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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
In the midst of its over three-and-a-half-year hiatus between Matt Reeves’s The Batman and its sequel, The Batman – Part II, Lauren LeFranc has come out with a limited series based on the Batman rogues gallery villain, The Penguin. Titled after this antagonist, the show takes place one week after Reeves’s 2022 film, with the lower-class streets of Gotham City deeply affected by domestic terrorism via flooding.
The HBO crime-drama fantasy series resumes the world-building adapted from DC Comics’ Batman: The Long Halloween storyline and its sequel arc, Dark Victory. Here, LeFranc and her co-writers expand on that, further extrapolating what the comics established of crime bosses, Oswald “Oz” Cobb (Colin Farrell) and Sofia Gigante Falcone (Cristin Milioti). Having seen the entire limited series, it is only fair that a thorough vivisection of the story requires a proper breakdown into each of its eight episodes.
The Penguin Episode 1 is titled, “After Hours”. The episode is written by series creator, showrunner, and executive producer Lauren LeFranc; and is directed by executive producer Craig Zobel.
In this review, I will discuss The Penguin Episode 1. As this article’s title suggests, no spoilers will be present.
NOTE: Spoiler language was sent to the writer and editor of this piece beforehand by public relations representatives. The following writing in this article does not touch upon explicit details regarding narrative and character development.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s The Penguin Episode 1 Logline
According to Warner Bros. Discovery Press, here is the official logline for The Penguin Episode 1—“After Hours”.
In the wake of Carmine Falcone’s death, Oz attempts to legitimize himself among Gotham’s criminal underworld.
Warner Bros. Discovery Press
Discussion
For a pilot/premiere episode, “After Hours” does not feel like one. Instead, it comes off as a transitional or side-quest narrative for Matt Reeves’s Gotham universe, with The Batman serving as a back-door pilot for an expansion of stories. The Penguin introduces key opponents and pawns in Oz Cobb’s ground-level navigation up the criminal hierarchy. This includes teenager Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz), Sofia Gigante Falcone (Cristin Milioti), his mother Francis Cobb (Deirdre O’Connell), and the incarcerated Salvatore Maroni (Clancy Brown). Alberto Gigante Falcone (Michael Zegen) is also introduced in the series. However, by comparison he is more on the wings of the stage, with little to nothing to offer.
The interactions between these characters are what drive the plot forward for the episode. Consequently, not much else occurs for the time being. LeFranc and her co-writers commit to a clever route in adapting more of the comics than one would expect. Having done my extensive research with the Batman: Dark Victory, Batman: No Man’s Land, Catwoman: When in Rome, and Penguin: Pain and Prejudice comics, there is concrete reason as to the integral roles that Cobb, his mother, and Sofia play in Reeves’s “The Batman Epic Crime Saga”.
Zobel’s direction is a vital element, given the first episode in a series can either be a hit or a miss. What I appreciate about his collaboration with LeFranc is how Cobb goes about his day crossing paths with character after character. It’s as if he is actually conducting business affairs throughout the city. Production designer Kalina Ivanov also plays a vital role here. The set pieces introduce viewers to the differing neighborhoods of Gotham City, such as Crown Point and the Falcone estate.
Callbacks and References
Although immaterial to The Penguin‘s larger storyline in hindsight, “After Hours” features a small inclusion of the mafia ring. As a plot device found in the Vatican during When in Rome, the ring is reputedly emblematic of criminal rule over other gangs and organizations. It doesn’t serve the same purpose in the show. Yet, LeFranc interestingly hints at the players of the game and their individual inclinations to take from one another, no matter the cost.
On that theme of gang-related betrayal versus loyalty, the best reference is credited to music supervisors Jen Malone and Whitney A. Pilzer, along with their music department. Rita Hayworth’s song, “Put the Blame on Mame”, from the 1946 dramatic romance-thriller film, Gilda, is a three-for-one reference to both the comics and the rest of the series. The name Gilda could be a nice allusion to Harvey Dent’s wife, Gilda Dent. This character is revealed to be one of two identities behind the Holiday serial killer in The Long Halloween, the other being Alberto Falcone. In the comics, Gilda is a housewife and citizen of Gotham who pins her crimes on known criminals of the city.
This idea is reversed with the song itself. In Gilda, “Put the Blame on Mame” suggests that women are often targets of blame for anything and everything. Hayworth herself is also known for the iconic “poster gal on the wall” as shown in The Shawshank Redemption. In Stephen King’s story, the male protagonist is wrongfully blamed for the murders of both his wife and her lover. After being incarcerated for a while in Shawshank State Penitentiary, he makes his escape through a hole in his cell. This reference has strong implications for The Penguin and the political affairs that occur.
