The following reveals major spoilers for season 1 of The Penguin, now streaming on Max.
The Penguin Season 1 focuses on Colin Farrell’s Oswald “Oz” Cobb as he attempts to take control of a convulsed Gotham plagued by gangsters. After The BatmanCarmine Falcone is dead, so Oz sees opportunity in a power vacuum.
Oz’s plan is to get the Maroni and Falcone clans to kill each other, with the other gangs agreeing to work with him. Surprisingly, the Penguin succeeds in eight episodes of intrigue, drama, mystery, action and romance. With that in mind, here’s a full breakdown of how these episodes stack up.
8 The Penguin sets the stage for chaos
Episode 1, “After Hours”
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“After Hours” is about Oz looking like Littlefinger from Game of Thrones. He murders Sofia Falcone’s brother, Alberto, and begins plotting to rule the city. This chapter shows how conniving Oz is, but also how cerebral Sofia can be.. They match each other quite well in what is. for all intents and purposes, a retooled Greek tragedy about avarice. While there’s a lot of talking, Sofia goes on a rampage, killing a teenager after torturing Oz for answers about Alberto.
Penguin Season 1 Details
|
Showrunner |
Start date |
End date |
Rotten Tomatoes Score |
|
Lauren LeFranc |
September 19, 2024 |
November 10, 2024 |
95% |
The first episode shows fans that this series is about action, blood and betrayal, giving a nod to characters like The Sopranos And The godfather. To top it all off, it stars Rhenzy Feliz’s Victor Aguilar as Penguin’s Robin, of sorts, in the midst of an intense new gang war. He saves Oz, turns Sofia away, and lays the groundwork for a dark mentorship. It’s a chapter filled with sharp montages, moving character portraits, and biting aggression – a formula and creative pace that other episodes would follow.
7 The Penguin highlights the genius of Oz
Episode 3, “Happiness”
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Oz continues to talk a lot as the series progresses, although his forked tongue doesn’t work all the time. This makes him look fishy. But in “Bliss”, he becomes friendly and sympathetic to the point that Sofia is fooled into partnering with him to distribute the Bliss drug that she derived from her time in Arkham. It also helps the audience feel compassion and empathy for her, as a woman trying to make her way in a misogynistic and oppressive Gotham – themes that Selina Kyle explored in Matt Reeves. The Batman.
Plus, Oz gives epic speeches to convince Vic not to leave Gotham for Los Angeles. Oz plans an empire, using things like poverty and social justice to attract new members.. It’s a stark reminder that this version of Penguin has a valid reason for wanting to go after the corrupt elites who have made people like him pariahs. This makes him likable and further builds his facade as someone people can work with.
6 The Penguin almost breaks up Oz and Sofia
Episode 2, “Inside the Man”
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Before Oz and Sofia’s partnership solidifies, “Inside Man” has the energy of The deceased. Oz has to hide the fact that he’s turning in the Maronis, while Sofia has to find a way to survive, because it’s clear that her father’s family doesn’t want her around.. This makes both people dig deep. Oz kills to hide his secrets, while Sofia must find a way to stop being a victim.
Sofia can’t be a damsel in distress, causing her to turn into a queen like Rhaenyra did in Dragon House for his claim of his birthright to Falcone. This builds his alliance with Oz and places them in the belly of the Falcone clan beast. This is one of the most dramatic and terrifying episodes of The Penguin as Sofia realizes that her heritage may not be all it claims to be.
5 The Penguin unleashes Sofia’s dark side
Episode 4, “Cent’Anni”
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The Sofia-centric episode, “Cent’Anni,” allows Cristin Milioti to shine, to the point where people are expecting her to win an Emmy for this performance. It’s balanced in the past, showing how Carmine framed her for the Hangman murders. He reveals how she went to Arkham, was tortured and made a scapegoat. She survived by becoming a violent psychopath over the years.
It tells of his greatest moment in the present: poisoning his family, except for young Gia. This left fans stunned, as Sofia shows that even though the show doesn’t have a Joker, she can be just as intimidating and demanding.. Sofia must take power actions and, without immediate relatives, distant members of the family tree must suffer. It’s a powerful and poignant way to show that Sofia will reshape her family’s dynasty, especially after harsh truths about her mother’s death are revealed.
4 The Penguin is an emotional roller coaster
Episode 6, “Golden Summit”
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In “Gold Summit”, Oz goes into hiding once the truth is revealed about his role in the Maronis and the Falcones. He rallies the small gangs to work with him and climb the “gold peak”. It’s another tour de force from Farrell, as Oz talks about how blue-collar workers need to outshine their bosses. Vic even kills Squid (a dissident) to assert his dominance in Crown Point, claiming that Oz is a poison that infects criminals to be more ambitious under his watch.
