The Penguin

Set in the immediate, debris-cluttered aftermath of the Riddler's attack on Gotham City, The Penguin follows the meteoric and bloody rise of Oswald "Oz" Cobb. As a mid-level lieutenant in the late Carmine Falcone’s empire, Oz exploits a massive power vacuum to orchestrate a daring coup against the established order. The series meticulously tracks his transition from a waddling, underestimated operative to a formidable criminal mastermind, navigating a landscape of shifting alliances and brutal betrayals.

Central to the narrative is Oz's adversarial relationship with Sofia Falcone, Carmine’s daughter, who returns from a harrowing stint in Arkham Asylum with a vengeance of her own. As the two jockey for control of the lucrative "Bliss" drug trade, the show peels back the layers of Oz's psyche, revealing a childhood defined by trauma and a complex, suffocating bond with his mother, Francis. Through eight episodes, the series serves as a gritty bridge in the The Batman saga, transforming a comic-book villain into a grounded, terrifyingly human monster.

The core of The Penguin is a subversion of the traditional American Dream, reimagined as a relentless and soul-eroding "hustle." The creators suggest that in a world built on structural inequality and historical trauma, power is not earned through merit but seized through the systematic destruction of one's own humanity. The series argues that the ultimate cost of absolute authority is the total excision of vulnerability, making the "successful" man the most isolated and monstrous version of himself.

Critics and audiences have debated whether the series is a tragedy or a character study of a sociopath. One interpretation suggests the entire show is a dark subversion of the "mentor" trope, where Victor represents the audience's hope for Oz's redemption, which Oz then literally strangles to death. Another reading focuses on the Oedipal nature of Oz's relationship with Francis, suggesting that his rise to power is actually a desperate, failed attempt to replace his brothers and earn a love that was tainted by his own early violence. Some viewers also see Sofia as the true protagonist of a Greek tragedy, whose quest for justice ultimately makes her the monster the world already believed she was.

The Penguin significantly redefined the "supervillain origin" trope by refusing to offer a traditional redemption arc or a truly sympathetic ending. It has been hailed as the "Sopranos of superhero shows," proving that the DC universe can sustain mature, high-stakes crime dramas that function independently of their caped protagonists. The series also had a major impact on the perception of prosthetic performances, with Colin Farrell’s unrecognizable turn becoming a benchmark for the medium. By grounding the fantastical elements of Gotham in real-world issues like class warfare and mental health, it expanded the cultural footprint of Matt Reeves' The Batman saga into a legitimate prestige television franchise.

Audience and critical reception was overwhelmingly positive, with the series holding high ratings on platforms like IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes. While initial reactions were excited by the Batman connection, the consensus shifted to praising the show for its own merits—particularly the "powerhouse" performances of Farrell and Milioti. The finale was highly controversial but acclaimed for its "gut-punch" ending, with many viewers feeling betrayed by Oz's murder of Victor, which critics argued was a necessary narrative choice to solidify his villainy. The dark, prestige-TV tone was frequently compared favorably to The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire.