‘The Penguin’ Review: The Goodfellas Are Back In Gotham For More Pain And Misery (Oh, Joy)

It seemed like it might never get here, but The Penguin debuted and wrapped up its first season with a surprising anticipation for more. There could be life in Matt Reeves’s expanding Batman Epic Crime-verse – or whatever you want to call it – after all.

Well, things look that way (emphasis on “look”), but my skeptical old self is on the fence. While the series showed potential initially, I question how much we really needed it after watching start to finish, yet uninclined to binge.

Most of you know what to expect so you no doubt pieced together the story beats. The Penguin picks up right after The Batman as reported, and follows Oswald Cobb (Colin Farrell) on his unrelenting quest for dominance in the criminal underworld. The only thing in his way is the volatile daughter of Carmine Falcone, Sofia (Cristin Milioti), who is back in the mix after a stay in Arkham.

Oz may have gone along with that, and doesn’t want her to find out. He also doesn’t want Sofia to know he killed her brother, Alberto (Michael Zegen), in a fit of rage or that he’s taking command of the dead sibling’s new drug operation. Neither does he wish for Sofia to learn he is cutting deals with the Maronis behind her back.

Oz juggles a lot more than he can handle, and just takes on extra drama when he shows pity on a kid from the streets named Victor (Rhenzy Feliz), and makes him a protege. This turns out to be an abnormal internship that comes with the duties of babysitting Oz and his ailing mother (Deirdre O’Connell) when the going gets tough.

But hey, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime that’ll pay off for young Vic in the end, right? (Right…??) I have no problem spoiling Penguin, however lightly, by telling you most everyone in the supporting cast, and anyone who has all except a few lines, winds up dead. So, if you plan on tuning in to see what you are missing, don’t get too attached to anybody.

That said, the cast is the best reason to watch and largely why this series is riding high for HBO. It’s especially true for the collection of stunning performances by the likes of Colin Farrell. As Oswald, he loses himself in the part under all the makeup to the point you will assuredly forget he was Bullseye (most assuredly).

Clancy Brown frankly needs no introduction, nor does his addition require an explanation. He’s no newbie to DC material and Warner Bros keeps calling him back because he is reliable rather than simply available. The man shows up and understands the assignment every time – period.

Cristin Milioti is another highlight (or what Brendan Fraser would call a dynamo). Sofia Falcone will go down as one of the most memorable characters Matt Reeves has translated to screen, and I have to give him and the showrunner Lauren Lefranc credit. They managed to give us a better version of Harley Quinn this year than Lady Gaga and Todd Phillips without a clear reference to Joker’s girl or that world.

Not that they needed to remind us of that failure: Reeves and Lefranc provide Member Berries conjuring more overt hints at Batman lore from Magpie (Marie Botha) to a would-be Jonathan Crane in Sofia’s psychiatrist (Theo Rossi), and a stripper Oz is smitten with named Eve Karlo played by Carmen Ejogo.

That last one is a sly wink even a true fan might miss, but they can’t all break the ‘mold’ (if you catch my drift). There’s also a doctor at Arkham named Ventris who disappeared about as quickly as he arrived. It’s a layered reference to comics and the animated universe, but most will probably think of the thief Lloyd Ventris and his invisibility fabric.

Things shine when it comes to that stuff, but every series finds good actors despite material being beneath them, and anyone can write a clever callback. They don’t make a story compelling by themselves as if the storytelling is on autopilot. Several elements need to come together for the ship to sail smoothly, and a lot of them don’t congeal.

Stylistically, for example, The Penguin takes place in the same world but doesn’t match the grimy dystopian tenebrae of The Batman. I was reminded more of Gotham’s look and feel by the interiors, the city streets, the cheesy Jersey accents, and the performances ranging on the wackier side. Magpie, who appears in one episode, acts like she stepped out of the Fox program rather than Reeves’s Batverse.

Penguin is like Reeves’s remake of that show in many ways – there are a lot of well-lit slums for one thing. However, he doesn’t try to imitate Tim Burton when it comes to Oz’s origin, and manages to drag things down. Once the truth of his childhood came to light – that he is a jealous, bratty Norman Bates clone – I lost interest.

No, I don’t think Reeves wants people identifying with Oswald anymore than Todd Phillips wants audiences to embrace Arthur Fleck, but he is still the main character. You’re supposed to care about him enough to follow his saga. Revealing he was always a triggered loser with delusions of grandeur is not a masterful twist.

It doesn’t shock me or make me think. It does the opposite, making me wonder why I bothered. Setting up intriguing plot threads with possibilities, like poor Victor, only to ultimately take the air out of them doesn’t help.

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