The Penguin: A Great or Little Thing

"Oswald Cobb, man of the people."

That's really all he ever wanted to be. Or at least, that's how he always wanted to present himself. A man of the people, just like his childhood idol.

You can see why Oz wanted to turn himself into a Rex-like figure. Yes, he's a gangster who had no issues murdering a small child, but it felt like he genuinely cared about Francis during their scene together. He checked on her, wanted to pay for the funerals, things like that. And when she told him about Oz, he offered her different options: she could use her son's fixation on her to her advantage, or she could exorcise the devil from her house.

Because yeah, she knew. She knew the whole time what her son was and what he did to his brothers. I absolutely love this revelation. It's a twist that both makes sense but is also shocking, and that's hard to do. The fact that she ultimately chose the former after being unable to commit to the latter changes how we see their entire relationship. Francis isn't just an overbearing mother. She's someone who knowingly and willingly nurtured Oz in all that he is, and hated it the whole time.

There's definitely an almost twisted satisfaction in the fact that Francis' last words to her son was that she hated him. If Sofia wanted Oz to feel true pain, that is definitely the way to do it. Although, maybe not. In the very first episode, I was under the impression that Oz really wasn't that good of a liar. Not really. Sure, he managed to talk his way out of things, but it always held the vibe of the other person just letting things slip.

I genuinely believe that Oz doesn't remember killing his brothers. He lied to himself so well and so often that the memory is simply gone. That doesn't mean that Oz cares, though. It's shown very demonstratively that he doesn't. If he did, then he would have lied. He would have done something to save his mother's finger.

Francis' stroke was both tragic, but also pretty convenient since it meant she couldn't kill her son. Oz continues to get lucky breaks, and this was just another one. It actually took me out of the moment, which isn't what you want in such a highly emotional scene.

The lead up to all of it was fantastic, though. Sofia felt almost joyful as she played therapist for the Cobbs. That's the difference between her and Oz. Well, one of the biggest differences. Oz just wants to win. Sofia wants to inflict pain and suffering first. She wants retribution.

I didn't understand how narrow her view was, though, until the car ride at the end with Oz. She seemed like a woman of the people herself a few episodes ago when she promised her underlings a fair share of the profits, but she almost did a 180 in the time since. As silly as the scene was, Oz at least gave everyone a beer when he tried to get them on his side. Sofia sat there, at the head of the table, with only a glass for herself. She barely seemed to realize that the underlings existed until Link spoke and she was forced to address him.

I am very glad that she survived, though. Her 'final' moments by the river were very beautiful. There was almost a sense of peace to her before the horror that she would be going back to Arkham fully descended. I doubt that she'll be staying there for very long, though. Not when she's getting a letter from Selina Kyle. I had wondered if The Penguin would ever acknowledge the fact that they were related. Hopefully we'll see them together on screen soon.

Maybe in The Batman II? Oz is confirmed to be in that movie, and I'm very curious to see in what capacity. After all, he's a respectable man now. One with a penthouse suit and who regularly wears tuxedos. It was nice to finally see him as the Penguin as opposed to just Oz. It felt earned. He finally reached the top and got everything that his mother ever wanted.

As consistently excellent as The Penguin has been, I don't think that I will ever rewatch it. It's just such a dark show with a very depressing ending. Our protagonist won. Our protagonist just happens to be a horrible human being.

And yes, this is where I'll talk about Vic. Oh, Vic. I had talked myself into believing that he would live, that he was Victor Zsasz under a different name. But no. Instead, he's murdered by the man that he saw as family, and to add insult to injury, no one will ever know or remember Victor's name, not after Oz threw his ID into the river. (Nice parallels to his brothers drowning there.) He died as a John Doe. No one will ever claim his body. He's a John Doe forever. He had finally started to fully come into his own as a gangster and as a man, and now he's nothing.

I don't know if I could watch the series again knowing that this will be his fate. I can handle Sofia going back into Arkham, especially since her half-sister reached out to her. I can handle Francis being trapped in a vegetative state because it's a fitting consequence for her own actions. I can't handle Victor begging for his life as Oz strangles him to death.

But I also don't know if that's a bad thing. Not every show has to be something that you rewatch. I really enjoyed the time that I spent with it, and if they do end up making a second season, then I'll definitely watch it. For now, we wait for The Batman II.

Random Thoughts

Vic didn't stutter at all when he was calling the other gangsters cowards.

Honestly, Vic's stutter in general was very well-handled throughout the series. I'm glad that it was treated as respectfully as it was.

Killing all of the mob bosses was very, very Godfather. Arguably too Godfather.

Eve survives her betrayal, except now she's stuck in Oedipus Hell with Oz. I hope that at least the money's good.

Loved Sofia burning the family mansion down. That was a very fun scene with a great song choice.

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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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