By Eli Funaro
Gotham City sleeps with the fishes as Oswald Cobb takes over the criminal underworld. Not only do many gangsters get dropped, but Gotham is literally underwater. Taking place after the events of Matt Reeves The Batman movie, the poverty stricken slums are flooded from the Riddler’s attack. It is in this disaster zone that Oz makes his play to become the new mob boss in one of the best comic book TV series ever made.
Influenced by crime dramas like Goodfellas, The Sopranos and The Godfather, The Penguin follows the classic Batman villain’s rise to power. He plots and schemes his way to the top, eliminating all adversaries in his path. Once a low- ranking thug for the Falcone crime family, overlooked and underestimated, Oswald cons and pits various gangs against each other, slowly taking over the streets of Gotham City.
Colin Farrell is amazing as Oswald Cobb, completely disappearing into the character, totally utilizing the Make-Up EFX, and speaking in a flawless East Coast accent. It is one of the best performances of his career. Like in The Batman, where he stole the movie in every scene he was in, Farrell continues to be captivating as The Penguin.
The series also features Rhenzy Feliz as Victor Aguilar, a street hood who Oz takes under his wing. Together they navigate the streets taking advantage of the criminal power struggle. Vic grew up in the Gotham slums longing for a better life and resorts to crime to get ahead. It’s easy to sympathize with Vic who becomes Oswald’s trusty right hand in his quest for gangster supremacy.
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Rounding out the cast is Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone. Daughter of mob boss Carmine, Sofia is released from Arkham Asylum and is out for vengeance at those who have wronged her. She becomes Oswald’s arch nemesis in this mob war. Sofia chews the scenery and gives the series an intense dramatic anchor. Through Sofia’s character, the vile corruption of her father’s criminal organization is revealed.
The Penguin also highlights the twisted relationship he has with his mother, played by Deirdre O’Connell. She is Oswald’s motivation to desire more power. Taking inspiration from the Penguin: Pain and Prejudice comic book story arc, it goes into sick detail of Oswald’s sadistic and homicidal nature. While the show has plenty of comic book references, they all take a backseat to the crime noir tone.
Like the best gangster movies, The Penguin is ultimately a tragedy. There are no happy endings in Scarface, King of New York, New Jack City , Carlito’s Way, or the Irishman. There may be a fascination with Mob movies, how its fun to watch these charismatic criminals buck the system, but they all end badly. That’s the point. While the lifestyle may be attractive, they are still bad guys who are thieves and murderers.
The Penguin draws parallels to The Godfather Part 2, where Michael Corleone makes his final descent into evil. The Penguin is a reminder, that Oswald is not a hero, or a gangster with a heart of gold or code of honor. The season finale is a heartbreaking gut punch that Oswald Cobb was never a good guy. With every shred of humanity gone, the Penguin is a villain.
Overall, The Penguin is a captivating character study on Oswaldo Cobb’s take over of Gotham’s gangland. Colin Farrell gives an amazing performance as does Crisiti Milioti as Sofia Falcone. Inspired by the best gangster tales like Goodfellas and The Sopranos, the show doesn’t try to make an anti-hero out of The Penguin, instead it’s a reminder the that there is no sympathy for a scheming murderer like Oz. The Penguin is a crime drama which proves that great comic book adaptions can be made. It’s so well done, it even manages to make the audience forget about Batman.
5/5
