Critic’s Rating: 5 / 5.0
5
Oz is in a whole lot of trouble!
The Penguin Season 1 Episode 4 gave us a deep, mind-blowing dive into Sofia’s backstory — how she ended up in Arkham, the horrors she survived, and the shocking truth about the Hangman.
But as wild as that was, the real kicker? The full story of what went down in that alley after Nadia showed up. And let me tell you, Oz is DONE.
He showed his true colors, both then and now. And surprise, surprise — Oz is all about himself, with zero honor to back it up.
I shouldn’t be shocked, but wow, it’s worse than I imagined. And Sofia gave him a second chance after everything? Seriously?!
Saying, “hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,” doesn’t even begin to cover it when it comes to Sofia.
She’s on a warpath, and all the men who’ve crossed her are doomed. Well, they’re pretty much toast, already.
And unfortunately for Oz, after everything he put her through (which is all on him), he’s about to get the most painful payback Sofia can dream up.
As for Vic, he really should’ve taken that bus with his girlfriend and spared himself the grief because nothing good will come out of this alliance with Oz, as I’ve mentioned before.
No Mercy
I’ve been saying it from the start: if things get messy, Oz won’t hesitate to throw Vic under the revenge bus that Sofia’s driving.
But there’s still a chance Sofia might show him some mercy, especially if she learns the truth. She’s not out to punish the innocent; we saw that with Gia.
This might be the moment where Vic decides to turn on Oz and spill everything, including the things Sofia doesn’t know.
Since she didn’t leave Gia to die with the others, maybe Vic will get a pass, too. Heck, Sofia might even send Vic and Gia off together to live a quiet life in California with his girlfriend.
There are so many ways this could play out.
The problem is that Oz has zero compassion. He’s a liar, manipulator, and just an all-around bad person.
Even though we haven’t seen his full backstory, I can’t imagine it’s any worse than what Sofia’s been through.
In fact, I’m starting to believe that if his brothers really are dead, maybe he’s the one who killed them just to get his mother’s full attention.
There’s no doubt he loves his mother, but what if he’s responsible for her mental state — kind of like how he’s responsible for Sofia’s mental condition?
Of course, this is all just speculation, but maybe his desire to protect his mom is rooted more in guilt than genuine love.
The Real Problem
Now, the real issue here is Sofia’s compassion. She’s an “innocent,” and that makes her vulnerable.
As much as I’m 100% on board with the Sofia Falcone train, this part of her could be her downfall.
Even though she’s on a mission for revenge, we’ve seen that she’s capable of restraint; she didn’t lash out violently against all the people responsible for her being sent to Arkham.
There’s a big difference between bashing someone’s head in and killing them with gas.
When she killed that girl in Arkham, it was rage-fueled. And while she was angry when she showed up at Luca’s dinner party, how she chose to end all their lives is telling.
Maybe she chose that route because it was the easiest way to get rid of them all in one fell swoop. I can’t imagine she gassed them because she didn’t want them to suffer.
Or maybe she did it that way because of Gia??
But when it comes to Oz, if she’s going to kill him, she needs to tap into that deep rage again, like she did at Arkham.
If she hesitates when she faces off with Oz because of Vic, it’s game over for Sofia. I don’t want that to happen, but it’s a real possibility.
Full of Fury!
Let’s be real: Sofia is the only true antihero on The Penguin. While some might see her as a victim, she’s best described as a survivor.
After everything she’s been through, can you really blame her for how she acts? It’s hard not to feel for her and root for her.
I hope she shows Oz zero mercy after all she’s endured. He deserves nothing less than the worst she can dish out — and boy, does she have some fury to unleash!
But she’s got to keep that compassion in check if she’s going to survive against Oz.
Sofia loved Oz, even if she was mean to him while he worked for her. And maybe Oz remembers the cruelty she sometimes showed him.
But let’s not forget — he ratted her out to her father!
As far as we can tell, he has no idea that Carmine planned to break tradition and have her run the family business. That’s huge!
And we don’t know if Carmine told anyone else about his plans, particularly Luca or Johnny Viti. It would make sense, considering the letters they wrote to keep Sofia in Arkham.
It could be that Carmine ordered them to do it, but maybe another reason they did it was to keep her locked up so she wouldn’t try to take over the family.
It’s a tangled web. By the looks on their faces, it’s clear Falcone’s men knew he had killed Sofia’s mother and all the other victims; they just kept their mouths shut as good soldiers do.
It’s also possible Luca and Johnny were planning to kill Alberto themselves, but Oz unknowingly did the job for them.
Betrayal and Revenge
One of the standout moments was Sofia naming all the victims at the dinner table. The looks on their faces, especially Viti’s, were priceless.
If anyone knew what Carmine was really up to, it was him. That might be why Sofia let him live — she sees him as just as bad, if not worse, than her father — and has a special treat in store for him.
But I’m sure she’s also keeping him around to help track down Oz. Once he’s outlived his usefulness, it’ll be game over for him, too — if Sofia survives long enough.
It’s not out of the question for Viti and Oz to team up against Sofia, just like Sofia might ally with Nadia to take Oz down.
I couldn’t believe it when Oz pleaded with Nadia right in front of Sofia! That look on Sofia’s face said it all.
While Nadia’s loyalty to her husband is unquestionable, there’s a chance Sofia might work with the Maronis, especially with “Bliss” in the mix.
It’s a risky move, but it all depends on Sofia’s endgame — does she want to rule the Falcone empire, or is revenge her only goal?
I believe she originally planned to run the family business alongside her brother, but that dream died when Oz killed him.
There are a lot of moving parts here.
The Mysterious Dr. Rush
Another big question is what Sofia has planned for Dr. Julian Rush. Even though she blames him for what happened to her in Arkham, he did help her get released. Was he involved with Bliss before he left Arkham? That’s still unclear.
Rush definitely has some ulterior motives when it comes to Sofia. She might be right that he’s in love with her, but I think he plays a bigger role in her life than we realize.
After all, he’s the one she called for help after the chaos in the alley. There’s something deeper there.
One thing’s for sure: Sofia deserves to get her revenge on all those who wronged her.
She’s endured so much — from finding her mother dead to being betrayed by her father, the rest of the Falcone family, and Oz, to the horrors of Arkham (shock treatments!!!).
It would be the ultimate twist to see Oz fall — the Penguin to be no more! But in the Batman universe, that’s a hard pill to swallow.
Whether Sofia can survive and take him out remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure: the showdown is just beginning.
Over to you, TV Fanatics!
What do you think Sofia’s next move will be? Will she find a way to take down Oz, or could Vic end up throwing a wrench in her plans?
Do you think there’s any chance for Sofia to rule the Falcone empire, or is revenge the only thing on her mind? And what about Dr. Rush — how deep do you think his connection to Sofia really runs?
Drop your thoughts in the comments below, and let’s dive into the wild ride that The Penguin has taken us on so far!
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