Watch the trailer for The Penguin
The Penguin reached its thrilling conclusion overnight, leaving fans with a lot to unpack.
Sky Atlantic and HBO fans would have witnessed Oz Cobb (Colin Farrell) ascend in Gotham's criminal underworld, courtesy of his takeover of the Bliss drug's growth and distribution.
Oz's actions sparked a brutal drug war in Gotham, betraying two of the city's most powerful crime families - the Falcones and Maronis.
In the series finale 'A Great or Little Thing', Oz Cobb was hauled away by a corrupt cop for interrogation and threats from Sofia (Cristin Milioti), who still holds his mother Francis (Deirdre O'Connell) captive.
Francis confronted Oz about his decision to close the overflow sewer door and her suspicion that he murdered his brothers. Despite being stabbed, Oz managed to escape with his ailing mother and horrifically turned the tables on Sofia and even his allies.
We delve into a thrilling series finale, the fate of Sofia Falcone, and what lies ahead for Oz Cobb.
Why did Oz let Sofia Falcone live?
The suspenseful game of cat-and-mouse between Oz Cobb and Sofia Falcone made The Penguin a thrilling watch, leading viewers to speculate how Oz would navigate yet another precarious situation.
Oz Cobb's primary objective was to overthrow Sofia Falcone, his main enemy, to clear his path to the summit of Gotham's criminal underworld.
The arrest and imprisonment of Sofia Falcone was a crucial part of the plan. Oz told Councilman Hady about Sofia and Maroni's involvement in the Crown Point tunnel explosion and hoping to convince the mayor of his story.
This would not only remove Sofia from the equation but also earn him the trust of the police and authorities.
Sofia had returned to Gotham with the sole intention of avenging her brother's death, yet she was also burdened by her father's legacy and criminal empire. Her aim was to dismantle the Falcone crime family and make a dramatic exit.
However, Oz caught Sofia, who was convinced that he would kill her and set her free, but he didn't.
Oz Cobb believed that prison was a more suitable punishment for Sofia than death. Essentially, he put her back in a cage after her release from Arkham Asylum.
How is Selina Kyle related to Sofia Falcone?
Upon Sofia Falcone's return to prison, she received a letter from her half-sister Selina Kyle. The connection between Sofia and Selina Kyle (Catwoman) was revealed in The Batman, where it was discovered that Carmine Falcone is Selina Kyle's father.
The implications of this relationship for both characters remain uncertain. While Selina Kyle has a moral compass and aims to combat crime and gangs in Gotham, Sofia has committed murders and taken actions to safeguard her own interests.
Why did Victor die?
Vic's death was possibly the most shocking of the series, let alone the finale. Victor was there from the start and helped Oz gain the upper hand on his enemies and played a key role in his bliss drug empire.
Victor and Oz grew to understand each other on a personal level, and Victor knew all his secrets. This was too close for comfort for Oz, and he strangled him to death as they looked at Gotham from a distance.
Oz killed his friend Victor because of their close relationship and felt it was a weakness to his enemies. Victor grew to respect Oz and knew what he was trying to achieve and wanted some safety after losing his family to the floods.
What happened to Francis?
A restrained Oz is brought to Monroe's nightclub and Sofia reveals that Francis was aware of Oz's lies and alleges that she plotted with Rex to murder Oz.
Dr Rush threatens to sever one of Francis' fingers unless Oz admits to killing his brothers. However, Francis discloses that she was already aware and expresses her loathing for Oz, along with her regret over being his mother.
In a fit of rage, Francis shatters a bottle and stabs Oz in the stomach, but suffers a stroke triggered by a bout of dementia. Oz manages to escape with Francis, rushing her to the hospital.
An emotional Oz discovers that Francis has suffered a stroke, leaving her in a vegetative state. Despite his victory over Sofia and ascension to the throne of Gotham's underworld, he feels powerless and mourns the fact that his mother will never be able to retract her harsh words.
Oz's heart-wrenching saga unveils as he places his unresponsive mother, Francis, in a room with a view of Gotham, tears streaming down his face. As Oz confides his dreams and designs for Gotham to her, the poignancy peaks.
The story twist reveals an unsettling truth: Oz was desperate to earn his mother's pride and provide for her even as she feared him. At the crux of it all, Oz yearns for nothing more than his mother's love and esteem.
What happens next for Oz?
Oz ends the series on top with a luxury penthouse, criminal empire and a violent reputation. What is more chilling is how he brought his vegetative state mother Francis to his penthouse or how Eve Karlo is dressed as his mother.
With lover Eve Karlo dressed as his mother, Oz Cobb dances with his 'mother' as they used to growing up. "I did it ma", he says as they embrace each other and dance around his penthouse.
Eve tells him: "My beautiful boy. Gotham's yours sweetheart - Nothing's standing in your way now" and he replies: "You're god damn right".
In the closing shot, the camera pulls away to a shot of the Gotham skyline and we see the Bat-Signal suddenly appear. The shot implies that while Oz Cobb has risen to the top of Gotham's criminal underworld and eliminated his enemies, he is surely a target of the Batman.
Despite Eve's betrayal of Oz earlier in the series, she is back dressed as young Francis. She is trying to play the part of his mother and fill the void in Oz’s life, but does Oz still love her?
I doubt it. My interpretation is that Oz only cares and loves for himself, and he refuses to let anyone get too close to him. He wants love and affection from an arm's length.
The Penguin is tipped to return in 'The Batman Part Two', sparking curiosity about Oz Cobb's next moves. After intimidating Councilman Hady and discovering Mayor Real's probe into Falcone's cronies, Oz has waded into Gotham's murky political waters.
He weaved a fake story around Sofia Falcone to win over Councilman Hady, inching closer to Mayor Real's trusted circle.
Oz's audacious move of addressing Councilman Hady from the mayor's seat raises eyebrows could this hint at his ambition to take over as Gotham's mayor?
After all, we saw this explored in Tim Burton's 1992 flick Batman Returns and we could see this again in The Batman sequel.
Will he also try and distance himself from his criminal empire and drugs operation? No matter how many lies Oz tells himself, he isn’t a "man of the people" but rather a "man for himself."
Oz Cobb only serves his purpose and his dreams, and everything he has been doing through The Penguin was only for himself.
