The Penguin Season Finale Review: The Worst Man in Gothman Takes his Throne

Showrunner Lauren LeFranc delivers an anger-inducing, majestic-looking, flawless The Penguin Season Finale.

The Penguin Season Finale Overview and Star Rating

Any charm beneath the monster that is Oswald “Oz” Cobb is extinguished as the conflict between Oz and Sofia Gigante concludes.

Colin Farrell secures what should be an Emmy nomination and a likely favorite for the gold statuette itself. Throughout the season, Oz is most fascinating when pushed into the corner. Like a rat, he always finds a way out. In The Penguin season finale, his improvisation and strategic mind finally find him atop the criminal and political food chain, but at a cost.

Cristin Milioti is every bit Farrell’s equal. Sofia begins the episode with the upper hand on Oz, but her misunderstanding on rules of the street which is Oz’s domain leads her to ta fate worse than Hell. As she has throughout the series, Milioti channels everything through her eyes. Her desperation for Oz to tell the truth for once in his life is incredible. She believes revealing the monster he is to his mother will break him. However, the interrogation breaks her instead. After Oz escapes, she decides to give her criminal empire to the Triad in exchange for Oz and then leave Gotham for good.

The flashbacks work much better in the finale than in the penultimate episode. One of the most significant upgrades is Deirdre O’Connell playing the younger Francis. The Penguin shows this flashback as Francis’s vision in the present day, so she inserts her older self into the memory. The flashback confirms Francis knew all along the monster of a son she raised. With the help of Rex Calabrese, she finds a use for the son she can barely stomach.

Vic stands side by side with Oz. He even gives a rousing pep talk and suggests a strategy for Oz to get the upper hand on the gangs. However, his loyalty leads to his undoing.

Overall, The Penguin Season Finale is a wonderful conclusion to the best show of 2024, although Shrinking isn’t far behind in that race.

The Penguin is streaming on Max.

Here’s a closer look at the three best moments from the episode.

Overall, The Penguin Season Finale is a wonderful conclusion to the best show of 2024, although Shrinking isn’t far behind in that race.

Claiming the Throne

he episode begins with Oz begging Sofia to spare Francis. However, Oz escapes after Francis faints. He decides to visit Councilperson Hady. During the visit, Oz reveals Sofia’s is responsible for the bombing in Crown Point. Hady tells Oz the new administration led by Mayor-elect Bella Reál is cracking down on crime.

Oz wants them to crack down on crime, which gives him legitimacy. Later, he proves his worth to Hady and the police. When Oz emerges from the meeting, the Triad takes him into custody at Sofia’s request.

Failing to see the Forest through the Trees

While waiting for Oz’s capture, Sofia begins incinerating all ties to her family’s past by burning her home. All she wants is Oz. However, Vic has other plans. Sofia once again overestimates the loyalty and control the bosses have over their people. Vic convinces the No.2 in the Triad to turn on his boss. They quickly take out all of the men working with Sofia.

Sofia has no allies, just Oz, who offers to take Ms. Gigante on a drive for old-time sake. Oz reveals that all of the No. 2s in the grand usurped their leaders because he’s going to do something Sofia wouldn’t—he’s going to give them a shot.

They drive to a quest spot near the water where it appears Oz will execute Sofia. The beautifully shot scenes fade away and reveal cops arriving to arrest Sofia for all the crimes she committed and seemingly taking the rap for Oz’s, too. Sofia ends the series where she started, back in Arkham.

Sophia gets the only tie-in to The Batman. While in Arkham, she receives a letter from her half-sister Selina Kyle that puts a slither of a smile on Sofia’s face.

Misplaced Loyalty

The most painful scene of The Penguin season finale is between Oz and Vic.

Francis suffers a massive stroke and is pretty much brain-dead. Mentor and mentee sit on a bench near the Gotham Harbor. Oz is at the top. He has everything he wants but wonders if it’s all for nothing since his mother didn’t experience his success.

Vic thanks Oz for taking a chance and calls Oz’s family. However, Sofia taking Francis makes Oz realize family is a weakness that can be used against them. Without hesitation, he chokes Vic to death, removes his wallet, pockets the money he gave Vic as a salary, and throws his ID into the water.

After everything, Vic is another means to an end for Oz. With the last tie to goodness vanquished, Oz has free reign to run Gotham.

The Penguin Season Finale Final Thoughts

The Penguin Season Finale is a wonderful conclusion featuring tremendous performances, haunting cinematography, and brilliant dialogue that sets up The Batman Part II. Overall, this season of The Penguin is a terrific crime drama wrapped in a grounded comic book universe in the same league as any season of The Sopranos or The Wire.

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