After taking over the drug game from the Maronis and the Gigantes, Oswald (Colin Farrell) finds himself at the top of their hit list. His power continues to grow, especially with his new deals with smaller gangs. However, Sofia (Cristin Milioti) has found his mother. The tides may turn, and the true violence may have only just begun. Directed by Kevin Bray, “Top Hat” raises the stakes for Oswald and Gotham in the penultimate episode. Can the gangster rise to the top as he predicted? Or will he crumble under the pressure?

“Top Hat” RecapRather than begin in the present, “Top Hat” begins with a flashback to Oswald’s childhood. His mother (Emily Meade) works at a calculator while Oswald (Ryder Allen) watches her work. Benny and Jack play, storming into the room chasing each other. Francis tells Jack he needs to take Oz and Benny out for the afternoon. While walking, they see local gangster Rex, who gives Jack $50.

On the way home, Oz asks Jack what they will spend it on. Jack tells Oz and Benny they cannot trust Rex. He’s a gangster. They break into the tunnels and find flashlights. They begin to play hide and seek, with Oz kicking off as the seeker. His brothers hide down a storm drain and taunt him to come find them. He grows angry and leaves them in the drain, slamming the door shut and locking them in the storm drain.

Oswald returns home, telling Francis his brothers went out to a movie. They lay down and watch the 1936 film Top Hat (starring Fred Astaire as a nimble dancer). As they watch, the camera cuts back to the storm drain, where Benny and Jack beg for help. As the song stops, so do the screams.

We return to the present day as Cobblepot (Farrell) returns home. He noticed the door broken down and quickly searched the room. He finds Vic (Rhenzy Feliz) bleeding in the corner and discovers Sofia took his mother. Sal Maroni pulls up, and Cobblepot sends Vic out to raise an army with Zhao.

Cobblepot gives up to Sal, who beats him with a golf club. They tell Oswald they’ve got his family. Sal calls Sofia, telling her they have Oswald. Before they return to Sofia’s compound, Sal wants to see the drug operation in action.

Francis sits nervously in Sofia’s living room until Sofia arrives with toast. Sofia tries to prod Francis, but Oswald’s mother turns most lines of questioning into insults towards the Gigantes. Sofia finally hits a nerve when she brings up Jack and Benny. Francis has an episode of dementia until Sofia tries to show kindness. Dr. Rush (Theo Rossi) enters the room and tells Sofia that her niece, Gia, wants to speak to the police. Rather than have Rush speak to Gia, Sofia sends him to Francis.

Sal brings Cobblepot to one of the drug locations. His men kill two Cobblepots, and Sal tells the workers they now work for the Maronis. Oswald taunts Sal until his attention is pulled. One of Cobblepot’s men kills the lies, with Oswald and Sal fighting into a bus. During the fight, Sal has a heart attack, and Oswald puts a clip into his corpse. Cobblepot throws the body out of the train car, and he thanks his men for their hard work. However, there’s more coming on the horizon.

Sofia arrives at the institution to meet with Gia. The young girl asks about Sofia’s mask the night of the gassing. Sofia deflects but notices the cuts and slashes all over Gia’s arm. Sofia uses this as an opportunity to tell Gia the truth about their family and that Gia deserves better. Outside the room, Sofía breaks down.

Sofia receives a phone call, assuming it is Sal. Instead, Oz offers the entire crime syndicate in exchange for his mother. Sofia interrupts Dr. Rush’s session with Rush to speak with the doctor. She’s struggling with the choices in front of her, especially because it’s too close to what her Dad would have wanted. Instead, she wants to hurt Oswald.

Oswald readies his men to complete the swap with Sofia. A black G-wagon pulls up and drives up to his gates. Before it pulls in, Cobblepot receives a phone call from Sofia. She tells him that Francis taught her to be something different. Inside the car is a bomb, which blows up the entire Cobblepot operation. Oz makes it to a storm drain to hide and is blasted down the shaft. Sofia tells Oz to find her if he survives. They head into the shell of an old dance club, Monroe’s.

In the past, Oswald tried to feed his mother after the deaths of his brother. Francis takes him out dancing to a club named Monroe’s. While they dance, Francis begs Oz to make her a happy life. He promises her the life she deserves.

Back in the present, Oz wakes up in ash. The entire city block has exploded and come down on top of him. However, he climbs out of the sewer drain and through the rubble. Others stumble through the ash, but one of the cops working for Sofia finds Oz. He knocks out Oz with a nightstick and kidnaps him.

“Top Hat” – The TakeawaysAnother excellent episode, “Top Hat” digs deeper into the Reeves version of the iconic comic book character. Each layer, especially around the deaths of Oswald’s brothers, proves more complicated than the last. It’s rather stunning to see a comic book series not only get away with this imagery but the darkness that it embodies. HBO has always been at the forefront of letting its protagonists do awful things. Having them commit fratricide to gain the attention they believe they deserve is certainly a shocking one.

Farrell once again turns in an excellent performance in “Top Hat.” The moment before he discovers the bomb is powerful because he’s ready to see his mother dead in the back of the G-Wagon. As he tries to emotionally process what he will see, we watch Farrell’s eyes go dead. He already knows his next step is to kill everyone involved in the Gigante crime family, and simply because the explosion in “Top Hat” does not kill him, does not mean his objectives changed. This will be a man on a mission in the finale, and Farrell continues to bring new subtleties to the performance in “Top Hat” that cannot be ignored. It’s an early contender for the Emmy.

We also say goodbye to Clancy Brown with “Top Hat.” He worked effectively as a big bad for us to worry about, yet it’s hard to ignore how he goes out. The heart attack might feel anti-climactic, but again, Oswald is deprived of his ability to conquer. That aspect continues to drive him up a wall, and shooting a corpse proves his frustrations. “Top Hat” dives into Oswald’s anger issues, which results in unwanted consequences. Once again, Cobblepot’s inability to complete his goals frustrates him. Brown was excellent when put up against Farrell or Milioti, and he certainly lived up to his intimidating vocal and physical presence.

Finally, the face-to-face conversations between Francis and Sofia in “Top Hat” were worth every penny. It’s a brilliant move to put the two most insightful characters into a room together and watch them attempt to tear one another apart. There’s respect between the barbs, even if Sofia knows that Francis is powerless. The way they attack each other is a work of art and one of the best-written dialogue sequences in all of “Top Hat.” Given the strength of this teleplay, that’s quite the compliment.

Where do we go from “Top Hat?” Well, it appears dark and darker. Oswald is captured, and Sofia is going to hurt him. That does not mean Oz is going quietly, as one can note in every other episode this season. Cobblepot and Sofia cannot co-exist in this world, and one must die. While “The Hangwoman” has not lived up to her name yet, it would not shock me to see it come to life in this final episode.

Additionally, keep an eye out for any defectors. Could Dr. Rush turn to maintain power over Sofia? Or will he prove loyal to the end? Get ready for a violent ending to the Matt Reeves The Batman spinoff, and it’s been a fun journey as we round the corner. “Top Hat” is just another big win for the show.

Alan’s Episode Rating: 9/10Watch The Penguin on HBO and Max. “Top Hat” aired on November 3, 2024. Read our recaps for The Penguin here. Check out our Reviews, Recaps, and Features on TV here! The post TV: ‘TOP HAT’ – The Penguin – Episode 7 Recap appeared first on Sunshine State Cineplex.