Inside Man (The Penguin)
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| "Inside Man" | |
|---|---|
| The Penguin episode | |
| Episode no. | Episode 2 |
| Directed by | Craig Zobel |
| Written by | Erika L. Johnson |
| Cinematography by | Darran Tiernan |
| Editing by | Meg Reticker |
| Original air date | September 29, 2024 |
| Running time | 56 minutes |
| Guest appearance | |
| |
"Inside Man" is the second episode of the American crime drama television miniseries The Penguin, a spin-off from the film The Batman. The episode was written by co-executive producer Erika L. Johnson, and directed by executive producer Craig Zobel. It was first broadcast on HBO in the United States on September 29, 2024, and also was available on Max on the same date.
Set shortly after the events of the film, the series explores the rise to power of Oswald "Oz" Cobb / Penguin (portrayed by Colin Farrell) in Gotham City's criminal underworld. Oz finds himself allied with a young man named Victor (Rhenzy Feliz), while also having to deal with the presence of Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti), who wants answers regarding her brother's disappearance. In the episode, Oz cooperates with Salvatore Maroni's (Clancy Brown) crew to rob one of the Falcone's trucks, while Sofia's uncle Luca (Scott Cohen) arrives to take care of the crime family.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.299 million household viewers and gained a 0.04 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received positive reviews from critics, who praised its performances, hijacking sequence and character development, although some expressed criticism for its pacing.
Sofia undergoes therapy and suffers a panic attack after hallucinating Alberto's murder. She storms out of the therapist's office, intending to avenge her brother's death.
Oz visits Maroni again, who is angry over his actions. Oz defends his decisions and convinces Maroni to continue their partnership by helping with a drop shipment that will be taken by Maroni's crew. However, Oz is surprised when Johnny Viti appears and forces him to go in the armored truck instead of the car. Maroni's crew arrives and intercepts the truck, killing many of Falcone's henchmen. Oz barely escapes alive and claims his innocence to Viti. However, Sofia is certain that someone within their crew is cooperating with Maroni. Falcone's brother, Luca, is brought in to take Carmine's place as boss of the family and warns Sofia to stay out of their business.
Oz is called to his mother's house, after his landlord reports that her dementia has been worsening. Oz refuses to get her into permanent care and keeps paying him to stay with her. After Alberto's funeral, Sofia bribes retired GCPD detective Marcus Wise, formerly on her father's payroll, to investigate the heist, and the man finds Ervad, one of Maroni's henchmen. Maroni's wife, Nadia, assigns Oz to retrieve Ervad before they can get him to talk. Oz sneaks into the Falcone household, which is hosting the reception for Alberto's funeral. During this, Victor tries to sneak jewels inside Viti's car to expose his affair with Luca's wife but is forced to flee when Falcone's bodyguards see him.
Oz finds the basement where Ervad is kept, but upon being informed by Victor that he was seen, he is forced to kill Ervad with a switchblade. When Sofia and Luca find the corpse, they place the house in lockdown and force everyone assigned to the truck, including Oz, into a room. Oz plants the knife on Sofia's enforcer Castillo; Sofia tries to shoot him, but Luca intervenes and executes Castillo himself. Feeling that Sofia is clouded by her vendetta, Luca decides that she will be sent to Italy until their business is settled. That night, Oz makes Victor dig a grave for the bodies of Ervad and Castillo, warning him to stay focused or he will end up just like them. He is later called and meets with Sofia at the Falcone family crypt. She reveals that the stolen jewels were discovered in Castillo's apartment, after Oz had planted them there to correct Victor's earlier mistake, and asks Oz for a partnership to wipe out the Falcone family hierarchy so she may step in and take complete control.
Production
Development
The episode was written by co-executive producer Erika L. Johnson, and directed by executive producer Craig Zobel. It marked Johnson's first writing credit, and Zobel's second directing credit.[1] Zobel's involvement was reported in October 2022, when he was confirmed to direct the first episode.[2]
Filming
For the truck hijacking sequence, the crew only had two nights to film it. Zobel said that they "wanted to have something that felt a little bigger and a little more reflective of the character he is in the movie". The crew found a location below a bridge, and Zobel found the experience "hectic" while filming it.[3] For the scenes where Oswald "Oz" Cobb / Penguin moves around the truck, Zobel said "we had the grip department and the special effects department put big long two-by-fours under the truck and just shake it up with that. Sometimes, the oldest ways work".[3]
Post-production
The visual effects team had developed a type of flash prop gun for use on set during the FEMA heist scene, primarily to ensure the safety of the crew. The prop emulated the behavior of the real gun and the flashes of light from the trigger allowed the team to better enhance the effects during post.[4]