The Penguin: Season One – Review
If you had asked me a couple of years ago about which DC character I would like to see in their own television series, the Penguin would not have been near the top of the list. In the comics, he is just not that interesting of a character.
Enter Colin Farrell’s portrayal of the Penguin in Matt Reeve’s The Batman movie. Putting aside the incredible physical transformation of Farrell into Oswald Cobb, the Penguin has had new life breathed into him.
The initial premise was not that original. There is Cobb, trying to get ahead while caught in the middle of the mob war in Gotham between the Falcones and the Maronis. We have seen this before in the Gotham television series.
To be honest, it really was not the plot that made this series, although it was fine enough. It was the characterization and development, especially of Oz Cobb and Sofia Falcone.
I was thinking about the genre of this series. It is not actually a superhero show and no, Batman never appears. It is a show about organized crime, but it is more than that. In many ways, it is a psychological thriller in the best sense of the term. It delves into the psychology of the characters and invites us to be part of the tour.
Much has been said about Cristin Milioti’s portrayal of Sofia and rightfully so. A character that is not that well known is introduced to us in a way that we like and fear and sympathize and despise.
And then there is Oz. This season presents Oswald Cobb but leaves us guessing for much of it in terms of who and what he is. In some ways he seems like a likeable person, at least for a criminal. Or is he a monster? How did he become like he is? Is he just misunderstood? The season does end with coming down on one side of this debate.
The Penguin was a great series that sets us up nicely for the sequel to the Batman and hopefully a second season of the Penguin. This show is violent and disturbing but also thoughtful and stretching. Highly recommended.
