As a longtime fan of the Batman universe and someone who has witnessed the evolution of villains over the years, I must say that Victor Zsasz from The Penguin has truly stolen my heart. Being a connoisseur of dark tales and complex characters, I find myself drawn to the intricate dynamics between Oz Cobblepot and his right-hand man, Victor.
Absolutely, just like many others, I’m quite fond of the HBO series, “The Penguin.” I truly believe that Colin Farrell deserves a nomination, if not a win, for his exceptional performance as Oz Cobb during award season.
While Colin Farrell is excellent, it’s not his character on the show that I favor the most. Instead, my preferred character is Rhenzy Feliz, who portrays Oz Cobb’s hesitant right-hand man, Victor. In fact, Victor made a particularly significant decision in the third episode of the series.
Even though many articles praise Colin Farrell’s acting skills, and rightly so, I’d like to focus on a character who has won my support: Victor Aguilar.
Oh, and MAJOR SPOILERS up to episode 3 of The Penguin if you haven’t watched it yet.
Firstly, I Just Love That He Became Oz’s Right Hand Man By Happenstance
Are you curious about one of my favorite “Breaking Bad” characters? It’s Jesse Pinkman, and there might be a clear reason why. Apart from Walt Jr., and perhaps Skylar White upon reconsideration, Jesse is the one who suffered the most at the hands of Walt’s choices.
In many aspects, Jesse served as the ethical guide for the show. His transformation from a rebellious teenager to an individual who managed to alter his life’s course significantly is arguably one of the most captivating narratives within the entire series.
This path reminds me of the character Victor Aguilar from “The Penguin.” After Episode 3, it’s clear that Victor was an innocent boy who received a devastating blow of fate. His family was swept away in the floods depicted in Matt Reeves’ “The Batman,” leaving him no choice but to resort to carjacking as his only means to stay alive since he essentially lost everything.
However, it’s intriguing that their encounter occurred due to Victor being involved in a carjacking, unaware of whom he was targeting. It’s possible that if circumstances had been different and he had chosen another victim, events might have unfolded differently for him. In contrast to the bombings incident where Victor happened to be at the right place at the right time (though he may have preferred not to survive), when we see him stealing Oz Cobb’s car, it appears that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
It’s quite intriguing to consider that, had it not been for a stroke of luck, Victor might have escaped unpunished. This twist lends Victor and Oz’s collaboration a sense of predestined drama.
I Also Really Love That You Can Tell That He Both Does, But Also Doesn’t Want To Work With Oz
So far, we’ve seen just three fantastic episodes, but I must say, Victor’s feelings towards Oz have captured my attention as well. It seems that he wants to collaborate with him for two reasons: firstly, he believes in his potential, and secondly, he appreciates the camaraderie they share, which is understandable given that, apart from his girlfriend, he has lost almost everyone due to the bombings.
In the heat of the game, I can’t help but find myself questioning my actions towards Oswald. For instance, during the third level, after a sudden trigger event at the club sent shivers down my spine, I sought solace in the bathroom and stared into the mirror. It struck me then that my father wouldn’t be proud of my involvement with drugs.
After the transaction with the Triads is finalized, Oz and Victor grow exceptionally close. It’s evident that Victor feels strongly about staying with his latest patron, yet at the same time, he yearns for a more ethically upright life apart from Oz.
The internal struggle in Victor’s personality is what makes him an intriguing character. Will he succumb to the Dark Side, as it seemed Luke Skywalker might in ‘The Last Jedi’, or will his moral compass hold firm? Whatever the outcome, I can’t wait to see how things unfold.
He Comes Through In Clutch Situations
Revisiting the series Breaking Bad, there was a scene that left me astounded – when Walter courageously saved Jesse by ramming through a group of people who were planning to harm him. I can still recall jumping up from my seat and exclaiming, “Impossible!”, and it continues to send shivers down my spine when I reflect on it now.
In the third installment of “The Penguin,” a situation reminiscent of this occurs: Oz and Sofia find themselves prepared for execution, but just as it seems their fate is sealed, Victor swoops in to save the day and rushes past those poised to execute the pair.
It seems clear that Victor wasn’t carefully considering his actions, while Walt appeared to enjoy running over people in his Aztek. The probable motive for his behavior is that he believed it was necessary to safeguard his superior (although I hesitate to label Oz as Victor’s “friend” at this point).
However, it wasn’t just on that occasion that Victor managed to save the day. In fact, in the very first episode, he wrecked another vehicle outside the Falcone estate, thus sparing Oz from being blamed for the murder of Alberto Falcone.
This instance unequivocally strengthened the alliance between Oz and Victor, as evident by Victor’s selfless acts of saving Oz’s life not once but twice, in contrast to Oz merely refraining from shooting Victor during several encounters where he held the upper hand with a gun.
I Also Like How Victor Doesn’t Always Come Through In A Clutch, Which Makes Him All The More Fascinating
In episode 2 of “The Penguin,” it was intriguing to witness Oz Cobb cleverly manipulate and mingle within the Falcone ranks, ultimately succeeding in shifting the blame for Ervad’s murder onto someone else.
To be honest, saving Ervad wasn’t part of my original scheme. I had planned to rescue him, but Victor failed to set up the evidence implicating Johnny Viti in Alberto’s murder. That blunder led to me taking Ervad’s life instead, which completely flipped my plans on their head and compelled me to think fast and adapt.
“I’m particularly fond of Victor’s character because he’s not a seasoned partner, but rather an ordinary street kid who’s found himself in a situation beyond his depth. Oswald understands this predicament well, knowing that Victor may not be the ideal candidate for the task at hand, yet he’s the only reliable ally he has.
Despite Victor’s inexperience making him somewhat unforeseeable, I find this trait endearing in his personality. He’s putting effort in, but he hasn’t fully grasped the role yet, and he’s still questioning if he truly wants to be involved, which makes for captivating viewing.
In The End, Though, I Like How He Truly Humanizes Oz’s Character
To wrap up, I’m captivated by how Victor’s character makes Oz feel more real and relatable. I’ve watched every live-action Batman film, and I thoroughly enjoyed “The Batman.” Although Oz Cobb was part of that movie, he seemed to blend into the background, which is understandable. He wasn’t the primary villain in the story, after all. Nevertheless, after watching the movie, I didn’t spend much time reflecting on Oz, except for knowing that Colin Farrell was hidden under all the makeup.
Without a doubt, Oz, played by Rhenzy Feliz, is arguably the most outstanding character to emerge from a live-action DC narrative. While Bane from The Dark Knight trilogy holds a special place for me, I believe that Oz outshines him significantly. This superiority, in my opinion, can be attributed to the superb portrayal of Victor by Rhenzy Feliz, as he has managed to humanize this villain in a way that no other Batman-related character has done so in the past.
This accomplishment isn’t trivial, given Danny DeVito’s portrayal of The Penguin in “Batman Returns” was surprisingly compassionate. Yet, it’s Oz’s connection with Victor that sets this adaptation of The Penguin apart. By episode 3 at least, Victor has decided to stay loyal to Oz, and it’s clear that Oz views Victor as a friend, though one he also perceives as his subordinate.
Victor plays a crucial role in this series, much like Jesse Pinkman does, and I can’t imagine forgiving Oz if he considers Victor disposable, as he seems to feel about Sofia. If Oz ever treats Victor this way, I would likely lose interest in the show.
Instead, how about this thought? Do you share the same enthusiasm as I do for Victor? Don’t forget to stop by regularly for the latest updates on everything related to The Penguin!
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2024-10-09 18:07