Source: HBO
Overall: 7.5/10
Story 7.0/10
Salvatore and Sofia have Oz right where they want him. They learn Oz’s secret. And now they have eyes on the key to Gotham’s drug trade. But Oz has some more tricks up his sleeve. Sofia may have to change the rules to survive this one. Does she have what it takes to outlast the Penguin?
The tone and tenor of this episode separates itself from the rest of the series. Gone are the Gangster tropes of the previous episodes as the writers, through flashbacks, paint a more in-depth look at a psychopath destined for Batman’s Rogue’s Gallery.
Source: HBO
Character 7.9/10
Oz Cobb/Ozwald Cobblepot (Collin Farrell)
Oz is the guy who treats this like it's just a game. He is a hustler—“a poor kid from the Eastside.” His bloodshed is just a cost of doing business. But what we learn is that Oz was an animal from the beginning.
The Penguin—the poor kid from the Eastside who is a hungry hustler, is not Tony Montana from Scarface or Nicky from Casino. Oz’s gangster gimmick is just a front, a facade. In reality, he's a madman with an Oedipus complex.
Sofia Falcone (Cristin Miliotti)
Sofia realizes that Oz is much better at playing the gangster than she is. She can’t outmonster the monster. She doesn’t want to become what she has to to beat Oz. She no longer wants to be a gangster.
So Sofia decides to, figuratively, burn the house down. But before she gets out of the game, she wants to get some payback for her brother and for how she suffered in Arkham.
Francis Cobb (Deirdre O'Connell)
Francis is a user and manipulator. She creates a situation where her son thinks he has to do whatever it takes to make her happy, including becoming one of the biggest monsters in Gotham.
Source: HBO
Final Thoughts
Though the previous six episodes, were much stronger, Top Hat is still solid and explains a lot about the Penguin's origin. Hopefully, it's a great springboard for an explosive finale.
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