THE PENGUIN - EPISODE 3 REVIEW AND BREAKDOWN

The Penguin has already provided us with two exceptional episodes as of late, both diving deep into a new and exciting layer of Matt Reeves' Gotham through the lens of a delightfully morally-dubious gangster. Now that we've become acquainted with the world presented to us from the limited series, it's no surprise that the newest episode takes on the role of a singular, intricate character study, completely shifting the perspective of the narrative we're used to and presenting the show's most compelling episode yet.

THE STORY

The Penguin's third episode begins with a harrowing flashback, in which we see Victor's life just moments before the Riddler's devastating flood. We learn that Victor has a girlfriend named Graciela (Anire Kim Amoda), and that she's the only one who truly understands his strive for a better life, even beyond his parents. A firework celebration with Victor, Graciela and their friends is cut short as the Riddler's bombs suddenly blow up the nearby seawall, flooding Victor's neighborhood and his family within seconds.

Back in the present, Oswald begins his true partnership with Sofia in the production of their new drug, in which we receive an awkwardly humorous exchange between her and Victor. The interaction is short, yet important, as he learns that Oswald used to be her driver before she was admitted to Arkham. Thus far, Sofia has consistently been painted as a manic, threatening villain, so it's nice to see this episode slowly remove those layers in exchange for her more trusting side to shine. While Oswald and Sofia try to convince the neighboring triads to unite under one drug market, created from euphoric mushroom spores that Oswald names "Bliss", Victor gets a visit from Graciela and learns that she's moving to California. She asks him to come with her, and while he's initially hesitant, he finally tells her to buy him a ticket and wait at the bus stop for him later in the day.

As Victor works up the courage to tell Oswald he's leaving, he's suddenly stopped by a passing policeman, and performs his first successful bribe. The rush of power and excitement leads to a heartwarming conversation between Oswald and Victor during their dinner, in which Oswald defends his stutter when a waiter finishes Victor's sentence for him. Soon, Oswald and Sofia catch Falcone underboss Johnny Viti sleeping with Carmine Falcone's wife, an act that successfully lets them blackmail him into setting up a meeting with the triads (although not before Oz nearly chokes the gangster out with his own cellphone). Now working with a partnered distributor, and operating in a nightclub jam-packed with Gothamite drug addicts, Oswald and Sofia are ready for business.

Oswald entrusts Victor as his 'bagman', letting him distribute their supply of Bliss around the nightclub. However, after a particularly painful panic attack that results in the poor boy seeing visions of his flooded house and dead family, he decides to finally rip the band-aid off and tell Oswald he wants to leave. In what is likely the most captivating argument in the show so far, Oswald tells Victor that he can leave anytime, but in doing so he will give up on his dream for greatness and prove that the gangster made a mistake taking the boy under his wing. Right as Victor makes it to the bus stop, and sees Graciela in the distance waiting for him, he painstakingly realizes that his dream goes far beyond living an 'ideal' life with her, and decides to turn back around.

The episode ends with a conversation between Oswald and Sofia, in which we learn that Oswald was the one that sold her out for something unknown, and got her admitted to Arkham as a result. His apology is cut short from a surprise ambush by the Maroni family, clearly pissed off that Oswald is backing out of their deal. Sofia can hardly comprehend Oswald's betrayal as Victor comes speeding onto the scene, crashing into the Maronis and escaping with his mentor, who tells him to leave her behind. Like it or not, Victor is in the thick of it now.

THE PERFORMANCES

One of the only problems I had with the first two episodes of The Penguin was the little time dedicated to fleshing out Victor, who serves as the show's deuteragonist and the audience's "eyes" into the underground world of Gotham City. However, not only does episode 3 provide an emotional delve into Victor's past and his motivations, but also a stellar performance from Rhenzy Feliz, who successfully proves that he can carry an entire episode on his own. Watching Victor realize that he can't leave with Graciela through Rhenzy's facial expressions alone is a testament to the actor's proficiency and understanding of the character, truly immersing the audience in his role more than ever. Like always, Ferrell and Milioti deliver incredible performances each, with both Oswald and Victor's vicious argument as well as his truly heartfelt apology to Sofia both making their way into my favorite moments in the show so far.

The Penguin continues to deliver when it comes to raw, emotional performances, and it's always a delight to see how the show ups itself every single time.

THE EDITING/VISUAL EFFECTS

One of the show's most underrated aspects, and one I haven't fully praised beforehand, is its spectacular use of editing and visual effects when representing a character's downwards spiral. In the previous episode, we saw a glimpse of the show's sharp, fast-paced editing during Sofia's psychiatric interview, but we truly view it at full force during Victor's panic attack in the nightclub. The montage of his parents' floating bodies, the explosions and the flood is quick and painful, making the audience truly sympathize with Victor as we understand the emotional baggage he's been carrying around since meeting Oswald.

Beyond the show's editing and montages, Episode 3 also shines in the VFX corner, even rivalling The Batman in their depiction of the flood washing over Victor's neighborhood. Watching bundles of cars and bridges collapse in the weight of the rushing water feels hauntingly realistic, adding an extra layer of horror to the Riddler's grand plan for Gotham.

VERDICT/WHAT'S NEXT?

Based on the sneak-peak trailer of The Penguin's next episode, it seems that we'll finally receive Sofia's full backstory, and discover how exactly Oswald betrayed her in the first place. After Victor's time in the spotlight, I can safely say that another individual character study will do the show wonders, especially one centered around Sofia Falcone and the gripping performance given by Milioti. Until then, we're left with the show's best episode to date, and one that I will certainly be rewatching more in anticipation for the story's progression.

10/10