Our sophomore episode of The Penguin puts us through the first real phase of Oz Cobb’s plan to takeover the Falcone Empire. If you’re coming into this thing looking for a quality Sunday-night HBO crime show, the proceedings will prove efficient, if not underbaked. But where “Inside Man” may come off as paying thin gangster-cosplay lip service to its The Sopranos / Boardwalk Empire -baiting HBO time slot, The Penguin continues to make inspired use of the comic-book IP torch it’s been tasked with carrying.
Sofia Falcone is still reeling from her brother’s death and finds herself in a waking nightmare, which is exacerbated by the weird hypnosis therapy administered by Julian Rush, her hot doctor on loan from Arkham. It’s unclear why she’d willingly meet with a shrink from her Arkham days, unless, of course, there’s some benefit to her future — an angle to work on this guy. “You’re safe,” Rush admonishes, but Sofia knows there is no safety when you’re the daughter of an imploding crime family.
Meanwhile, Oz slams a bottle of Pepto in the rain outside Blackgate, prepping his mind (and quivering microbiome) for another tricky meeting with Salvatore Maroni. Sal is already in conference with his wife and current underboss Nadia (Shohreh Aghdashloo) when Oz drops in with his next proposal, and Sal is none too pleased about having his hand forced to take the fall for Alberto’s death. But Sal is openly wearing his ring around the old cell block, and the cre.