‘The Penguin’s Best Scene This Week Didn’t Even Feature Oz

Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for The Penguin Episode 7.

When it comes to The Penguin, it can be difficult to look past Colin Farrell‘s performance as Oz Cobb, but in this latest episode, “Top Hat,” it’s the confrontation between Sofia (Cristin Milioti) and Oz’s mother, Francis Cobb (Deidre O’Connell), that steals the show. These two powerful women capture the youthful exuberance of a new generation as well as the wisdom of an experienced criminal who has seen emperors come and go, which makes for a fascinating battle of words. Their exchange cuts deep on both sides and reveals aspects that they weren’t expecting to find. O’Connell’s performance as someone internally powerful dealing with Lewy body dementia presents a clear vulnerability within Francis that leads to Sofia’s doubts about the kind of kingpin she wants to be.

Why Sofia and Francis’ Confrontation Works in ‘The Penguin’

What makes Sofia and Francis’s exchange so gripping to watch was also present between Eve (Carmen Ejogo) and Sofia in last week’s episode. As two women whose greatest weapons are their minds, they move to violence far slower than Oz and Salvatore Maroni (Clancy Brown) do. It bears similarities to a scene from Peaky Blinders when Polly (Helen McCrory) and Grace (Annabelle Wallis) almost come to blows before Polly notes that women have more sense than to fight. Rather than it being an ego contest, these two women, in both shows, are battling for something arguably more important: moral high ground.

While Sofia tries to argue that what she is doing is a form of justified punishment for Oz’s betrayal, as well as the countless other acts of misogyny and gaslighting she has faced, Francis points out that Sofia is no different from any other gangster before her. Francis isn’t exactly arguing in favor of Oz, but she certainly doesn’t believe him to be doing anything wrong compared to Sofia. Here we see the key difference between these two women. One sees themselves as the trailblazing youth, while the other views themselves as the champion of the principles of the criminal underworld. With Francis spotlighting the repetitive cycle playing out with Sofia and her father, it’s the first time Sofia seems psychologically defeated — until Francis’ biggest weakness becomes clearer.

Francis Gives Sofia the Opportunity To Change the Game in ‘The Penguin’

Deirdre O’Connell’s performance, switching from sharp and powerful to fragile and confused, has been one of the most heartbreaking aspects of the season, and it’s no different in this scene. The way Francis leans on the window, her hand uncontrollably shaking, is not only hard for us to watch, but also a real shock to Sofia. The fact that she stops her bodyguard from intervening after Francis slaps her feels like a definitive change in Sofia’s tactics. It’s doubtful that Sofia would have vindictively hurt Francis before that moment anyway, but allowing her enemy’s mother to strike her without retribution feels like a moment of empathy we would never get from Carmine (Mark Strong), Oz, Viti (Michael Kelly), or Sal. However, this could make Sofia even more dangerous, as she recognizes the psychological torment she could use on Oz now that his mother’s mind is weakening, making Francis more easily manipulated by Dr. Rush (Theo Rossi).

It’s so much fun to watch a gangster show, or any show for that matter, where the scenes without the protagonist are just as engaging, and this tense confrontation between Sofia and Francis is no different. Both have similar levels of intellect and brutality, which means neither is smarter than the other. Crucially, however, the different contexts they come from within this criminal world have created vast gulfs in their moral compasses. Now that Francis’ aging body has betrayed her, Sofia seemingly has the exact inspiration she needs to torment Oz moving forward.

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