The Penguin S1 E6: "Gold Summit" Review

When I started this show, I began to have doubts about how it would hold up as its own show, independent of the merits of the film series it's based around. Now I'm beginning to wonder if The Batman: Part II is going to be able to live up to this series. The Penguin is an incredibly patient show and somehow manages to maintain a constant build towards what I can only assume will be a shocking finale if it manages to sustain the quality of every episode so far.

Gold Summit is a worthy addition to the lineup of episodes, and even if it does feel like it's building towards something more than anything else, those types of episodes are entirely necessary, and frankly, this episode does a lot of things better than any other episode of the show so far, namely the production design. Oz's underground drug lab screams "Gotham" more than any other episode of the show now. The relative budgetary restraints of this show do create something of an unfortunate barrier between it and the movie it's based on, but out of every episode so far, Gold Summit comes the closest to breaking it down.

Oz and Victor's friendship is making me excited to see if and how Vic plays into the second The Batman, and even if he doesn't, the show has done more than enough as it is, giving me a wonderful dynamic duo that other shows only wish they could emulate. Oswald's relationship with his mother is, frankly, revealing itself to be really touching, and all in all, the fierce character-centrism of The Penguin continues and in just about every way improves on the standard that The Batman set.

The supporting cast of this show is extremely strong, and the bold strokes of this show's writing really make it feel like no one's safe. Even though Gold Summit is definitely a building episode, it still manages to command your attention and hold it, creating a tangible sense of intrigue while taking its characters to the most interesting places it has yet relationally and ending on a note that promises to take the show to the point of no return. I'm excited to see what happens, but frankly kind of worried that I'm going to have to say goodbye to some of the characters in this show, and to be honest, that's not something I've felt in a long, long time.

Leviticus 19:1-3