Critic’s Ranking: 5 / 5.0
5
I don’t find out about you guys, however can 2026 and Batman 2 get right here any sooner? I’m dying to see the ladies of Gotham take down OzCobb.
Perhaps the film will give The Penguin writers an opportunity at redemption for all of the crap they pulled, letting him worm his approach out of probably the most unimaginable conditions.
Actually, I hated The Penguin Season 1 Episode 8 in so some ways, however I’ll admit — it was additionally among the finest episodes of your complete sequence. Weren’t all of them, although?
This sequence felt too quick, however in a approach, it was the right setup for Batman 2. Good, actually.
Sofia was so shut. And whereas it’s infuriating that she couldn’t take down the King of BS, there’s a sure satisfaction in figuring out that Ozmade an enormous mistake by preserving her alive.
He may suppose he’s sending her to a dwelling hell by throwing her again in Arkham, however he clearly hasn’t thought-about Selina Kyle — or the truth that Batman’s nonetheless on the market.
Seeing Sofia obtain that letter from Selina made me giddy. Plus, Dr. Rush remains to be at Arkham, which is one other win for the Queen.
My first thought? Being again in Arkham is likely to be the right setup for Sofia to satisfy extra villains she might rally to lastly end off Oz.
However the way in which it’s turning out is even juicier.
Why? As a result of we all know Selina Kyle — aka Catwoman — orks with Batman. And that remaining shot earlier than the credit made it clear: Batman is again.
You’ve bought to surprise if Selina has been preserving tabs on Gotham for him. There must be a purpose why she determined to contact Sofia — particularly now.
Certain, we don’t know what the letter mentioned, however it positively put a smile on Sofia’s face. Did Selina confess that she needed Carmine lifeless however that Batman stopped her?
There must be extra to it than simply “I needed Carmine gone and oh, I’m your sister.”
This might imply that Sofia received’t flip right into a supervillain, like I believed she may.
I’d been toying with the concept that her Penguin-esque outfits hinted at her taking on Ozs persona, however possibly that is even higher.
Sofia doesn’t must grow to be some twisted villain. She will keep true to who she is and combat on the facet of excellent.
Ever since her brother’s loss of life, she’s made it clear she didn’t need to be a felony — I’ve mentioned it earlier than. She was all the time going to go away that to Maroni.
What Sofia needed was easy: revenge. Kill Ozand transfer on together with her life. I actually imagine she deliberate to go away Gotham after taking him out on the airport.
However now she has an opportunity to take down Ozthe precise approach — as a result of let’s not neglect, Batman didn’t let Selina kill Carmine. And I can see him, together with Selina, having that very same affect on Sofia.
Sofia might channel her rage into one thing significant, making a satisfying arc.
She might assist put Ozaway for good and focus her power on making Gotham higher, very similar to she did earlier than Ozratted her out to Carmine.
After all, she has loads of hurdles.
She blew up a giant chunk of Crown Level in her try and kill Oz, taking harmless lives within the course of.
And let’s not neglect Bliss, the drug she launched that’s wreaking havoc on Gotham, and the reason for all this mess.
Whereas her rage might have been misguided, there’s nonetheless hope for redemption.
Batman is the final individual to evaluate anybody, and whereas he serves justice from the shadows, Gotham owes him an enormous debt.
Sofia might serve in her personal approach too, even when public redemption isn’t within the playing cards. It’s going to be a tricky promote after the whole lot, however possibly that makes her redemption much more highly effective.
I additionally suppose it’ll assist when the reality about Ozfinally comes out.
This nutjob thinks he’s going to be Gotham’s savior, with the backing of his corrupt councilman good friend and Gotham’s underworld. Particularly Gotham’s underworld.
Let’s hope there’s no simple out for Oswald Cobb.
What did Sofia name him? “Oswald Cobb, the Man of the Folks”? It’s the delusional dream of one of the vital delusional characters on TV.
And let’s not neglect — he’s a f***ing rat, exposing himself because the basic mob snitch. A rat is a rat is a rat because the saying goes.
Like most rats in mob historical past, he’s mendacity and manipulating his approach out of being held accountable for his personal crimes.
And, naturally, his councilman buddy is utilizing Penguin’s lies to prop himself up, promoting the folks of Gotham on his so-called dedication to justice.
