Sofia takes Johnny hostage after killing the Falcones. Oz kidnaps Salvatore's son, Taj, to wipe out the Maronis from the face of the earth. Both Sofia and Oz end up killing their respective hostages after their work is done. When you see things like this, you feel as if The Penguin is trying to establish some connection between the Hangman and the titular character. Look at the graph: In Episode 5, Oz's line goes downwards, while Sofia's line goes upwards. By torturing and then killing Johnny, Sofia firmly establishes herself as the new boss. She rebrands the family business. The Falcones become the Gigantes with the motto that everybody is equal. "If you join me, you will have a new Family. And I'll pay you what you're worth," says Sofia after showing a bag full of cash to her men. As they all grab the money like hungry dogs, Sofia and Julian smile at each other, and it seems as if Sofia's "I don't see my men as disposable creatures" motto is nothing but nonsense. She, too, considers her henchmen dispensable, but she knows what they like to hear and what they want. Oh yes, Julian has joined Team Sofia. He wants to experience the release or something - it doesn't matter. Julian looks as disposable as the henchmen.
Sofia puts a bullet in Johnny's head and is rewarded with a new, powerful status. But when Oz commits murder, he faces punishment. After kidnapping Taj, he sets up an exchange meeting with Salvatore and Nadia: Give me my mushrooms and take back your son. Meetings like these never go smoothly; double-crossing is always inherent. As soon as Taj hugs Nadia, the doors are closed, and the Maroni men start firing at Oz. Oz returns the favor by burning Taj and Nadia. It's a creepy visual. Oz's smile, framed in a tight closeup, is even more chilling as he really looks like a vile demon. Perhaps because Oz commits the sin of murdering a mother and her son, he receives his comeuppance through spoiled mushrooms and a failed assassination. Things between him and his mother turn rough as she is forced to live in a dark dump. The biggest problem for Oz, though, has to be the alliance between the Maronis and the Gigantes. Sofia shakes Salvatore's hand to take out their common enemy, Oz.
In pursuit of his dream to rule Gotham, this common enemy takes Vic to their new base of operations. Inside the dark, humid space, Oz asks Vic if he knows what thrives in such an environment. Vic hesitantly responds, "Mushrooms?" Bingo! He gives the correct answer. Only time will tell if Oz's plan will work out or not. Time will also reveal whether his words to motivate Vic hold any weight or not: "It's you and me now, kid. Till the end." Similar words of reassurance are offered to Eve, "All I'm asking is for you to hang tight just a little longer. That's it. And then it's you and me on top of the world, baby." Let's see how many people will remain with Oz when he reaches the top. Will we see Vic and Eve by his side? All we can do is wait and watch.
Final Score – [7/10]