Gold Summit

The Penguin now operates from the underground and his mushroom business flourishes. But Sofia is hunting him. Victor gets confronted with someone from his past, who wants to use him to get into Oz's business. By shooting him, Vic completes his journey to the dark side. A genius as Oz is he invites all the minor gang leaders and gives them beer! He unites them against the Maronis and Falcones. Ergo bibamus - so let us drink!

But this wouldn't be the Penguin if it wasn't for Sofia to find out about Oz's hideout. She breaks into it and sees Vic dancing with The Penguin's mother. Oh boy, how shall I wait a whole week, not knowing if they survive?

The Penguin is just the best show of the year. It captivates its audience for weeks and doesn't lose one bit of its quality. The finale will be exceptional!

II like Ozs subtle tactic of changing his voice and height levels during his Gold Summit speech. He starts out standing on the bed of the truck and handing out beers in high and dominant position. Then he steps down and stands at their level as he proposes unifying their respective groups against the Gigante/Maroni faction. It starts out fiery and charismatic, particularly when he defends himself from the Triad leader calling him out for being a lying backstabber. Brilliantly, Oz doesn't deny it, he changes level yet again by sitting on the back of the truck and and owns up to what he did. He's speaking softly, feigning vulnerability and spinning it as he's just another poor person doing what was necessary, like all of them have had to do. Seems like he hooked all the gangs except the Triads at that moment. Zhao eventually capitulates, realizing he will be outnumbered if the Triads do not join with all theand he can undermine or even remove the Penguin and seize power for himself later.

"The Penguin" follows the iconic character as he navigates his way to taking over the city, stepping into a more prominent role after his appearance in the film starring The Batman. While the storyline is straightforward, it complicates itself with the mature themes HBO is known for, making it a departure from what traditional movie fans might expect.

This series captures the essence of what shows like "The Sopranos" and "The Wire" have achieved, but it feels like HBO is using the Batman brand to explore its own creative vision-both good and bad. It's clear that this show is still searching for its audience, as it seems to be made without a specific fanbase in mind. Overall, "The Penguin" is a bold and intriguing addition to the HBO lineup that may resonate with viewers looking for a fresh take on the beloved character.

This episode finally gave us the experience of seeing Oz as the classic supervillain he's always had the potential to be. The show, which previously played around with whether the protagonist wanted to be an eccentric Gotham criminal or a wounded man seeking redemption, has now fully embraced both sides, revealing a version of the character with the strength and presence of a villain on the rise.

The scene where Oz, decked out in a fur coat, commands the Gotham underworld bosses with a speech full of promises of revenge and justice is a standout moment. Colin Farrell gets to deliver a performance that taps into the essence of a true comic book villain in this intense scene, where he embodies the real Oswald Cobblepot and declares, "We're taking Gotham back."

As Oz steps into his supervillain role, the episode also shines by diving into the series' darker and more thematic side. The confrontation between Sofia and Eve is one of the best examples of how The Penguin uses dialogue scenes to explore the emotional depth and tension between strong female characters. In this conversation, they discuss the injustices women face in Gotham and the need to distort their identities to survive. Carmen Ejogo is flawless as Eve, showing a rich emotional arc through subtle facial expressions. With each shift in stance, she transitions between confidence and vulnerability, adding an unexpected depth to a secondary character.

And that's what works so well here: even with its supervillain approach, the show still tackles human themes, from Vic's struggle to balance his morality with his new life in crime to Oz's hunger for respect and power. This episode marks an interesting turning point, where the show accepts itself as a story about villains while highlighting that, one way or another, they're human too.

This time, the story got real deep between Victor and Oz, and I gotta say, I was feelin' it. The way they built that back-and-forth had me hooked-it showed us who they really are and what they're goin' through. The end, though? Man, that threw us all for a loop. But look, I don't see Victor dyin' just yet. I bet Sofia's gonna come for Oz's mom, just like he went after her brother. I'm tellin' you, takin' Victor out now would make all that character build-up feel like a waste. But hey, that's just how I see it-you might see it different. Well just have to see when the next episode comes out. Let's get it.