Episode 2 of The Penguin continues Oswald Cobbelpot’s reign of slipping out of situations by the skin of his cheek. Titled ‘Inside Man’, episode 2 of HBO’s new crime series sheds some light on Sofia Falcone’s history confined in Arkham as Oz’s luck remains his most valuable asset. While the episode didn’t stick the landing as well as the pilot, things are finally starting to fall into place as Sofia and Oz finally come to an understanding – sort of.
Before we proceed, this review will go over major spoilers for both episode 1 and episode 2 of The Penguin, so come back once you’re all caught up. The show is currently streaming on Showmax for you to enjoy. In case you missed it, check out our recap/review of episode 1, After Hours.
The Penguin Episode 2 ‘Inside Man’ Review
Sofia Falcone (played by Cristin Milioti) is still undergoing therapy from her nightmarish past experiences in Arkham Asylum and now the death of her brother, Alberto. We don’t get the full picture of Sofia’s motivations and intentions yet but the fact that she’s still reflecting on her past and what she has gone through scores her a few sympathy points – even if she is a maniacal serial killer. We also learn later that Sofia’s victims count for seven women under her serial killer persona, The Hangman.
Elsewhere in the episode, we learn a little more about Victor’s family and his struggles after The Riddler’s attack on Gotham. It’s not much but it’s enough to show the devastation of the events of The Batman and how it impacted several civilians – possibly driving Victor to a life of crime, or worst yet, under the “employment” of Oz. Rhenzy Filaz is doing an incredible job as Vic and again, we can’t wait to see how his relationship with Oz develops or regresses should the show take a few twists and turns.
As for Oz himself, episode 2 just proves that he has no real plan – he’s kind of winging it, finding himself in situations where he’s barely able to manipulate his way out of certain death. Case in point, Oz finds himself caught in the middle of a firefight between the Maronis and Falcones in this episode. It’s quite a predicament to be in, especially since Oz continues to conceal the truth of his actions – truths that could very well end or escalate the conflict between the families, instead Oz uses it to his advantage.
Inside Man isn’t as strong as After Hours if you’re looking for a more tightly-paced hour of television as it spends quite a bit of time reflecting on characters as opposed to delivering shocking plot revelations and action. Like a double-sided blade, this also happens to be the strongest quality about episode 2. Pieces are moving on the chess board in this criminal underworld yet we’re still being kept on the edge about where it’s all eventually going to go.
Collin Farell and Cristin Milioti are once again the standouts of the episode. Milioti brings an uncomfortable, quiet energy to her performance, as if she’s about to explode at any moment. We don’t get that release yet, though it’s clear that Oz is more valuable to her than just another pawn in the game (or is he?). The episode ends with Sofia and Oz forming an uneasy alliance to take over the family by force and Oz is along for the ride.
Inside Man is a lot of set-up and little payoff but we still have a handful of episodes in the series to go before we really start to see things fall into place. Oz can’t keep getting out of dire situations forever and it won’t be long before Sofia catches wind of his deceit. Yet, it’s so entertaining to watch Oz at work, slithering in and out of the family feud through lying and some cunning manipulation. Hopefully this doesn’t become a gimmick in later episodes as I can see it wearing thin.
