Reviewer Rating: 4/5.0
4
In Penguin Season 1 Episode 6, Gotham becomes a world of beer and wine—or at least that’s the idea Oz tries to sell to the city’s crime lords.
His whole “haves and have nots” speech felt like the writers were trying to inject some social commentary, but it didn’t quite fit, even if it was intended to showcase Oz’s manipulative abilities at their best.
The message sounds forced, an attempt at depth without really falling into the cutthroat world of high-stakes crime. After all, they are crime bosses, not low-level street thugs.
Sure, Oz loves playing mastermind, but do these crime bosses really think his plan will work?
If they do, they’ll be in for a rude awakening, because the only thing guaranteed is a bloodbath.
The only person I saw unscathed was the Triad leader. He may simply be playing along to keep an eye on the operation and gather intelligence.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he revealed everything to Sofia and Sal – because let’s be honest, Sofia is the real brains (and power) behind the Gigante/Maroni partnership.
I would be shocked if she lost this war.
Sofia makes allies without even trying. Take Eve for example. The fact that Sofia didn’t just blow her mind says a lot.
Eve now knows that Sophia is not someone to be trifled with, and she is not as impulsive and violent as Oz.
When Eve basically calls Sophia an executioner, you can see the spokes turning in Sophia’s head: Should I kill this bitch now—or later? But Sophia kept her cool, which spoke volumes about her state of mind.
She’s on top of everything and knows how to keep everything in line.
She also has a knack for getting the men around her to do her bidding. Case in point: Give Sal a golf club and ask him to demolish Oz’s apartment.
It was too easy for her. BDSM, anyone? (Hint: It’s all about control.)
Dress up to kill
There’s something interesting about Sofia’s clothing choices, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.
In Penguins season 1, episode 5, she’s wearing a white jacket in her mother’s closet and pulls out the fur coat. Later, in the basement with Vitti, she puts on a black outfit with a “Penguin” vibe.
In this episode, she wears a feathered coat. Maybe nothing, but I have a feeling these choices are more than just a fashion statement.
But back to the point.
So, will Sofia kill Vic and Frances? This is sure to send Oz into a killing frenzy.
At first, I thought Ozzy was the one standing in the doorway watching Vic and Frances dance and it was going to be a disaster.
You can tell how bothered Oz is when Frances calls Vic a “good boy.” There was definitely some jealousy brewing, and Vic seemed to sense it.
That’s likely why he’s trying to argue with Oz in front of Frances, but if Oz starts to suspect that his mom prefers Vic to him, that’s not a big deal.
Then again, it might not make any difference at all.
As it turns out, Sophia was in the hallway and I doubt she would have any mercy for Vic or Frances (although I could be wrong).
Frances almost wants to die at this point – asking Oz to kill her and then having him do her makeup is downright creepy. Their relationship is a mess.
And then at that moment, Frances called out to Rex.
Wait, are Oz’s brothers Jake and Rex? Does this mean Rex was Francis’ lover and they had a son named after him? Or was she calling out to someone else entirely?
I’m still scratching my head on this issue.
There’s definitely something more to it – maybe Ozzy’s supposed admiration for Rex Calabrese is more about deep-seated jealousy than anything else.
point of no return
It was both surprising and unsurprising that Vic brought out the calamari.
He knows he has to deal with his problems because Oz isn’t always there for him, even when he pretends to be.
Oz is Oz, which is why Vic doesn’t even bother to mention his concerns about the squid again.
But it’s a powerful moment when Oz recognizes what he’s done just from the look on Vic’s face.
Vic later broke down – shouting: “Why did you let me do this?” – while telling. Is he blaming the squid, or is he targeting Oz?
Ultimately, Vic is responsible for his actions. He could have boarded that bus with his girlfriend and left Gotham, but he chose this path.
Sympathy for him? Not so much.
Now, with Sophia on board, what will Vic do? Will he try to protect Frances, or will he give in and side with Sofia?
Or maybe Sofia will decide to get rid of them both. Considering she didn’t kill Eve, despite knowing she was Oz’s alibi for murdering Alberto, it’s possible she spared Vic and Frances.
But if Sophia lets her compassion get in the way, it could be her downfall, as I mentioned before. She couldn’t hesitate, especially after what Oz had done to her brother. This may be the decisive factor in Francis’s survival.
Ozzy’s journey into selfhood
If Oz thought he would be remembered fondly, he was completely delusional. Sure, they’d talk about him, but not in the way he imagined.
That he thinks he’s somehow “helping” Gotham by pushing drugs shows just how twisted his thinking has become.
Speaking of drugs, how did those mushrooms grow so fast after the fire? I thought they must be contaminated. I guess we’ll just let it be.
As for Mork and Mindy (yes, that’s funny), they may be an awesome duo, but Sophia is the one Oz needs to stop underestimating.
She’s dangerous in a way that even Oz can’t fathom, and I can’t help but feel like he’ll eventually lose again. No matter how cruel he becomes, his ego will lead to his destruction.
Over to you, TV fanatics!
What do you think of the “Golden Summit”? Did Gotham’s crime lords make a big mistake by siding with Oz?
Will Sophia take out Francis and Vic? What did you think of Oz’s speech about “the haves and the have-nots”?
Let us know in the comments below! If you haven’t already, check out our Penguin Roundtable Discussion And join the conversation!
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