After remembering about the trolley tunnels in the previous episode, it doesn't take long for Oz to set up operations. That's where we find him at the start of The Penguin Episode 6, "Gold Summit." Just how much is he underestimating Sofia, though?
Caution: This post contains SPOILERS from The Penguin Episode 6.
This episode makes it clear we’ve jumped ahead a bit in time. Oz’s operations in the trolley tunnels are up and running and the mushrooms are growing well. Vic is helping to distribute by working with different gangs.
Of course, that was sure to end up leading to trouble. Sofia and Sal are smart people. The know how Carmine worked, and they are able to use that to stay somewhat ahead of the game. They may not have the drugs, but they have information.
The Penguin Episode 6 review, “Gold Summit”: Sal wants revenge
It’s normal to want revenge on someone when they’ve hurt you. Sal wants revenge on Oz for the murders of his wife and son, and my heart goes out to him. However, Sal’s idea of revenge isn’t to immediately kill Oz, which is refreshing. As someone who watches a lot of crime dramas, I see the focus on murder as revenge all the time. There is another way to get revenge.
Can I just say how I loved Sal and Sofia’s interaction at dinner? Sal needs a child to nurture and Sofia needs a father figure in her life. This has been a team-up I didn’t realize I needed, and I want to see this continue for just a little longer. But with only two episodes left to go, I know that’s unlikely.
Sal wants to hurt Oz the way Oz has hurt him, and Sofia is here for this type of revenge. She wants to get back at Oz too, considering Oz killed her brother. Now the two need to figure out who Oz cares about the most.
If you're worried about Francis, you can ease off for now. Sofia and Sal believe that Oz’s mom has died. But I think it's inevitable that they'll find out sooner or later, and I am worried about her more than ever.
Vic isn’t someone Sofia and Sal think of as someone Oz cares about, and they're probably right. While going around Oz’s apartment, Sofia finds a drawer of Eve’s underwear and her picture. New target acquired.
I love how the girls who work for Eve look out for her. They don’t send Sofia up to her right away, and when one girl does, it’s because Eve asked her to do it. Eve has protected her girls so much that they have her back. My favorite part is that even though Sofia wasn’t getting answers from the girls, she didn’t threaten them. Most others would, but she does seem to have some sort of moral code when it comes to women. Maybe it’s linked to the fact that she was falsely named as the Hangman.
Back to Eve, though. Eve is almost ready for death at this point. She knows that Sofia could kill her in an instant, but it’s not the fear of death that leads to Eve telling Sofia where to go. There’s a sort of truce between them. Eve is only loyal to her girls, and all she wants is for her girls to be protected if she dies. Sofia proves that loyalty is rewarded in this moment. The downside now is that Eve has sent Sofia right to where Oz (and Francis!) is hiding out.
Oz is getting a little too cocky
While Sofia finds out where Oz is hiding out, Oz is busy with his operations. He’s getting a little too cocky for my liking. I know how The Penguin’s story is supposed to end, but it’s not going to be that easy. There are sure to be risks and deaths ahead.
However, Oz is so sure that Sofia and Sal are “looking up” that he’s pretty confident that his underground operations won’t be found. To be honest, he and Sofia kind of use similar methods to inspire loyalty. People are loyal as long as you’re paying them.
Even so, Oz's partners the Sullivans are ready to pull out of the drops business. They don’t want Sofia coming after them again. Other gangs around Gotham also start to pull out. Oz knows that he needs these gangs and the Triad to grow his empire, which means he needs to do something that nobody has done before. He needs to gather them all together and get everyone to work as one unit.
It’s a risky call, but it works. Oz is good with his speeches. My question is how long until they’re no longer loyal? Oz says that they are all at the bottom and it’s time for them to rise to the top, but how long before Oz forgets this and leaves them behind? Then what?
Oz thinks short-term, and then his emotions take over more often than not. Getting the gangs together has come off the back of Sofia's actions, and not once did he plan on doing this in the first place. It's clear he underestimates Sofia, and until he stops doing that, she will remain a threat.
Vic gets his first taste of blood
Up to this point, Vic has managed to keep his hands somewhat clean. Sure, he’s planted drugs and he’s chopped off fingers, but he hasn’t killed anyone. Until now.
When Vic learns that the leader of the Crown Point gang wants into Oz's operation, he has to handle the situation himself. As much as he wants to just pay off Squid, that’s not going to work. Squid is a major threat to Oz and his empire, and Vic needs to deal with this situation permanently.
So he does. He ends up shooting and killing Squid. It’s clear that Vic didn’t want to do this, and he’s going to suffer from this decision afterward. There’s a part of gang and mob life that Vic loves, but the killing of people is not something that he wants to do. We’re slowly watching how this young soul is getting twisted. He’ll need to toughen up if he wants to survive the mob world, but I do appreciate seeing what it’s like for someone so young getting pulled into it.
Vic has a soft heart, and I love his interactions with Francis. He wants to help her, and he’s showing that he can by living in her reality. That’s what you do with dementia patients. I’m worried about him when something eventually happens to Francis.
Episode Grade: B+
The Penguin airs Sundays at 9/8c on HBO.
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