The Penguin plunges into Gotham’s dark underworld across eight gripping episodes, telling the story of Oswald “Oz” Cobb—a ruthless and layered character navigating a chilling world of power and survival. While Colin Farrell reprises his role in Matt Reeves’ The Batman (2022), this series isn’t just another superhero or supervillain tale. Instead, it stands out as a gritty, character-driven mob/crime drama. Imagine The Sopranos set in Gotham City, where the focus is on ambition, betrayal, and human flaws rather than capes and masks.

The Penguin picks up one week after the events of The Batman (2022), exploring Gotham City’s fractured crime families in the wake of the Riddler’s devastating attack. With mob boss Carmine Falcone (Mark Strong) dead and the city in chaos, Oswald Cobb, an employee of the Falcone family, seizes the opportunity to claim power. Determined to rise from underestimated lackey to criminal kingpin, Oz begins manipulating everyone around him, including Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz), a displaced teenager he unexpectedly takes under his wing. As Oz maneuvers through Gotham’s cutthroat landscape, he finds a formidable adversary in Sofia Falcone (Christin Milloti) , the sharp and ruthless daughter of his late boss, whose return from Arkham Asylum threatens to unravel Oz’s plans. 

Colin Farrell builds off a short yet excellent performance in The Batman, where we only got to see the outside of Oz and did not dive into his personal life. Unrecognizable in the makeup and prosthetics, Farrell once again excels in his villainous, mob boss role. Farrell creates a character who is both merciless and painfully human. His version of the famous Batman villain is a crafty and ambitious gangster, unafraid to manipulate or destroy to get ahead. Unlike Danny Devito’s more comic book accurate portrayal of the character in 1992’s Batman Returns, Farrell’s performance is not a spectacle; he’s a man clawing his way up, and his mix of cunning and self-loathing makes him magnetic yet repellent.

Oz is a cold and ruthless climber in Gotham’s criminal underworld, unapologetically violent and manipulative as he commits horrifying acts without hesitation. The Penguin leans fully into his villainy, neither sanitizing his darkness nor asking the audience to root for him. Yet, amid the brutality, the show sprinkles just enough vulnerability to complicate our feelings. Whether through tender moments with Victor, a young orphan he takes under his wing (like Batman’s Robin, only far more sinister), or fleeting memories of his troubled childhood with his mother Francis and brothers Jack and Benny, Oz reveals a man shaped by neglect, desperation, and survival. These rare glimpses of humanity—a flicker of pain with his unstable mother or an uncharacteristic act of mercy—don’t redeem him, but they make him a layered and fascinating character, undeniably human despite his monstrous ambition. The narrative decision to use “Oswald Cobb” rather than his comic book name “Oswald Cobblepot” emphasizes the character’s humanity. It strips away the caricature of the comic book villain and replaces it with a name that grounds him in reality. 

Cristin Milioti’s (known for her role as the titular mother in CBS’s How I Met Your Mother) Sofia Falcone is a standout throughout the series, serving as both a foil and an equal to Oz. Recently released from Arkham Asylum, Sofia returns to Gotham with sharp instincts and a relentless drive to reclaim her family’s legacy. Milioti’s performance layers susceptibility with ferocity, portraying Sofia as a woman scarred by betrayal but unwilling to back down. Her relationship with Oz crackles with tension, a mix of shared history, mutual distrust, and the ever-present threat of betrayal. Their scenes together feel like a chess match, each move steeped in strategy and emotion.

Beyond the leads, Deirdre O’Connell delivers a haunting performance as Oz’s mentally unstable mother, Francis. Her presence deepens the narrative, with her health issues adding to the stakes and the shedding light on the roots of Oz’s psyche and his twisted drive for validation from his mother. Meanwhile, Rhenzy Feliz (Marvel’s Runaways and Disney’s Encanto) as Victor Aguilar brings warmth and humanity to the story. As Oz’s driver and reluctant confidant, Victor offers a glimpse of hope amid the darkness, his naivety and charm contrasting sharply with Gotham’s brutal underworld. Clancy Brown (who most FSS students may know as Mr.Krabs from Spongebob) brings commanding intensity to mob boss Salvatore Maroni, Gotham’s veteran crime lord. His understated menace and sharp cunning make him a formidable force in the city’s underworld, adding tension and weight to every scene he’s in. These performances enrich the series, adding depth and texture to a story of ambition, power, and survival.

The Penguin isn’t about heroes or antiheroes. It’s about the shadows where humanity’s worst instincts thrive. By refusing to make Oz easily likable, the show challenges us to engage with his character on a deeper level, making it one of the most compelling crime dramas of the year. I hope after The Batman Part II releases in 2026, they bring back this excellent show for a second season. While there could be a number of reasons for this—perhaps Robert Pattinson wasn’t available for a cameo, or maybe Matt Reeves wanted to keep the focus firmly on Oz and his world—to me it’s a bit of a missed opportunity. A brief Batman appearance, even as a shadowy figure, could have added an extra layer of tension and made him feel like an ever-present force, as he was portrayed in his movie. 

The Penguin isn’t about heroes or antiheroes. It’s about the shadows where humanity’s worst instincts thrive. By refusing to make Oz easily likable, the show challenges us to engage with his character on a deeper level, making it one of the most compelling crime dramas of the year. I hope after The Batman Part II releases in 2026, they bring back this excellent show for a second season.