September 25, 2024 4 min read
Although Farrell reprises his role from Matt Reeves' The Batman (2022), and the story picks up right after Gotham’s near-collapse at the hands of the Riddler, it’s best not to think of The Penguin as just another entry in the Batverse. Instead, imagine it more like a gritty, YA Sopranos—a dark, human tale of ambition and crime. Here, the villainy feels grounded. Oswald Cobblepot, now known simply as Oz Cobb, is far removed from the cartoonish villain you might expect.
The series is slick and fast-paced, leaving out the Caped Crusader entirely. At the heart of it is Colin Farrell, delivering a performance that's nothing short of a revelation. The show’s twists and turns are so relentless they’ll leave you breathless.
In the aftermath of Carmine Falcone’s death, a power vacuum grips Gotham’s underworld. The series zeroes in on Oz, a mid-level gangster running a nightclub and part of the city’s drug trade, yet never truly respected by the larger criminal world. What sets this story apart is the raw humanity behind Oz’s motives. His desire for respect, for legitimacy, drives him forward in a deadly dance of ambition. What could have been just another soulless franchise spinoff instead becomes a layered exploration of one man’s relentless climb to power. It’s a deeply human portrayal of a figure once thought of as little more than a caricature.
Cobb takes his first major step toward power by eliminating Carmine Falcone’s son, Alberto—a feeble heir, easy to remove. The confrontation between the two is brutal, the emotional weight of their exchange hitting nearly as hard as Alberto's eventual death. From this moment, the show signals to viewers that they are in for something far superior to a typical crime drama. It immediately sets the bar high, aiming to meet—and possibly exceed—the lofty expectations of its audience.
Cristin Milioti steps into the role of Sofia, Alberto’s far more capable sister, who has just been released from Arkham Asylum after a decade spent paying for a string of murders she may or may not have committed. A fragile bond begins to form between Sofia and Cobb, rooted in a shared history—Cobb used to be her driver in their younger days. Both of them know the sting of being overlooked in favor of lesser men.
However, as their connection deepens, so do Sofia’s suspicions. She begins to sense Cobb’s involvement in her brother’s death, and what starts as a tentative alliance quickly becomes strained. Eventually, the trust between them shatters, leaving Sofia torn between her desire for justice and her old ties to Cobb. Their relationship adds layers of tension and tragedy to the narrative, making the series even richer in its portrayal of loyalty, betrayal, and the hunger for power.
Cobb brings a teenage boy, Victor (played by Rhenzy Feliz), into his world—a gentle soul who’s lost everything in the flood that devastated the city. Homeless and alone, Victor is trying to survive when Cobb recruits him as his driver and assistant. But what unfolds between them is more than just a working relationship. Cobb takes Victor under his wing (no pun intended; this isn’t that kind of show), and their dynamic is marked by moments of unexpected tenderness. It’s in these moments that we see glimpses of who Cobb might have become if only things had been different—if either nature or nurture had taken a kinder path. This question, of how much of who we are is shaped by our environment versus what we are born into, is one of the central themes The Penguin explores.
Cobb’s mentally unstable mother, Francis (played by Deirdre O’Connell), is introduced to deepen this exploration. She slowly becomes a key piece of the puzzle that is Cobb’s origin, helping to reveal the complexity of his character.
Yet despite these deeper themes, the show never lets anything get in the way of its tight, fast-paced storytelling. The plotting is sharp and relentless, with Cobb constantly teetering on the edge of triumph or disaster. The audience is left breathless, never quite sure which way the next twist will take him.
Farrell, despite being hidden beneath layers of prosthetics, delivers a performance that is truly revelatory. He manages to keep Cobb’s desperation—his deep, aching need to be seen, to be valued—just beneath the surface of his ruthless, cutthroat exterior. We catch brief but poignant glimpses of the man he could have been, especially in his interactions with Sofia, his sort-of girlfriend, and Victor. These fleeting moments of vulnerability make us mourn the loss of the man he never had the chance to become.
In the end, The Penguin is a sleek, powerful show that balances action with heart, capturing the attention of existing fans while drawing in a whole new audience. Farrell’s performance is so compelling, so layered, that it feels inevitable he’ll soon be swimming in a sea of awards.
As The Penguin soars beyond expectations, delivering a gripping, emotionally charged tale of ambition, betrayal, and the human struggle for power, it firmly establishes itself as more than just a spin-off—it’s a dark, sophisticated exploration of what it means to fight for your place in a broken world. With Colin Farrell’s breathtaking performance at its core, this series offers a fresh, deeply human perspective on Gotham’s underworld, making it essential viewing for both hardcore fans and newcomers alike.
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