TV Review: The Superpower Of ‘The Penguin’ Revealed
by Frank Martin
In just two episodes, The Penguin has proved itself to be an HBO-caliber crime drama. The network has a reputation for these types of shows, but it begs the question as to whether or not the show even needs its connection to The Batman franchise. A lot of criticism was levied against Todd Phillips’s Joker because its connection to the Gotham mythos was largely unnecessary. It is certainly possible that The Penguin can fall into a similar trap. But the second episode reveals the Penguin to be a complicated character worthy of his comic book roots.
As Oz Cobb (Colin Farrell) continues to work with the Maronis to undermine the Falcone crime family, pressure starts to mount around him to place the blame on someone else. He tries to frame Johnny Vitti (Michael Kelly) with the help of Victor (Rhenzy Feliz), but Victor fails to pull off his part of the plan. This leads to Oz being stuck in a very precarious situation. Thinking on his feet, he is able to shift the blame to someone else entirely, causing Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) to loosen up her suspicions that there is a traitor in their midst. The episode ends as Sofia pledges to work with Oz to take power for themselves.
If you were to ask any comic book fan if the Penguin has super powers they would say no. The same is true for Batman. But these are characters elevated above normal people. They’ve reached a status of superhero and super villain that separates them from normal criminals and heroes. In the first episode, audiences watched as Oz, somehow, slipped himself out of every tense situation he found himself in. He has an uncanny ability to lie and manipulate; to spin tales that get him out of trouble. This is the Penguin’s superpower, and he explains it to Victor after the boy fails his part of the plan. Being able to think on his feet with a sociopathic level of planning is how the Penguin will come to dominate Gotham.
The Penguin streams Sundays on Max.
