[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for The Penguin Season 1, Episodes 1, “After Hours.”] Gotham is still in chaos, two years after The Batman graced movie screens, but in Matt Reeves ‘ Gotham City, it’s been mere days since the flood caused by Paul Dano ‘s Riddler inundated the streets, pushing citizens inland. When The Penguin picks up where fans left off, it’s also only been a week since mob boss Carmine Falcone (played by John Turturro in the film and Mark Strong in this series) was murdered.
With Oz Cobb’s ( Colin Farrell ) Iceberg Lounge in disrepair following the disaster, Carmine’s underling is quick to grab at the scraps left behind by his employer, particularly a valuable envelope of blackmail and jewels stashed in a safe behind Carmine’s office walls. But as he rummages through the items, Oz is caught by Carmine’s son, Alberto ( The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel ‘s Michael Zegen ).
Revealed to be an addict in the episode’s opening news reports, Alberto is poised to take his dad’s gig, but as he chats one-on-one with Oz, their dynamic takes several twists and turns. Initially, Oz covers up his actions, inviting Alberto to have a drink and sit, reminiscing about Carmine and talking about the future. As Oz paints an idealistic picture of the mobsters he knew growing up, Alberto makes a fatal error of making a joke out of Oz’s dream, laughing in the man’s face.
In a reactionary moment, Oz shoots Alberto dead, and it’s roughly three secon.