If there ever was a thesis statement for The Penguin, this is it. Do you want a better life for yourself, the very foundation of the American Dream, even if pursuing it is punished by society and viewed as wrong?
Now, obviously, our characters are not good people. They're gangsters, murderers, criminals, etc. Of course their pursuit of a better life is viewed as wrong; they're doing illegal things! But what's the alternative when you live in a city like Gotham, where a madman called The Riddler can kill your family in the blink of an eye?
In many ways, this was Vic’s episode. We got our best insight yet into him and his thought process, starting with the opening flashback. What an incredibly harrowing thing to go through. He didn’t just survive the sea walls coming down, he watched the waters slam directly into his home and kill his entire family. Honestly, it’s a surprise that he’s doing as well as he is. Remember, all of this only happened roughly two weeks ago.
In two weeks, Vic went from being nobody to earning $1,000 a week and dining in the kind of restaurants that his dad could only dream of. There's a new confidence to him too, one that's slowly growing. I highly doubt that he would have been able to successfully bribe the cop last episode. He can now. He's doing what Oz told him to do: he's getting stronger and smarter.
And as gratifying as it is to see, it's also a little terrifying. This is not a safe world to be in. Oz makes it seem safe. Even though he continues to have a hair trigger temper and he has no problems killing people, he was very supportive of Vic. And not just through money or gifts, but in advice and insisting that he's given respect. Oz is positioning himself into being a father figure, one that is more than happy to insist that they both deserve more. That they both deserve better. Who wouldn't be drawn into that?
But there is always that tension between them. Because, yeah, there was still definitely some underlying hostage vibes to their relationship, even with Oz encouraging Vic. He snapped at the waiter over Vic's stutter, but he still lashed out when Vic couldn't get the words out when talking to him. It's not a relationship that could possibly end well.
The same goes for his relationship with Sofia, although it's more tenuous than the one with Vic. Neither Oz nor Sofia trust each other. At all. That much is clear. And yet, when they work together, they make a very strong team. There's an ease in how they riff off of each other. They're effective. What Oz has in social connections and intelligence, Sofia has in name recognition and product. One elevates the other.
At least until it's made clear that Sofia and Oz are not equal partners. Oz is Sofia's underling. Her driver. And, oh, I winced every time that happened, waiting for Oz's temper to go off. It finally did with Viti, but Sofia can't be safe from his wrath forever. Oz might feel like he owes her, but at what point will he consider his debt paid?
Were Oz and Sofia romantically involved? I was kind of getting those vibes. Or at least that there was acknowledged romantic interest there even if they never acted on it. That was one nasty look that she sent Eve after she kissed Oz. It made me genuinely worried for Eve’s future safety, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she winds up a victim of the Hangman at some point. Well... maybe not the Hangman.
Oz told Vic that Sofia wasn’t the Hangman. He sounded pretty sure about that too, like this was a known fact instead of him just trying to calm Vic down. It’s been implied before that Oz told Carmine about Sofia murdering people, but if Sofia isn’t a serial killer then there’s something else that we’re missing. Whatever it was, Oz really didn’t expect it to end up in Arkham, if we take his words at face value. I’m willing to do that here. We’ve never seen Oz with tears in his eyes before. I think that he was genuinely sorry about what happened to her, even if he doesn’t regret how it benefited him.
And yet, when his back was against the wall, he still left her behind. Even though Vic asked about her, Oz explicitly told him to leave without her. We didn’t get to see where she was or what she was doing after Vic’s grand entrance either, so it’s not like there was a “good” reason for her not being able to make it to the car.
Although, as I’m writing this, I’m beginning to wonder something. We didn’t see anything at all in the aftermath of the crash. We stayed tight on Vic’s face. Maybe Oz knows for sure that Sofia wouldn’t be able to make it to the car. Maybe he made sure.
I have a feeling that the next episode is going to open with that end scene from her POV.
Random Thoughts
Gotham elected a 28 year old for their mayor? That felt way too young for me, so I did some research. There have been a few teenagers elected mayor in the US, but the youngest person elected mayor for a major city was 37 when Fort Worth elected her in 2021. Alternatively, Washington DC elected a 41 year old in 2015.
None of that actually matters. I was just curious.
I continue to want Oz's car.
I spent the entire review without mentioning Bliss, the new drug, at all, but I'm curious where it goes. Its ties to Arkham are intriguing, and I know that other people have theorized that it's a precursor to Scarecrow's Fear Toxin.
If Sofia isn't the Hangman, who is? Luca? Al? Surely someone we've met before, right?
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An Honest Fangirl loves video games, horror movies, and superheroes, and occasionally manages to put words together in a coherent and pleasing manner.
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