‘The Penguin’ Episode Six Recap: “Gold Summit”

*Warning: The following article contains major spoilers for episode six of The Penguin.*

As the pieces begin to come together in The Penguin, its sixth episode, Gold Summit, gives us a glimpse of Oz Cobb’s (Colin Farrell) newfound empire related to the production of Bliss. Things are seemingly going well, but the cracks are beginning to show as Sofia (Cristin Milioti) has fully allied with Salvatore Maroni (Clancy Brown) to bring Oz to his knees after what he has done to Sofia’s brother (Michael Zegen), and Sal’s wife (Shoreh Aghdashloo).

Credit where credit is due: as much as the action sequences are sparse in this series (so far), they’re all incredibly brutal. Not in a playful way, either, but increasingly violent as the show gets darker than its already grimy introduction. That scene set the table for an unpleasant watch that only got decidedly more gruesome as it went along. But in the Kevin Bray-directed episode, we get the show’s most consequential and brutal kill yet, far more unflinching than the immolation of Nadia and Taj (Aria Shahghasemi) in the last episode.

Some may think otherwise, but in the case of Nadia and Taj’s death, Oz has already reached a point of no return for some time now. He doesn’t think twice about killing people, especially if it means getting ahead of the game. We’ve seen this countless times in this series and know this is a part of his modus operandi. However, Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz) has not killed anyone in this show. He’s bribed a police officer and done a few criminal activities with Oz but has never gone the extra mile to do something he feels uncomfortable doing.

But we’ve been slowly observing his turn into darkness, from not wanting to accompany Graciela (Anira Kim Amoda) out of Gotham to now working hand-in-hand with Oz. He trusts him enough to take care of his mother, Francis (Deirdre O’Connell), while he runs the business. However, one person who had a role in Victor’s past, Squid (Jared Abrahamson, a severely underappreciated actor who consistently does incredible work across the board), wants in on Oz’s operation.

Victor is scared of Squid, and rightfully so, as the drug dealer confronts him about wanting to join what the two have been secretly working on. Initially saying that he will set up a meeting between the two after Squid threatens to expose their whereabouts to Sofia, Victor lures him into a corner and shoots him dead. No hesitation, too. He thinks about protecting not only Oz’s empire but also himself, knowing what he now contributes to. The kill itself is sickening, with blood pouring out of Squid’s neck as he gasps for air but swallows his own blood. It’s not for the faint of heart but showcases how Victor has truly shifted and reached a point of absolute no return.

It’s a clearer-than-clear realization that he will never be able to return to his past life. In fact, after he tells Oz what he has done, he responds to him, “It gets easier.” The chilling line crawls down our spines as we know Victor has now become more valuable for Oz, who will likely prop him into committing more acts like these so that he can get his hands dirty and take the fall if he is caught. I wouldn’t put it past him to do this, which is what makes this character so terrifying to watch.

We also get an incredibly tense exchange between Sofia and Eve Karlo (Carmen Ejogo), Oz’s girlfriend, who eventually gives his location away to her. Sofia initially shows up at her apartment to kill her, as she believed Eve was the person he loved the most in his life (Oz told her his mother was dead), but has a change of heart after realizing Eve thought she was the Hangman. Once Sofia tells her the truth that it is her father (Mark Strong) who is responsible for the murders and Oz helped frame her to get ahead and gain more trust within Carmine’s family, Eve gives her Oz’s location without hesitation.

Meanwhile, Oz is rallying the gangs, including Feng Zhao (François Chau), on his side after an impassioned speech convinces him to work against the Gigante/Maroni alliance. Zhao was the most reluctant member to accept Oz’s invitation after he double-crossed Sofia (and himself) for the Bliss operation. But he ultimately opens his beer can as a sign of acceptance, though perhaps with reservations. Of course, his opinions are founded, but what’s more interesting in the episodes to come will be to observe how Oz will double-cross them, as he always does. Perhaps Sofia will put a stop to him before it’s too late, but we know this is the origin story of The Penguin, not the other way around.

However, the episode ends on a rather dark note, with Sofia breaking into Oz’s new home in Crown Point, as she observes Victor and Francis dancing to The Mills Brothers‘ The Glow Worm. It’s one of the show’s most human moments, revealing the purest qualities of both characters through dance that Oz has unfortunately corrupted. But it’s also shrouded in darkness, with Sofia carrying a crowbar and realizing that Oz has lied to her ever since they met. This story will not end well, one way or another.

The sixth episode of The Penguin is now available to stream on Max.