Genre Crime drama, Gangster
Based on Characters by Bill Finger with Bob Kane
Developed by Lauren LeFranc
Showrunner Lauren LeFranc
Starring
Colin Farrell
Cristin Milioti
Rhenzy Feliz
Deirdre O’Connell
Clancy Brown
Carmen Ejogo
Michael Zegen
Berto Colón
Scott Cohen
Shohreh Aghdashloo
Theo Rossi
James Madio
Nadine Malouf
Joshua Bitton
David H. Holmes
Daniel J. Watts
Jared Abrahamson
Ben Cook
Jayme Lawson
Aleksa Palladino
Craig Walker
Tess Soltau
Marié Botha
Michael Kelly
Mark Strong
Con O’Neill
Ryder Allen
Louis Cancelmi
Nico Tirrozi
Owen Asztalos
Ade Otukoya
Music by Mick Giacchino
Country of origin United States
No. of episodes 8
Production
Executive producers Lauren LeFranc, Matt Reeves, Dylan Clark, Craig Zobel, Colin Farrell, Bill Carraro, Daniel Pipski
Producers Dana Robin, Nick Towne, Corina Maritescu, Claudine Farrell, Production location New York
Cinematography Darran Tiernan, Jonathan Freeman, David Franco, Zoë White
Editors Henk Van Eeghen, Meg Reticker, Andy Keir
Running time 47–68 minutes
Production companies Acid and Tender Productions, 6th & Idaho Motion Picture Company, Dylan Clark Productions, Chapel Place Productions, Zobot Projects, DC Studios, Warner Bros. Television
Original release Network HBO September 19 – November 10, 2024
Related – The Batman (2022)
If you’re rolling your eyes and thinking, “Oh gawd, not another superhero series!” you’re in for a pleasant surprise. Yes, it’s in the same world as the 2022 Batman movie, the good one in which Bruce Wayne is a bipolar recluse and half of Gotham gets wiped out. But Bats isn’t in this one; in fact, except for one scene right at the end where the batsignal flashes in the Gotham sky, he isn’t even referred to.
This is a mob series. It’s a damned good mob series. It will remind you of The Sopranos, it’s that good.
The Penguin always was one of the most ridiculous of Batman’s adversaries. Avocado-shaped and with a waddle and pretensions to dress sense, Oswald Cobblepott seemed to be more at home in kids’ cartoons, a foil for Bugs Bunny.
Oswald Cobb (Colin Farrell) isn’t that Penguin; in fact, he isn’t even The Penguin at all except for a derisive nickname his rivals refer to him as. He doesn’t even know people call them that until the next-to-last episode. He’s outraged, then thoughtful.
Cobb is somewhat portly, and has a club foot and corresponding muscle damage on his right leg—thus the ungainly stride. He’s a small-time thug living by his wits and not afraid to conspire against the two major crime families that essentially run Gotham. He rises rapidly, suffers setbacks, rises again. He is tenacious, determined, cruel. He loves his mother and has taken a poor kid from the ‘hood under his wing. You can’t help but like him.
Until near the end, when you discover a monster lies under the affable and engaging character.
I mentioned The Sopranos, and I will also mention Breaking Bad, because both have the same elements that propel The Penguin: an exceptionally strong, large cast, a unique and compelling world, and a lead character whose performance is utterly incandescent. Farrell’s performance is right up there with Gandolfini or Cranston. It is utterly amazing.
Now on HBO.