Earlier this year, my husband and I went on a journey to discover some of the classic movies I missed out on during my childhood. I’ve had the most fun learning about the iconic stories of Batman through the movies and video games. It’s safe to say, we’re pretty engrossed in the lore, so naturally, we were stoked when HBO Max announced a new series called The Penguin.

Similar to my previous reviews, I’ll be diving into the plot of the series and sharing spoilers. If you haven’t finished watching it yet, this is your fair warning to pause, catch up on the episodes, and then come back to hear my thoughts on the show. 

The Penguin was an eight-part series that streamed on HBO Max exclusively and followed the life of Cobblepot, one of Batman’s many foes. It picked up right at the end of The Batman, released in 2022, and introduced many new characters to shape the progression of one of the most infamous villains in Gotham City. 

The Penguin, also known as Oswald Cobblepot or Oz for short, set out to take down the formidable Maroni and Falcone families who controlled most of the money and drugs in the city. It was originally a solo mission, but over the course of the series, Oz partnered up with other crime families by promising the foot soldiers a more equitable seat at the table. He was able to garner their support and get things moving and shaking.  

We were granted flashbacks to when Oz was a lowly lieutenant driving for Sofia Falcone, the daughter of Carmine Falcone. He often felt overlooked and undervalued by her and her family, and quickly grew resentful towards them. He hatched a plan to get Sofia committed to Arkham Asylum by claiming she went crazy and killed seven women, despite the murders being at the hand of her father. 

It’s hard to say if she was crazy before she was committed to Arkham, or if the asylum actually helped her step into the nefarious role of a villain. She tried to adjust the pecking order of her family respectfully before she was sent away, but after learning of the horrible way her father and family cast her aside, she was determined to get justice in her own way. She ultimately killed all of her family except for her niece, Gia.

Sofia quickly became the main villain and wild card that wanted Oz dead no matter what after she found out that he killed her brother, Alberto. She wasn’t above using her strange doctor lover from Arkham and psychotherapy so his mother could reveal childhood secrets or even any of the dispensable foot soldiers she cared little to nothing about. Her hatred for Oz consumed her in a way that was palpable as the series went on. 

Personally, I enjoyed Sofia’s story arc and I really appreciated that she didn’t do the right thing. I thought it was cool when she changed her and the family’s name to Gigante just to spite the memory of her father. Cristin Milioti did a really great job acting as a slightly deranged, conniving, scorned daughter of a drug lord. It seemed she was always two steps ahead…until she fatally wasn’t. 

Another character named Victor Aguillar was devastated by the bombing at the end of The Batman, and had a vital role in progressing the story line. He evolved from a scared kid to second in command to a criminal with life or death stakes. Without his help, Oz wouldn’t have been able to get his operation off the ground or garner the necessary assistance to set Sofia up at the very end. 

Over the course of the series, Victor gained his stripes and really remained loyal to The Penguin, who ultimately stabbed him in the back by killing him at the end. His death was pretty forced and a little unnecessary, but can be seen as a beacon to Oz’s character. He wasn’t above framing Sofia as The Hangman just like he wasn’t above killing his loyal right hand man. 

There was also the recurring character of Oz’s mom, Francis, and the later revelations that he actually left his two brothers in a sewer to drown when he was a child that provided a lot of context to how The Penguin came to be so heartless. When Sofia got close in her hunt to find Oz, he made sure to find a safe and discreet place for his mom since she suffered from Parkinson's and Lewy Body dementia. 

She made him promise that when she neared the end, that he would allow her to join her two lost sons, but at the end he chose to keep her alive in a vegetative state so she could see the penthouse view and riches he accomplished for her. I got the sense that he was searching for her love, acceptance, and pride, but would never receive it due to the decline in her health. 

Overall, I really enjoyed watching The Penguin. About halfway through, I thought Oz would die and it would be a limited series, but the story was beautifully written to allow a second season if they want. I’d imagine it’ll get renewed and the events will lead up to the next Batman movie set to be released in a few years. 

My absolute favorite parts of the season finale were the reference to Selena Kyle and the visual of the Bat Signal in the sky. The writers also did a great job ensuring no one character seemed like the good guy at the end, to keep the good guy legacy of Batman intact. While the events definitely provided context to why each character was flawed, it didn’t absolve them of their crimes, betrayals, or deceits throughout the series. 

Safe to say, I can’t wait until either season 2 of The Penguin comes out or we get a release date for the next Batman movie. Until then, my husband and I are making our way through the Netflix series The Diplomat and have LOVED it. Stay tuned for that series recap coming soon! 

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Signed, 

Jessica Marie