1 Subtle Detail Makes The Penguin's Ending Even Darker Than You Already Thought It Was

By Nicolas Ayala

Published Dec 9, 2024

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A tiny detail in The Penguin episode 4's flashbacks to Sofia Falcone's time at Arkham establishes how Sofia only became a ruthless murderer after being imprisoned, and The Batman shows how Carmine escaped from any repercussions from his Hangman crimes once the Riddler assassinates him.

Despite his genuine care for his mother Francis and his ally Victor Aguilar, Oz Cobb can't shake off his villainous nature by the end of The Penguin. Oz kills Victor Aguilar in The Penguin episode 8's ending, and he keeps his ill mother as a living trophy after she suffers a stroke. Oz also begins working with Gotham's politicians, setting up a political-themed plot for The Batman - Part II, where Oz will likely be less comionate with innocent characters and more dangerous to heroes like Batman and James Gordon. In short, Oz Cobb is a villain by nature, and the proof is in the details.

Oz Cobb Became A New Hangman By The End Of The Penguin

Oz Uses The Same Killing Method As Carmine Falcone In The Penguin Finale

In The Penguin finale, Oz Cobb decides to murder Victor Aguilar as a way to get rid of him before Vic could become a target for his enemies. Oz hugs Victor and praises his loyalty before strangling him to death. Victor begs Oz to stop and asks him why he's doing it, scratching his hands in the process. Later on, when Oz celebrates his victory by dancing with Eve Karlo, several scratches can be seen on his hands. The scratches on Oz's hands are the same kind of injury that Carmine Falcone sustained while murdering his victims, as strangulation was also Carmine's preferred murder method.

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Consciously or unconsciously, Oz Cobb inherits Carmine Falcone's "Hangman" legacy once he decides to kill an innocent man who trusted him by choking him to death, ignoring his pleas. While Oz has always been a cold-hearted criminal with no true allegiances, the quality that used to separate him from other criminals like Mark Strong's Carmine Falcone and Paul Dano's Edward Nashton was his empathy for people like Victor and Francis. However, every last speck of humanity left in Oz's heart disappeared as Oz strangled Victor.

The Penguin Finale Proves Batman’s Point

Unlike The Penguin, Batman Will Never Choose The Easy Way

Oz Cobb displayed his nice side throughout The Penguin, but he ultimately became more ruthless than he was at the beginning of his solo series. Francis and Victor's ending prove Oz is simply irredeemable, as he chooses the easiest way to satisfy himself and himself only. Oz spared Sofia Gigante's life, but only because he knew that sending Sofia to prison was a fate worse than death, otherwise Oz wouldn't have hesitated to kill Sofia just like he killed Victor.

Whereas Oz is ready to kill and torture his closest allies if it benefits him, Batman goes the extra mile to deliver justice to Gotham, regardless of the sacrifice it entails. Although Batman overstepped the line with his violent treatment of low-level criminals at the beginning of Matt Reeves' The Batman, he has always retained a fair idea of what true justice means. Batman will not kill, nor will he sacrifice lives in order to apprehend criminals. That's the only reason why the Riddler, the Joker, and the Penguin are still alive as of the events of The Penguin and The Batman - Part II.