“The Penguin” offers up a new look into Reeves’ Gotham

After the first episode, it was hard to predict what would happen next. It luckily didn’t fall into the trap of its influences such as “The Sopranos” or “Goodfellas” but there were still some questions on where the show would go next. What came next is a phenomenal piece of television and easily one of the best shows of the year. 

“The Penguin’s” main strength comes from the fact that it’s not afraid to show its characters’ inner malignancy. Criminals aren’t scrappy underdogs like “Tulsa King” would want you to believe. They are amoral snakes who will screw you over or kill you for a buck if it’s in their best interest. Our titular character isn’t a good guy by any means and the show isn’t afraid to show Oz at his most conniving and evil. He is sympathetic, but make no mistake, he is a vicious, conniving individual who will roll over you if you dare to get in his way. Colin Farrell continues to be a powerhouse in this series. His version of The Penguin is completely believable and it never wavers for a moment. Oz is so good at what he does, it’s hard to tell when he’s lying and when he’s telling the truth. 

But the actual show stealer is Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone. Milioti gives an absolute powerhouse of a performance as Carmine Falcone’s disturbed daughter, making her both sympathetic and terrifying. Milioti balances both aspects of her character and makes it look easy. Episode 4 in particular is easily the best episode of the series and much of it comes from Milioti’s grand performance. The twist was so brilliant because it was right in front of our eyes this whole time. We were just tricked by what we had seen from Sofia’s behavior in the previous episodes. The reveal also makes Sofia into a far more complex and tragic character, another victim of Gotham’s corruption like Bruce, Edward Nashton, and even a fellow character in this show Vic and it’s made her into a monster. 

“The Penguin” is also good at constantly creating suspenseful situations for our characters to get out of. Despite how long the episodes are, they never feel padded or too long. The pacing is break neck and never lets you go, with plenty of twists and cliffhangers to keep the audience coming back for more. It’s also shot exceptionally well, looking like the film “The Batman” that this show is spinning off from. It captures the tone that Matt Reeves set with “The Batman” while not being afraid to do its own thing and tell its own story, except this time from the villain’s perspective. 

“The Penguin” continues to be an excellent show that shows the potential for Reeves’ Batman universe to yet another great addition to the mythos of the Caped Crusader. Don’t miss it.