This week’s episode dives deeper into the past and present of Vic, Oz’s new companion. Here’s our The Penguin episode 3 review.
Last week’s episode saw The Penguin’s plot really get underway as Oz Cobb (Colin Farrell, under heavy prosthetics) and Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) formed an unlikely partnership to bring down the entire Falcone family so Sofia could take over.
Naturally, Oz is working now with both Sofia and the Maroni family, which can only lead to chaos. Oz is seeking power in Gotham himself and I must admit, it’s a lot of fun watching him rise in the ranks of Gotham’s power hierarchy.
This week’s episode, though, starts with a flashback. Bella Reál is running for mayor and Vic (Rhenzy Feliz) is hanging out with his friends on a rooftop when The Riddler’s bombs go off in Gotham, leading to widespread destruction and death. The scene sets the stage for the episode to focus more on Vic’s character and whether he’s cut out for the underworld of Gotham.
One line from the flashback really stands out. Vic encourages his dad to ask for a pay rise at the garage he works at, but his dad thinks he’s being compensated fairly, although the family lives in a small apartment in a rough neighbourhood.
“You act like wanting more is a bad thing,” Vic says gloomily. It’s a line that really puts the entire character into a new perspective. So far, we’ve largely understood that Vic has stayed with Oz because he feels like he has no other choice. As the episode progresses we see Vic find empowerment with Oz, who very nicely sticks up for him when a waiter tries to hurry Vic up when ordering food and stuttering.
The new focus on Vic is very welcome here. It’s nice to know that a series like The Penguin, a big budget adaptation of one of the most famous Batman villains, still has time for a supporting character and their development.
That’s not to say that the episode doesn’t further the main narrative. Oz and Sofia are cooking up a new drug, but face the challenge of finding someone to distribute it. Sofia can’t exactly go to her family connections with, you know, her trying to take over the empire and such. We also get rare moments of emotion from both Oz and Sofia as they find common ground in how they’ve been treated.
The initial worry with something like The Penguin is how it fits into the larger universe of The Batman, both the film and the IP in general. Todd Phillips’ Joker and its sequel Joker: Folie à Deux felt the constant need to remind us we’re in Gotham and familiar characters exist here. Showrunner Lauren LeFranc has successfully and very cleverly built the entire premise around the chaos caused by The Riddler, with flashbacks to the events, but the effect never feels forced or like an irritating wink to the audience.
Episode 3 of The Penguin is a really great hour of television. It’s a beguiling mix of character and plot, just as it should be. If The Penguin continues this and has the bollocks to keep valuing character as much as episode 3 does, we’re onto a real winner here.