The Penguin just keeps getting better and better. No matter what, I sit down, I watch the show, and I’m utterly stunned that we’re getting quote unquote comic book television at this level. This is HBO prestige TV, and it’s Episode 6, and next week’s the penultimate episode, and I can’t wait, mainly because this feels so big. They’re doing such good work.

I love the fact that it’s winter. I say that because I can feel us creeping toward what people have been saying The Batman Part II is going to be. There’s been all kinds of talk and spoilers and leaks, and it all says that movie takes place during the winter. I don’t know if that’s true or not, so don’t quote me on that part, but that’s the word on the street. So when I see Gotham with snow on it and people freezing cold, all I can think is, wow.

Tunnels Under the City

I was going to say this episode picks up right on the heels of the last one, and that’s a lie. I think there’s a slight time jump, because we go from that rundown, beat-up pseudo Penguin’s lair at the end of last week into a full-blown working underground hideout, a place they’re moving product from. There are all these tunnels underneath the city that take them to multiple boroughs, according to Oz’s voiceover. They’re sitting down there doing business, and the more business they do, the more people they pull in who want a piece of it. They’ve essentially taken over the entire drop route and replaced it with this new thing.

All the while, Sophia and Maroni are still up at the former Falcone compound, now the Gigante compound. It’s funny, because he’s walking around cooking, and it has very Goodfellas vibes when it comes to a lot of this stuff.

The stuff underground still feels totally Tim Burton, especially now that Colin Farrell’s Penguin is wearing a fur coat. I’m looking at it going, doesn’t that remind me of the coat? You know what I mean.

It Gets Easier

Everyone’s running routes, and Vic’s very involved. Vic has an encounter with his old running mate, the guy he used to run the streets with, the guy he tried to boost Oz’s rims for. This guy’s been seeing him around, and he says, hey man, you’re back here, come on, you know this is my area, let me talk to your boss. And Vic says all right, I’ll see what’s up.

Oz is dealing with a lot. The power goes out and he can’t fix the generator, so he’s really upset. His mom’s still having a hard time, even more so now, and Oz catches Vic talking to her in her dementia, going along with where her head’s at. She’s on about Jack going downtown to pay the bill. The kid’s like, I don’t know what else you want me to do. Then Oz asks him, what’s this problem you’ve got going? And Vic says don’t worry about it, I’ll take care of it.

So Vic goes back and talks to the guy. Look, man, I tried. They’re not looking for more guys right now. I know this is your neighborhood, they know that, they respect you. He tries to pay him off. And dude talks to him like he’s small the whole time. You’re underground? What, are you digging holes or something?

I’m sitting there going, oh, Vic. Vic, do it, man. Just do it. Do it, do it, do it.

Vic does it. And then Vic collapses, because he has to watch dude bleed out. It’s hardcore for Vic.

He goes back and talks to Oz, and Oz looks at him and sees he’s kind of shaking. You okay? And he just kind of knows. That thing you had a problem with, you took care of it? He sees that his face is messed up, and he asks, did someone follow you? Were you seen? Did you get away clean? Yeah.

Oz pulls him in for a hug, and then he says the most chilling thing I have ever heard. I had to pause it. I stood up and said, oh my God, did he just do that?

It gets easier.

It gets easier to end people. That’s what he’s telling this kid.

Burgess Jewelers

Sophia and Maroni head to Oz’s old place to track him down and see if they can find anything on him. I never caught this before, so I’ve got to go back and look, but when they go in there’s a sign: Burgess Jewelers.

That’s an Easter egg to one of the original people who played the Penguin, Burgess Meredith, from the old Adam West Batman TV show. I thought that was the coolest reference. I paused it and pointed it out to Mrs. Know-It-All. That’s an homage. I don’t care where you are, that’s an homage, because Burgess is the weirdest name in the world for someone to randomly pick out of a hat, especially when it coincidentally has to do with the Penguin. Am I right?

They walk around his place looking for stuff and they can’t find anything. At one point Maroni picks up the picture of Oz’s brothers and his mother and asks who they are. His brothers, they died young. His mother’s dead too. And the read on it is that he takes everything from me and he’s got nothing. It’s the only actual advantage he has, the only asset: he’s got nobody.

Sophia and Eve

Then Sophia finds the photograph of Oz’s girl. She remembers her, and she pays her a visit.

