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Critic’s Rating: 4.3 / 5.0
4.3
We finally got some backstory on Oz Cobb on The Penguin Season 1 Episode 7, and it ain’t pretty.
Not that we could ever think it would be anything else, but “Top Hat” definitely sheds some brutal light on what made Oz, well… Oz.
When Colin Farrell said a while back that by the end of The Penguin, we’d end up hating Oz, he wasn’t kidding around.
There’s a difference between dislike and hate, and I’ve been on the “dislike” train with Oz for a while now. But after getting a glimpse into his childhood? Let’s just say he’s more twisted than I ever imagined.
This guy isn’t straddling some morally gray antihero line — he’s a full-on villain without an ounce of redemption in sight.
Whatever goes down in The Penguin season finale is only gonna seal his fate as Gotham’s dirtiest, most unforgivable piece of scum.
And if you haven’t watched this episode yet, fair warning: major spoilers ahead.
Now, where do I even begin — Sal Maroni or Oz’s brothers?
In Oz’s world, Sal Maroni almost feels like the lesser evil, and that’s saying something. Because if Oz’s backstory teaches us anything, it’s that nothing’s sacred — not family, not loyalty.
One of the things that’s bugged me from the start with The Penguin is how the writers keep handing Oz these easy outs.
For a guy who’s constantly whining about his lot in life, he sure manages to skate through some impossible situations.
Remember the whole Castillo debacle back on The Penguin Season 1 Episode 2? Just one of many examples where Oz, miraculously, slips away unscathed.
And now it’s happened again.
I mean, I get that Maroni was an older guy, and yeah, he was wound up and fueled by rage, but for him to just keel over with a heart attack? Come on. That’s a cheap move.
Sure, it serves the plot, giving Oz the chance to spin this tale of conquest to his gang of brainless lackeys, making himself look like the big, bad boss he desperately wants to be.
But the reality is, without that convenient heart attack, Maroni would have flattened him. Crippled him, maybe even killed him before Sofia got her chance.
But here we are.
Sal drops dead, Oz stands triumphant — again — all so he can put on a twisted little show for his gaggle of idiots.
Not that it matters, since most of them go up in flames anyway, but still.
Watching Oz flex like he’s some criminal mastermind to a crew that practically worships his every move. It’s not villainous. It’s downright cult-like. These guys don’t even think for themselves.
And honestly? I have zero sympathy for any of them.
If the writers are trying to parallel the real mob with Oz’s ragtag gang, they’re missing the mark.
Yeah, the real mob has its share of low-level goons, but they’re usually sharp enough to think on their own. Oz’s crew, on the other hand, would follow him off a cliff.
He’s like Gotham’s own Roy DeMeo — look him up if you haven’t heard of him.
DeMeo was a vicious SOB who led a crew of twisted followers who carried out his orders without question.
That’s exactly the vibe Oz is putting out, only he’s surrounded by idiots who think he’s some kind of savior.
By the way, DeMeo was eventually killed and discovered frozen in a trunk with multiple gunshot wounds to the head.
We can only hope (please, writers, don’t let us down like you did with Maroni’s heart attack) that Oz meets a similar end.
And then there’s Vic. Good ole’ “compassionate” Oz, sending him off on a mission to gather reinforcements just as everything’s about to explode.
Why? So Vic wouldn’t suffer when it all went down?
Please. If you buy that act, you’re in the same boat as Vic — completely clueless.
Oz didn’t protect him; he just knew Vic was expendable and got him out of the way. Oz might pretend to see Vic as a son, but he sure doesn’t act like it when push comes to shove.
And speaking of misplaced compassion, let’s talk about Sofia.
She had every reason to take Vic out, but surprisingly, she didn’t. It’s not that shocking, though. Sofia’s compassion is both her strength and her weakness.
Her only target is Oz, and unlike him, she’s not interested in dragging other people down just because they’re connected to her enemy. That’s why she didn’t let Gia go down in the gas attack at the Falcone mansion, either.
Here’s the thing, though. I think she’s making a huge mistake.
I’ve said it before, Sofia’s compassion is going to be her undoing.
She had the chance to let Dr. Rush “deal” with Gia, and if she’d taken it, Gia would’ve been taken care of without bloodshed. Dr. Rush could’ve erased Gia’s memories, wiping out the threat without anyone getting hurt.
But no, Sofia had to go and open her mouth, spilling her thoughts to the little girl.
Why did she keep talking? I have no idea.
But that soft spot she’s got is gonna come back to bite her. Mark my words, this “Gia problem” isn’t going away anytime soon, all because Sofia let her emotions get in the way — again.
We finally got to meet Rex Calabrese, the smooth-talking gangster Oz idolizes. And as I’ve said before, Oz can keep dreaming, because no matter how hard he tries, he’s never going to be Rex Calabrese.
Francis did have a relationship with Rex, but it doesn’t seem like it was romantic — though I wish they’d explored that dynamic a bit more. Maybe they will. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
Either way, I have zero sympathy for Francis. She’s every bit as scummy as her son.
Sure, you can argue she had a hand in shaping him, but that doesn’t mean she’s the only reason he turned out this way.
Let’s be real. In families with more than one kid, there are always favorites.
Whether parents admit it or not, the kids always know. Oz certainly did. He saw how Francis treated his brothers, but most kids don’t respond by killing their siblings like he did.
Jack and Benny weren’t mean to Oz, and they sure didn’t control their mother’s feelings. Their only crime was being the “favored” ones in a household where Oz couldn’t handle coming in last.
His jealousy, which we also saw with Vic in The Penguin Season 1 Episode 6, ran deep.
Was the brothers hiding in the overflow tunnel during flashlight tag mean? Maybe a little. I mean, Oz tried to follow them down the ladder but chickened out after almost falling — understandable, right?
But for him to close that door on them, knowing it was raining and that they’d probably drown? That’s next level.
You can’t pity him even if they did laugh, which I honestly can’t remember if they did.
Oz locking them in that tunnel wasn’t about them laughing at him (though his twisted mind connected it that way). It was about wiping out his “competition” so he could have his mother’s attention all to himself.
He’s not protecting his mother out of love; he’s protecting her to keep his secret about killing his brothers buried.
As for that moment with Top Hat, where Oz and his mom watch the movie that supposedly inspires his Penguin persona? I don’t know if I’d call it clever or just forced.
It’s like water and oil, even if it does explain where he got his costume idea in Batman lore. It just didn’t sit right with me, even if it “makes sense” for his character.
So now, with one episode left, we’re gearing up for the final showdown between Oz and Sofia.
I’m still rooting for Sofia to win, but with all the cheap wins the writers keep handing Oz, I’m not exactly holding my breath.
Over to you, TV Fanatics. Has your view of Oz changed since The Penguin Season 1 Episode 1? And who’s going to come out on top in this war? Hit the comments with your thoughts.
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