Table of Contents
Sofia Falcone (now Giant) left us with a lot of curiosity in the last episode, giving us a taste of what to expect for the final stretch of the series. With the seventh episode, we were able to see the outcome of this, but also understand a little more about Oz and uses childhood. Honestly, when the episode started like this, I thought it would be 100% focused on that and I was discouraged, but I can already say that everything made sense and fit in with the plot.
From here on, the review may include spoilers and details about this and other episodes, so go there, check everything out and then come back here to read the review, okay?
Oz Cobb's sinister origins and the path to a thrilling finale
As in other episodes, the series takes advantage of flashbacks to tell important events of the characters. This week, the chosen one was the character himself Oz. We were taken to his childhood to be contextualized as to who he really is. Penguin. It's not the first time I've changed my view of the character here, but as much as the series has brought more humanity to him, it's a given that he's a tremendous scoundrel.
Although they don't take up the entire episode, these flashbacks reveal that the tragic end of the brothers Oz came by his own hands. Remember the underground stations where Bliss is being made? So, besides playing there as a child, it was there where Oz got mad at his brothers for a bad joke and decided to leave them locked in the depths of Gotham's sewers. Since it was a rainy day, you can imagine the result of this.
This is where we can see that the cruelty of Oz It's been going on since he was a child. He manipulated the situation to his advantage since then, wanting his mother all to himself. And you can clearly see that this situation was what started to cause all of his suffering. Francis. From that moment on, she stopped living to place her life in the hands of Oz, in a kind of sick way, I would say.
We return to the present and there we have the result of the actions of Sofia. Francis did not die, but was taken by it, while Vic was left unconscious in the apartment. Oz, desperate, wakes the boy up and asks about his mother, but at that moment, we have Sal Island breaking into the apartment, showing that he and Sofia were well aligned with their plans.
this is where Oz mandate Vic disappear from there and warn the group created in the last episode about the situation. And here we have one of the great advantages of this type of series. Just like in Breaking Bad., we root for the protagonist, even though he does horrible things. Even after seeing that Oz He's been a monster since he was a child, we've created a bond with him. However, it's also wonderful to see Sal breaking into the house and getting his revenge with a good beating.
Sal then reveals that they are with Francis, showing the character's only weakness, which reveals where the character's base of operations is. Bliss. Meanwhile, we are led to Sofia, with a new problem. Remember Gia, your cousin? So, the girl apparently saw something she shouldn't have in the gas leak and it could become a problem. Sofia She decides to resolve the situation herself and this is one of the scenes where the character is strong in front of the girl, but breaks down as soon as she leaves the room.
Basically she comes into the room, questions the girl, she reveals that she saw a gas mask in her bag. Sofia that day. As a good summary, Sofia He says he killed everyone because they were bad people. I see this scene like this: Sofia sees herself as her father and Gia herself, years ago, which is why she feels destroyed after the scene.
My thesis makes sense, since in the following scenes, Sofia reveals the situation to Julian and she says that she changed her name, killed everyone and did a bunch of other things to cause changes and in the end she is just like him. She then has an anxiety attack and Julian asks her what she wants. She answers that she wants to be free and Oz feel a lot of pain and suffer, just like she suffered.
The cool thing about this scene is that previously Francis stayed at the house of Sofia and she threw several things in the character's face, those that the character himself Oz told his mother and somehow weighed on his mind. Sofia after she talks to Gia. Francis It made her see her flaws, but it also gave her the energy to finally take her own path.
Speaking of Francis, she ties the whole story together in this episode. Her traumas, created by Oz, are put into the scene all the time, as well as being a tool to perhaps play against the protagonist in the final episode. The point is that Sofia chose to use Julian's methods with her psychology to gain an advantage, something we don't know how far it went yet.
Back to Sal and Oz, Maroni finds the base of operations and arrives there causing changes. In addition to killing some soldiers of Oz, takes the opportunity to take his place, but the plan backfires, since the people there are very loyal to Oz. Between one scene and another, Oz manages to get one of his men to turn off the light and create an advantage, generating a conflict and his final battle with Sal.