That was one of the most interesting encounters I think I’ve ever seen. It’s a really powerful woman who had to fight her way up, talking to another woman who, while arguably not powerful, is a madam running her own little area. And she brought Sophia up there on purpose. She says, listen, if you’re going to do this, leave my girls alone. I don’t want you messing with my girls.

They talk. Sophia tells her flat out, he cares about you, you have your own drawer in his place. And she says, yeah, what we had was different, for sure. Do you want me to tell you where he is? I know where he is.

Then it comes out that she thought Sophia was the Hangman. She was trying to protect her girls because of all the people the Hangman ended back in the day. Sophia tells her flat out: wasn’t me. That was my father. He was a dirtbag. That’s why I ended up in Arkham.

Then Sophia asks her, did you know Oz killed my brother? You were his alibi. And she says not at first. I knew after.

Sophia spares her life. And as Sophia’s about to leave, she gets up and gives her Crown Point, and tells her she deserves her shot. I was like, oh my God, are they teaming up on this?

The Gold Summit

Oz is getting serious. He’s upset, he’s frustrated, but he’s getting real. He goes and visits a politician and threatens the guy: you’d better put the power back on. Period.

While that’s going down, he puts together what gives the episode its title. He puts together a gold summit. He calls all these warring people together, the Triads and all these gangs who each own a part of Gotham, and they’re ready. They’ve got guns. And he shows up with an ice chest full of beer. No weapons, no drugs, no money, nothing.

The night before, the Triads pulled out, because the former Falcone, Gigante, whatever you want to call them now, sent a message: anybody who helps Oz is going to have trouble. So Oz flooded all of their territories with his product for free. Everyone got a taste. The idea was demand. Now everybody’s going to their dealers, who are these people in this room, asking for it. They’ve got no choice. They have to turn to him. It’s a brilliant move.

At one point the Triad guy lays into him. This guy has no code. He betrays everyone he works with. Sophia Gigante, Alberto Falcone. No code, no class. The Penguin is a basement hustler.

And Oz goes on this really big, super hype political rant. These people you work for, or worked for, or worked with, they don’t even know your names. None of them. He talks about the politicians. Those guys are meeting in a boardroom, every one of them hates each other as much as you guys do, but they all know they’re stronger together. That’s got to be us.

Little by little, his man passes out the beers, and they all start agreeing. Finally the last holdout, the Triad, opens his beer. And as he goes to drink it, Colin Farrell has this smirk.

I stopped and looked at Mrs. Know-It-All and I said, that’s acting. That’s a choice. I love that kind of nuance, the little things past reciting the lines that make you go, wow, this is a living, breathing character. I’m telling you, man, the acting is so good. I hope this doesn’t get snubbed by the Emmys down the line because it’s based on a comic book. It needs to get respect, because this series is worth everything.

A Crowbar in the Hallway

Then we get to the very end. Vic goes to check on Oz’s mom, and while he’s there the power comes on, shockingly fast. Remember, the last thing running was the record, so the record comes back on. She’s like, no, no, leave the music, leave the record on. He tells her Oz did this. He did this for you. My Oz did this? Yes. And they’re dancing and having a good old time.

You hear the door open. I’m assuming they must have heard it too, but they probably figured it was Oz.

So they’re dancing, and in the hallway it’s your girl, holding one of the most notorious weapons in all of Batman history. She’s holding a crowbar. Whatever’s about to go down, she’s looking to get dirty, up to her elbows. There’s no gun. She went to go see Eve with a gun. Here? Nah.

And right as she’s standing in the doorway, Oz’s mom says, that’s my baby boy, that’s my son. And I’m going, shut up. Shut up.

The Verdict

The Penguin Episode 6, “Gold Summit,” is a 9 out of 10 on the Know-It-All Index.

Man, I tell you what, it doesn’t get much better than this. But I feel like next week might be, so I’m giving this one a nine.

It has been blowing my mind how good this show is. If anything the DCU does moving forward can be even remotely this intense, let’s go, I’m down. I don’t think it has to be this dark and gritty. Just this intense and this legit.

Do you think this episode’s worth a nine? Are you in? Tell me in the comments on the video above, along with everything else you’re thinking about this show, because I can’t wait to talk more about it.