The Penguin Season 1 Episode 6 Review: Gold Summit

The Penguin Season 1 Episode 6, “Gold Summit”, finally lets Victor step up to the plate by influencing his transformation into the right-hand man Oz wanted him to be. 

Though “Bliss” gave us insight into Victor’s tragic backstory and how he’d eventually get involved with Oz, “Gold Summit” puts him at the forefront of things. At this point, he thinks he’s above the old system, but this episode actually gives him that needed push.

It all starts with Oz sending Victor off to finally sell the drug stock they’ve been piling up. Since “Homecoming”, Oz has found his calling as the leader of this little gang, but there’s still some expansion to be made.

For once, Oz actually trusts Victor and sends him on his way, which goes to show the respect they’ve developed. It doesn’t necessarily seem like Oz wants Victor dead like he did previously. It shows as Oz lets Victor in on his grand plan for Gotham’s drug empire, displaying the empathetic parental guidance Oz has, albeit poorly.

In his own way, Oz’s attitudes have begun rubbing off on Victor. The kid’s somewhat more confident, even stuttering less when Francis and Oz get together. However, his confidence is cut short when Oz stops Victor from mentioning his brother to Francis, which is odd.

Clearly, Oz still wants to keep whatever happened in the past a secret, something he’s been showing since “Inside Man”. Given Francis’s condition, he doesn’t want to overwhelm her to a point of no return. As such, it’s the only thing that’s most likely keeping Oz’s relationship with his mother stable, which is unique given Oz’s ability to lie.

In the background, Sofia Falcone and Sal Maroni’s complicated alliance is still playing that larger role. With the two making this truce and their men enacting warning crimes against Oz, the tension keeps getting higher.

That’s why Oz sends Victor on his way as Oz protects Francis from the allied gangs. Unfortunately, this puts Victor back in the crosshairs of Squid, who we haven’t seen since “Inside Man”. Although, the confrontations between Victor and Squid feel much more one-sided this time.

Knowing Victor’s potential, Squid wanted to take advantage of Victor’s relationship with Oz, knowing he could cash in. However, Victor’s not necessarily the weak-minded kid he was a few episodes ago. In the present, he’s much more invigorated, though still retaining that trait of sympathy, which causes him to kill Squid in the end.

From these moments alone, “Gold Summit” really puts the themes of adaptation of The Penguin to the test. Through that slow, yet meticulous build-up in each episode, we’ve grown closer to Victor because of his terrible circumstances. We’ve wanted to see him come out on top, yet when he does here, it feels devastating because of the path he was forced on.

Ultimately, Victor was built up to be this “monster” that Oz could take advantage of, which was finally finished here. This shows in that personal conversation that Oz has with Victor after the fact, giving him this manipulative comfort. Victor is the man that his father wanted, but at what cost?

That cost shows itself in the final scene of episode, where Oz decides to call a meeting with all of Gotham’s gangs. Of course, it doesn’t go without its hitches as the leader of the Triads questions his trust. However, Oz gives this inspiring speech, which might sound a little cliche, but Farrell still delivers it with this strong crisp.

Yet, in the end, Oz is still Oz and his speech gives you this feeling that he’s gonna turn on them like he did with Sofia. Even though they somewhat believe Oz, the cinematographic choices show that they’ll turn on him. When they do, it’s going to be nerve-wracking, just like when Sofia finds Victor and Francis in the end.

However, with some closure on Victor’s past, The Penguin is able to dedicate more time to fleshing out Oz’s familial dynamics more. With only two episodes left, who knows what could happen to Oz and Francis?

Stray Thoughts:

• Even though they pulled back on Sofia Falcone just for this episode, I really loved that meeting she has with Eve. They both know they’ve been manipulated and I’m happy to see they’ve found common ground.
• The close-ups between Oz and Francis really start to make you feel more uncomfortable as time goes on. It just gives you this sense that it’s going to deteriorate, possibly by the next episode.
• It also feels like Sal Maroni is taking a backseat in the main narrative. Obviously, he still has his role to play in Sofia’s arc, yet they’re keeping him in isolation for so long.

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The Penguin airs Sundays at 9 PM ET/PT on Max.

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