There have been many attempts at comic-book spin-off shows, with the majority being largely disappointing. However, a show about a crime boss with a limp and a Jersey accent has shown that not all hope is lost.
“The Penguin” is a spin-off to the 2022 film “The Batman” and stars Colin Farrell as the titular gangster, Oz Cobb. The show follows him as he attempts to take hold of the Gotham City crime world after the death of mob leader Carmine Falcone. It also brings in Carmine’s daughter Sofia, played by Cristin Milioti, as she tries to escape her father’s shadow and establish her own control over Gotham.
It’s when Oz and Sofia are interacting that the show is at its best, with the pair seen first as longtime acquaintances, and by the end of the season, as enemies. They both have deep, dark pasts that have shaped who they are, leading to riveting and engaging moments between the two. It would be a shock if Farrell and Milioti don’t both get nominated for an Emmy for their superb acting that practically guides the show.
It’s not only the two leads that are great, however, as the supporting cast adds layers to the show that other comic-book series simply don’t have. Oz’s mother Francis, played wonderfully by Deirde O’Connell, is what keeps him in check, and it is the soft spot of an otherwise cold and calculated man.
In fact, it’s Oz’s care for his mother that winds up being his downfall, as the personal responsibility of caring for her slowly impacts his professional life to the point of there being no separation between the two by the end of the season.
Victor Aguilar, played by Rhenzy Feliz, is Oz’s assistant in his unlawful endeavors and is undoubtedly the character that undergoes the most change and development from start to finish. He starts as a softhearted and easily intimidated street dweller but ends up as the strong and determined centerpiece of Oz’s entire operation.
As for the episodes themselves, the best comparison is a train slowly gaining momentum until it reaches full speed. Aside from the shocking opening scene that sets up the whole series, the first few episodes are largely tame, laying a multitude of different foundations but not building upon them. The second half of the season, however, pays off those setups. With some of the most engaging episodes and gut-wrenching cliffhangers in recent memory, the show leaves the viewer questioning whether or not staying on the couch for a week until the next episode releases is a practical option.
The guiding force of the season, along with the 2022 film it follows, is the dark and gritty nature of this version of Gotham City. It isn’t the fantastical dystopia of “Batman,” nor is it the copy-and-paste of Chicago from “The Dark Knight.” It feels like a dark and realistic yet independent American city that blends elements such as the slums of New York, the deadly drug trade of Chicago and the thick northeastern accents of Boston.
Show creator and “The Batman” writer and director Matt Reeves deserves all of the credit for his exquisite worldbuilding, as it’s that factor that creates a groundedness most other Batman films and TV shows simply don’t possess.
On a broader scale, “The Penguin” not only establishes itself as a pure juggernaut in the TV space, but it also creates story threads and sets up future implications for “The Batman: Part II.”
Fortunately, it doesn’t commit the popular mistake of Marvel, making films and TV shows prerequisites to comprehending the film that they set up. “The Penguin” acts like salt to an already flavorful product — not necessary, but complementary.
Overall, there have been perhaps no more masterfully written, acted and structured TV series than “The Penguin” in the comic book space, and maybe even beyond. Farrell, Milioti and Reeves, along with other phenomenal supporting figures, have crafted a strong and powerful season of television that may act as the blueprint for future superhero series to come.
