'The Penguin's Latest Team-Up Reminds How Different Gothams Crime Families Are

The Penguin has taken an unusual approach to the world by excluding Batman from the story to focus on Gotham's underworld from a different perspective. The series follows the crime families as the Falcones and Maronis go to war, but in part due to Oz's (Colin Farrell) interference, neither is in the same place they started. After Oz makes an enemy of both of Gotham's leading crime families, Sofia (Cristin Milioti) sets her sights on finding him. Now leading the Falcones, she turns the family upside down by renaming the family Gigante to honor her mother, but that's not the biggest change she has made. Though there have only been two episodes since Sofia came to power, she broke tradition to ally herself with Salvator Maroni (Clancy Brown) despite the long history of animosity between the Falcones and the Maronis.

In some ways, it makes sense that they would work together. After all, they both want revenge on Oz and share a deep hatred for Carmine Falcone (Mark Strong). But what is surprising is that, unlike the many uncertain deals Oz makes where both sides are waiting for the first opportunity to betray the other, the dynamic between Sofia and Sal is actually inviting. Working with her supposed enemy, Sofia finds an unexpected fatherly warmth. For two characters expected to hate each other, it's an interesting turn of events, but more than anything else, these interactions show just how different the Falcones and Maronis really are. Despite each gaining a reputation on Gotham's streets, there is a marked difference in how the Falcones live compared to the Maronis.

'The Penguin' Demonstrates the Difference Between the Families Through Sofia and Sal

Image via HBO

While Sofia rejects her family, her experience with them has made her who she is. Because they betrayed her, allowing her to go to Arkham, she's suspicious of those around her and ruthless as she reaches for power. This attitude is evident throughout the series, but perhaps most obviously when she kills most of her family members in retribution for them sending her to Arkham. And she is not the only member of the Falcones with this attitude. In flashbacks, Carmine treated his wife and children with the same ruthlessness. Yet, despite their similar positions, the Maronis are not the same. The Penguin has given more focus to the Falcones, but when Sal Maroni, now escaped from prison, becomes a larger role, it is clear that he runs his family differently. The contrast is never as stark as in Episode 6, "Gold Summit," when Sal and Sofia share a scene in the kitchen.

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While Sofia talks business, Maroni focuses on his cooking. He pours her a glass of wine and explains about the family recipe he's making. In this single sequence, Sal Maroni treats Sofia with more kindness than her own father, conspiratorially telling her about his wife's preferences and expectantly watching her reaction to the food. They have already struck a bargain, so Maroni isn't trying to get something out of Sofia, nor did she simply catch him on a good day as he is mourning the recent deaths of his wife and son. Though Maroni is a tough man in his business, this speaks to the kind of person he is in the rest of his life. Sofia is caught off guard by the treatment but accepts it, chopping ingredients for him. She even comments on his unexpected interest in cooking, but this is only one sign of the differences between the Maronis and Falcones.

Carmine Falcone and Sal Maroni Don't Have the Same Values

Sofia's surprise is understandable, considering how her father treated his family. Not only is Moroni mourning the death of his wife, Nadia (Shohreh Aghdashloo), by making a recipe she taught him, but when she was alive, he trusted her, letting her handle the exchange with Oz to rescue their son, Taj (Aria Shahghasemi). Even his underlings show how much Sal Maroni cared for his wife, as Brown explains in Inside Gotham at the end of Episode 2, that Maroni replaced his associates with the Persian mob after falling in love with Nadia. Not only does Sal Maroni have a close relationship with his wife, but he cares for his son as well. The distress he shows when Oz holds Taj hostage is another indication of Maroni's care for his family, and the deaths of Nadia and Taj set him on a path of revenge. In every choice he makes, it's clear that, whatever he may do as the leader of the infamous Maroni family, he loves his family.

But Carmine is a different story. He clearly had no love for his wife, considering he killed her and never showed any remorse. In fact, there doesn't seem to be anyone Carmine cared for like Sal loved Nadia. His son, Alberto (Michael Zegen), he disapproved of, and Sofia, who seemed to be the perfect daughter, he had framed for murder and locked in Arkham for asking questions. Carmine was cold and distant towards his family at best and violent and vindictive at worst. This gives the Falcones a dysfunctional dynamic, while the Maronis' is surprisingly healthy.

Why Do the Differences Between the Falcones and Maronis Matter to 'The Penguin'?

Image via HBO

The Penguin is thriving by focusing on the stories of Gotham's criminals. Not a single character is truly good, but many are not as bad as expected. Sal Maroni is one of them. Like Oz himself, the relationship he has with his family humanizes him and makes him sympathetic. Carmine Falcone may be the true villain of the series, but Sal Maroni has proven himself to be nothing like that. Though The Penguin does not shy away from the dark storylines, the narrative is more compelling with the ambiguity that characters like Sal Maroni provide.

Sal's character also allows Sofia to see a different kind of life. She grew up in a harsh and cold environment and doesn't know any other way to be in charge. Sal Maroni's kindness towards her and the care he had for his family demonstrate that there is another way to accomplish the job. Both the Falcones and the Maronis do bad things, but The Penguin shows that the Maronis have a more forgiving and family-like dynamic. Sofia has long searched for acceptance, and in her family's former rival, she may have just found it.

The Penguin is available to stream on Max in the U.S. New episodes air weekly on Sundays.

It follows the transformation of Oswald Cobblepot from a disfigured nobody to a noted Gotham gangster.

Release Date September 19, 2024

Cast Colin Farrell , Cristin Milioti , Rhenzy Feliz , Michael Kelly , Shohreh Aghdashloo , Deirdre O'Connell , Clancy Brown , James Madio , Scott Cohen , Michael Zegen , Carmen Ejogo , Theo Rossi

Seasons 1

WATCH ON MAX