The Penguin Episode 6 Review: DC Sets Up The Batman's Most Powerful Enemy

Six episodes into The Penguin, DC's Batman spin-off has already cemented itself as the best live-action DC property that's ever been made for the small screen. Crucially, the story-telling also justifies the decision to make it a TV show rather than a movie set between Matt Reeves' first and second Batman movies. It is, effectively, like a historical drama, as epic as Rome's most glorious stories, with the same lust for blood, betrayal, and power as Game of Thrones.

The Penguin episode 6 starts with Oz in the ascendancy, working out of his new subterranean base of operations (and no, Batman still hasn't noticed), with a grand plan to protect his interests: criminal unification. The "Gold Summit" of the title refers to a meeting between Gotham's gangs (minus two notable parties, unsurprisingly), but the episode deals with far larger story beats that affect all the major players.

"Gold Summit" once more is a story-setting episode, moving the plot along towards its climax, but there's no trade-off in the entertainment factor. This show does tension remarkably well, both in terms of intimate interactions and grander scale ones: watching Francis Cobb beg Oz for dramatic intervention in her illness, or Sal Maroni and Sofia discuss their losses, is treated with the same reverence as watching Oz convince his prospective new business partners to rewrite Gotham's hierarchy. The comic book show moments are great, but the character moments are better.

Oz Steps Up As The Real Penguin In Episode 6

How Episode 6 Sets Up The Penguin's Story Coming To A Head

It was only a matter of time before Colin Farrell’s Oz brought his propaganda to a grander platform. We’ve watched him groom Victor over multiple episodes into buying into his world view - which comes to a bloody head here, of course - and now after all of that practise, we get the main event.

The Penguin has done a remarkable job of dismantling the idea of Batman without ever having to include him. In his absence, we’ve seen compelling evidence that his inability to solve Gotham’s real issue - poverty - is a spiraling issue. Episode 6 addresses that even more overtly by underlining the idea of Oz as a man of the people: a great protector.

The titular "Gold Summit" is the first real confirmation of Oz as Gotham's crime lord, and not just the slightly cartoonish figure whose reputation is something of a joke. That it comes so soon after a dramatic loss in the first half of the episode is more evidence of how quickly The Penguin moves story elements around. And when Farrell is as good as he is when Oz is scrabbling to survive, you really can't blame the story-tellers.

The ending is an inspired set-up for the final two episodes: by this point, we know that Sofia is as dangerous as Oz, even if her interaction with Eve doesn’t quite match expectations, and we know Oz’s vulnerabilities. And Deidre O’Connell has done excellent work to really sell Francis’ tragedy as well as her strength: seeing them interact is going to be a big moment.

There are very few happy stories in this universe, and almost every triumph comes with a stunning downside, and we're beginning to see more that this whole journey is about exploring the cost of Penguin's rise, and whether it's going to be worth it.

Sofia Gigante Is An Irresistible Presence

Cristin Milioti Is Excellent Even When The Material Requires Less Of Her

Sofia Gigante, of course, is still excellent value for money. She’s chilling without having to do a great deal: the most rewarding moments come with her subtle disdain for Oz’s taste and his clearly repugnant cologne. Setting her alongside Sal Maroni’s far more active rage in episode 6 adds even more reward. They are very different, brought together by their hatred for Oz, and their union of convenience is an interesting development for both.

This feels like Milioti's announcement performance. She's obviously been excellent elsewhere, but this is career-best work, and even without the flashier material of episodes 4 and 5, she's irresistible when she's on screen. There's a cold poise to her that is all the richer for knowing what she's capable of, and a perfect observation on a predator with infinite confidence and very little to lose. The final shot of her swells magnificently because of everything that's come before, and the promise of what could come next.

The Penguin's Supporting Cast Continues To Shine

This Is Not Just The Farrell And Milioti Show

O’Connell’s depiction not only of her failing mind but also her fear over what she’s losing and her conviction in not allowing herself to lose too much is a painful reminder for anyone who has watched anyone go through this sort of heartbreaking disease. She continues to deserve a lot of credit for her performance, and is completely convincing both as Oz’s manipulator and his driving emotional force.

Related

The Penguin Show Cast & DC Character Guide

Set to release in 2024, The Penguin will continue to flesh out Matt Reeves' Gotham with Colin Farrell set to reprise his role as Oz Cobb.

Victor's story continues to be gripping, bucking the trend of sidekick characters serving only to advance the story of the lead. The most impressive thing with The Penguin is that he is obviously a walking narrative device - because of what he means to Oz's story - but he also has his own agency, and his own conflict. That comes to a bloody head in episode 6, and it's refreshing to see someone in this universe deal with violence without a sort of perverse pragmatism. And despite John Turturro's comments about the show's violence, the way Victor's "big moment" plays out uses violence in the same shocking way it's punctuated other episodes. This isn't about glorifying or sanitizing violence, it's about the impact it has on real people as a contrast to how Oz and the criminal underworld accept it as normal.

While it’s taken a little longer than I might have wanted to have Clancy Brown’s Sal feel significant, there’s a lot more here for him to work with. He’s a terrifying figure in full flow and the muscle to back up Sofia’s more cerebral villainy. Curiously, though, Sofia remains the more threatening of the two, because the show opts to make her more measured. Sal becomes a bit of a fall guy to her message of considered action, but the idea works well without pushing him aside.

When TV awards season comes around, it will be a massive shock if The Penguin doesn't take the top awards, but the supporting cast deserves just as many accolades. All are set up in a way that makes their stories matter as we head into the final couple of episodes, and there's a lot to look forward to.

Created by Lauren LeFranc, The Penguin is a crime-drama spin-off television series of 2022's film The Batman. Set shortly after the events of The Batman, Oz Cobb, A.K.A. the Penguin, begins his rise in the underworld of Gotham City as he contends with the daughter of his late boss, Carmine Falcone, for control of the crime family's empire.

Pros

• The story is building up in a truly compelling way.
• Deidre O'Connell continues to shine.
• Victor gets a horribly impactful moment.
• Clancy Brown is finally getting a real chance to show off.

New episodes of The Penguin release every Sunday on HBO.