The Penguin episode 3 ending explained: Nadia Maroni gets the drop on Oz and things go left!

The Penguin episode 3 ending explained: Nadia Maroni gets the drop on Oz and things go left!

As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of immersion in the world of Gotham’s underbelly, I can’t help but feel a strange sense of familiarity when watching “The Penguin.” The intricate web of relationships and power struggles, the betrayals, and the relentless pursuit for control – it feels like another level in my favorite crime-filled video game.


Each new insight about Sofia and Oz’s enigmatic relationship, veiled in mystery and shadow, leaves me yearning for a flashback episode in “The Penguin.” To some extent, “Bliss” provides this for Victor as it discloses the tragic events that led to his family’s disappearance on the day of the Riddler’s assault.

In essence, crucial details establish Victor’s storyline as a struggle between fulfilling his father’s dreams for him versus pursuing his own desires. Eventually, Victor opts for the path that breaks free from the generational cycle of poverty he was born into. This decisive move, however, sets up a series of events where he ends up saving Oz, unintentionally betraying Sofia in the process. Let’s start from the beginning again.

The Penguin episode 3 ending explained: Nadia Maroni gets the drop on Oz and things go left!

In the story beyond Victor, “Bliss” primarily focuses on Oz and Sofia establishing their business endeavor’s framework. Interestingly, the title of the episode reflects the central drug. Their interactions hint at a power struggle, with Sofia aiming for full control while Oz seeks equal partnership (though he secretly plans to have her harmed by her family). The specter that lingers between them is their shared past, which subtly resurfaces throughout the narrative.

Although they don’t explicitly admit it, it’s clear that there was a betrayal between them which deeply wounded Sofia. It turns out that Oz used to be her driver, suggesting a close relationship in the past. The way they interact hints at this past intimacy. The narrative tantalizingly touches upon a mystery we only partially understand – we know that Sofia denies being “The Hangman” and that Oz abandoned her to improve his own life. This secret wound remains largely unexplored, making the story all the more intriguing yet frustrating.

Everything culminates at the Triad club, where they’ve managed to strike a deal with Dai Li for drug distribution. At this juncture in “Bliss,” Oz feels that he has lost Victor. Their friendship had hit a snag in the bathroom, with Oz making a cutting remark to the youth about not receiving an award for dying in the projects. In essence, this statement underscores the fundamental disparity between himself and Victor’s father, Juan.

In my perspective, Oz doesn’t adhere to the notions of good and evil; instead, he sees life as a series of opportunities. When I’m grinding and battling to make ends meet, it’s about making choices, not about being noble or honorable. Such virtues won’t fill my stomach or add to my savings, so they hold little significance for me. What matters is securing what I need – that’s all there is to it.

In this key moment towards the end of the episode, Oz encounters Sofia outside and they engage in a heartfelt discussion concerning their past events. Earlier, she had inquired whether the trade-off was worth it, but Oz remained silent on the matter. However, in this scene, he finally responds. For him, yes, it was advantageous. The outcome of the deal resulted in 44 Below and control over the Falcones’ drug operation. He expresses no regret about making the necessary moves to ascend in society and obtain a substantial share of the power.

It’s a reminder that Oz is a have-not. Sofia’s right that he’s not a made man. He can’t climb up the ranks of the family. It’s why Johnny Viti treats him the way he does. They believe he’s beneath them and they consider whatever “scraps” they give him to be chucking him a bone. Oz is aware of that and so is Sofia, but she’s the only one who sees him for who he is. And, for as entitled as she is because she’s a Falcone, she’s not in any better of a position because she’s a woman in a man’s world.

The Penguin episode 3 ending explained: Nadia Maroni gets the drop on Oz and things go left!

They both resent their current situations and have strived to reach a position they believe they are entitled to. The concept of Bliss was Sofia’s, not Alberto’s. By utilizing the substance from Arkham designed to keep her submissive, she aims to seize control over Gotham’s streets. Consistently demonstrating intelligence, resourcefulness, and a thirst for violence, Sofia is more than capable of leading the family. However, she is frequently underestimated, disrespected, and ridiculed by men who attempt to keep her in her supposed role.

Oz has significance for Sofia, both then and now. Oz is a master manipulator throughout this series, slick as an eel with a silver tongue – a fact that Sofia is well aware of. She openly admits that it’s challenging to determine if he’s simply saying what people want to hear. Despite her transformation over the years, she acknowledges that in some ways, she remains the same person he once knew.

When he’s on the verge of tears and apologizing for what he did to her, she listens attentively. Despite not feeling remorseful about his actions taken to benefit himself, Oz feels sorry for the consequences that affected Sofia. He hadn’t foreseen that Carmine would imprison his own daughter in Arkham. I personally think Oz’s apology was genuine, and it seems like Sofia did as well, but it didn’t prevent him from immediately changing sides when Nadia Maroni arrived with her henchmen, furious.

This sequence unfolds swiftly, leaving “Bliss” ambiguous about Nadia’s anger, but we can infer the reasons ourselves. It seems that Oz has been acting as a spy for the Maronis, with the objective of making it simpler for them to overthrow the Falcones and regain control of the city. However, in this episode, he undermined their plan by employing the information he’d been given on Viti to blackmail him instead, persuading the man to contact the Dai Li and endorse Oz and Sofia’s operation personally.

With unwavering focus on happiness, drawing the Triad into the fray, placed him squarely against the Maronis. This action probably alerted them to his ulterior motives – he was merely protecting himself in the short term, biding time until a more advantageous moment arose.

The Penguin episode 3 ending explained: Nadia Maroni gets the drop on Oz and things go left!

After Victor drives off to see Graciela board a bus out of town, leaving me behind, Oz and Sofia find themselves under gunpoint. In a surprising turn of events, Victor slams his car into one of the thugs, bringing a grin to Oz’s face as he jumps in the passenger seat and orders the kid to drive. Though Victor showed concern for Sofia by asking about her whereabouts, Oz insisted that we leave without her.

It appears that sincerity and deceit often accompany Oz, as he doesn’t hesitate to abandon Sofia in difficult situations to ensure his own survival. This act of betrayal won’t go unpunished; the immediate repercussion will be Nadia revealing to Sofia that it was Oz who murdered Alberto. A Sofia Falcone with no one to rely on could prove to be a formidable and potentially dangerous adversary.

The Penguin airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and streams on Max.

Read More

2024-10-07 05:01

Previous post PEPE PREDICTION. PEPE cryptocurrency
Next post ICP PREDICTION. ICP cryptocurrency