The Penguin finale, “A Great or Little Thing,” has aired, and it’s one of the most shocking and unpredictable hours of television this year. The bitter struggle between Oz (Colin Farrell) and Sofia (Cristin Milioti) ends, with one of them emerging at the top. Meanwhile, Victor (Rhenzy Feliz) once again comes through for Oz, but his eventual fate might not be what fans have hoped for.
Here’s The Penguin ending explained and finale recap.
What happened at the end of The Penguin finale?
The episode begins with a flashback that shows Francis has always known that Oz caused the deaths of his brothers. She even asked Rex Calabrese to kill him but ultimately discarded those plans when she saw how loyal her only remaining son was to her. Sofia learns all this with Julian’s help and tries to use it against Oz.
Ultimately, Oz escapes, and even though Sofia puts a bounty on his head, he manages to turn the lieutenants of all the major gangs in Gotha with Victor’s help. They kill their respective leaders and help Oz gain control over the city. Oz captures Sofia but doesn’t kill her. Instead, she is sent back to the Arkham State Hospital and placed again under the care of Julian Rush, who gives her a letter from her half-sister Selina Kyle / Catwoman toward the end of the episode.
Francis suffers a massive stroke, leaving her in a vegetative state. After Victor has helped him secure the top spot in the criminal underbelly of Gotham, Oz kills him. As the episode ends, Oz now lives in a mansion and rides a Rolls Royce. Francis is still alive, but Oz has Eve roleplay as his mother. As Eve says that no one is there to stop Oz now, the Bat-Signal lights up in the distance.
Why did Oz kill Victor Aguilar?
Oz kills Victor for the same reason he lets Sofia live. Both actions serve his ambition. In a key sequence taking place in Gotham’s city hall, Oz and Councilman Hady map out their plans. During this interaction, Oz hints at his political ambitions, prompting the other man to respond that if Oz wants to be welcomed in the city hall, he must look clean.
Hady subsequently takes the credit for bringing down Sofia. The war between the Maronis and Carmines / Gigantes is blamed for the explosion. However, that still doesn’t make Oz appear “clean as a whistle.” Victor knows everything Oz has done, and that’s why the latter kills him.
In many iterations, the Penguin becomes the mayor of Gotham. It is heavily implied in this episode that Oz of the Batman Epic Crime Saga has similar aspirations.
