Penguin Pride: The Fun Continues!

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Editor’s note: The below recap contains spoilers for The Penguin Episode 3.

Much like a penguin will dodge leopard seals left and right, Colin Farrell’s Oz Cobb kept on marching past death in last week’s episode of The Penguin, and now in Episode 3, titled "Bliss," the stage has been set for an unholy alliance between him and the Hangman herself, Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti). In case you need a refresher from last week’s episode, Oz roped in his teenage protégé, Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz), to assist him in framing Johnny Viti (Michael Kelly), the underboss of the Falcone crime family, for the murder of Alberto Falcone (Michael Zegen). However, those plans went wayward after Sofia hired Detective Marcus Wise (Craig Walker), to track down a mole within the family. Instead, Oz was forced to improvise, and Sofia’s own personal bodyguard, Castillo (Berto Colon), ended up taking the fall for the murder.

The episode begins with a flashback set on the fateful election night during the third act of The Batman. Victor agrees to meet up with his crush, Graciela (Anire Kim Amoda), promising he’ll join her on the rooftops after he drops off some things at his family’s apartment. While there, Victor tries to convince his father (Jose Guns Alves) to take more opportunities at his job to get paid more, but to no avail. Later on, Victor meets up with his friends, including Graciela, on the rooftop of a taller building down the street. Right as Victor and Graciela share a tender moment, Riddler’s bombs detonate across Gotham, causing a massive flood that destroys Victor’s family’s apartment and presumably killing everyone still inside.

Flashing back to the root of Victor’s grief is one hell of a way to start the episode, perfectly setting the stage for the character’s biggest storyline yet. Until this point, Victor has been one of the sole forces of good in The Penguin, but this episode showcases a darker side of his personality. The tension between Victor and Oz is palpable, and their conflicting values create an interesting dynamic.

Outside the club, Oz informs Sofia that a deal has been made with the Triad, but she remains apathetic. It’s then that we learn a bit more about the history between these two, as Sofia believes that Oz is merely just using her to become a capo, stating that he will never even be a made man. Oz opens up, tearfully admitting that he doesn’t regret ratting her out to Carmine, as it gave him more power within the family, but he does sympathize with what happened to her, not knowing then that Carmine had been planning to send Sofia to Arkham. As the two share a cigarette, Sofia tells Oz that she no longer knows how she can ever trust him, but Oz promises he’ll keep showing her otherwise.

Right as the tension between the two begins to smooth out, Nadia Maroni (Shohreh Aghdashloo) and her men arrive to hold them at gunpoint, and she reveals that she knows that Oz was playing them and was never planning to pay them back. It’s at that moment that Victor returns to the club, sees the encounter, and drives his car into the scene, saving Oz and Sofia and creating a distraction. The episode ends as Oz jumps into the passenger seat, but orders Victor to drive off, leaving Sofia behind.

The first two episodes of The Penguin allowed us to dive deep into the psyche of Oz, but this week shifts the focus toward Victor, fleshing out the character even more and allowing the audience to have a deeper understanding of him. While Victor brings out a softer side of Oz, Oz brings out a darker side of Victor, and watching the evolution (and devolution) of these two is the biggest highlight of the episode. There might be a lot going on within the overall plot of The Penguin, but in Episode 3, the numerous backstories are all starting to thread together in unexpected ways.

The Penguin is available to stream on Max in the U.S.

Conclusion:

The Penguin is a show that is all about the characters and their complex relationships with each other. This episode was no exception, as it delved deeper into the backstory of Victor and his relationship with Oz. The show is not afraid to get dark and gritty, and this episode was no exception. With its complex characters and intricate plot, The Penguin is a show that will keep you hooked from start to finish.

FAQs:

• What is The Penguin?
  The Penguin is a television series that is a spin-off of the DC Comics character of the same name. It is set in the same universe as the Batman series and follows the character of Oz Cobb as he navigates the dark and gritty world of organized crime.
• Who is Victor Aguilar?
  Victor Aguilar is a character in The Penguin and is played by Rhenzy Feliz. He is a teenage protégé of Oz Cobb and is involved in his illegal activities.
• What is the significance of the election night flashback?
  The election night flashback is significant because it shows the events that led to the destruction of Victor’s family’s apartment and the presumed death of his family members. This event has a profound impact on Victor’s character and is a major plot point in the episode.