Ironically, Oz makes political connections. He reiterates that people should never underestimate him. This is why Sofia and Sal make their own moves, illustrating that whenever Oz wins, his enemies know how to counter. It’s all about chess games, with this episode containing plenty of cathartic twists and turns. This keeps the characters fresh and unpredictable in a heroless underworld..
3 The Penguin is full of secrets
Episode 7, “Top Hat”
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“Top Hat” reveals the story of Oz and how he killed his brothers, Jack and Benny. It was all to win his mother’s affection (Francis). Sofia kidnaps her mother in the present and uses her as a weapon by letting the therapist, Julian Rush, extract the whole truth, so she can strengthen her empire. Sofia unleashes physical hell by blowing up Oz’s base as well.
This brings Vic out as a leader by letting him try to gain support from the gangs, who realize they could make more money with Sofia. On the contrary, Sofia presents herself as a real mastermind, kidnapping Oz to harm him with the truth: Francis knew his sins and hated him. It’s another masterclass from the entire cast, with Sofia once again stealing the show. Even after Sal’s death, Sofia won’t be arrested.
2 The Penguin proves that Oz is anarchy and terror
Episode 5, “Returning Home”
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“Homecoming” makes Oz lose a lot of composure. He kills Sal’s family to send a message. He also rebuilds the Bliss company. He wants to show everyone that he cannot be overpowered. Sometimes he loses control and anarchy ensues. But when this chaos is tempered, he knows how to reign in terror. This confirms how much, like Sofia, he learned from Carmine. With Oz being a powerhouse on the streets, here’s what convinces Sofia to go deeper with her legion.
Sofia needs people like Sal for muscle, and Eve Karlo for more secrets to hurt Oz. She paid the price for obeying toxic men her entire life. She can’t let her former driver bury her. It’s a clever episode to show her panicking in the face of the veil that Oz casts when he inflates his chest. But she still has hope. He reworks the Batman villain a lot. The Penguin may be the butt of jokes, but he’s scary.
1 The Penguin highlights the wild evolution of Oz
Episode 8, “A Big Thing or a Small Thing”
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The final of The Penguin Oz fights with Sofia’s gang. He must escape captivity and save Francis. He does so, but the damage is done. Oz knows she hates him for his crimes against his siblings. But this is where the Penguin perseveres. He uses Vic and comes up with a plan to eliminate the other seniors loyal to Sofia.
Oz finally brings all the crowds together and frames Sofia. She is returned to Arkham in an act of mercy. But now she knows that Oz is ruthless and not to be taken lightly. He has his mother in a coma with him, Eve living in fear as a partner, and allies in all the right places. Essentially, this finale establishes Oz as the Godfather he has aspired to be since he was a boy..
The icing on the cake is one of HBO’s biggest bombs. The Penguin kills Vic, although the youngster did a good job and saved him. Oz can’t risk his family distracting him. He wants to be ruthless, so he can’t keep a “son” nearby. It’s a profound and breathtaking conclusion that set the internet on fire and left viewers wanting to The Penguin Season 2.
This sums up the main theme of the series: domino effects and repercussions in a kingdom where no gangster can trust the other. It’s something audiences can’t wait to see explored The Batman 2. So this finale does its job and bridges the gap until Robert Pattinson’s Dark Knight appears next. Ultimately, it’s a gripping entry that punctuates the Caped Crusader having an enemy equal to Oz; something that the first Matt Reeves Batman I didn’t really detail.
All eight episodes of The Penguin are now streaming on Max.
Following the events of The Batman (2022), Oz Cobb, aka the Penguin, stages a play to seize the reins of Gotham’s crime world.
- Release date
- September 19, 2024
- Cast
- Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz, Michael Kelly, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Deirdre O’Connell, Clancy Brown, James Madio, Scott Cohen, Michael Zegen, Carmen Ejogo, Theo Rossi
- Seasons
- 1
- Creator
- Prequel
- The Batman (2022)
- Story by
- Bill Finger, Bob Kane
- Writers
- Lauren LeFranc
- Directors
- Craig Zobel
- Showrunner
- Lauren LeFranc
- Character(s)
- Oz Cobb, Sofia Falcone, Victor Aguilar, Johnny Viti, Nadia Maroni, Francis Cobb, Salvatore Maroni, Milos Grapa, Luca Falcone, Alberto Falcone, Eve Karlo, Julian Rush
- Average episode length
- 60 minutes