Rating – **** (4/5)
The Penguin
Cast: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Clancy Brown, Rhenzy Feliz & more
Based on: Penguin by Bill Finger & Bob Kane
Showrunner: Lauren LeFranc
Streaming on: JioCinema Premium
Making a show about another character from the dark and devious world of Batman seems like an excess right from the idea of it. But the critical and commercial success of Robert Pattinson led The Batman over a couple of years ago spawned the idea of creating a spin-off (another) show in the form of The Penguin, which is the rise of Oz Cobb through the ranks to be the next big guy in the world of underworld.
You can trust DC to only go ahead with the idea of bringing in the director of Batman as the executive producer for the show to create a world for The Penguin that’s exciting, mysterious, engaging and fascinating.
Picking up right where The Batman ended, the power game in the world of the mafia has changed as deceased Falcone’s son, Alberto is the obvious heir to being the kingpin but his drug and alcohol addiction doesn’t help his case. On the other hand, Cobb’s lounge, Iceberg, after facing the aftermath of the floods is currently in ruins and an encounter with Alberto doesn’t go as planned. Then comes Sophia Falcone (Cristin Milioti), who is searching for her brother and just got out of rehab herself.
It might only have been one episode but the creators are able to hook you on to proceedings instantly and in a mere hour of runtime of the episode, so much happens that it almost feels like a satisfactory film that began from point A to point B. Of course, we are just getting started.
There is a consistently reminiscent thought process of remembering The Sopranos and you can’t help but see the parallels in terms of character development, world-building and even the performances – but I say this in the most pleasant way and not insiunating that The Penguin apes The Sopranos in any way.
Colin Farrell isn’t just unrecognisable as Oz but he is able to carry the heavily-laden prosthetics with such ease and that helps you forget that the man inside those prosthetics is a actually a conventionally handsome man. Farrell doesn’t just physically transform but emotionally becomes Oz, who understands the things he needs to do to make a name for himself, do the dirty work to establish a name, be an overweight conventionally ugly man who limps, has a scar on his face and while he is never comfortable physically, his aura gradually rises.
DC’s ability to be dark is almost a double-edged sword in itself for the studio where, when done right, the intricacies and detailing in telling a story about yet another DC world character becomes a masterclass in itself and The Penguin is no different. Also, Cristin Milioti is phenomenal and almost too scary!
A show from the world of The Batman without Batman is now a common occurrence but if these are the levels the creators are able to achieve in being about the world and not about Batman, please keep going! It’s after a long time when you have seen one episode and you already cannot wait for to come.