The Penguin ‘Bliss’ Review: Partnerships tested in 2024’s best episode of tv

Diving into two of Oswald Cobb’s (Colin Farrell) partnerships in Bliss results in a fantastic episode of The Penguin.

Oz has been the centerpiece of multiple storylines in the previous two episodes, forcing him to bob and weave between crime families. In Bliss, Noelle Valdivia‘s script focuses on two relationships. Oz’s mentorship of Victor “Vic” Aguilar and his uneasy partnership with Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti).

The simple story allows Valdivia’s dialogue to shine on the backs of two of the best performances of the year by Farrell and Milioti. Bliss begins by fleshing out Vic’s backstory and sets up his dilemma. Should Vic continue as Oz’s driver or leave Gotham for a less stressful opportunity? Meanwhile, Sofia wastes little time making it clear she’s running the show and utilizes Oz’s contacts to try to get a new drug on the street.

From the opening flashback to the final, shocking scene, every scene in this episode is mesmerizing and full of tension. While plenty of thrills exist, the brilliant writing and performances are as exhilarating as any action scene.

Milioti and Farrell are magic together. Milioti continues to shine through Sofia’s piercing gaze and words. Farrell’s ability to shift from dishonesty to truth makes Oz fascinating.

Overall, The Penguin delivers a perfect episode of television that dives into the themes of mentorship and trust.

After the overview and ranking Bliss 10 out of 10 (Masterpiece), here’s a look at Vic’s backstory, the uneasy relationship between Sofia and Oz and the mentor-mentee relationship between Oz and Vic.  The Penguin is streaming on Disney Plus.

Flashback

Bliss opens with a flashback showing the traumatic flooding caused by The Ridder in The Batman from Vic’s perspective.

Vic returns to his Crown Point apartment, where his parents and sister hang out. The scene does an excellent job of capturing the family dynamic and connecting Vic to Oz. After greeting his Mom, he heads to the kitchen, where his dad cooks. Vic and his sister believe their father is being taken advantage of. Vic’s father is a mechanic, and he is happy with their economic status, considering where he came from was worse.

Vic drops the subject but let’s his parents know he’s going to spend time with his friends. His dad doesn’t like that one of Vic’s friends is related to a drug dealer, but let’s Vic go.

While Vic spends time with his girlfriend and friends, the flood invades Gotham. Vic and his friends are at a high enough elevation, but his parents and sister drown in the flood.

The scene doesn’t last long, but Valdivia’s script and Craig Zobel‘s directing quickly establish Vic’s family dynamic, his outlook pre-flood, and the devastation caused by Riddler blowing up the seawalls.

Trust Unverified in Bliss

Sofia wastes little time in using her new partnership with Oz. She shows up at Oz’s apartment and quickly sizes up Vic. Oz plans on using Vic as the driver. Sofia nixes Oz’s plan and assigns Oz as her driver for this operation. Before taking up residency in Arkham, Oz was Sofia’s driver.

Sofia needs Oz as a partner but never trusts him. She takes Oz to her drug operation, which revolves around mushrooms with red barnacles on them designed for a euphoric potency. Sofia needs Oz’s street-level connections to get the drug on the street.

Oz and Sofia meet with a middle-man of the Triad. If Underboss Johnny Viti gives permission, he will grant Oz and Sofia a meeting with the head of the Triad. Oz agrees without hesitation. Sofia’s confused by Oz’s acceptance but plays it cool.

After coercing Viti, they meet the head of Triad. Sofia makes it clear Oz is her driver, and she’s calling the shots. She meets with the head of the Triad alone. He’s concerned about her stint in Arkham, but she can win his support.

After the meeting, Sofia and Oz clear the air. Sofia knows Oz is the reason she was sent to Arkham. He squealed to her father, Carmine. He apologizes for his actions but admits he wouldn’t be where he is without it. Sofia doesn’t know how to trust him. Oz asks her to keep watching what he does until she can. Nadia Maroni (Shohreh Aghdashloo) arrives and holds Oz at gunpoint until Vic crashes into one of her henchmen. Oz escapes with Vic and leaves Sofia behind.

Wanting More

The Oz-Vic partnership also develops across Bliss. He starts by giving Vic his first paycheck of $1,000 a week.

While Oz and Sofia work the drug deal, Vic stays at Oz’s apartment. He invites his girlfriend (from the flashback) to Oz’s apartment. She wants to leave Gotham with Vic. Unfortunately, Vic’s not sure if he can leave Gotham. Oz could track him down and kill him for all he knows. Before sending her away, he promises to meet her at the bus station.

After the drug deal, Oz and Vic meet for lunch. Oz asks about Vic’s family and doesn’t believe his father was treated right. The highlight of the scene is an interaction with the waiter. Vic stutters while placing his order. The waiter begins to finish the order for him. Oz cuts off the waiter and reprimands him for not letting Vic finish. Lunch ends with Oz proposing a toast to Vic’s death.

Later, Oz takes Vic to a club while Sofia aims to secure a deal with the Triad. Vic has a PTSD attack due to the flood. He heads to the bathroom. On the way back, Oz meets with him and discovers a text from Vic’s girlfriend. Oz is hurt by Vic wanting to leave. He makes it clear Vic isn’t a prisoner and can leave, but he won’t be able to achieve anything by leaving.

Vic leaves to meet with his girlfriend but stops. He wants more out of life and still loves Gotham despite its struggles. Vic returns to see Oz held at gunpoint and rams the car into Nadia’s henchmen, giving Oz time to escape to end the episode.

Bliss Final Thoughts

The combination of Oz and Sofia makes for a blissful hour of television. Adding in Vic’s moral dilemma, which ties into The Batman, is the icing on top.