As The Penguin continues its weekly march towards seeing the rise of one of Gotham’s criminal kingpins, the early episodes come to a close with episode 3, titled ‘Bliss’, and episode 4, titled ‘Cent’Anni.’ Both episodes explore two important characters, Victor and Sofia, on a deeper personal level while Oz finds himself wrapped up in more trouble. Luckily, fortune favours the bold and it seems like Oz’s luck keeps getting him out of tough spots – a trope that is, sadly, wearing a bit thin at this point.
In case you missed it, check out our reviews for episode 1 ‘After Hours’ as well as episode 2 ‘Inside Man.’ The current season is expected to end in eight episodes, though there doesn’t seem to be any indication of a second season. We’ll just have to wait and see where the story takes us.
The Penguin Episode 3 ‘Bliss’ Review
In a refreshing change of pace, episode 3 of The Penguin mainly focuses on the all-important side character, Victor, and his past – more specifically, all the events that led him into a life of crime. We get a harrowing scene of his family being killed during the events of The Batman when The Riddler’s seawall explosion drowns Victor’s loved ones. For the most part, we also get to see Victor’s life independent of Oz as well as his indecisiveness about putting his life of crime behind him for a better future or sinking further into the underworld.
Where these story threads lead make for some of the best moments in episode 3. Victor is, by far, one of the more compelling characters of the series next to Oz and Sofia. In the span of only three episodes, we’ve gotten some superb character development out of him in a well-written arc that’s bound to have some serious repurcussions down the line. Victor’s inner stuggles are put on full display as you begin to understand how much his relationship with Oz has grown, which also leads to a terrific, surprisingly emotional scene between them in the episode.
Elsewhere, Oz and Sofia’s uneasy alliance leads them to Bliss, a narcotic from Arkham Asylum that Oz plans to capitalise on and distribute. Once again, the dynamic duo resort to double-crossing to get ahead. Oz and Sofia aren’t the most formidable criminal pairing but Sofia’s reputation (and pieces of her dark past) is keeping Oz’s aspirations afloat, whether he wants to admit it or not.
Overall, how much viewers enjoy episode 3 depends on how much they care about Victor. He’s the anchor that keeps Oz down-to-earth on many occasions and it’s finally great to have his backstory, which does an excellent job of conveying his motivations and troubled, malleable mind. The episode ends with Oz being saved from certain death at the last minute – a recurring thing that’s becoming a little difficult to swallow but we’ll let it slide.
The Penguin Episode 4 ‘Cent’Anni’ Review
Episode 4 of The Penguin dives into Sofia’s past, her experiences in Arkham and her tragic history with her mother. So far, the show is doing a stellar job at repainting certain villainous figures in a more sympathetic light, even if what they’re doing now calls for a swift beating from the caped crusader.
Dare I say, ‘Cent’Anni’ might be the best episode of the series yet. Unlike the previous three episodes, there’s a noticeable tonal shift into more comic book-y territory here than the grounded realism set up before. We get a good look at Sofia’s past leading up to her incarceration in Arkham. A few bold storytelling choices ultimately paint her in a different light – one that recontextualises her character while still holding back some vital information that’s best left uncertain for now.
Oz isn’t in the spotlight for this episode which was a smart decision by the writers in order to give Sofia some much-needed development. Up until this point, Sofia was a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. While she’s still very much the most quietly unhinged and unpredictable person in a room in any given situation, we sort of understand where it’s coming from now. On a more technical level, this is one of the best-directed episodes of television I’ve seen in quite a while, complemented by excellent writing as well.
The Penguin is now streaming on Showmax.
