Mini-series - 8 episodes
Watch the trailer
Created by: Lauren LeFranc
Based on: Penguin by Bill Finger, Bob Kane
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Theo Rossi, Mark Strong, Michael Kelly, Clancy Brown, Rhenzy Feliz
Rated: TV-MA
Plot
Following the events of The Batman, Oz Cobb, aka the Penguin, makes a play to seize the reins of the crime world in Gotham.
Verdict
This delves into the psyche of the Penguin. We see what drives a character that's willing to lie, cheat, and steal from those closest to him. Any time we think Oz may do the moral thing, he's going to disappoint. He's slimy, but in his world that's the only way to get anywhere. The question at the end is whether it was worth it. His counterparts in his journey are Sofia and Vic. While Oz and Vic want to rise, Sofia wants to get out. Oz needs both of them for his goals. The story is intriguing, and being a mini-series this doesn't leave us hanging at the end. Both characters Oz and Sofia are great as are the actors portraying them.
The one thing this show can't escape is the question of where is Batman. He's never mentioned, even though we know he exists in the world. It's an odd absence that the show doesn't address.
Watch It.
Review
This is set in the world of The Batman, occurring after the events of the movie and before the planned sequel. It expands on Oz Cobb (Colin Farrell) who we saw briefly. This is a Batman movie without the caped crusader, like Joker. In Joker it's because Bruce Wayne is only a child. With this series the question remains; where is Batman?
This mini-series is Oz Cobb's rise to power, and it feels like The Sopranos initially. Oz is the gangster seeking power, and he has a caustic mother. Oz's leg brace and appearance make him an atypical gangster. He has to rely on the ability of coercion. He's always developing some kind of scheme to get himself out of trouble or ahead in the game which seems to lead to more trouble. He promises everyone everything, hoping he can talk his way out of it later. He's always playing both sides to get ahead.
 |
| Colin Farrell plays Oz Cobb |
In the first episode Oz flies into a rage and kills someone after they mock him, but he then hires Vic (Rhenzy Feliz) to be his driver. It's implied Oz came from humble beginnings which is part of why he likes Vic, but we know that Oz is an angry person.
Oz plays both the Falcone and Maroni crime families, to broker a deal for himself. That's what drives the tension in the show. If Oz's scheme is caught, it won't be good. He's even playing Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) against her family while also trying to ally with her.
Sofia is just out of Arkham and one of the few women in the family. Everyone is scared of her, and she embraces that. Through the series we learn about what happened to Sofia. Oz angles for any advantage and allies with Sofia. It turns out they have a past. He used to be her driver, though he's since ranked up. Oz lies to everyone all the time, we wonder if Sofia is wary. When you deal with someone that plays everyone, it's a good chance he's playing you.
I wondered how much of a role Batman would play in this. He's never even mentioned. It's strange that these criminals have no fear of Batman. With the events of this show, it's a glaring absence since the movie established Batman does exist. We visit Arkham and don't see any of the Batman villains which makes the disconnect more apparent. I don't know why this wants to highlight this is Gotham without Batman. I'm glad Batman isn't in this and we focus on Oz, but it's still an odd absence.
Oz is a possible future for Vic. They both come from limited means and want a better life. Oz has had to blackmail, lie, cheat, and steal to even get a foothold. It's not an easy business, and he's done well. Oz's advice is something close to shamelessness; take up space and ignore what people think. Vic can wallow in dead end jobs or become a gangster and join Oz. That's the choice Vic faces, but hanging with Oz just pulls him closer to that lifestyle. Vic has a good heart, but he's in a difficult position. Being with Oz gives him some influence and power.
Episode four is the flashback episode which has become a standard trope for many shows. It almost feels like filler. The problem is that it's an information dump that fails to push the plot forward. While this episode develops Sofia, great episodes both push the plot forward and develop characters. This episode doesn't provide much new information. We already knew Sofia was in Arkham and Oz had some involvement. The pieces of this episode easily could have been inserted into episodes throughout the season.
 |
| Cristin Milioti plays Sofia |
There's also an episode that provides history on Oz that reveals very little. I didn't like the backstory episodes, but the final episode makes the history on Oz more relevant to the story with how and why we saw Oz's past. Until very close to the end, I wondered how Oz would get out of this. I should have known it would be the same way he always does it; brokering deals and talking his way out.
Farrell does a great job as Oz, mostly because he's unrecognizable. Often heavy prosthetics can be a distraction, but I didn't find that to be the case here. Milioti does an amazing job as Sofia. We see a range of emotions through the season that always feel authentic. Both characters are at a disadvantage, and teaming up seems like a smart move. The problem is that Oz doesn't have any friends. He wants to leverage everyone. Oz has aspirations to take over the town, but you wonder how that would happen without any allies. He double crosses and alienates everyone. This leads to Sofia and Oz at odds and on a collision course. Oz wants to get to the top of the patriarchy, Sofia wants to burn it down.
By the end of the season, Oz has made every single person he's encountered worse off, everyone. This series delves into the why of Oz, aka The Penguin. He's at a disadvantage, but he finds a way to make it work and achieves his goals. His goals just happen to be criminal and he's willing to lie, cheat, and steal from everyone he knows to achieve those ends. At times this season we feel bad for Oz, but the final episode removes any compassion.
This season ends with the Bat light shining into the clouds, but I'd think if the cops could have called Batman they certainly would have done it earlier, like when half the city was blown up. This is using the Batman name to market a show without it being Batman. I get the why, but I wish this did a better job of explaining why Batman is absent instead of leaving this glaring hole. The fact is Batman is just a means to explore this character. Shining the light at the end makes it more obvious for no real payoff.
No comments :
Post a Comment