By Elliot Lines September 12, 2024
Set within Matt Reeves' Batman universe, 'The Penguin' takes a dive into the origin story of one of DC's most famous villains. The series sees Oswald Cobb take on Gotham's criminal underworld in a bid to take over for himself. 'The Penguin' is a well-crafted crime thriller boasting interesting characters who come head-to-head to take control of the streets of Gotham.
Synopsis
Following the events of The Batman (2022), Oswald Cobblepot, a.k.a. the Penguin, makes a play to seize the reins of the crime world in Gotham.
Review
'The Penguin' directly follows the events of 'The Batman', where the Riddler (Paul Dano) flooded the streets of Gotham. Throughout the series, we see the aftermath of the destruction and how they have affected certain citizens, in particular the characters we are introduced to. The dark and gritty nature of Matt Reeves' universe is carried over into the series, giving this version of Gotham a dirty and dangerous feeling.
At the center of the show is an unrecognizable Colin Farrell, who only this week cited that he never wished to put on the Penguin suit again. Now you can probably see why, due to the heavy prosthetics this role entails, however, Farrell never lets this stand in the way of his performance. There is a likability to this character that may come as a surprise due to his criminal nature, but for some reason, you are rooting for him to succeed throughout the duration of the series. At his side, he takes under his wing a young man called Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz), a nervous kid who has been affected by the Riddler’s destruction. Vic grows throughout the series into someone Oz can trust, and is probably the character with the most development. The actor plays Vic's nervousness in such a way that complements Farrell's performance as Oz, which offers the characters a great balance when on screen together, ultimately making them more likable as a pairing than alone.
Oswald's main antagonist comes in the form of Sofia Falcone, played by Cristin Milioti. Milioti portrays a character recently released from Arkham Asylum, known as the Hangman. Throughout the series, you gain more insight into the Hangman and her origins. Milioti portrays Sofia in such a way that you can see her unstable character could break at any opportunity.
For all of these characters, the drive to take control of Gotham's streets is evident. This, however, comes with varying amounts of violence, in which the series doesn't hold back. There is no limit to what these characters may or may not do to get what they want, and they will obviously tread on anyone in their path. Even when you think it's time for them to give up, they have a plan and manage to get themselves out of the situation.
'The Penguin' does well to give growth to these characters, whether that comes in the form of the path they take in the main storyline or through the flashbacks we are treated to at the start of most episodes. These flashbacks help paint a picture of how these characters came to be who they are, but they also provide the series with surprises along the way, aiding the overall storyline. Sometimes, this creative choice can hinder storytelling; however, by placing these flashbacks at the beginning of the episodes, it is easy to fall back into the main storyline without becoming lost due to added information.
'The Penguin' embodies all the grittiness from Matt Reeves' Batman universe and shows Gotham's true colours in the form of this crime thriller, with a notorious villain at the helm. Whether we see Farrell back donning the prosthetics remains to be seen; however, this is a character worth spending time with, and 'The Penguin' may just be one of my favourite shows of the year.
Star Rating
'The Penguin' premieres on Max September 19
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