How did Oz and Sofia get Viti’s support in distributing Bliss in The Penguin? Details explored

The Penguin never once wasted any time in showing that power in Gotham is not just about guns and territory, but also about secrets and leverage. When Oz Cobb and Sofia Falcone decided to roll out the new drug Bliss, they faced one major obstacle: Johnny Viti. He was Carmine Falcone’s cousin and a man who did not want Sofia anywhere near the family business.

So how did they flip the script? They didn't plead or beg and Sofia and Oz blackmailed him into silence and support. That alone changed everything.

Viti’s threats and Sofia’s ruthless counterstrike in the Penguin

What made this whole move so interesting in The Penguin was how personal it felt inside Gotham's brutal game. Viti had the weight of the Falcone name behind him and used it like a club. He told Sofia, point-blank, to pack up and leave Gotham for Italy. It wasn't a suggestion; it was a thinly veiled death threat.

To him, Sofia was a problem that needed to disappear, a loose end after Alberto's death and her time in Arkham. For someone like Viti, intimidation was supposed to be enough.

But we all know that Sofia was not the type to fold. With Oz backing her up, she turned the tables in the most brutal yet clever way possible. She uncovered his affair with Luca Falcone's wife, a scandalous piece of dirt that could destroy him if it ever came to light.

That affair wasn't just gossip — it became the bargaining chip she needed. Instead of being pushed out of the city, Sofia cornered Viti into giving her what she wanted: space and support to move forward with her Bliss operation.

What made this power play work in The Penguin was the teamwork between her and Oz. He wasn't the brains in that moment, but he was the muscle, the steady presence that made sure Viti knew Sofia meant business. Together, they showed Gotham that alliances are built on equal parts fear and necessity.

The role of Bliss and why Viti had no choice but to comply

Bliss was not just another drug in Gotham's underworld in The Penguin — it was the key to creating a new foothold in a city split between the Falcones and the Maronis. Sofia had the blueprint for how to distribute it, thanks to her time in Arkham, and Oz had the ambition to spread it across the streets.

What they lacked was family backing, and that's where Viti became essential.

He didn't support them out of loyalty, though. His silence was bought through blackmail, and his cooperation was secured because he had more to lose than to gain by crossing them.

Once Sofia showed him the evidence of his affair, he had no safe exit. That weakness became his leash. Viti may have still hated Sofia, but he wasn't about to risk his part in the Falcone family or even open himself up to Luca's anger.

For Oz, this was the turning point in The Penguin. With Viti out of the way, he and Sofia could present themselves as a united front, at least for now. Their fragile partnership revealed how tangled Gotham’s underworld could be, where every deal carried an unspoken threat.

The deal with Viti didn't erase Sofia's distrust of Oz, nor Oz's willingness to betray when it suited him, but it created the opening they needed to get Bliss moving on the streets.

The Penguin really does live on moments where desperation meets opportunity, and Oz and Sofia's win over Johnny Viti is perhaps the most perfect example. They didn't win his support through charm or respect but they forced his hand with secrets he couldn't afford to expose.

For Sofia, it was proof that she was far sharper than her family believed. For Oz, it was another lesson in how power in Gotham works: a place where loyalty is scarce, but fear and leverage hold the greatest value.

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Edited by Ritika Pal