In fiction, there is usually a clear point of no return. All the characters choose their fates, answer the call, and proclaim “there’s no going back.” In Oswald’s case, he has lied, cheated, killed, and stolen his way to the opportunities at his grasp in Gotham. Similarly, Sofia is clear on who her enemy is and what she will have to resort to becoming to catch him. For all intents and purposes, the saying is true, we are past the threshold of return.
My favorite moment within “Gold Summit” is the appeal Oswald makes to the drug kingpins of Gotham. Over the course of the series, Oswald consistently compares himself to his idol, Rex Calabrese. In his ultimate ideal, he is a protector, a provider, and an almighty force in Gotham, able to sway anyone to his will. With the Bliss business booming with him as the foreman, his family unit safe, and his war with Sofia turning in his favor, Oz feels closer to Rex than ever. Especially when the power goes out in Crown Point. Being able to witness the joy in his eyes as he dishes on the rich and powerful, and enacting positive change does wonders for his complex development. Honestly speaking, Oz is the monster he’s accused of being, but ideally he wants to be a monster with a heart. So, when surrounded by the gangs of Gotham, he tells them the truth and hopes they will toast with him. To complete this toast, The Penguin symbolically chooses beer to represent his “us vs them” views on class. Mirroring the creation of Lucky Luciano’s Commission, the gangs consummate their relationship on the basis of mutual interest and equality. On the surface, it feels like another earnest example of his generosity. However, it is another reminder that for Oz, there are many different kinds of power.
Unfortunately for Oz, Sofia is far beyond her own threshold. For one, after decades of warring with the Maroni family, she winds up cohabitating with its patriarch. Tragically, I don’t think Salvatore Maroni works very well as a character anymore. While losing his family is a good motivator, he has lost the bulk of his relevance to anything outside of Sofia’s immediate needs. On one hand, Sofia sees the father she’s always wanted, but he only serves her legitimacy. Still, their dynamic is sweet and heartwarming, although tonally defeated. As for Sofia, her moment of character definition comes when she hunts down Eve. Instinctually knowing what Eve represents to Oz, she confronts his paramour with the intent to first derive information from her, and secondly to indict her for her involvement in Alberto’s death. Meanwhile, instead of begging for her life, Eve steadfastly chooses to self-sacrifice for Oz and her girls. Primarily out of fear that Sofia really is the strangler she was taught to fear. Strangely, the two women begin to bond over their treatment and the truth relieves Eve of the burden filled obligation to Oswald. This is a poignant moral shift for both characters going forward.
Lastly, while this episode features a high point for Penguin, it is also Victor’s lowest moment. Thus far, Victor has been a creature of opportunity. There was nothing wrong with scrambling and scraping when he didn’t have much (#NoDiddy), but now Victor commits a cardinal sin. As seen in episode three, Victor’s neighborhood is run by a street tough named Squid. Now, we are not only made aware that Squid told Victor to steal the rims, but also that he knows about Penguin, Francis, and the Bliss business. In an attempt to extort him, Squid pushes Victor to involve him in whatever is going on. Unable to pacify or avoid him completely, Victor is forced to ask Oz for help. Yet, upon bringing his boss the information, Victor begins to understand Oswald’s expectation for solving his own problems. This key moment and the subsequent embrace he gets from his descent into moral ambiguity defines who and what Vic becomes, and Oz couldn’t be prouder.
This episode was a fantastic bridge for each of its primary cast members, but none more heartbreakingly so than Deirdre O’Connell’s fragile performance as Francis Cobb. Throughout the series, Francis has been dealing with increasingly severe dementia. She may not have been the best mother, but she is the only thing Oswald truly values. Consequently, despite what Oz and Vic have done to shield her, her mental state has broken down. She doesn’t know where or when she is, but she is afraid of becoming more of a burden. Mostly, if you consider her behavior toward her son’s weakness, she would rather die than to see herself become a burden. Worse of all, after Eve’s betrayal, she lands on the Maroni-Gigante Family alliance’s radar. In the upcoming episodes as we near the finale, the consequences of each of their steps toward and away from their darker selves will come to roost. Let’s see if their new self awareness will pay off.
HBO’S THE PENGUIN airs every Sunday on MAX and HBO. Images from YouTube.