The Penguin Episode 5: "Homecoming" recap and review

The previous episode of The Penguin was the best episode of the year. I don’t mean so far. There has to be something game-changing for anything in The Penguin to top this. Actually, no TV was better than what Cristin Milioti did in “Cent'Anni”. Nevertheless, that was only the midseason episode. Everything that comes next will lead to an unforgettable finale. Before we get ahead of ourselves, what happened in episode 5 “Homecoming” and how good was it?

Episode 5 of The Penguin started with something that always annoyed me; criminals who post where they are on social media. Not only does this let the cops know where you are, it informs your enemies as well. In this case, Sal and Nadia Maroni's son.

The Maroni son thought it was smart to go live on social media and tell everyone where he was. Oz Cobb exploiting that to kidnap him was smart. The best part was that Oz didn’t waste time. He immediately went to Sal and Nadia to facilitate the exchange of their son for Bliss. 

During the meet-up, Oz kills Nadia Maroni and her son. Once again, the crime families underestimated Oz Cobb and it cost them their lives. The problem comes when Oz gets too arrogant. In this case, he did all of this hoping he’d get a shipment of Bliss. Instead, he’s left with two buckets of it. On top of that, he failed to kill Sal Maroni. Now he has Sofia and Sal Maroni to worry about.

Cristin Milioti continues her award winning performance. Seeing her remind the Gotham City Chief of Police who she and her family are was done brilliantly. It wasn’t just for the chief. It was for the audience. Sofia killing her family wasn’t a one-time thing. She’s in charge and the dominant member of her family. If that wasn’t clear, keeping Johnny Viti chained in the basement was another example.

Johnny Viti tried to preserve his life by talking about Sofia's mom and his cousin. The confession about Sofia’s mother wasn’t surprising. There was a reason that Carmine killed her. Now we know why. She was leaving him. If she stayed she would have lived in a miserable and likely abusive relationship. She died because she couldn’t leave her kids (Alberto and Sofia). 

Was the story behind Carmine Falcone killing his wife necessary? Yes. It furthers the story of Carmine's awfulness and justifies everything Sofia does next.

"I killed them all. And I am so glad that they're dead." -Sofia Falcone

When Sofia was officially in control, she told her workers they were valuable, Johnny Viti thought he put his two cents in, so Sofia shot him in the head. She made it absolutely clear that *she* was the big dog in the yard and would do what the other mob bosses wouldn’t. She’d make sure they’re taken care of and respected. She told them their jobs were important and gave them money upfront to prove it.

It didn’t stop there. Sofia finds Sal Maronia alive after Oz's failed murder attempt and offers him a deal. They both want Oz dead for killing people they love. The only way to make that happen is to form an allegiance. Of course, Sal is hesitant, but Sofia tells him that the Falcone Family is dead and that she hates them too. Their partnership may be temporary, but it’s enough for now.

“One family down, one to go.” -Oz Cobb

Oz continues to pull off by killing Nadia Maroni and her son. Once again, the crime families underestimated Oz Cobb and it cost them their lives. The problem comes when Oz gets too arrogant. In this case, he did all of this hoping to get a shipment of Bliss. Instead, he’s left with two buckets. He also finds out that Sal Maroni is still alive. Now he has Sofia and Sal Maroni to worry about. 

All isn't lost. He’s so close to being on top so it’s no time to hide. Oz regroups and creates a new base of operations in the abandoned underground trolley's of Gotham City. And what grows underground? Hopefully, the mushrooms that produce Bliss.

With their back against the walls, Oz and Victor must restart their plan for superiority in Gotham City. Whether they succeed remains to be seen. Stay tuned to Caped Crusades to see Sofia, Sal Maroni, or Oz come out on top.

Did you enjoy episode 5 of The Penguin? Are you excited for the final 3 episodes?  We want to hear from you. You can email us at entertainment@fansided.com