Gold Summit

I've enjoyed every episode so far but I though the one before this was the weakest because of its wobbly logic, and the one before that was excellent but unnecessary. This episode gets everything back on track with gritty plausibilty and forward momentum building toward the finale. It should go without saying by this point that the acting from Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti and Deirdre O'Connell is excellent. Rhenzy Feliz gets another pivotal moment to show off his chops and he again rises to the occasion. I think this is Lauren LeFranc's best writing of the series: virtually every scene is tense, grounded, believable and true to the characters as they've been established in prior episodes.

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.

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.

Sofia and Oz work the perimeters. The city's underworld is dank as dank can be. Time has passed and the drugs are being produced by men who are payed a large amount of money. Oz realizes that there are other gangs out there and he attempts to unite with them. Vic runs into Squid who attempts to extort him, not knowing that he is a small timer in the scheme of things. Vic is conflicted. Squid is part of the hood and Vic has been one of them, yet he knows the guy is going to cause trouble.

Sofia is doing her own research into something that will hurt Oz, like Oz hurt her. She goes to hooker central and is eventually joined with Oz's woman. She begins her endgame. Oz's mother is getting worse and worse and continues to mistake Vic for Oz. This whole thing is getting more and more weird.

There is a great scene where all the leaders of the various families meet with Oz. He hands them cans of beer. He delivers a self centered speech, enticing them to join him in his enterprises. If they pop the top of their can, they are in. Great moment in cinema. Of course, as has been the case, the episode ends with a good narrative hook.

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.