This was a scene that took me by surprise. Sal Island e Oz They fought on a cable car, the one he used to play on as a child, and everything was equal — with a certain advantage for Sal — until the old man couldn't handle the pressure and had a heart attack. The coolest thing about this scene is how indignant and, at the same time, happy Oz is with the situation, cursing and humiliating Sal, and of course, shooting him.
Despite the good outcome, I admit that I wanted to see more of Sal Island. It is quite understandable what happened, given everything that has happened to him recently and not only that, but also how Oz caught him saying he loved the smell of his wife and child being burned. Again, it made sense, but it's great to see Clancy Brown angry out there.
This connects us with the scenes of Sofia. She calls Sal Island and the one who answers is Oz, which asks Francis in exchange for your base of operations. That's where Sofia has his outbreak and anxiety crisis. Knowing the Oz child of this episode, as well as the episode of the death of his wife Sal Island, the end of Sofia was ready for this exchange, but as we saw, she has a huge desire to make him feel pain.
This brings us to the end of the episode, with the exchange of Francis by the base of operations of the Penguin. We are led to believe this until the moment the van is delivered, but then we have a great tension in the scene, when we no longer see anyone there, just a phone call from Sofia. Rather than Francis, she sent a time bomb into the van, creating a commotion and causing Oz right where his brothers were imprisoned years ago.
Even though he didn't die, Oz is left in the rubble and now, unlike when he was a child, he is forced to face the sewer stairs. In the middle of the mess of the explosion, Marcus Wise, a corrupt police officer hired by Sofia find Oz and says she wants to see him. And so ends the episode, leaving us with several questions about what might happen in the final episode.
Actuations
Just like in the previous episode, Francis was a big highlight in this episode. We have two versions of the character and the actress Emily meade does a good job for the young character. We see that they are the same characters, one before the problems and another after.
Now when we talk about Deidre O'Connell as Francis, is another level. The role is much more loaded and she continues to deliver everything. She is cynical, at the same time that her illness takes over her actions and it is all very believable. Acting alongside Cristin Milioti, these scenes are even better, since she's also very good.
Speaking Sofia, she deserves to be highlighted once again in this episode. Until the end of the episode, we follow the character in a more melancholic and sad tone, having her doubts and her identity crises. However, when she calls Oz at the end, we see another character, now without doubts and with a great desire to see the end of Oz.
Colin Farrell also has his highlights in this episode, mainly when he manages to deliver the “funny” persona of the Penguin, even when that is not his intention. An example of this is when Sal dies. He gets so angry about the situation that he acts funny, even though he is a complete lunatic.
It is worth mentioning the Clancy Brown like Sal too, since he had his moments of unloading on the Oz, both physically and verbally. In both senses, the guy has the spirit of a villain.
Lastly, Ryder allen plays Oz child and the boy is very convincing. He had already demonstrated his potential in Palmer and should appear in more major productions in the coming years.
Technical aspects
As always, the scenery is very well produced and in this specific episode, it serves to tell a story. Locations from the beginning of the episode are reused later, even if with some changes as a direct response to what we saw previously and that is great.
The special effects and explosions used are also very convincing and if Batman hasn't appeared until now because he doesn't know anything, it's impossible not to know that something is wrong when a piece of Gotham's ground collapses.
The film's sound design was already fantastic and even earned a nomination for Oscar of the best sound at the time. This episode lives up to the film by leaving us deaf with Oz after the bomb explodes and the moment he touches his ear and hears again, we return to him. It's a simple detail, but so cool that it deserved a comment here.
Soundtrack
We continue with Mick Giacchino In this part and this episode, nothing from the original soundtrack left a mark on me, unfortunately. There wasn't a scene or moment where this element made a difference.
Conclusion
This episode does an exceptional job of creating the path and excitement for the final of the series, however I found it as an isolated episode weaker than the others. It's not a glaring drop, but as much as it makes sense, the flashback was a negative weight, in my opinion.
Either way, it served its purpose and next week we'll probably have a big clash between Oz e Sofia. That's what I imagine, but the series might surprise me with something completely different. See you next week.
Where to watch
Penguin is broadcast on the paid channel HBO e also through the streaming service MAX, with episodes released on Sundays. Now there is only one left, scheduled for November 9th.
Text revised by Alexandre Marques in 04 / 11 / 2024.
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