Spoilers ahead forThe Penguin
The Penguinis not the most uplifting piece of comic book media. Solo projects for iconic villains are on-trend right now, but this extension of Matt Reeves’Batmanuniverse is one of very few that have the guts not to turn a villain into an anti-hero. This is a grim and gritty crime drama with all the moral corruption that entails. There are no heroes here, but the depths of darkness can still be a bit impressive. At the end ofThe Penguin, it’s worth looking back to see how straightforward its path actually is.
The power ofThe Penguincomes in the depths of its character studies. People use “comic book character” as a descriptor for a fictional being who feels particularly unrealistic. Oz Cobb andSofia Falcone are twoof the most well-crafted figures ever to grace the genre, practically walking off the screen and into the real world. Part of that comes from real-world inspiration, but the stellar writing serves to elevate the source material into a very impressive new realm.
Lauren LeFranc
Stars
Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz, Deirdre O’Conell, and Clancy Brown
8
Streaming On
HBO Max
The Penguintechnically ends on a success, but it’s the biggest downer in a Batman adaptation since the generalquality ofBatman v. Superman. Oz Cobb, primarily through the efforts of his young ward, Vic, engineers a complete shakeup of power in Gotham’s criminal underworld. The assembled gang leaders who attended Oz’s Gold Summit fell by the hands of their second-in-commands, all of whom took inspiration from Oz and Vic to claim power for themselves. This allows Oz the power to turn the tables on Sofia Falcone, choosing to spare her life and leave her with a fate worse than death: reincarceration at Arkham. Having succeeded in their quest, Oz takes Vic out to a park to briefly celebrate. Oz’s victory is bittersweet as he contends with his mother’s recent slip into a vegetative state, robbing Oz of the approval of the only person he’s ever actually cared about. At the top of his game and eager to cement his long-awaited accomplishment, Oz kills Vic and disposes of his body before sharing a celebratory dance with his paid girlfriend,who is dressed as his mom.
Why did Oz kill Vic?
Vic was Oz’s savior inThe Penguin. Not only did he personally deliver theclutch move that saved Ozfrom the thousandth near-death situation he lied his way into, Vic was the guiding force that kept Oz one step away from a shallow grave for most of the series. The logical thing to do would be to groom him for a leadership position, using his unending loyalty and outside-the-box thinking to give another kid from the slums a shot. It’s the opportunity that Oz is always angry at everyone else for never extending to him. Instead, he brutally eliminates his most fervent ally, guaranteeing loneliness for himself once again. Externally, Vic represents a powerful ally, but internally, Oz sees him as a potential vulnerability. Oz claims that Vic has seen too much, but it’s hard to believe that as a real justification for his actions. Vic’s mistake was becoming close enough to Oz to engender real feelings in his cold, flinty heart. Oz is so selfish that the risks of having someone close to him aren’t worth the benefits of that person’s abilities. It’s another reminder that Oz’s charismatic exterior, sympathetic narrative, and moments of decency still give way to a core of selfishness that corrupts everything around him. He dragged Vic into his world, helped him master it,watched as the student became the master, and then snuffed him out to protect himself.
Where did Oz end up?
In many ways,The Penguinis about the version of Oz fromThe Batmanbecoming this universe’s version of the classic Batman villain. Theshow represents this physicallyby starting Oz’s journey on a lower floor of his apartment building, then watching him fight his way to a high-rise. The process, at least through Oz’s eyes, also involves cutting out every human being who matters to him. His enemies and his friends suffer sudden deaths or far worse fates. Charting the path from Oz’s apartment to his high-rise should leave no surprises. This is the only potential result of his victory, Vic’s sacrifice, and all. To become agenuine version of the Penguin, Oz has to go through a life tragic enough to justify a comic book supervillain. It doesn’t get any less brutal when he does it to himself.
Vic’s death is one of the most tragic moments of a deeply sad season ofThe Penguin. It seems to elevate Oz Cobb to the position of a tragic figurein the Greek mythological sense. After all of his success, betrayal and violence are still in his nature. It’s not a lesson for Oz, but for all those that would see friendship in him.The Penguinis Oz’s story, and it could only ever have one ending.
