'The Penguin' Pulled Off a Ballsy Storytelling Move

I have felt mixed about the first season of HBO’s The Penguin so far. I think it’s insane that Colin Farrell is delivering one of the year’s best acting performances while buried under six inches of prosthetics. But even that performance couldn’t quite elevate it beyond a B- storyline that we’ve seen a dozen times before.

Then last week’s episode arrived, and Cristin Milioti delivered the kind of performance Lady Gaga could only hope to emulate, transforming her Sofia Falcone from a good character into one of the most compelling on television. We learned why Sofia had been institutionalized: to prevent her from revealing that her father, Carmine (Mark Strong), killed her mother, Carmine had her locked away in Arkham Asylum. She entered fully sane, but after being gaslit by her father and the institution, she actually did lose her mind. Once freed from the asylum, she went on to kill her entire family at the jaw-dropping end of last week’s episode.

The one survivor was Carmine Falcone’s nephew, Johnny Viti, one of the underbosses in Falcone’s criminal empire. Played by Michael Kelly, the third biggest name in the cast behind Farrell and Milioti, Viti wasn’t the boss, but he essentially ran the Falcone operation. He knew Carmine had killed his wife and institutionalized his daughter, and he did nothing to stop it.

All of this made Viti the top target on Sofia’s hit list, and she planned to torture him until he revealed the whereabouts of a hidden stash of cash. However, Viti convinced Sofia to keep him alive by agreeing to join her and help run the criminal operation.

No surprise there, right? It’s Michael Kelly! Obviously, he’d talk his way out of being killed. He has plot armor, not only as a known character actor but as one of the last remaining Falcone family members.

But then came one of the ballsiest moves in TV this year. Sofia essentially named Viti as her right-hand man. Then, in the very next meeting with the rank-and-file, she declared that the Falcone family was dead and that she was taking over under her late mother’s name, the Gigantes. Her vision? To treat the rank-and-file like real people, not just pawns in the endless war with the Maronis.

Viti, emboldened by his newfound role, raised his hand to object. “Let’s not be rash here,” he said. “These gentlemen know we have a score to settle…” And that’s all he managed to say before Sofia put a bullet in his head.

Hell yes. F**k the plot armor. The third most recognizable face on The Penguin meant nothing. Johnny Viti didn’t last long enough to weasel his way back to the top. Sofia shot him in the head as soon as he even thought about challenging her plans. Boom. Dead. Over.

It’s bold and invigorating storytelling, and all of a sudden, The Penguin is must-watch TV.