This article from the HBO and Max miniseries The Penguin Season 1 Episode 5 contains significant spoilers.
The new HBO and Max miniseries event The Penguin finally drops the facade and reveals the games the main characters have been playing on each other. Everything is out in the open now. Sofia brutally (and cleverly) murdered her entire family for a fresh start, and Oz has been exposed for playing both sides—the Falcones and the Maronis.
The Penguin season 1, episode 5, titled “Homecoming,” written by Breannah Gibson (The Walking Dead) and Shaye Ogbonna (Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist) and directed by Helen Shaver (Westworld), examines the dueling characters of Oz Cobb and Sofia Falcone, who have reached a boiling point.
This HBO, Max, and DC Comics series keeps getting better and better.
Max’s The Penguin Season 1 Episode 5: Why Does Oz Abduct Taj Maroni?
Oz has always been ambitious and continues that trend by nabbing Taj Maroni (Aria Shahghasemi) to get his “shrooms” back. That’s because Nadia (Shohreh Aghdashloo) stole them from Oz and Sofia (Cristin Milioti) at the end of the third episode. Now, the man with the distinct waddle makes his movie.
Naturally, Oz took something the Maronis valued more than money: their son.
Oz visits Sal (Clancy Brown) and Nadia in Blackgate Prison and introduces his plan, demanding revolutionary drugs in exchange for their son. Sal is upset, and Nadia tells her husband not to trust him. Oz allows Nadia to bring one guard to the exchange. Sal assures his wife they will be prepared.
Why Did Sofia Spare Johnny Vitti?
Sofia initially allows Vitti to live to pin the murder of her relatives on him in case the police don’t believe the gas leak was accidental. However, she also wants information on all the Falcone accounts, including bank statements. Sofia keeps Vitti in the Falcone mausoleum and performs some light torture.
Eventually, Vitti gives up the information. However, he also reveals something even more shocking: the Falcone underboss says he was helping his cousin Sofia’s mother, Isabella, leave Carmine (Mark Strong). The night she died, she was supposed to take her children.
Johnny was waiting in the car, but she never showed up.
Who Does Oz Kill?
Oz (Colin Farrell) kills Nadia and Taj because the Maronis tried to double-cross him. He also appears to have paid the Blackstone prison guards to kill Sal Maroni that night as well. When Sal arrives at the agreed-upon location, he pulls Taj out of the van. The youngest Maroni is covered in gasoline.
After Oz hands over her son, the door of the warehouse closes. Then, multiple Maroni men appear, intent on killing Oz. However, Oz and his bodyguard kill them with machine guns of their own. With no one left to help Nadia, Oz ignites his light and drops it on the ground, setting on fire Taj.
Nadia burns alive as well because she never lets go of her son.
How Does Sal Survive?
We don’t know how Sal survived the attack from the guard, but it’s clear he is one tough gangster. The guard stabbed Sal, and the “Penguin” paid him off. The last time we saw Sal, he was holding his attacker’s wrist to stop the knife from being pushed further into his abdomen.
We only learn that he survived when Sal calls Oz after the ambush.
When Oz escapes with the truck full of mushrooms, he finds that only two buckets survived. The mushrooms died because the building’s safety system activated when the fire started, spraying extinguishing fluid from the ceiling. Sal then calls Oz, who has escaped the prison, using the murderous guard’s keys. Oz informs Sal that his family is dead.
The Penguin’s Season 1 Episode 5 Ending Explained: Why Does Sofia Invite Sal Maroni To Rule Gotham?
The episode of The Penguin ends with Sofia joining forces with Sal Maroni to rule the Gotham underworld and kill Oz. Sofia invites members of the remaining low-level Falcone management and other gangs to sell their wholesale drugs as well. She announces that the Falcone name is dead.
Additionally, in front of her shrink (Theo Rossi), she declares that she will go by her mother’s maiden name, Giganti. Sofia also details her plan to align with the Maronis and other lower-end crime families. Vitti objects, telling the room everyone wants revenge on Sal and his family.
Sofia then pulls out a gun and shoots Johnny (Michael Kelly) in the head, killing him. She offers all her father’s money, which she forced Vitti to find for her, to the group.
Where Does Oz Find His Next Stash House?
Oz and Victor use the Gothan abandoned Trolly system deep in the city’s underbelly. Why? Well, the basement is humid and dark, perfect for growing mushrooms. This is good news for Oz, who has had a tough week. On top of the professional failures, Eve (True Detective’s Carmen Ejogo) dumps him.
However, Victor helped him by hiding his mother, Francis (Deirdre O’Connell), during the Maroni execution plan. Visiting her later at Victor’s former family home, the subject of his brothers comes up. Oz tells his young associate, “The city took them, just like your family.”
Look for this to be a significant storyline in future episodes.
You can stream the new limited series The Penguin on HBO and Max, with new episodes dropping weekly.
The Penguin Episode 5 Recap and Spoiler Review — Why Do Sofia and Sal Join Forces?
The Penguin season 1, episode 5, titled “Homecoming,” written by Breannah Gibson (The Walking Dead) and Shaye Ogbonna (Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist) and directed by Helen Shaver (Westworld), examines the dueling characters of Oz Cobb and Sofia Falcone, who have reached a boiling point. This HBO, Max, and DC Comics series keeps getting better and better by having no fear by exploring bold and risky storytelling choices.
