A TV series about Penguin never works? Are you kidding me? Are you serious when you say that! Image source: HBO/DC Studios
Are you tired of the countless comic film adaptations of the last few years? Even as a big fan of the template, I can’t blame you. Even for me, given the countless adaptations of the last few years, it’s something like that Marvel fatigue
set. Especially because large studios sometimes rely on quantity instead of quality.
Of course, exceptions prove the rule. Because I definitely don’t want to complain about fantastic comic series like The Boys or Watchmen. Now there’s a new highlight that goes hand in hand with my favorite comic hero: With The Penguin, the eponymous Batman villain has been given his own solo series.
All eight episodes are now available and I can only advise everyone who has missed this great series so far: Be sure to check out The Penguin!
What is The Penguin about?
The Penguin follows the events of The Batman quite directly. And yes, you should definitely see Matt Reeves’ DC film before watching the TV series. Because The Penguin is unmistakably a sequel to The Batman and builds on a few of the film’s most important plot points.
If you haven’t seen The Batman yet, here is the express spoiler warning!
After the Riddler (Paul Dano) murdered gangster boss Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), a power vacuum has arisen in the underworld of Gotham City. It’s not just the two feuding families of the Carmines and Maronis that are trying to fill this: Oz Cobb – better known as the Penguin – also sees his chance to climb up the career ladder.
Oz is now trying to play the new family heads Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) and Salvatore Maroni (Clancy Brown) off against each other. Any means is acceptable to him, which Oz proves again and again through sometimes cruel, sometimes vile actions.
Get a concrete impression of the new series the official trailer:
2:20
The Penguin: Oswald Cobblepot takes on Gotham in the official trailer for the Batman series
What makes The Penguin so worth watching?
The Penguin is an uncomprom ising crime drama
This is ensured by the complex and brilliantly played characters across the board (along with Colin Farrell, especially Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone). The criminals of Gotham are all hateful and despicable, yet almost every one of them brings with them an unmistakable likeability.
The not-so-secret scene stealer from The Penguin: Cristin Milioti in the role of Sofia Falcone. Image source: HBO/DC Studios
But The Penguin never forgets who the bloody fight for the underworld revolves around and what has to be accepted for it: Time and again the Carmines, Falcones and of course Oz are able to prove why their gang war is already consistent in the Batman comic book causing headaches.
On top of that, The Penguin is masterfully staged and extremely atmospheric. Most of the scenes about rainy and dirty Gotham look like they were filmed for The Batman. Modern TV series are increasingly coming with a glossy, cinematic look and The Penguin is no exception.
With all the praise, it’s not exactly surprising that The Penguin has struck a chord with critics and audiences alike. On Rotten Tomatoes
Where can I stream The Penguin?
In Europey, The Penguin is available as a subscription on Wow or Sky Go.
You currently won’t find what you’re looking for with competing streaming providers such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, Apple TV+ and Co. If you don’t have Wow/Sky Go, now is the perfect time for a trial subscription: Now you can watch all eight episodes in one go and don’t have to wait for the weekly release of new episodes.
Something like the Robin to Oz Cobb’s Penguin: Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz). Image source: HBO/DC Studios
Will The Penguin get a season 2?
At this point, a second season for The Penguin has not been officially confirmed. But the chances are pretty good that the story about Oz Cobb will continue. If not as part of another season, then at least as part of The Batman 2.
Colin Farrell has already confirmed that he will play a role in director Matt Reeves’ planned sequel (via Deadline). Maybe there could be another episode after its theatrical release on 1 October 2026 consequences. After all, Reeves is planning an entire trilogy for Robert Pattinson as Batman, while further TV spin-offs are to follow.
But we have to be patient in this regard – The Batman 2 alone is still a long time coming.
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