[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for The Penguin, Season 1, Episode 3, “Bliss.”]
The Penguin dug into Victor Aguilar’s (Rhenzy Feliz) backstory with the newest installment, “Bliss,” as Oz (Colin Farrell) aligned himself with Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) to increase enterprise with the titular new drug.
Outcomes had been assorted although as within the episode’s closing moments, Ozwas confronted by Nadia Maroni (Shohreh Aghdashloo) and associates exterior of the membership they had been promoting bliss in. Ozis known as out for his antics, however there isn’t a lot time for his metaphorical soiled laundry to be aired as a result of it’s the identical time Victor is driving as much as the membership.
Seeing his boss on the bottom with a gun pointed in his route, the child takes initiative, the sort of bold transfer Ozpreviously accused Victor incapable of as he drives immediately into the risk, saving Ozand leaving Sofia behind. Racing away within the streets, Victor makes his selection relating to the life he needs to guide, which is sort of completely different from the one he was raised in.
Within the episode’s opening moments, followers get a peek into Victor’s household life together with his mother and father and sister simply as he’s heading out to fulfill his girlfriend, Graciela (Anire Kim Amoda). Hanging out on a roof collectively, he witnesses the water dashing into his neighborhood because the seawalls are destroyed by the Riddler’s (Paul Dano) planted bombs as beforehand revealed in The Batman. The sequence provides a special perspective on the catastrophe and explains Victor’s apprehensive strategy to a few of Ozs seedier assignments for him.
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Victor’s a great child pressured to participate in unhealthy actions to outlive, however Ozworks to persuade him that doing unhealthy deeds can elevate you larger on the ladder of success. Confronted with a doable escape alongside girlfriend Graciela, Victor had a option to make, and in the end that was to stay with Oz. Will it repay? Feliz weighs in, under.
We return in time to see The Batman‘s flood by way of Victor’s eyes firstly of this episode. What was it like digging into his backstory? How a lot do you know heading into this challenge?
Rhenzy Feliz: Fortunately, I knew all of the contents of what occurs in his backstory. I had already spoken about it with Lauren [LeFranc], and so all that’s enjoying within the first couple of episodes, however within the third one, the viewers lastly will get a window in. I believe it’s tremendous helpful to know this morality factor that he’s battling, particularly in that third episode, [where he’s asking] “Is that this truly what I must be doing?” There’s loads happening with this child who’s by no means been requested to do any of this or seen any of it earlier than.
So I believe it’s large that the viewers will get to see somewhat little bit of [Victor’s life] earlier than that existed, earlier than that was what was being requested of him. These items are so tough for him as a result of Ozseemingly does it on command and [Sofia] is somewhat bit off the wall as nicely. Victor’s on this house the place he’s a great child and he’s introduced right into a world that he’s by no means encountered earlier than.
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We study that Victor misplaced his household within the flood. Has he had any time to grieve their loss?
That’s one of many issues that I discovered so fascinating is that he hasn’t actually had the time. Having time is a luxurious, and I believe lots of people who grew up in these sorts of conditions and in poverty don’t have the posh of sitting again and pondering and being considerate and worrying about their subsequent step. He doesn’t actually have time to assume. He’s dwelling out of some FEMA camp someplace and he wants cash.
There’s no long-term plan, and that’s one of many issues that Oztells Victor in that very first episode is, “What’s your plan, child? What are you going to do?” You’ve received to assume long run than that. The primary time he even will get a breath since [meeting Oz] is in that third episode, and the very first thing he needs to do is join with somebody that I believe he has plenty of love for and somebody who reminds him of what the hell was happening earlier than he received thrown into this loopy world.
In the long run, Victor lets Graciela go away city with out him. Was she his final tie to that world of consolation and security, or do you assume he hopes they’ll reconnect sooner or later?
I believe possibly he imagines they’ll reconnect. I believe he thinks that going with Ozis the suitable transfer proper now. Oztells him one thing within the rest room that I believe, in the intervening time, is difficult to listen to, which is that they don’t give out awards for dying within the tasks, which he instantly [reacts to]. However I believe it’s one thing that he thinks about and what he thinks about is “Who do I actually wish to be on the finish of this? If I maintain happening the trail that I used to be happening, I’m not going to have something and I’m not going to have the ability to be anybody.”
In Victor’s thoughts, he’s pondering, what are his alternatives, what’s the pathway ahead right here? The one one he can see a chance to be one thing is that this street with Oz. And though it’s harmful, he sees it as his means out. It’s his means out of the life that he’s been thrown into. He has to decide and he’s received to lose one thing that he loves, and he’s received to embrace a component that I believe he is aware of his mother and father can be ashamed of him for, which is an extremely onerous factor to abdomen.
Ozstands up for Victor when his stutter turns into extra pronounced. How essential is it for Victor to have that assist?
I [imagined Victor’s] childhood was a lot quieter, which is why I believe Victor’s very observant basically, and I believe that one in every of his primary traits is he’s extra of a listener than a talker, which I believe is a domino impact of him having a stutter. Having somebody like Ozwho is the other with a really huge grandiose persona and likes to speak and listen to his voice, I believe the little child in Victor wants to listen to that.
To listen to somebody as highly effective and as huge as Ozas somebody who you instinctually may assume is the sort of man that may make enjoyable of Victor be the one telling me to face up and to place my chest out and to take up house [means something]. And I believe Victor’s so used to creating himself small, to listen to you might be price one thing means loads to him. And I believe that going ahead that sort of arc progresses.
By the top of the episode, Victor makes the selection to run to a number of the Maroni household’s males to assist save Oz. Has he crossed a line that he can’t run again now?
100%. On his means again, [Victor decided], “I’m going to attempt to experience this factor out. Let’s see what occurs with Oz.” And when he will get there, he realizes there’s not a lot time to decide. His foot’s already on the fuel and going, and so he makes that call earlier than he even is aware of he’s absolutely made it. You’ll be able to see the look on Victor’s face of understanding and realizing “Holy s**t, possibly I assumed I knew what I used to be getting myself into. Possibly I don’t even completely know what this factor is.” And there’s worry in his eyes, however he’s in it and it’s precisely like Ozsays, “We’re in it now, child.” We’re actually in it.
The Penguin, Sundays, 9/8c, HBO and Max
