Have you ever watched a TV series and, about midway through an episode, immediately knew that this was special? That this was the episode where the show you enjoyed was elevated to a modern classic? The Last of Us you did that. Battlestar Galactica. It is lost. All the great ones do. And now The Penguin you did it again. The show’s fourth episode, “Cent’anni,” returns all the show’s emotions with a shocking, terrifying, but excellent episode of television centered around Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) and Holy Crap. It’s amazing.
Before this episode, we weren’t sure what to think of Sofia. We knew he was in Arkham because he had been accused of murdering several women, earning him the nickname “The Hangman.” We knew Oz (Colin Farrell) was afraid of him, but we thought it was because he was the head of the family he was trying to take over. And, we thought, Oz had successfully convinced him that he hadn’t killed his brother, or killed him. Actually, The Penguin he wanted us to see Sofia as a scary but emotionally unstable and soft companion. I won’t do it again. Now that we’ve learned exactly who he is and how he got there, he’s clearly become the most interesting character on the show.
At the end of the last episode, “Bliss,” we saw Victor crash his car to save Sofia and Oz from the Maroni crime family. Only, Oz told Victor to leave Sofia, which at the time seemed odd because they were aligned. However, in the first fantastic piece of storytelling in episode four, we learn that Sofia is finally told that it was Oz who killed her brother, so leaving him becomes something else. It’s a revelation we thought was coming at some point but finding out this way added an interesting context.
But that was just the beginning. From there, we jump into the past where we meet a younger, happier Sofia and her father, crime boss Carmine Falcone (played here by Mark Strong, who took over from John Turturro who played the character in Batman), and his brother, Alberto (Michael Zegen). The family seems happy and Carmine even tells Sofia that, despite his older brother, he will leave the family business to her. The big one The House of the Beast vibes.
Of course that doesn’t go according to plan. Sofia discovers that someone—later revealed to be her father—has been killing women and disguising the crime as a suicide, going back to Sofia’s mother and Alberto. Sofia learns this from what she thinks is a secret but her driver, Oz, pulls her out.
It’s a betrayal to be sure—but for now, you’re still seeing it from Oz’s perspective. It is only later that we realize that Oz is the one who started Sofia’s series of mysterious events. Based on Oz’s intel, Carmine confronts Sofia about what he found and, when she reveals that maybe her father killed the women, everything changes. He frames him for murder, sends him to Arkham, and makes sure he never gets out.
That his father betrayed him so quickly and cruelly was too bad. But when we learn that Sofia’s entire family—except her brother—lied about her mental state to keep her there, she feels bad for her. Then, you feel even worse as the episode unfolds The Need for a Dream and the doctors and inmates of Arkham also seem to be plotting to make the smart, intelligent Sofia into the violent, crazy killer her father lied about. The violence and betrayal seem endless and, later, we learn that it went on for 10 years.
As we watch the innocent Sofia endure both psychological and physical horrors—all of which started with Oz—your perspective begins to change. Is Oz really the main character of this story because he is a famous Batman villain? He’s just a once powerful driver. Or is the main character the rightful heir to the throne, betrayed by almost everyone who loved him, fighting his way out of hell to come back? That is, by far, the most interesting story. And once The Penguin it goes out of flashback and back into the present, it’s a different show.
Now we are on Sofia’s side. We want to see him get his revenge. We are upset that Oz killed Alberto, the one family member who believed in him and fought for Sofia. We’re dying for him to get revenge on his aunts and uncles, and the boy does, with a hilarious final scene as he kills almost everyone in the house without lifting a finger. The chef’s kiss.
Written by John McCutcheon and directed by Helen Shave, “Cent’anni” is not the best episode yet. The Penguinis one of the best TV episodes of the year. This write-up doesn’t even scratch the surface of all the great choices you make (the wallpaper! The fork! The cake!) or, most importantly, Milioti’s performance that deserves to be totally rewarded. Honestly, the episode was so good, I’m now Team Sofia in full. They should rename the show “Falcone.”
The Penguin now streaming on Max.
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