Oz Cobb may not possess a svelte physique but he manages to dance through a gang war with improvisational mastery in Inside Man. It takes two to tango and despite obvious distrust, Sofia Falcone makes for a wonderful partner.
The pilot did a great job introducing the audience to Oz’s world. Erika L. Johnson‘s terrific script for Inside Man takes those established elements and amps the stakes in impressive fashion.
There are three compelling storylines, all revolving around Oz at the center. Oz becomes the inside man trying to dethrone the Falcone family; Alberto Falcone’s funeral and the chaotic search for a traitor in the Falcone house are the main focuses. Each of these could be its episode. However, The Penguin manages to make all of these storylines work.
Colin Farrell continues to shine with the best interpretation of The Penguin. Oz isn’t a criminal mastermind where every plan of his subterfuge works. Most of his plans fall apart pretty quickly. However, his ability to improvise enables him to wind up exactly where he wants to be.
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As impressive as Farrell is, I’m equally impressed with Cristin Milioti‘s performance as Sofia. As much as Sofia tries to convince the world of her sanity, it’s pretty clear the madness is trying to claw its way to the surface.
The only minor issue with the episode is Victor’s bumbling attempt to plant evidence isn’t funny or compelling. Overall, from acting, writing, and directing to Mick Giacchino‘s score, The Penguin is fighting with House of The Dragon Season 2 as the best 2024 show.
After the overview and ranking Inside Man 9 out of 10 (Outstanding), here’s a look at Oz as the Maroni’s inside man, Sofia, adjusting to being home and a shared frustration that brings about an important partnership. The Penguin is streaming on Disney Plus.
The Maronis’ Inside Man
Inside Man begins with Oz paying Salvatore Maroni (Clancy Brown) and his wife, Nadia (Shohreh Aghdashloo, aka the best voice in the business), a visit. They’re okay with Oz shifting the blame for Alberto’s murder to the Maroni family. Oz lays out his plan for Maroni to hit the drug caravan. He plans to be in the 2nd car while Maroni’s men take out the lead car.
Oz’s plan doesn’t come to fruition. Underboss Johnny Vitti (Michael Kelly) tells Oz to ride in the front vehicle. Oz improvises and takes out everyone in the truck except the driver. On the way out, he takes out one of Maroni’s men to protect himself from the Falcones’.
Later in the episode, Sofia uses a dirty cop to track down one of Maroni’s men. Oz corners him. At first, Oz wants them to pin the truck job on Viti. However, Victor fails to plant evidence. Once again, Oz improvises. He kills the man. Then, plants the knife. Planting the weapon on Vitti would be too obvious. He slips the blade into Sofia’s enforcer, Castillo’s pocket. Sofia demands a gun to kill him, but Luca kills him first.
Oz’s ability to think on his feet continues to make each scene entrancing television. There’s no clear exit strategy, yet Oz finds a way to reach the positions he seeks.
Home Safe
Inside Man also dives into Sofia’s psyche. She has a dream about her brother visiting her in Arkham. She wakes up and visits her therapist, Dr. Julian Rush. His handsy approach does seem to calm her long enough for her to regain her composure and leave.
She returns to the Falcone house and overhears the conversation about the botched transfer of drugs. Sofia is adamant in trying to find the person responsible for her brother’s death. After the meeting, Oz tries to appear as an ally to Sofia, but Sofia succinctly shoots him down.
After her brother’s funeral, Oz pays Sofia another visit. He tells her a story about the death of his brothers and the impact it had on his mom and drops the bald-faced lie that his mother is dead. While she doesn’t entirely give in, she’s receptive to Oz’s story.
Sofia also has a cold interaction with an old friend. All seems pleasant enough until the friend’s daughter introduces herself. The friend pulls her daughter away, which doesn’t escape Sofia. Sofia politely replaced the broche the girl dropped. Then, reminds the friend to be careful. It’s not safe being a girl in the Falcone family.
The episode ends with Sofia allying with Oz to supplant the men in charge of the Falcone family.
Inside Man Final Thoughts
Only two episodes in, The Penguin is easily the best 1st season of a TV series since The Last of Us. Sofia and Oz are well-written characters boosted by Farrell and Milioti’s award-worthy performances.
The Review
The Penguin Episode 2
PROS
- Colin Farrell and Erika L. Johnson's script shine at showing Oz's improv skills.
- Christin Milioti is matching Colin Farrell beat for beat as Sofia Faclone.
- Johnson's script makes every scene unpredictable.
- Oz and Sofia uniting at the end to take on the Falcone leadership is earned.
CONS
- Outside of the No Man's Land reference, Victor is sort of a weak link in this story.
