'The Penguin' overview: Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti ship the products in Gotham crime drama

Proper from the get-go, The Penguin finds itself in a sticky scenario.

The brand new collection from HBO serves as a sequel of types to Matt Reeves’s The Batman, however it will possibly’t danger altering the paradigm in Gotham Metropolis too a lot. In any case, Reeves has The Batman Half II to prep for, so The Penguin must preserve the taking part in discipline comparatively much like the tip of the primary film with a purpose to guarantee continuity between the movies. That leaves showrunner Lauren LeFranc with a seemingly small quantity of wiggle room to work with.

Fortunately, LeFranc and The Penguin are in a position to do rather a lot with that minimal area, conjuring up a grounded (if considerably by-product) crime drama that examines how Batman villain Oswald “Oz” Cobb (Colin Farrell) turned the monster he’s right this moment.

What’s The Penguin about?

The Penguin picks up within the aftermath of The Batman, with Gotham in whole disarray following the Riddler’s flooding of the town. Including to the chaos is the loss of life of mob boss Carmine Falcone. His demise has left an influence vacuum in Gotham’s felony underworld, and Oz, bored with taking part in second fiddle to rich mobsters, plans to fill that vacuum himself.

After all, that is simpler stated than performed. Positive, Ozmanages to dispatch of Carmine’s son and inheritor Alberto Falcone (Michael Zegen) pretty shortly. However that solely stirs up extra bother with the Falcone household — significantly with Carmine’s harmful daughter Sofia (Cristin Milioti), a reformed serial killer often called “The Hangman” who’s simply been launched from Arkham State Hospital.

Colin Farrell goes full Sopranos mode in The Penguin

Colin Farrell in “The Penguin.”
Credit score: HBO

As Oznavigates an online of crime and lies — largely of his personal making — on his method to the highest, The Penguin pays wholesome tribute to the crime dramas that preceded it. Most notable amongst them is HBO’s personal The Sopranos, with Oztaking on the position of a scarred Tony Soprano, full with some mommy problems with his personal. This fixed crime pastiche could be each a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, it permits us to get down and soiled for some street-level Gotham motion, with manufacturing designer Kalina Ivanov reveling in dirty alleyways and hideouts. On the opposite, it dangers sending The Penguin into generic gangster territory.

The Penguin largely steers away from any Batman-related enjoyable. (The Caped Crusader himself is absent, though not significantly missed or wanted right here.) So with out even a touch of the extra ridiculous components of earlier iterations of Oz — my kingdom for some sort of umbrella gun! — the collection can really feel unmoored from its supply materials. Why does this story have to heart on the Penguin? What separates it from different crime dramas earlier than it?

One reply? Farrell’s efficiency, which soars with the assistance of some spectacular prosthetics that render the Oscar nominee near-unrecognizable. As Oz, Farrell is a snarling drive to be reckoned with, all bold drive with a touch of enjoyable lurking beneath the floor. A number of particulars from The Penguin assist tease out this enjoyable aspect a little bit extra. Take, for instance, his affinity for Dolly Parton, or his diva-esque calls for that each one cilantro be picked from his meals. Nothing fairly hits the heights of his meme-worthy, “Holy God, what are you exhibiting me?” from The Batman, however Farrell nonetheless makes a meal of Ozs each response.

In principle, these comedic particulars soften Oz. They don’t seem to be the one story components to take action. Ozoften waxes poetic about mobster Rex Calabrese, whom he views as a sort of benevolent overlord in his neighborhood rising up. Rex’s position locally earned him a parade when he died, and Ozhopes to go away the same legacy. Look, he is already caring for his ailing mom Francis (Deirdre O’Connell) and taking teenager Victor (Rhenzy Felix) below his tuxedoed wing. What a pleasant man!

However in fact, these surface-level observations do not account for the truth that Ozalmost murdered Victor earlier than roping him into his schemes, or that Francis typically refers to her personal son as a satan. The Penguin takes nice pleasure in hinting that Ozmight even have some good in him, solely to show round and remind us how unhealthy he’s. That sample can really feel repetitive within the present’s center stretch, however The Penguin‘s ultimate two episodes ship some earth-shattering revelations that recontextualize fairly a little bit of what we have seen, deepening Ozbeyond just a few “cut price basement hustler,” as one character calls him.

Cristin Milioti steals The Penguin as Sofia Falcone

Cristin Milioti and Colin Farrell in “The Penguin.”
Credit score: HBO

Talking of earth-shattering, let’s speak in regards to the character who shortly turns into the star of The Penguin: Sofia Falcone. From the second she seems behind Oz, it is clear this mobster heiress is the one to observe. Milioti begins her run on the present taking part in Sofia as half sinister, half tragic determine who is likely to be greater than the villain others label her to be. But because the present goes on, she transforms right into a extra assured menace — and The Penguin is all the higher for it.

The Penguin‘s earlier episodes can drag a tad, loaded down with gangster worldbuilding it seems like we have seen a thousand occasions earlier than. But it surely actually kicks it into excessive gear in its fourth episode, which focuses on how Sofia wound up at Arkham and can be damaged by the power’s cruelty. Milioti is equally susceptible and ferocious all through, and once we lastly catch as much as her within the current day, she all however runs away with the present. It seems like we have been handled to a bait and change: Ozand Farrell are good enjoyable and all, however Sofia is the guts of The Penguin — and the explanation I saved tuning again in.

The Penguin premieres Sept. 19 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.