Since 1997’s Batman & Robin landed him a prison sentence for his over-the-top criminal behavior, the masked avenger has increasingly attracted older superhero fans.
The Dark Knight was touted as a Michael Mann-style thriller. In Joker, Scorsese’s New York was replaced with Gotham. Hot on the heels of Matt Reeves’ 2022 reboot The Batman – itself a nod to David Fincher’s serial killer thriller Seven – The Penguin comes in the form of a gritty HBO crime drama.
Colin Farrell returns as Oz Cobb (Oswald Cobblepot? Never heard of him), the sneering gangster who runs Gotham’s exclusive Iceberg Lounge. But don’t call him “Penguin”: Across eight one-hour episodes, the show (created by Lauren LeFranc, with Reeves serving as executive producer) tackles the bruised ego and vicious temper of the iconic Batman foe as he tries to wring some respect from his name.
A brief recap is necessary. In the climax of The Batman, the Riddler killed the fearsome mob boss Carmine Falcone and staged a mass flood to clean up the crime-ridden metropolis of Gotham. The resulting shockwave threw the underworld’s major players into turmoil – a power vacuum that Cobb quickly exploited by improvising a gang war.
Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) is the daughter of the late mafia boss Carmine Falcone. (Delivered: Binge)
Caught in the crossfire is Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti; Palm Springs), a newcomer from Arkham Asylum (ominously nicknamed “The Hangman”) who takes over the family business. The crime heiress lives up to her reputation, efficiently venting her anger with barbed wire, handguns, and a big smile. Although – not unlike Arthur Fleck in 2019’s Joker – she is portrayed more as a tragic figure who is marginalized.
The Penguin gets to take a sidekick under his wing, entertainingly beating the previous three Batman versions. Rhenzy Feliz (Encanto) plays Victor Aguilar (the last name means “Treasure of the Eagles”), a reluctant petty criminal living in the ruins of Gotham after his life was washed away by the Flood. Although mild-mannered and stuttering, the young crook proves to be a useful accomplice to Oswald, who sees his own reflection in Aguilar’s life of hardship.
What happens when a monster raises someone in his own image? The Penguin seems sadly uninterested in this regard. There is little tension in a character like Aguilar, whose reservations about the morally reprehensible demands placed on him are fleeting at best. For a show that pays lip service to class and power structures, it completely neglects the perspective of a young person of color; he never develops into his own villain.
While Cobb takes on the production of a new illegal substance (a stimulant derived from mushroom spores), the Penguin delves into the inner workings of the drug trade, including the obligatory double crosses, false flags, negotiations and executions.
Clancy Brown as Salvatore Maroni (l.) and Colin Farrell as the title character. (Delivered: Binge)
The series is compelling in this regard, but suffers from the usual compulsion to rearrange the status quo every few episodes. Storylines and character arcs are constantly introduced and discarded to increase tension. But this ultimately kills any momentum, particularly in the intriguing relationship between Sofia and Oz – it turns out he was once her chauffeur. Much like The Acolyte and House of the Dragon, the resulting season only has a handful of episodes before it settles on a direction.
Although the series serves as an extension of the brand for Robert Pattinson’s Batman, those looking to scour the series for Easter eggs and Bruce Wayne sightings will be disappointed. If there’s one reason to watch the series, it’s to admire Farrell’s devotion to this obnoxiously egotistical antihero. Encased in the impressive mask (courtesy of Michael Marino), he resembles a snarling mutt with gold fillings.
Cristin Milioti portrays Sofia Falcone as a tragic figure who is marginalized. (Delivered: Binge)
It’s undoubtedly a gimmicky stunt, bordering on grotesque caricature, but Farrell manages to project a vulnerability through these extensive prosthetics that comes across as genuine. Frankly, the Irish actor could have cracked more jokes with his drawn-out New York accent, which provided some of The Batman’s biggest laughs. Cobb is better used as a supporting player than the focus of a serious character study.
Batman’s grungy 2022 reboot may have impressed as a politically conscious, M-rated blockbuster, but Reeves’ vision of Gotham provides a trembling foundation for an original HBO drama, with more than just a passing nod to TV heavyweights like The Sopranos.
No blood, no drugs, and no vulgar language (true to the style of modern superheroes, the show is strictly sexless) can distract from the thin ice beneath the Penguin’s waddling feet.
“The Penguin” is now streaming on Binge.
