Welcome back to the blog readers. The Penguin could not have gotten off to a better start than it did with the premiere episode being absolutely stellar. Everything was near perfect about the premiere episode from the performances to the cinematic feel of the episode and the story itself. Colin Farrell is amazing as this character and Cristin Milioti was terrifying as Sofia Falcone. With that being said, would we be able to keep up the momentum with this episode, titled "Inside Man," written by Erika L. Johnson, and directed by Craig Zobel? Stick around to find out.
NOTE: I will be using spoilers for my thoughts, so DO NOT read ahead if you have not seen the episode.
After last episode's fiery start to the series, I did have a bit of an innate fear that we would start to cool off until we got closer to the end of the series. To be fair though, the Disney+ shows (both Star Wars and Marvel so it's not biased) usually do that so I am used to that happening. If this series is going to eventually cool off, it certainly will not be in this episode because it is just as gripping as last episode was. Cristin Milioti continues to shine as Sofia Falcone and so does Colin Farrell as Oz Cobb.
For the review of last episode, I waxed poetic about how well Cristin Milioti played the character of Sofia Falcone and talked about how terrifying she is making this character out to be. Yes, Milioti does a great job at making this character sympathetic to the audience with scenes like the brilliant opening of the episode, but you realize very quickly that she can flip the switch and become something completely different. All throughout this episode, she finds new ways to make you squirm due to being uncomfortable and terrify you with a laid-back rage that she can inflict onto anyone. I think an Emmy nomination definitely should be on the table for Milioti next year.
Speaking of Emmy nominations, you have to be looking Colin Farrell's way when you are looking at actor in a limited series. Farrell over a film and two episodes of this series shows so much control over Oz Cobb that I continue to be impressed. Never have I seen that from an actor and it really shows. The Italian-like accent that he has is corny but seriously intimidating all at the same time and the power he brings to the role is nothing short of fascinating. I love seeing Farrell play the conniving and scheming man that is just as complex as any of the other characters on the show. Like I said at the beginning of the paragraph, we should be throwing an Emmy nomination his way next year.
The story of this episode is another facet of it that I absolutely love, and it is a major showcase as to why this show is so multi-faceted and complex. We start on a therapy session where Sofia Falcone is hallucinating the death of her brother Alberto, in which Oz Cobb and his young sidekick Victor successfully framed the Maroni crime family for the murder. Oz goes to Sal Maroni at Blackgate and is able to get into his good graces by giving them details about a Falcone delivery that will be taking place that night. Oz is forced to get in the delivery truck but is able to execute the plan without fault. Sofia begins to suspect a mole in the family and Oz offers his services to her. She declines and decides to hire a former GCPD detective that was on Carmine's payroll. He eventually hands over a Maroni informant that Sofia kidnaps and brings to the Falcone household after the funeral.
Meanwhile, Oz and Victor visit Oz's mother, whose dementia is getting worse and he sneaks into the Falcone household to tell the informant to say the name of Johnny Viti (framing him as the inside man), but this plan fails when Victor attempts to plant jewels in Viti's car but is made out. Oz winds up killing the informant and this leads to an interrogation situation where everyone assigned to the truck is lined up for questioning. Oz slips the switchblade he used into Sofia's enforcer's possession and the plan works as Luca (Carmine's brother who is the new head of the family) shoots the enforcer (named Castillo) dead. He tells Sofia to go to Italy until the family situation is settled as she goes to Oz asking him to team up to take the family down.
I love how this series is taking a no-holds-barred approach to the crime drama elements they are clearly borrowing from here, and as an Italian myself, that makes me appreciate this series more. There is a whole web of corruption and backstabbing and playing for the other side that is going on in this series and it is really likening itself to shows like The Wire (2002-08) and The Sopranos (1999-2007) and it is so intriguing to watch. Now with a partnership brewing between Oz and Sofia, this means that he might cut her down once their mission is complete and take everything for himself. Like I said in the review for last episode, I believe Oz's plan is to make the two families wipe each other out so he can come in and take it all. I do think this is what they are going with and I cannot wait to see it happen.
The Penguin is shaping up to be a compelling and complex crime drama that is bursting at the seams with electric performances and a story that pulls from the best shows out there. Thank you all for reading, and I will see you for the next post.
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