How are monsters made? Are they born? Molded and shaped by society? Or are they conscious choices made that chisel away at our humanity until there’s nothing good left to hold onto? Moreover, what does it take to be truly great, to be the very best at something? What’s the cost – would you be willing to pay it, and what’s the toll on your soul? Those are some of the big questions posed by HBO’s The Penguin, a gritty, griping, brutal and bloody story of organized crime and its impact on people and their families. 

​

The eight-episode saga, set in the aftermath of the 2022 The Batman film, was created by Lauren LeFranc and is anchored by Colin Farrell’s transformative performance as Oswald Cobb/Penguin. Farrell delivers a raw and gut-wrenching portrayal of a man’s rise from mid-level mob grunt to one of Gotham City’s most feared crime bosses.

​

The series begins in the wake of the Riddler’s attack, as Gotham City reels from the destruction of its seawall, and Carmine Falcone’s death leaves a vacuum at the top of the criminal underworld. Enter Oswald Cobb, also known as The Penguin, hobbling onto the scene with his iconic limp and a burning ambition to seize control. The opening moments, which could have been lifted directly from The Batman, are visually stunning, immediately immersing the audience back into Gotham’s grimy streets. 

​

Farrell’s Oswald is instantly formidable, commanding the screen with his prosthetics-laden, frog-throated voice and old-school New York mobster accent that shouldn’t work, but somehow does.

​

Farrell disappears into the role, delivering a masterclass on inhabiting a character and embodying Oswald’s ruthlessness, ambition, and vulnerability in equal measure. His background as a product of Gotham’s mean streets adds layers to those motivations – he is a man who has been shaped by violence and neglect, making his desire for power both inevitable and tragic.

​

Alongside Farrell, Cristin Milioti shines as Sofia Falcone, the unhinged yet calculating daughter of Carmine. Fresh out of Arkham Asylum, Sofia brings a chaotic energy to the show that balances Oswald’s cold, methodical rise. 

Milioti’s Sofia is a perfect foil for Oswald – a woman born into privilege but warped by her traumatic experiences. She’s two-faced in the best way: part glamorous socialite, part violent schemer. Her arc, especially in the later episodes, transforms her from a woman with a tenuous grip on reality into a full-fledged villain, culminating in a scene that feels ripped straight from a Tim Burton nightmare. By the fourth episode, she’s nearly a Joker-esque figure, and Milioti’s portrayal is nothing short of ferocious.

​

Another standout, Rhenzy Feliz’s Victor Aguilar acts as a sort of POV character for the audience. As a young street urchin who gets swept into Oswald’s orbit, Victor is a reminder of Gotham’s unrelenting cruelty, but also of the few shreds of humanity left in its residents. His interactions with Oswald highlight the blurred lines between victim and perpetrator, and his story arc is a poignant reflection on the cost of survival in such a cruel world.

​

Likewise, Deirdre O’Connell, as Oswald’s mother, Francis Cobb, delivers a heartbreakingly nuanced performance. Her relationship with her son is complex and haunting, offering glimpses into the emotional scars that shaped Penguin into the man – or devil – that he becomes. Every scene between mother and son peels back another layer of Oswald’s psyche, exposing the pain and longing beneath his ruthless exterior.

​

The series is more than just a mob story set in the Batman universe – it’s a psychological exploration of trauma. Gotham itself is a character, a city perpetually haunted by crime and corruption, and its inhabitants are very much shaped by the violence that surrounds them. Whether it’s Victor’s loss of his family in the Riddler’s flooding, or Sofia’s terrible abuses at Arkham, the show delves into how Gotham’s darkness consumes those who live within it and creates so many larger-than-life villains. 

​

And yet, despite its many strengths, one might wonder: did The Penguin really need to be a Batman spin-off? While the show excels as a crime drama, with its intricate plotting and nail-biting tension, it often feels like it could stand on its own as a story about organized crime, without the need for those superhero connections. 

​

Still, the Batman umbrella does provide a canvas for the show’s larger themes. The setting allows “The Penguin” to ask bigger questions about the nature of evil and the societal forces that create monsters. 

​

Ultimately, The Penguin is a triumph of television craft, from its moody, atmospheric cinematography to its impeccable acting and tight, suspenseful writing. 

​

The fourth episode, which dives deep into Sofia’s backstory, is a particular highlight, showcasing the show’s ability to balance character-driven drama with shocking, brutal violence. The finale, too, is a gut punch, leaving viewers reeling with its dark revelations and setting the stage for what could be an even more harrowing second season.

​

While The Penguin may have benefitted from being an original crime drama, its place within the Batman universe ultimately gives it a unique flavor. It’s a bleak, nihilistic tale of three damaged people – Oswald, Sofia, and Victor – trying to claw their way out of the darkness, only to find themselves sinking deeper into it. It’s HBO at its best: prestige, big-budget TV that is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking.