The Penguin has turn into such a great TV Series and mostly thanks to Colin Farrell, not saying that the rest of the cast has not done great but the work he has put into his character is amazing in every single aspect. On Episode 7 "Top Hat", we rocket back in time to Oz Cobb’s turbulent past and disturbing present. In this penultimate episode, we wade into the origin of our favorite flightless bird, and discover the twisted origins of his villainous ways, this episode; as many other, did not disappoint and I gotta say it, I was pretty stoked about this episode, the fact that he was the reason his brothers were gone, this series gives me the same amount of excitement and fulfill as The Mandalorian (2019) did on every episode, because of how good the story is, in this case the acting has a lot to do with it.
First, we have one of those flashback things to Oz's childhood and it's not something to go back on and feel ok about it. This awkward kid with a leg brace is young Oz, always trying to win his mom’s attention, while his brothers, Jack and Benny have all the spotlight so he constantly feels left behind. It does a really good job of showing the family dynamic of this dysfunctional family, like Oz’s mom, Francis, cooking the books for local gangster Rex Calabrese to try to make a living for her and her kids.
- IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15435876/
- Platform: Amazon
Rottentomatoes Rating
The episode gets really messed up when we find out what happened to Oz’s brothers, and it’s pretty dark chapter in his life at such young age but mostly giving zero fucks. Oz locks his brothers in a drain with rainwater filling up, during a game of flashlight tag in some abandoned tunnels, what is no days his main HQ for his drug business, he even kept a coin from those days probably as a reminder of what happen that day. He just lets them sit there and goes back to watch movies with his mom, a chilling moment for him, it is a moment that shows how twisted Oz was even as a kid, willing to let his brothers drown so that he can have his mom all to himself.
The flashbacks interact very well with the present day action in this episode. Oz is dealing with Sofia kidnapping his mom, Salvatore Maroni is out for blood after Oz torched his wife and kid. It's a powder keg of tension and you know it's building with every scene, but for Oz seems to be another day at the office since he is constantly in this situation with his life always at the edge of getting caught, it has been like this since the series started.
What I really love about this episode was how it showed the consistency of these characters we’ve come to know over the series, how everything makes sense even Sofia making an alliance with Salvatore, after all she does need a hammer, at first I thought it was Johny Vitti but she knew he would betray her. When Sofia and Francis finally meet in person it’s like watching two lionesses circle each other, although one got her head mess up. She's old, she's suffering from dementia, but she's got some serious bite. But it’s both admirable and a little scary, the way she stands up to Sofia and defends Oz right there, which explains where Oz gets his tenacity from. Recently I ask on Inleo "When Scarecrow Movie?!", well isn't Dr. Julian Rush giving you those Scarecrow vibes?, although he is not as good as Cillian Murphy.
Then, we can discuss that showdown between Oz and Salvatore, the thing has been building up for a while now and when it finally happens, it’s not what you’d think, at least I was expecting more but did make me laugh, it was real WTF moment. Salvatore has a heart attack right in the middle of his fight with Oz, it is a very comical moment and also demonstrates that life in Gotham is never predictable. Oz being a man of his word, and being the opportunist he is, is sure to get in one last word and a few bullets before Salvatore kicks the bucket.
The episode also provides us some information about Sofia's state of mind. Visiting her cousin Gia in a children's home that resembles Arkham only makes her realize that she's turning into just like her father. That’s a powerful moment and makes you wonder if Sofia has a change of heart before the finale, it really sux how she kept Gia away, after all why taking the time to safe her but not keep her close? its not about custody since she could have bought it, it does seem like she is just as her father and gets disconnected from people over power.
The ending turn into the perfect door to chaos going into the last episode next weekend, the whole place is blown to dust by a car full of explosives that Sofia rigs and sends towards Oz’s hideout. Oz survives by taking hiding in the same storm drain he abandoned his brothers to die in all those years ago. It’s a full circle kind of moment that really chain to the fact your past is still determining your present with Oz. He then wakes up in the rubble of his destroyed empire being confronted by one of Sofia's men. This is a cliff hanger that leaves us in perfect shape for what is sure to be an explosive finale.
When I look back on “Top Hat” I think it did a fantastic job of filling in the blanks of Oz’s backstory and still moving the present day plot along, how do you do that without the episode feeling too short or too rush, its just amazing. And there are such parallels between the boy Oz and the man he’s become that it's really something to think about, how much of the adult you is shaped by the childhood you.
Every performance in this episode was top notch, as I open the post with Colin Farrell still seems to be able to disappear into the role of Oz, you forget that's the same guy who played the Penguin in "The Batman (2022)" or other great roles like "John Sugar" on the recent TV series, Sugar (2024). There's also the kid playing child Oz who nails that mix of vulnerability and cruelty that makes up the character.
Overall I’d say “Top Hat” is an 8 out of 10 with the entire season keeping high ratings across multiple online websites like IMDB with an 8.8/10 average. Some might say that it's not perfect, we didn't need another flashback episode this late in the game, but I think it helps us understand Oz a bit more. It's a great way to set up what will hopefully be a thrilling finale. If you’ve enjoyed The Penguin so far, you’re definitely going to want more after this episode.
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