For the past seven episodes of The Penguin, Oz Cobb (Colin Farrell) has been a master manipulator, using lies, violence, and cunning to climb to the top of Gotham’s criminal world.
The penultimate episode revealed a key event from Oz’s childhood: he was responsible for the deaths of his two brothers, Benny and Jack, by locking them in an overflow tunnel during a heavy rainstorm.
While the series never confirms whether this was intentional or an accident, the intense jealousy that Oz felt toward his brothers suggests that it may have been more than just a tragic mistake. This revelation sets the stage for the dramatic finale.
As the season nears its end, we see Oz struggling with the choices he made in his pursuit of power. In the final episode, titled “A Great or Little Thing”, Oz’s journey reaches its explosive conclusion. Throughout the episode, he confronts the consequences of his past actions while trying to maintain his grip on Gotham’s criminal empire.
The episode is filled with twists and turns, as Oz faces enemies, betrayals, and shocking decisions that will ultimately decide whether he becomes Gotham’s next crime kingpin or if his ambitions will come to an end.
The Conversation That Haunts Francis Cobb
The finale opens with a poignant moment between Francis Cobb (Deirdre O’Connell) and Dr. Julian Rush (Theo Rossi). Francis is being interrogated and forced to reflect on the aftermath of her sons’ deaths. The events that led to Benny and Jack’s deaths are shown once again, but this time through Francis’s perspective.
The previous episode had shown these events through the eyes of a young Oz (Ryder Allen) and a younger Francis (Emily Meade). However, in this finale, Francis’s current state and her pain from the loss of her children take center stage.
At her home in Crown Point, Francis is visited by the notorious mobster Rex Calabrese (Louis Cancelmi). Rex is a key player in Gotham’s criminal underworld, and he offers to pay for the funeral of Benny and Jack. However, Francis, still overcome with grief, refuses.
She has no interest in a funeral, and she does not want to be pitied. Rex tries to shift the conversation to Oz, who has been repeatedly visiting him. Rex claims that Oz has been asking for Francis but that she refuses to even speak to him. Francis, with visible pain, solemnly reveals that she believes Oz intentionally killed his brothers.
She mentions a flashlight that she found in Oz’s jacket pocket, which raises further suspicions. Francis feels that Oz had the opportunity to save his brothers but chose not to, sealing their fate by locking them in the overflow tunnel during the storm.
She confesses that she believes Oz harbors deep jealousy toward his brothers, and that jealousy may have played a key role in their deaths. “I’ve got the devil in my house, Rex. What the hell am I supposed to do?” she asks in desperation. Rex, while acknowledging Francis’s feelings, tries to convince her that Oz still has potential.
He believes that Oz’s loyalty and ambition can be shaped and used for greater purposes. Rex encourages Francis to embrace her son’s ruthless drive, but she refuses. In her pain, Francis instead asks Rex to kill Oz for her.
That night, Francis takes Oz to Monroe’s nightclub. Oz, ever the opportunist, revels in the lavish surroundings and the promise of power that comes with them. He points out Rex across the club and talks excitedly to his mother, who informs him that Rex will be driving him home later.
But as Francis looks around, she spots Sofia Gigante (Cristin Milioti) and Julian, who are watching her closely. The tension in the room is palpable. Oz promises his mother that he will take care of her no matter what, vowing to give her all of Gotham. However, a dark turn is coming, and soon, Oz will realize just how far he is willing to go to achieve his goals.
A Night of Betrayal and Tragedy
Back in the present day, Victor (Rhenzy Feliz), a trusted ally of Oz, is growing concerned. He spots smoke in the distance and fears that Oz may be in danger—or even dead. He confronts other gang leaders, including Feng Zhao (François Chau) of the Triad, accusing them of cowardice.
He believes they only use Oz for his access to Bliss and not because they care about what he’s doing for Gotham. In retaliation, Zhao’s lieutenant, Link (Robert Lee Leng), punches Victor, causing tension among the factions.
Oz, meanwhile, finds himself waking up in Monroe’s, gagged and tied up. Sofia orders Julian to bring out Francis. Sofia then begins to tell a chilling story about her childhood, comparing Oz’s relationship with his mother to the tragic tale of a baby bird that killed its siblings to gain its mother’s attention.
