'The Penguin' Episode 7 has just flipped the entire series and broken our hearts
Contains spoilers for 'The Penguin'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'The Penguin' Episode 7 just dropped and it has changed the way we look at Oz Cobb aka Penguin (Colin Farrell). The episode titled 'Top Hat' offers us a flashback into his childhood that explains his villainous and complicated persona but with a twist darker than Sofia Falcone's (Cristin Milioti) history.
For most of the series, Sofia has been portrayed as a problematic character with a dark history. However, when the reality about her past unfolded in one of the previous episodes, we realized she was more of a victim than a villain. However, this can't be said for Oz, whom we believe had a difficult childhood.
'The Penguin' Episode 7 reveals Oz's dark history
In the flashback, we see Oz living in a rundown apartment with his single mother, Francis Cobb, and two brothers, Jack and Benny. Very early in his childhood, he is the outcast—he's physically challenged and has a sense of inferiority that his brother subtly reinforces.
Oz always has been a mamma's boy and he would rather stay with her than play with his brothers. When one fine day, Francis sends the boys out to play, and it starts raining heavily, they end up in a sewer tunnel and decide to play hide-and-seek. As Jack and Benny disappear down a ladder to hide, Oz feels frustrated to not be able to keep up with them. As he feels humiliated due to his physical limitations, he shuts the door and leaves his brothers to die in the sewer. While his brothers keep yelling for help, Oz returns home and watches a movie with his mother.
Why Oz killed his brothers in 'The Penguin'
Jealousy and humiliation were the primary reasons why Oz left his brothers to die. But more than that, it's his love for his mother that prompted him to take such a step. How, you may ask! Well, it's clear that Oz has always been too possessive about his mother. He never wanted to share this love with anyone, not even his brothers. After getting rid of his brothers, the first thing he did was to go back to her and watch the movie as they had decided earlier.
Oz wants his mother's love and attention because she is the only person who loves him despite his disabilities. For her, Oz was never a liability but instead, she always believed that he would give her a better life. And Oz could do just anything for her!
'The Penguin' Episode 7 changes our perception of Oz
Till now, we were low-key empathetic towards Oz. However, his dark backstory has just revealed how deep his sociopathic tendencies run. He isn't just ruthless but aces when it comes to mind games as well. We were a fan of his when he played Sofia and Maronis but it's extremely chilling how easily he manipulated his mother, pretending Jack and Benny went to see 'Beetlejuice' while they were drowning in sewer.
No, this man isn't scarred by life. Instead, he's always been rotten, even as a child. A peek into his childhood raises the stakes for the finale as we now know who Oz really is!
'The Penguin' Episode 8 will air next Sunday, November 10