Sofia, in the meantime, is only a stepping stone on his twisted yellow brick street to greater workplace.
It’s an nearly excellent mirror of real-world organized crime: rats rat, and when a prosecutor scores a giant conviction in opposition to a mob boss, they use it to spice up their very own careers.
Rudy Giuliani is only one instance (and there are a lot extra) of those that rode the backs of high-profile convictions, ones which will or might not have been simply, purely to climb the ability ladder.
And ultimately, how typically does it prove that they’re as corrupt because the very folks they locked up?
However I digress, as a result of there’s a lot extra to Ozs twisted story.
His complete “have and have nots” speech in The Penguin Season 1 Episode 7 was a chief instance of individuals getting sucked into the delusions of a megalomaniac.
Idiots — And I imply silly f***ing idiots — believing in one thing so blatantly absurd just because they really feel slighted or underrepresented.
They don’t notice till it’s approach too late that they’ve chosen the improper facet, backed the improper individual, and invested in a trigger that was going nowhere.
And what occurs? All of it comes crashing down, as a result of they had been so tousled in a delusion that they didn’t discover the poison within the Kool-Assist they had been ingesting.
Vic by no means had the prospect to get up from that delusion, sadly, and it was painful watching him give Ozthat absurd pep discuss within the hospital, stroking his ego.
I nonetheless don’t perceive how he couldn’t see what was proper in entrance of him.
Perhaps it’s the stupidity of youth? I don’t know, however he discovered his lesson approach too late — and Linc and the remainder of Ozs followers are on the identical path.
Ozis mainly the Wizard in The Wizard of Oz: a little bit man hiding backstage, with nothing however an overblown ego to maintain him satisfied he’s highly effective. Take into consideration that for a minute.
At the very least Francis knew the true Oz, however disgrace on her for not dealing with it.
She didn’t must let Rex kill him, however she might have stopped him by way of correct channels.
As a substitute, she created the monster — similar to Sofia mentioned. Stroking his ego, encouraging him, all whereas despising him.
Why did she do it? As a result of he was bringing her good issues? Sure. And that egocentric pondering was detrimental to herself and everybody round her. What a hypocrite, proper?
And what’s she getting out of it now? Nothing however a life sentence in her personal thoughts.
She’ll spend the remainder of her days in a hospital mattress, a prisoner to Oz, as a result of he’s not going to grant her remaining request to finish her distress.
Why? As a result of he’s egocentric, and he or she taught him that by by no means holding him accountable for what he did to her boys.
Often, I don’t like blaming mother and father for his or her youngsters’ actions. However on this case, she fed the monster, and that’s on her.
As for Eve — what the precise f**ok is she pondering?
Dressing up like Ozs mom and stroking his ego, giving him the twisted affection he all the time needed from Francis?
That’s some severely demented s*it. I get that she’s most likely afraid of him, however severely? You’re gonna get up on your women however you’re not gonna get up for your self? GTFOH poser.
After all, possibly there’s a twist. Perhaps she’s working with Batman or Selina. It was fairly clear she wasn’t precisely thrilled to be dancing with the nutjob, so I hope there’s a very good purpose behind her actions.
Irrespective of how you are feeling about Oz, Sofia, or any of the opposite characters on The Penguin, you’ve bought to offer props to Matt Reeves and your complete solid and manufacturing group.
This was one hell of a sequence, and I’m genuinely unhappy to see it go.
I’ll admit, I wasn’t an enormous fan of The Batman film. It felt too lengthy, too bleak, and leaned a bit too onerous on Christopher Nolan’s Darkish Knight Trilogy.
However this sequence? It had a unique vibe solely.
And I can solely hope that the identical tone and depth carries over to Batman 2 (together with the right use of Nirvana songs, like A couple of Woman — one among my favourite Nirvana songs of all time — when Sofia was burning down the Falcone mansion).
And naturally, I need Sofia to win.
She’s hands-down among the finest new characters to come back out of the 2024 TV season.
Dare I say it? Sure, I’ll. As a result of she completely did: Cristin Milioti outshined Colin Farrell on this sequence.
Over to you, TV Fanatics! What are your ideas on the season finale of The Penguin and the sequence as a complete?
Are you trying ahead to Batman 2? How do you suppose the storyline from the sequence will play out within the film? Hit the feedback and share your ideas!
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