SERIES: THE PENGUIN
EPISODE TITLE: “Inside Man”
EPISODE DETAILS: Season 1/Episode 1
PREVIOUS: “After Hours”
AIR DATE: Sunday, September 29, 2024
WRITERS: Lauren LeFranc, Erika L. Johnson
DIRECTOR: Craig Zobel
SHOWRUNNER: Lauren LeFranc
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Matt Reeves, Dylan Clark, Colin Farrell, and others
OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS: Sofia works to secure her family’s strength, while Oz attempts to play both the Falcones and Maronis to his advantage.
CAST: Colin Farrell as Oz Cobb, Michael Zegen as Alberto Falcone, Deidre O’Connell as Francis Cobb, Rhenzy Feliz as Victor Aguilar, Clancy Brown as Salvatore Maroni, Cristin Milioti, and others.
REVIEW
A lot of time, a TV series’ second episode can slightly disappoint you — especially when a series is anticipated and hyped like THE PENGUIN. I thought the debut episode, “After Hours“, was excellent. Watching episode 2, “Inside Man”, I wasn’t disappointed and thought it was just as good.
As this episode begins, we find Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) inside Arkham and gettin what seems to be an unexpected visit from her brother, Alberto (Michael Zegan). Flashback? Nah…she’s having a delusional episode while visiting her therapist, Dr. Julian Rush (who is NOT Hugo Strange LMAO!). The point? To give us a look into Sofia’s head and to also show us just how F’n nuts she is. Nuts? Yes. Dumb? Hell no.
Furthermore, Sofia believes (wants) she should be the head of the Falcone Family — especially since her brother Alberto is now dead. That job is now in the hands of her uncle Luca Falcone (Scott Cohen) along with his right-hand man Johnny Viti (Michael Kelly). However, they have no interest in Sofia participating in the “Family Business”, much less becoming the Boss. In fact, Uncle Luca wants to ship her off the Italy for “health reasons”. Sofia has had enough.
As far as Oz, he’s still in the middle of his dangerous game of playing the Falcone and Maroni families…which leads him to a few tight spots. Does he survive? Of course he does! He eventually becomes “The Penguin” we all know and love (hate) — Gotham’s #1 crime boss! Seeing him get out of these precarious situations — which are his own doing due to his (and his mother’s) desire and ambition — and following Oz on his way to the top is what this series is all about…and why it’s fun.
On the Maroni front, Oz meets again with Sal (Clancy Brown) in Blackgate (giving him his ring back must’ve softened him up a bit), Oz proposes that he lead an operation to steal the Falcone’s big shipment of Drops and then sell them for the Maroni family. He needs Sal’s protection from any of the Falcones discovering that Oz was the one who whacked Alberto. When Johnny Viti throws a monkey wrench into the plan, Oz must find a way to make it out alive.
Speaking of Johnny Viti, he’s Oz’s #1 target, and he plans to frame him for the murder of Alberto (on behalf of the Maronis). The Falcones have captured (via a crooked, drophead cop) a member of the Maroni gang who was part of Oz’s Drop heist, and intend for him to spill the beans. Oz intervenes and puts a plan in motion for the guy to out Viti as the mole. When that goes off the rails, Oz has to think fast or the jig is up.
Also in this episode, Oz’s girlfriend Eve Karlo figures out that the reason he needed her for an alibi is because he killed Alberto Falcone; Oz’s mom’s dementia is getting worse (and he also tells everyone around him, other than Vic, that she died a while back, Vic messes up his part of Oz’s plan to frame Viti; and, Sofia reaches out to Oz after being shunned by her family.
Another great episode. A little slow in the beginning, but the Drop heist scene and the shenanigans at the Falcone compound are extremely entertaining and thrilling. Oz’s plan is starting to take shape…though you gotta wonder how long he can keep playing both Sal and Sofia. We shall see. – Bill “Jett” Ramey