The Crew Behind The Penguin
The Penguin is based on Batman-related characters created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger.
Darran Tiernan (Westworld Season 2, Star Trek: Picard Season 1, Barry Season 3, Perry Mason) serves as the director of photography. Macall Polay and Matt Infante are the stills photographers for the series.
Henk Van Eeghen serves as the editor for the limited series premiere. Kevin Soares is the episode’s assistant editor.
Mick Giacchino composes the soundtrack for the series. The musical score is produced by his father, Michael Giacchino (The Incredibles, Speed Racer, Werewolf by Night, Inside Out 2).
Jen Malone (Atlanta, Euphoria, Yellowjackets, Wednesday, John Wick: Chapter 4, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, The Umbrella Academy) and Whitney A. Pilzer (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Atlanta, Yellowjackets, The Umbrella Academy) serve as the music supervisors for the series.
Ben Holiday (The Departed, Green Room, In the Heights, Shotgun Wedding) and Luke Dennis are the music editors for the series. Chad Birmingham serves as the additional music editor.
Larry Zipf and Rich Bologna are the co-supervising sound editors. Ja-Ann Wang is the assistant sound editor.
Cindy Tolan (Straight Outta Compton, If Beale Street Could Talk, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Batman, The Fabelmans) and Suzanne Ryan are the casting directors for the series.
Stephen Pope (Man on a Ledge, Now You See Me, 22 Jump Street, Detroit, Avengers: Infinity War, Uncut Gems, Lovecraft Country, Killers of the Flower Moon, Mr. & Mrs. Smith) and George Aguilar serve as the stunt coordinators. John Cenatiempo serves as the co-stunt coordinator.
Elizabeth Talbot is credited as the intimacy coordinator.
Dan Caplan (True Blood, Salt, Game of Thrones, HBO’s Watchmen and Westworld, Station Eleven) serves as the storyboard artist.
Aesthetics
Kalina Ivanov serves as the production designer.
Deborah Wheatley serves as the supervising art director. Adam Karavatakis (American Horror Story Season 11: NYC) and Scott Davis are the art directors.
Helen Huang serves as the costume designer.
Austin Wittick, Becca Freund, Aminah Haddad (Showtime’s Let the Right One In, Prime Video’s Dead Ringers), and Esther Han are the assistant costume designers. David Hyman and Rita Wu are the additional assistant costume designers.
Brian Badie is the department head for hair.
Jenn Vasilopoulos serves as the key hairstylist. Mariko Miyagi is the hairstylist.
Bobby Diehl is the hairstylist for Colin Farrell.
Martha Melendez (The Get Down, BlacKkKlansman, In the Heights, Mr. & Mrs. Smith) is the department head for makeup.
Kim Collea is the key makeup artist. Maria Maio is the makeup artist.
The Cast of The Penguin
Colin Farrell (Phonebooth, Daredevil, Fright Night remake, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Widows, After Yang, The Batman) portrays the title character, also known as Oswald “Oz” Cobb.
Cristin Milioti (The Wolf of Wall Street, How I Met Your Mother Seasons 8 & 9, Black Mirror Series 4 “USS Callister”, Palm Springs, Alissa Nutting’s Made for Love) portrays Sofia Gigante Falcone, daughter of the late Carmine Falcone and half-sister to Selina Kyle.
Rhenzy Feliz portrays Victor Aguilar, a teenager affected by Gotham’s floods at the end of The Batman. Deirdre O’Connell portrays Francis Cobb, Oz Cobb’s mother with Lewy body dementia.
Clancy Brown (A Nightmare on Elm Street remake, Fede Álvarez’s Calls, Dexter: New Blood, John Wick: Chapter 4) portrays Salvatore Maroni, a mob boss imprisoned in Blackgate Penitentiary.
Carmen Ejogo (The Purge: Anarchy, It Comes at Night, Alien: Covenant, Boots Riley’s I’m a Virgo) portrays Eve Karlo.
Michael Zegen (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) appears as Alberto Falcone, son of the late Carmine Falcone, and Sofia Falcone’s younger brother.
Berto Colón plays Castillo, Sofia Falcone’s bodyguard.
Michael Kelly (Dawn of the Dead remake, The Sopranos Season 6, Chronicle) and James Madio portray Johnny Viti and Milos Grapa, underbosses for Luca Falcone, respectively.
Daniel J. Watts plays a man under Cobb’s employment. David H. Holmes plays Nick Fuchs, another man employed under Cobb.
Joshua Bitton plays Mickey Stone.
Ben Cook plays a teenage street thug.
