The Penguin

 

Following the death of his boss Carmine Falcone, Ozwald “Oz” Cobb (Colin Farrell) aims to take control of Gotham City’s criminal underworld. However, the surviving members of the Falcone family stand in his way, including Carmine’s daughter Sofia (Crisin Milioti). Released from Arkham State Hospital where she was committed following a series of infamous Hangman murders, Sofia seeks revenge on those who wronged and ignored her. Oz senses a chance to form an alliance, but also hedges his bets by reaching out to the incarcerated Sal Maroni (Clancy Brown), the Falcones’ sworn enemy all while giving his young apprentice Victor (Rhenzy Feliz) an education on what it takes to survive.

 

Superheroless superhero spinoffs remain a dumb idea, and Sony’s abysmal Spider-Man Universe (sans Spider-Man) should kill any ambitions in that direction for years to come. Despite this, The Penguin – an HBO Batman spinoff series without Batman – somehow largely works. Its mature, grounded, character-driven approach, coupled with powerful acting, allow it to rise above the constraints of its premise.

 

Farrell, unrecognizable under heavy makeup and sporting a New York accent, made his debut in Matt Reeves’ The Batman, conjuring Al Capone-on-the-rise in his limited screentime. The Capone vibes remain, but in an expanded role, Oz shows several other influences ranging from Tony Soprano to the James Cagney gangsters of yore. Rather than the refined (or, at least, faux-refined) gentleman of the source material, this Penguin is a lower-class power-hungry lout with a massive chip on his shoulder. He’s affable and capable of commiserating with others, but he will also do whatever it takes to rise to the top.

 

While Farrell turns in a strong performance, Milioti matches it in complexity and impact. This version of Sofia is given a far more sympathetic backstory and a far more adversarial relationship with her family than exists in the source material. Milioti conveys both an icy calm and a righteous fury as she works her way through processing years of trauma. The supporting cast, from Feliz (overwhelmed wide-eyed newcomer meets resourceful quick thinker) to Brown (reliably intimidating) to Deirdre O’Connell (as Oz’s dementia-afflicted mother) are good as well though Theo Rossi is a bit distracting in an underwritten role as a crooked psychologist.

 

Credit also goes to showrunner Lauren LeFranc who succeeded in sustaining tension and maintaining a bleak and gritty tone. From its violence to the deep losses many of its characters face, The Penguin is a starkly brutal show, lacking the both the zaniness as well as the fun of earlier small-screen Bat fare such as Gotham. That might suggest a joyless slog, but thanks to high production values, an eclectic soundtrack, and glimmers of humanity amid the muck, it usually doesn’t play that way.

 

In a vacuum, The Penguin is worth a look as a character study that pits damaged souls against each other with increasingly high stakes. As part of a larger mythology, it sets up the next Batman film and then some.