She demands that Oz admit to killing his brothers, but Oz refuses, lashing out with insults. Sofia then reveals that Francis had once hired Rex to kill Oz after the brothers’ deaths, a detail that deeply shocks Francis, who reacts by spitting on Sofia.
Sofia’s patience wears thin. She orders Julian to chop off Francis’s pinky finger as a means of forcing Oz to admit his guilt. Francis screams at Oz to comply, pleading for him to save her once more. Yet Oz refuses, continuing to deny the accusations. This pushes Francis over the edge, and she finally breaks down.
She admits that she has always known the truth—that Oz was responsible for her sons’ deaths. Oz, ever the manipulator, denies it, claiming that her memories are clouded by illness. He calls her confused and insists that what she remembers never really happened. But Francis, broken and furious, screams that she hates him for what he did and that she will never forgive him.
In a devastating moment, Francis tells Oz she should have killed him when she had the chance. Overcome by emotion, Francis grabs a glass bottle and stabs Oz in the stomach. As she does, she envisions Benny and Jack, drenched in the rain, watching her. Oz, in his fury, breaks free from his restraints. He grabs a gun and his unconscious mother and escapes from Monroe’s, shooting Detective Marcus Wise in the process.
Oz’s Last Chance at Power
Oz arrives at a hospital and rushes Francis in on a stretcher. He steals a phone to call Victor and hides in a storage room, where he tries to patch up his stab wound. When Victor arrives, Oz lies, claiming that Sofia was responsible for the attack, not Francis.
Victor, concerned for Oz, tries to offer support, but Oz insists that he has nothing left to offer the gangs. However, Victor reassures him, reminding him of all the people he’s helped and how the gang members look up to him. Victor promises that Oz still has a purpose and should not give up just yet.
Oz, listening to Victor’s encouraging words, decides to get out of the hospital and take control of his future. As the gang leaders arrive at Sofia’s estate, she reveals that she plans to leave Gotham and promises her criminal empire to anyone who can bring her Oz. The gang leaders, still reeling from the chaos, are shocked, but Link, ever the skeptic, claims that Sofia is lying.
Oz and Victor make their way to the Gotham courthouse, where Oz prepares to meet Councilman Hady (Rhys Coiro). Victor receives a phone call from Link, who has a surprising proposition: he wants to help Oz. Oz, now fully in control of his narrative, arrives at the courthouse and delivers a statement to Hady.
He claims that the destroyed drug lab was entirely the work of Salvatore Maroni and that Maroni was responsible for the death of Alberto. He goes on to say that Sofia killed Nadia and Taj and then blew up the lab. Hady warns Oz that Mayor-Elect Bella Reál (Jayme Lawson) will soon be targeting Gotham’s criminals.
If Oz wants to escape his past and maintain his power, he will need to clean up his image in the public eye. As Oz leaves the courthouse, he sees Link and several Triad members waiting for him, signaling that the final chapter of his journey is about to unfold.
The Ultimate Betrayal and Oz’s Victory
Sofia, now packing her bags to leave Gotham, sets fire to her family’s mansion as a symbol of the destruction she’s leaving behind. At the hangar, she is greeted by the Triad, who are holding Oz at gunpoint. However, as the situation intensifies, Link shoots Zhao dead, and Oz and Victor kill the remaining gang members. Victor, now fully loyal to Oz, orders Sofia to drive with him “like old times.”
As the two drive, Sofia mocks Oz, asking him if his mother ever told him she loved him. Oz, now fully hardened, responds by telling Sofia that he gave Link a chance when no one else would. This moment marks Oz’s full transformation into a ruthless leader, willing to betray anyone who stands in his way.
The journey ends with Sofia’s arrest by the GCPD, leaving Oz with nothing but his ambition. However, his victory comes at a heavy cost. Back at the hospital, Oz is devastated to learn that Francis has suffered a severe stroke and is now in a vegetative state. She cannot respond, and Oz is left crying, begging her to tell him that she’s proud of him.
The final scenes show Oz and Victor walking into the club. In the final shot, Oz reveals that he has become the true ruler of Gotham, the criminal kingpin who controls it all. As he takes his seat at the table, a faint smile crosses his face, knowing that his path to power has been cemented—no matter the cost.