Jayme Lawson (The Woman King, How to Blow Up a Pipeline) reprises her as Bella Reál, the mayoral candidate from The Batman who vies for hope and change. Mark Strong (Kick-Ass, Green Lantern, Zero Dark Thirty, the Kingsman film franchise, Shazam!, 1917) is credited for portraying a seemingly younger Carmine Falcone.
Also Starring…
Eugene Solfanelli plays Mirti.
Eric Berryman (Atlanta Season 4, Prime Video’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Fallout) plays Dr. Desoto.
Alex Anagnostidis plays Ray. Myles Humphus plays Dom.
Barrett Martin plays an Augustine waiter.
Gerald Bunsen plays a wounded dealer.
Daren Donofrio plays a Blackgate prisoner guard.
Jupiter Genesis and Christopher J. Alfaro appear as drag queens on the streets of Gotham.
Bobby Cuza, Dean Meminger, and Roma Torre reprise their roles from The Batman as newscasters.
Performances and Character Developments
Farrell’s appearance and performance as the title character greatly reflect his depiction in the DC comics. He has it down to a science in this premiere episode, from the penguin-like waddles—which I only noticed once in The Batman—to the umbrella he carries under the rain. Farrell’s facial mannerisms are recognizable enough once you’ve seen enough of the actor’s works. It might be the only way you can recognize him as The Penguin.
The episode’s opening scene also works as a delivery of the series’ thesis statement. Cobb and Alberto Falcone discuss how “there are different kinds of power”, implicating a range of means to acquire it. As a political figure, Cobb is the archetype of a person who gaslights others and manipulates circumstances. Gotham City—well, part of it anyway—is truly a “no man’s land” with him in it. Despite being the title character, he deeply affects those around him in trying to get his way. By these means, he can only be seen as an antagonist. LeFranc’s series showcases his movements so subtly. It foreshadows the reason behind his inability to travel down stairs and ladders.
In contrast with his dynamic with Alberto Falcone, Cobb establishes a more drawn-out relationship with lower-class teenager, Victor Aguilar. The only description of this boss-employee transaction that I can momentarily offer is its striking similarity to the relationship Joker has with a Gotham citizen in the “Joker’s Favor” episode of Batman: The Animated Series. Aguilar is one of a few disabled persons that Cobb connects with due to his susceptibility to stuttering. Personally, that needs to count for something.
Women of the Penguin’s Past and Present
Carmen Ejogo’s role as Eve Karlo in the premiere is small. Even though the only recurring development that plays in the series is her on-and-off relationship with Cobb, I cannot help but think there is something more. Karlo is yet another pawn in Cobb’s rise to political power. He instructs her how to act in the likelihood that law authorities or opposing mob enforcers should interrogate her. With this sliver of evidence, my starting theory is that this is a version of the Batman rogues gallery villain, Clayface, but operating under a new background. If true, it would be interesting to see the manner in which “The Batman Epic Crime Saga” could deviate from the “fantastical” elements of Gotham City.
Milioti lights up the room as Sofia. This depiction of the character parallels that of The Long Halloween and its sequel storyline. Immediately, the actor brings with her a layer of excellence carried over from her past work. It isn’t just her reputation that Sofia cares about but her dignity and sanity as well. It’s why she refuses to be victimized in the political game for power. With Sofia, it’s somewhat easy to distinguish between those who play it safe and and those who vie to save their own skin.
In juxtaposition, O’Connell’s portrayal of Francis Cobb is poignant. Cobb’s mother is brazen and commanding in her attempts to keep her son in line as best as possible. Like Milioti, O’Connell delivers such an outstanding performance in the episode. Oz and Francis Cobb are a comic book parallel to what Tony and Livia Soprano were in the 2000s, even down to the neighborhood that the mother figure lives in. This relationship is akin to that of Pain and Prejudice, especially with Cobb deliberately allowing for affairs to interfere.
Final Thoughts on The Penguin Episode 1
“After Hours” is surely a prelude to a dark victory for the limited series’ central protagonist. Alone, it holds potential to do good, but only with Milioti and O’Connell holding the episode together. Among the list of dualities that could be discussed here—truths and lies, strengths and weaknesses, etc.—, there is a noteworthy quality in masculinity versus femininity. The women characters in The Penguin do a lot of heavy lifting as leadership types. As more episodes release in the coming weeks, it would be intriguing to see that idea manifest. For a “pilot”, Zobel and LeFranc’s episode is a decent narrative. Overall, it’s a fine foundation for the ongoing “snakes and ladders” situation and what the results of that will be.
4.5/5 stars
The Penguin premieres on HBO starting next Thursday, September 19th!
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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
