Warning! This post contains SPOILERS forThe Penguinepisode 8The Penguinepisode 8 brings the new DC show to a close with a major ending, creating a darkly satisfying ending (and beginning) for Colin Farrell’s Oz Cobb while also setting up Matt Reeves’The Batman - Part II. As has been seen in the entire series, Oz has been working non-stop to become the next kingpin of Gotham’s criminal underworld. Although he finally does succeed in this goal by the end ofThe Penguinepisode 8 (it’s not without cost).
At the end ofThe Penguinepisode 7, Sofia Gigante successfully captures Francis Cobb (Deirdre O’Connell), holding her at the very same jazz club where Oz promised his mother the world when he was a boy after the deaths of his brothers. Now,The Penguin’sfinale brings Oz’s rivalry with Sofia to a head as Cobb finally gains the throne he’s long desired. To that end,here’s our recap ofThe Penguinepisode 8 and its huge finale ending.
Sofia’s Final Moves Against Oz Cobb’s Penguin Explained
Wanting To Hurt And Kill Oz Before Leaving Gotham
Having grown tired of playing her father’s games,Sofia Falcone/Gigante (Cristin Milioti) decided to play an entirely new game, one where the goal was simply to cause Penguin as much pain as he had caused her before leaving Gotham for good. Having used former Arkham doctor Julian Rush to learn the full truth about Oz’s past from Francis, Sofia had Oz brought to Monroe’s where she demanded that Oz and Francis reveal the truth to each other that he killed his brothers, and that Francis had always known from the very beginning.
After Oz Cobb doubles down on his lies, even in the face of his mother losing a finger, Francis is the one who finally admits her hatred for her son and what he did. Ultimately, Oz escapes Monroe’s with his mother who suffers a stroke shortly after,motivating Sofia to offer the entire Falcone empire to whichever gang can bring her Ozbefore she leaves the city. Burning down the Falcone mansion before heading to the airport, Sofia was so close to getting closure and a new start for her life, had Oz not gained the upper hand by doing something she never could have anticipated.
How Penguin Gained The Upper Hand Against Sofia Falcone
Uniting The Deputies To Take Gotham For Themselves
Just like Sofia who chose to play a new game,Oz Cobb changed the rules as well inThe Penguinepisode 8. An idea given to him by his right-hand man,Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz), Penguin secretly forges alliances with all the deputies from each of the Gotham gangs. Cobb offered them a shot at making names for themselves by betraying the gang heads and taking control of the operations for themselves, all while pledging loyalty to Penguin himself.
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This is how Sofia Gigante was caught by surprise when the Triads offered her Oz at the airport, with Link shooting the dai lo Feng Zhao. This allowed Oz to offer Sofia Falcone to the police, where she was subsequently arrested and put back in Arkham. Likewise, even Sofia herself admits that she didn’t see it coming, though she does make sure Oz knows that she does finally see who Cobb really is, no matter what lies he might tell others (and himself).
Why Oz Doesn’t Kill Sofia In The Penguin Episode 8
He Needs A Public Scapegoat
It may seem surprising that Oz ultimately lets Sofia live after everything she did. However, it ultimately makes sense considering everything she’s still able to do for him alive in Arkham. After all, Oz’s entire pitch to Councilman Hady earlier inThe Penguinepisode 8was all based on Sofia being made to look like the crazy Arkham patient who went on a killing spree.
Sofia has become the perfect scapegoat with all the blame for the Maroni murders, Bliss, the Crown Point explosion, and more to be squarely placed on her, the result of an ongoing “Falcone-Maroni” turf war rather than the truth that the Maronis and Falcones had joined forces to go after Penguin himself. Hady would look good by providing a villain, and Penguin would have far less heat as he becomes the new head of Gotham’s underworld. As such, murdering Sofia would have certainly lessened the power of Penguin and Hady’s fabricated narrative.
Why Penguin Chooses To Kill Victor
Family Is Both A Strength, And A Weakness
Having all the power and the top seat in Gotham’s underworld,Penguin makes the shocking decision to kill Victor Aguilar, the young man who had been his right hand from the very beginning ofThe Penguin. While strangling Victor, Penguin apologizes while telling him that he’s a good man with a good heart. However, Oz determined that he and Victor had become far too close (Victor had just called him family).
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.
While Oz agrees that he and Victor have become family, he also admits that family is just as much of a weakness as it is a strength, and he can no longer afford to have any weaknesses now that he’s finally made it to the top. Nevertheless, it’s an incredibly tragic and horrible final act on Oz’s partat the end ofThe Penguin’sfinale. This is especially true considering all that Victor had done for him, including giving Oz the idea to unite all the deputies earlier inThe Penguinepisode 8.
Penguin’s Finally The King, But The Bat-Signal Is Lit
Where Has Batman Been This Whole Time?
As Oz Cobb dances with Eve in his new penthouse, the camera pans outside to Gotham City below, just as the Bat-Signal turns on.Ironically, the Bat-Signal lights up just after Eve tells Oz that there is nothing more standing in his way. While The Dark Knight had been absent for the entire show, the Bat-Signal being lit does create a connection between the events of the show andpresumably the upcoming events ofThe Batman - Part II. As such, the implication seems to be that Batman will indeed clash with Penguin in the future DC movie when it releases in 2026.
The Penguin
Cast
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.
