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With things finally turning his way, Oswalt Cobblepot realizes the road to the top is never without roadblocks. Let’s take a look at “The Batman” spin-off’s latest episode: “Top Hat”
Episode seven starts with a flashback, with a very young Oz (Ryder Allen). A young Francis Cobb (Emily Meade) sits at the table, handling business. Oz stops her and asks to watch a movie. Oz’s two brother’s come in, Jack and Benny, and take the attention off of Oz. In this entire series, Oz always wanted Francis’s love and attention. This dramatization of this mother and son relationship is very different from the comics. Francis sends the boys to deliver something, and they go off.
When the boys are walking, they see three mafia guys. The guys are beating up someone. Oz gets the attention of one of them, and his older brother steps in to deliver what Francis wanted. The guy pays the oldest Cobb brother, and they move on. Oz’s older brother says that Francis shouldn’t be involved with those guys. Oz seemed to like what was going on. That moment was the true birth of Oz admiring the mafia life.
READ LAST WEEK’S EPISODE REVIEW.
The boys end up playing flash tag, underneath where the Gotham Water system is. Oz clearly couldn’t play, because he couldn’t climb down to catch his brothers. Oz ends up locking his two brother’s underneath and returning home. His mom asked where his two brothers were, and he lied and said the movies. Oz ends the night watching a Fred Astaire show, with the main image of all of them wearing top hats. This highlighted Oz’s comic roots, because Oz wears a top hat.
Back to the present, Oz (Colin Farrell) goes to check on Victor (Rhenzy Feliz)and his mom. Victor is knocked unconscious, and Francis is missing. Oz wakes Victor up and asks him where his mom went. Victor said Sofia took her, and Oz can hear Salvatore (Clancy Brown) coming. Oz lets Victor out the window, and to go and warn the people where his operation is. Salvatore comes in, and beats up Oz. The dual threat of Salvatore and Sofia (Cristin Milioti) officially have teamed up and want Oz to pay.
Salvatore wants Oz to take him to where the drug operation is. Oz complies. Events shift to where Sofia is holding court. Sofia has a conversation with Francis (Deirdre O’Connell). At first Francis is in her right mind. She is defending Oz, and it seemed she was okay. When Francis was talking about Oz’s brothers, Sofia can see that she is having complications from dementia.
Dr. Julian Rush (Theo Rossi) comes and tells Sofia that they have a problem. A psychologist that is working at the children’s home, had interviewed Gia (Kenzie Grey). Gia says that she saw something, the day that the Falcone family was gassed. Dr. Julian fears that the psychologist is going to talk to the police. Sofia said that she will handle it. Sofia wants Dr. Julian to evaluate and talk to Francis, for her.
Salvatore and Oz are finally at the drug operation. Salvatore informs Oz’s crew that they work for the Maroni and the Gigante family. Oz ends up slipping out of this situation, when the lights are cut. Salvatore and Oz end up fighting, and at the end, Salvatore dies of a heart attack. Oz could not believe it! He ends up shooting Salvatore after he is dead. Oz gives Sofia a call and tells her that Salvatore is dead. Oz only wants his mom back, and in return she can have the whole operation.
Another flashback happens, and Francis and Oz go out. Francis takes Oz to one of the places, so they can dance together. Francis says to Oz that he wants him to be successful, and that she deserves a good life. Oz agrees and says that his mom deserves everything.
Sofia goes to the children’s home and talks to Gia. In this moment, Sofia realizes that Gia was in the same exact place she was in. Sofia said that Gia will have a chance at a new life, when getting out of there. When Sofia finishes talking to Gia, she has a mini panic attack.
REGROUP AND REFOCUSED
Sofia talks to Dr. Julian and interrupts him working with Francis. Sofia said that she might give it up, because she is seeing the correlation with her life and Gia’s. Sofia said that all her father wanted was her to take over the family business. Dr. Julian encourages her not to give up, and asks her what she wants. Sofia said she wants Oz to feel pain. It is exactly the way that she does now.
Sofia sets up a car to go into Oz’s drug operation. Sofia ends up calling Oz, and telling him about how she is feeling. By the time that Oz gets to the car, and everyone gets out, he uncovers a bomb. Oz quickly leaves the drug operation, so he can save himself. When Oz escapes, someone approaches him and knocks him out. He is informed that this was from Sofia.
This episode was a nice lead up to the finale, next week. As the audience, we fully know Oz’s intentions. I am really hoping that Francis, Victor, and Oz will be okay. As always though, I think a few people will not get out of this show alive.
I give this episode a 10/10.
