The Penguin Premiere

In the wake of the explosive climax of Matt Reeves’ The Batman, Gotham is still reeling from the Riddler’s terrorist attack. After the seawalls were destroyed, the already crime-ridden and corrupt city is mostly flooded. This spin-off opens a week after the ending of the film, with a brief recap of the events that are most pivotal to the future of Gotham. The assassination of Carmine Falcone, the head of the powerful mobster family that ruled the city with an iron fist, has left a power vacuum. Many criminals, including Oz Cobb aka The Penguin, see it as an opportunity to claim this throne, ascending from their lowly status from the grimy streets to a more prestigious status. The castles of Gotham’s elite were untouched by the flood, and their classy status is the envy of those who struggle and scrape together a living in the sewers.

Carmine’s son Alberto (Michael Zegen, of The Walking Dead and Boardwalk Empire fame) is now the heir to his father’s throne in which Oz longs to perch. With Robert Pattinson’s Batman out of the picture–for now, anyway, as he is too busy helping the citizens–The Penguin plays out like a sort of underdog story, if you will. Developer Lauren LeFranc (best known for Impulse) walks a tricky tightrope that allows for us to empathize with the titular character while also constantly reminding us just how violent and repulsive he is. Reeves is an executive producer on the series, which was born from ideas originally meant for The Batman-Part II.

But really, this is Colin Farrell’s court, and although he was not given the most to do in The Batman, he is thankfully given much more development here. The story here kicks into high gear early on, before the main titles even roll. From there, a specific choice that Oz makes causes a ripple effect as he becomes concerned with covering his tracks. He crosses paths with Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz, The Tender Bar), a teenager with a stutter who is messing with the big bird’s car. Considering his own limp, Oz initially sees another opportunity to manipulate him into becoming his partner (the other option being a bullet in the head). Having Victor in this series is an inspired choice, as he is our window into the villain’s lifestyle as well as someone with whom Oz has the potential to form a bond.

But where there is smoke, there is always a fire. Oz’s actions quickly draw Sofia Falcone to the flame. Cristin Milioti gives an outstanding performance here, and even from her introduction gives Farrell a run for his money as the show’s MVP. She is also known as “The Hangman”, a serial killer who recently served time in Arkham, but is now supposedly rehabilitated. Her range is fantastic in this episode alone, and a dinner scene at a prestigious restaurant with Oz is a highlight.

The final key player here–indeed, the most important person in the main character’s life–is his mother, Francis. Sublimely played by Deirdre O’Connell (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), she loves getting nice jewelry from her son. But she is also the driving force behind him, encouraging him to take the city, no matter who stands in his way. Judging by how well the dominoes are set to fall from this premiere, the remaining seven hours of this miniseries will show us just how difficult and complicated his eventual and inevitable rise to power will be.

Indeed, the opening minutes reinforce just how bleak, bloody, and punishing Gotham is. Freed from the confines of a PG-13 rating, this spinoff feels more like The Sopranos, and indeed the two shows share some similar DNA. This is in large part due to the magnificent direction from Craig Zobel, who is most famous for his work on the savage and gruesome The Hunt. Without a bat in sight (yet), this city feels especially hopeless. But as a spinoff solely concerned with this villain and other wicked folk who inhabit this world, this first episode does plenty of great worldbuilding and the stellar cast and writing give us plenty to look forward to in the next episode.