8 Best Episodes of ‘The Penguin’
Gotham’s underworld gets a new ruler in ‘The Penguin’, a limited series that follows Oz Cobb as he maneuvers through the fallout of ‘The Batman’. The season tracks shifting alliances, a new designer drug that changes the streets, and a family power struggle that refuses to stay buried. It is a tight run with a clear beginning and end, which makes each chapter feel essential to the story it tells.
Across the season you meet figures who shape Oz’s rise, from Sofia Falcone to Victor Aguilar and Sal Maroni. Each episode builds on the last with specific moves that change control of docks, clubs, and supply lines. If you want a quick guide to the key chapters, start here and work through these standouts to see how the pieces click into place.
‘After Hours’
Season 1 episode 1 picks up after the seawall disaster from ‘The Batman’ as Oz Cobb tries to salvage what is left of the Iceberg Lounge and his reputation. A confrontation with Alberto Falcone turns deadly and forces Oz to hide a body while the city buzzes about a missing heir. He crosses paths with Victor Aguilar and brings him into his orbit as a driver and enforcer, which becomes a turning point for both of them.
The hour lays out the power map in Gotham with the Falcone organization trying to steady itself and the Maroni family watching for a chance to move. Oz visits Sal Maroni in prison to float a plan that could shift the drug business, while Sofia Falcone begins to suspect who is responsible for her brother. It sets the rules of the world and shows how quickly those rules can be bent.
‘Inside Man’
Season 1 episode 2 centers on a stolen shipment that puts the Falcones on edge and sends everyone hunting for a leak. Oz works fast to steer suspicion away from himself and toward a rival within the family, which draws the attention of a retired detective willing to work for anyone who pays. The funeral for Alberto brings the players into one room and gives Oz a chance to plant evidence that nudges the investigation.
Sofia Falcone pushes to take control but faces resistance from her own family as grief mixes with paranoia. The Maroni side weighs what to do with a partner they do not fully trust and the threat of a mole tests every relationship on the street. By the end of the hour the board shifts again and the stakes for Victor grow as he learns what loyalty to Oz really means.
‘Bliss’
Season 1 episode 3 introduces the party drug called Bliss, which ties to Sofia’s time in Arkham and becomes the centerpiece of a new distribution plan. Oz and Sofia pitch the Triads and secure a path to market using leverage on a Falcone figure who can deliver support. The plan depends on quiet cooperation across crews and on Oz’s ability to keep both sides believing they will come out ahead.
Victor debates leaving Gotham with his girlfriend as he weighs a safer future against fast money and status. A hit goes down as the Maronis connect dots, which leads to a frantic rescue that binds Oz and Victor together even tighter. The episode shows how product, channels, and a single risky meeting can change who calls the shots.
‘Cent’Anni’
Season 1 episode 4 traces Sofia’s past and the years that reshaped her inside Arkham, which explains the methods she uses in the present. A family dinner turns into a strategic announcement as Sofia signals a move that appears to remove her from the line of fire. The hour links what she survived to the choices she makes when she faces a room that doubts her.
In the present day the Falcone elders try to contain damage while the Maroni camp tests how far it can push. Oz reads the signals and prepares for a handover that may never come, since every promise in Gotham hides a price. The episode sets up a pivot that changes the family name in play and clears space for a new banner.
‘Homecoming’
Season 1 episode 5 marks Sofia’s rebrand of the Falcone remnants as the Gigante family, a move that preserves influence while cutting ties to a legacy that now brings heat. She locks arms with Sal Maroni to hunt Oz, which forces Oz and Victor to disappear with Francis and the remaining Bliss stock. The move puts distance between them and their rivals but also exposes fractures inside the operation.
Safe houses, supply storage, and trusted routes all become scarce as bounties circulate and old allies turn cautious. Sofia builds a list of targets and sets a plan that uses both business pressure and personal leverage. The episode narrows the roads Oz can travel and shows how thin a margin for error looks when every block is watched.
‘Gold Summit’
Season 1 episode 6 follows the search for Oz while he looks after Francis as her health declines, which complicates every relocation. Victor crosses a line when he takes a life for the first time, an act that changes how others view him and how he views himself. The hunt also brings Sofia closer to Eve, who becomes a focus for retaliation linked to earlier losses.
The crews on both sides clamp down on their corners and start clearing out weak links in the chain. Communication becomes coded and meetings happen in places with exit routes that can handle a fast drop. The episode sharpens the danger around Oz, which makes every decision with Francis feel like a choice between family and survival.
‘Top Hat’
Season 1 episode 7 puts Francis in the hands of Sofia and Sal, who demand Bliss and control of Oz’s crew in exchange for her safety. Oz plays for time and looks for a way to flip the pressure back while Sofia interrogates her own allies and learns something about herself. The trade talks become a mask for a larger trap that risks leaving Oz without a crew to command.
As word spreads through the city, lieutenants choose sides and the remaining Bliss becomes a bargaining chip that can fund a future or end a war. The final scenes set up a last push where every promise will be tested in public. The episode serves as the final adjustment before the close, with players positioned for one decisive move.
‘A Great or Little Thing’
Season 1 episode 8 brings Oz face to face with Sofia as he fights to get Francis out alive. Sofia answers with a bounty that covers the city while she plans her exit, which forces Oz to find support among lieutenants who once kept their options open. Victor works the phones and meetings to bring those lieutenants together and positions Oz to hold what he has taken.
Loose ends across the season are tied as shipments, cash, and safe passage change hands. The truth about certain disappearances and betrayals comes out and resets who can operate where. The season closes with Oz in a place he has wanted for years, though the cost to reach it is something he will have to carry forward.
Share your own picks for essential episodes of ‘The Penguin’ in the comments and tell us which scenes hit hardest for you.
