‘The Penguin’ – ‘Inside Man’ – Review
Episode One of HBO’s The Penguin started off with a hell of whack, and audiences were in no mistake that they were witnessing a full-on crime series that was not afraid to take the narrative into the gritty, dark unpleasantness of Gotham City’s Underworld and the man who desires to control of all of it. With his plan now in motion for ultimate power, Oswald ‘Oz’ Cobb is ready to strike up a deal in Episode Two, ‘Inside Man’, but he’ll have to do it while trying to evade the sinister presence of the vindictive Sofia Falcone.
Sofia works to secure her family’s strength, while Oz attempts to play both the Falcone and Maroni families to his advantage.
We’ve been waiting with anticipation for a gangster series that would give audiences a serious whack, and we’ve found it with the brooding and dark crime series The Penguin. Episode One, ‘After Hours’, was a lesson in noir storytelling as ambitious street-level thug Oswald ‘Oz’ Cobb will go to any lengths to secure Gotham’s Underworld in a time of crisis. Audiences are in for an intense watch thanks to Episode Two, ‘Inside Man’. Now, looking to play every side, Oz is cosying up with both the Falcone and Maroni crime family and looking to play each to his advantage. Looking to prove he has the stones to play in the big leagues, Oz sets up an ambitious heist that could prove lucrative. Until it goes to hell, the action ramps up with plenty of bullets and blood in ‘Inside Man’, and audiences will be left spinning.
It’s clear from the commitment level of his performance that Academy Award-nominee Colin Farrell is having a blast exploring the darkest corners of Oz Cobb’s vast ambition, and in ‘Inside Man’, we get to see him move up another rung in the ladder. This is a man who isn’t afraid to be backed into a corner, nor is he unafraid to open up full auto with a Micro Uzi, but it’s only when the bodies hit the ground and the blood starts seeping out that Oz realises he’s in a host of trouble. The key moment of the FEMA highjacking sequence showcases Oz’s clear character and the fact that he’s a character who thrives under press and chaos, almost actively seeking it out to get his kicks from it. It’s a radically new side to Oz that we get to see in this scene, and his double-dealing actions lead to all kinds of trouble.
Episode Two of The Penguin doesn’t only leave Oz spinning, but the mentally unstable and diabolically sociopathic Sofia Falcone is also not fairing to well, and her bridge of sanity is beginning to show some pretty serious cracks. Still reeling from her time spent in Arkham Asylum, Sofia is also shunned by the members of her ‘family’, and her brother’s funeral brings out her dark side. There’s nothing scarier than a sociopath with a grudge, and at her brother’s wake, her inner nastiness begins to come out. Actress Cristin Milioti has an exceptional ability to play crazy, and she begins to take out her frustrations on those around her. And her return to Gotham City ain’t going to be pretty for anyone.
‘Inside Man’ is also an important episode for the development of Oz’s assistant and protegee, Victor ‘Vic’ Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz), as he comes to learn of the glowing temptations and the harsh realities of the crime life in Gotham City. While the relationship between himself and Oz is still developing, we’ve come to see the older gangster take Vic under his wing, so to say, but Oz’s ability to threaten and manipulate is never far away. He also lays down the law to Vic and makes him aware of the consequences of any action he takes, and this adds a level of threat and menace to the episode.
Throughout Episode Two, ‘Inside Man’ audiences follow Oz’s erratic and chaos-effecting mission to play both of Gotham’s pre-eminent crime families off of one another, and it leads to plenty of heightened tension. This atmosphere of danger and imminent death rallies in the third act of the narrative, where Oz’s botched heist comes back to haunt him, and he has to take drastic, bloody action to save his own skin. Showrunner Lauren LeFranc is unafraid to showcase these violent and chaotic moments in their brutally gory depth, and it adds a level of authenticity to this series as a crime drama. But it is not just Oz who has to watch his back as Sofia is also given an ultimatum by her ‘family, and backed into a corner, she makes a deal that will lead to a series of consequences, repercussions of pure violence, on the streets of Gotham City.
Episode Two of The Penguin, ‘Inside Man’, is a vicious second chapter of Oz Cobb’s saga, and it clarifies that on the noir-soaked streets of Gotham City. You play for keeps.
The Penguin is now streaming on Neon and SKY TV.
Image: SKY TV
