The Penguin – Series Review | Max

THE PENGUIN on Max is a new HBO Crime Series from DC Studios. We are continuing where THE BATMAN movie ended. There are eight hour-long episodes in the season. Read our The Penguin series review here!

THE PENGUIN is a new Max series from DC Studios. The new HBO Original is a crime series with eight hour-long episodes in the limited series. From the very first episode, I was enthralled and felt drawn into the world.

And I stayed willingly!

While there are many great performances, Colin Farrell is unforgettable as Oswald “Oz” Cobb AKA The Penguin. However, so is Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone. These two together are fire and gasoline!

Continue reading our The Penguin series review below. Premiere on Max on September 19, 2024.

The Rise of The Penguin

We’ve already met Colin Farrell as “The Penguin” in The Batman, so we’ve been waiting to see a lot more of him ever since!

In the movie, we saw Bruce Wayne/Batman meet Oz Cobb (aka “The Penguin”) two times. The first time was during a raid on Oz’s nightclub, the Iceberg Lounge, and the second time was a high-speed chase through Gotham.

In The Batman, the goal is to stop the Riddler, so the focus isn’t really on Oz Cobb. However, in this new HBO Original series, it is exactly the aftermath of the Riddler’s actions that are at the forefront.

The Riddler managed to trigger explosions that breached Gotham’s seawall. The result was a flooded city, where those who had the least suffered the most. The rich and powerful, on the other hand, go on as if nothing happened.

This is the world we’re in when The Penguin picks up the story from The Batman one week later. Of course, we see Gotham in an even greater state of chaos than usual.

Colin Farrell is breathtaking

It’s almost strange to enjoy seeing Colin Farrell so much when you absolutely cannot see that he’s playing the role of Oswald “Oz” Cobb. However, that’s part of the magic. And when you listen to his voice and follow his mimic, you can tell.

A few times, but for the most part, you just see a straight-up gangster. In fact, Oz Cobb is just a part of a mob family. Or rather, he’s working for the Falcone family and not getting much respect.

Colin Farrell plays the role of Oz perfectly. He can talk his way out of anything and everything but also does his best to think a few steps ahead. Always a contingency plan ready to roll out.

Along with Colin Farrell as Oz Cobb (aka “The Penguin”), we see Cristin Milioti in a role where she shines. She portrays Sofia Falcone who is fresh out of Arkham and is done playing games. Sofia is angry, vengeful, and very smart!

Also in the core cast are Rhenzy Feliz as Oz’s unwilling (at first anyway) assistant Victor Aguilar, and Carmen Ejogo (Rattlesnake) as Oz’s ladyfriend Eve. Plus Michael Kelly, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Theo Rossi, and the iconic Clancy Brown.

Start watching The Penguin on Max and HBO now!

The new HBO and DC Studios series picks up where Matt Reeves’ The Batman ended. It only makes sense that this series is executive-produced by Matt Reeves, Dylan Clark, Colin Farrell, Lauren LeFranc, Craig Zobel, and Bill Carraro.

Lauren LeFranc is also credited as creator, writes on the series, and serves as showrunner. Also, Craig Zobel (The Hunt, Mare of Easttown) directs the first three episodes.

Along with Colin Farrell, these two are a key part of the entire production!

The Penguin premieres with the first episode on a Thursday (at 9 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO and streaming on Max. However, please note that the following new episodes will be released on Sundays starting September 29, 2024.

The Penguin premiered on HBO and Max on September 19, 2024.

Details

Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Directors: Craig Zobel, Helen Shaver
Script: Lauren LeFranc, Erika L. Johnson, Noelle Valdivia, John McCutcheon, Breannah Gibson, Shaye Ogbonna, Nick Towne, Vladimir Cvetko
Cast: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz, Theo Rossi, Myles Humphus, Mark Strong, Michael Kelly, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Deirdre O’Connell, Clancy Brown, James Madio, Scott Cohen, Michael Zegen, Carmen Ejogo