This story contains details from the final episode ofThe Penguinon HBO.
Why did such a major character have to die in the finale?
Is Ozs mom actually lucid?
Cristin Milioti as Sofia FalconeHBO
Is Batman about to save the day?
DEADLINE Ozs decision to kill Victor was so shocking in so many ways.
For one thing, he needs allies in this world, especially moving forward.
Theo Wargo/Getty Image
LAUREN LEFRANCI would think so, but Oz doesnt see it like that.
With the gangs, he has the number twos take out their bosses.
Thats very poignant in his mind.
Thats Victors idea, in part, so that shows you a lot more about Oz, as well.
He hopes the people beneath those bosses will feel indebted to him.
DEADLINE Did you intend for the viewers to end up sympathizing more with Sofia than Oz?
LEFRANCI do make a run at bring empathy to all of the characters I write.
Regardless of his terrible decisions, I also never wanted to make excuses for him.
And I wanted it to hurt in a way, his rise.
Thats largely why I created that fourth episode.
Some people will align themselves with Oz and some with Sofia.
That is the fun of having complicated characters like this.
DEADLINE Sofia is back in Arkham.
LEFRANCWe established in the fourth episode that he chose to leave on his own volition.
Hes reinstated himself to be close to her and to make a run at help her this time around.
DEADLINE Obviously we are all dying to hear what was said in that letter from Sofias half sister.
Im assuming well find that out in season two?
That was always the goal of this season.
DEADLINE You put The Penguin in tails in the end!
So its not really the dream that he imagined for himself.
We teased that building throughout the entire season.
Its an abandoned hotel, and we established it in all of our Gotham skylines throughout the season.
Thats been sort of our Easter egg.
DEADLINE We saw Ozs mom cry.
So does she still have her wits about her?
LEFRANCShes in a vegetative state.
What that really equates to is a little unclear medically for a lot of people.
DEADLINE Does Eve truly love Oz or is she just playing along?
LEFRANCThats a complicated question.
It was always important to me that Eve is a little older than Oz.
There is this motherly quality that Ive always tried to infuse in her.
And yet, Oz pays her.
His whole thing to me has been that love is transactional.
Its his greatest fear, but its something he really abides by.
He pays her to be there with him and tell him everything that his mother wont tell him.
Eve is a survivor.
DEADLINE Did you always know that you wanted to end with the Batman light in the sky?
Thats something that we figured out early on.
It felt like an elegant handoff to the movie.
That was always a conversation thatMatt Reevesand I had.
Should Batman be in our show or not?
Batman takes up a lot of space.
So in that regard, it just didnt feel appropriate for the characters in our show.
DEADLINE So youve basically explained whats going to happen.
Theres going to be a movie now and then theoretically another season ofThe Penguinif HBO so desires?
LEFRANCWell, I dont know.
Right now, no, we dont have anything.
Were not really talking about in a second season at this very moment.
What weve always known is that were handing off from the first film.
Were the bridge between the first film and the second film.
Hes extremely talented, of course.
Hes just like a consummate gentleman and handled the makeup chair so gracefully.
So I dont know.
I mean, Im sure he felt a lot of things.
And Oz as a character has to do some really, really terrible things.
That is not an easy thing to inhabit.
I certainly felt that as a writer.
But I know Colin will be in the second film.
