Tuesday, November 12, 2024

The Penguin Season 1 Episode 8 Recap

 At the end of the first season, Oz, dressed like a cartoon character, entered an old, dilapidated building called "La Couronne" with only the word "LACRON" shining on the neon sign. This French word means "crown" and could be a metaphor for the son placing a crown on his mother's head even though she was practically dead. Oz entered the new penthouse, which became Francis' new home. Oz kept a promise he made to Francis as a child, giving her a room with a view of the Gotham skyline. Unfortunately, given Francis' vegetative state and her broken relationship with Oz, she was unable to truly understand this. All she could do was shed tears. As the saying goes, you should be careful what you wish for, because you never know how your wishes will come true. Later, Oz goes to the ballroom and blows away his mother's complex by dancing with Eve, who was wearing the same dress as Francis when she took young Oz to Monroe's house. Oz's relentless desire for Francis' love and attention did not seem to end even when his mother was half dead. He now wants to force Eve into this role, to give himself praise and confidence so that he can finally achieve his goal.



The showrunners may have linked Oz's transformation from gangster to monster to his childhood trauma and hatred of society. But they weren't. Although the latter was true, Oz was never truly hated by his mother or his brothers. In fact, Frances released Oz even though she knew he had committed such a heinous act. Sure, she did it because she was ambitious, but she was Oz's biggest cheerleader until she realized who he really was. So this excuse doesn't really hold up. The real reason for Oz's downfall was denial. He lied to his mother. He lied to the world. But most of all he lied to himself. He accepted this lie to the point where he could no longer argue, and it turned him into the insane being we see at the end of the series. And it's the showrunners' ability to make Oz feel like the most despicable creature in the world, without relying on tired clichés, that makes "The Penguin" such a great portrait of a true villain.


As the camera panned from Oz's new hideout, the Bat-Signal was seen shining brightly in the night sky. This can only mean one thing - Oz's reign as King of Gotham will be ended by Batman. Since The Penguin was a miniseries, it is pointless to speculate on what will happen in Season 2. You can watch it on the Afdah stream website.


Watch it here: https://afdah.live/the-penguin-s01e08/

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