‘The Penguin’ premiere pleases in first two episodes

By Michael Bolcato

If you have been keeping up with the DC Universe, you would know that there have been a ton of updates. From James Gunn’s newly formed DC Studios to a sequel series of the highly iconic and critically acclaimed “Batman: The Animated Series” called “Batman: Caped Crusader,” it’s quite safe to say that DC is getting a heavy makeover thanks to Warner Bros. Discovery. In fact, Batman fans saw the release of the first two episodes of “The Penguin” miniseries last month, currently streaming on Max.

For those who don’t know, “The Penguin” is a spin-off of Matt Reeves’ 2022 film, “The Batman.” “The Penguin” is just the beginning of Reeves’ plan for his own Batman universe; a sequel for “The Batman” is set to come out in October 2026. 

“The Penguin” takes place shortly after the events of “The Batman,” where the Penguin, also known as Oswald “Oz” Cobb, goes from a nobody to one of Gotham City’s most notable gangsters. The series is a gangster crime-drama in the vein of “The Sopranos.” 

In fact, Colin Farrell’s performance of Cobb in “The Penguin” feels a lot like he could be Tony Soprano in a hypothetical reboot of the HBO hit series.

Overall, the performances in “The Penguin” are spectacular. There will be tough competition come the Emmys’ next award season. Farrell was a major highlight, of course. This universe’s Penguin has to be my favorite in any Batman media. Sorry, Tim Burton “Batman” fans, but Farrell absolutely crushes Danny Devito in terms of acting and performing the iconic Penguin character. 

Other fantastic performances include Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone, who fights Cobb to rule Gotham’s criminal underworld after being released from Arkham Asylum. Milioti’s performance in the show makes you want to hate her and hope the Penguin succeeds.

Clancy Brown as Salvatore Maroni was another great performance. He plays a retired powerful mob boss who helps Cobb rise up in the business of dealing drugs known as “drops.” Everyone knows Brown as the voice of Mr. Krabs from the animated show “Spongebob Squarepants.” However, he has also participated in several live-action productions throughout the years, including roles in the “Nightmare on Elm Street” remake and “John Wick: Chapter 4.” I couldn’t help thinking of Mr. Krabs as the mob boss any time Maroni would appear in the show. 

“The Penguin” has 8 episodes total, the first of which takes place one week following the events in the 2022 film “The Batman” as Cobb looks to take over Gotham’s criminal power structure.

There is quite a bit of on-screen or implied off-screen violence throughout the first episode titled “After Hours.” There is a scene where Falcone tortures Cobb, who is screaming while we see graphic displays of blood. This show is definitely not for kids, unlike most other Batman-related media, as the show is rated TV-MA for an adult audience.

In the second episode “Inside Man,” there is an excellent sequence involving a knife swap that demonstrates Cobb’s learned skills so far, but that is the only excitable moment. While not the most action-packed, “Inside Man” adds more depth to the story, such as the therapy session with Falcone and Cobb, which adds more character development to these two individuals. 

Overall, I would highly recommend “The Penguin,” especially if you were a fan of Reeves’ “The Batman” or crime-dramas such as “The Sopranos.” I can’t wait to see where “The Penguin” goes or what Reeves does next.

Michael Bolcato is a sophomore communications major