easily, leaving Oz at the top. He’s slighted by this and makes his choice. It was so easy. No hesitation in the slightest. He slams the door and walks away. It’s pouring by the time he reaches home. We go back and forth between a delighted Oz, snuggling mommy and watching a movie at home and the shaft door as water fills it, voices crying for help eventually going silent.

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Back in the present day, Penguin (Colin Farrell) has found the unconscious Victor (Rhenzy Feliz), but there is no mom (Deirdre O’Connell). Sofia (Cristin Milioti) scooped her up and returned her to the Falcone mansion. But Francis is a bit more than Sofia bargained for. Not only is she spicy she’s just tough;  you can see where Oz learned it. But she’s also slipping between worlds, today and the past. And Sofia’s pretty sure she can use this in some way. Particularly with Julian’s (Theo Rossi) help. She could have something cooking here. 

Back to the Penguin, Sal Maroni (Clancy Brown) arrives in Crown Point and has Oz lead him to the goods. But even with men and artillery, you can see Penguin’s crew has ideas. They aren’t without options and sure, some of them will die but when you choose a life of crime that’s just the cost of doing business. But in the scuffle…I’m sorry, lack thereof, Sal’s dead, and Penguin’s left to gloat to no one. Sad little king sitting on a sad little hill. But he does take Sal’s ring and with that, the Maroni crime family is no more. One family down, one to go.ThePenguin_S1Ep7Pic3

Sofia goes to visit Gia (Kenzie Grey) in the children’s home. Eerily similar to Arkham with post-credit scenes revealing intentional design and set use that way, we see a troubled Gia. She’s hurting. Trigger warning, nothing is seen up close nor detailed but she’s self-harming. Sofia is devastated. She tells Gia that those people, her family, were not worth it. She doesn’t go into specifics nor offer detailed explanations but she tells Gia that she will truly be better off with a new family. But even with placating words, Sofia herself is torn. She probably just made another little version of herself in carrying out her own revenge and desires. I don’t know Batman characters well, could Gia end up a Bat Kid? Or a little, baby villain? But really, Francis got to her. Do you want the keys to the kingdom or do you want him to hurt? She needs to make that choice.

Episode #8 Finale –  “A Great or Little Thing”

We open the final episode with a flashback; Francis the elder (Deirdre O’Connell) seeing Oz the Younger ThePenguin_S1Ep8Pic3-1-300x232(Ryder Allen). Rex is visiting. It’s just after the boys died and he’s offering to pay for the funerals. But she’s laser-focused on one thing. She found a flashlight in Oz’s jacket. She knows what he did. Rex tells her to use his devotion. Get him to do whatever you want. She might even want him killed. But suddenly it’s the present and it’s Julian with a therapy light. The old club is a ruin after the explosion, like so much of Gotham. But it’s finally time. The true confrontation. Sofia wants mother and son to live their truths. And even at the expense of a possible finger, Oz wouldn’t do it. But Francis lives her truth and stabs her son. Yet she ends up being carried to the hospital. Oz and Vic make it to the hospital and it’s not looking good.

ThePenguin_S1Ep8Pic4-300x227Sofia calls all the lesser gangs to the Falcone, I mean Gigante home. She wants out. They don’t believe her. She tells them that she is leaving for Italy and her last piece of business is seeing to the issue of Oz and his head being removed from his body. Someone brings her a live Oz and the keys to the kingdom are theirs. One of the seconds, Link (Robert Lee Leng), has a rapport with Vic and reminds him to think and speak carefully. Know when and how to use your voice. In using his voice, Penguin reconnects with the councilman and gives him the whole story on a silver platter. The only thing missing was the bow. 

Meanwhile, in her desire to leave nothing behind, Sofia sets quite the blaze. I’m here for the feminine rage moment. She has done terrible things. I do not deny that. But destroying it all, too perfect. I declare 2025 to be the year of Feminine Rage so more of this, please. But while she thinks she’s home free, sneaky seconds are rising against their leaders. The councilman has his neat little excuses and Sofia returns to hell. 

ThePenguin_S1Ep8Pic2-300x231But it’s truly Penguin who is in hell. He goes back to see his mom and she’s gone. Francis had a stroke and became a vegetable, the one thing she didn’t want. He’ll never hear her say she’s proud of him. All of it for nothing. And now that Victor’s seen it too, well…bye Vic. It was a good run, but you got too comfortable. You stopped being on guard, you trusted him too much. The last shred of Oz’s humanity is truly gone now. 

We touch back with Sofia, seeing her back in Arkham with Julian. She’s shut down, but receiving mail. From possible half-sisters named Selina Kyle, and boy wouldn’t you know it? Sofia is feeling some of that familial warmth she’s been missing. Even though the lights are on, it’s cold back in Crown Point. Francis is in a hospital bed, and Eve (Carmen Ejogo) is in mom’s dress and telling Penguin everything he wants to hear. It’s a hollow victory. He got everything he wanted but no one to praise him or share it with besides people he pays. Don’t get too comfy, Oz. There’s a bat signal flying about…

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I’ll be curious to see how this bridges the gap between films. With a delay until 2027, it leaves a time gap too which can be dangerous for the health of a film series. Wait too long and the audience will lose interest in what you’re selling. Then again, Batman is always pretty solidly loved so we’ll see. No matter what, I’ll be waiting with my flashlight and makeshift cape.

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