‘The Penguin’ Star Rhenzy Feliz Unpacks Victor’s Turning Point: ‘What Oz Has to Offer Is Very Alluring’
If Victor wasn’t completely committed to Oz before, he’s definitely all-in now for better or worse.
Episode 3 of “The Penguin” dives deep into what put Victor (Rhenzy Feliz) into Oz’s (Colin Farrell) path. Turns out, The Riddler’s attack on Gotham got his parents killed when water rushing into the city from the blown seawalls destroyed their family apartment.
Since meeting Oz, Victor has continued to prove himself and it’s clear the big man has noticed. He starts to make moves to bring the kid – for lack of a better word – under his wing by making sure he’s paid and getting him more involved in the business. Feliz says the pair has an “interesting combination” of father/son and older brother/younger brother dynamics.
“He sort of ushers him into this world, and it’s this mentor/mentee vibe,” Feliz told TheWrap. “It’s an interesting dynamic. I’m more interested in how Victor feels about Oz and whatever kind of dynamic it creates. It wasn’t so much there was an end goal kind of decision, a lot of it stems from the fact that he kind of looks up to Oz in a way.”
We’re also introduced to Victor’s girlfriend Graciela who he was with the night his parents died. She’s rightfully sketched out by Victor working with Oz – who’s making moves to acquire Sofia’s (Cristin Milioti) drug Bliss to sell. Graciela suggests the two of them just blow town on a bus. Oz learns about Victor’s chance to leave and blows up on him after a successful night of running Bliss before betraying Sofia and taking over the operation themselves. Victor storms out of the club to make his decision: go with Graciela or stay with Oz.
“They play on the decision-making aspect of it and the regretfulness,” Feliz said. “On one hand, Graciela kind of embodies his family, his life as he knows it and the certain goodness he feels he has inside him. But what Oz has to offer is very alluring – there’s money, there’s power, there’s excitement and there’s purpose.”
He continued, “I think most of the time – let’s say there are a million Victors – most of the time, he gets on the bus and he goes. I think we’re following the story in the world where he stays behind.”
Ultimately, he chooses Oz – but not just does he choose him, Victor gets violent for him in a way he hasn’t up to this point. He returns to the club just as Oz is being held up by Maroni’s men who were supposed to help him betray Sofia. He drives his car into the mob and runs them down while Oz jumps in and the pair speeds off. It’s Victor’s turning point, according to Feliz.
“Oz says it at the end of the episode, ‘We’re really in it now, kid,’” the actor noted. “You can see it on his face, it’s, ‘Oh my god, what have I done? Did I make the right decision?’ I think ultimately he decides he did. This is the right thing to do and I see that now.”
“The Penguin” airs Sunday nights on HBO.
