The Penguin Round Table: Can Max’s Thrilling Mob Drama Live Up to the Promise of Its Premiere?

The results are in, and we at TV Fanatic have concluded that The Penguin Season 1 Episode 1 fully lived up to the months of hype surrounding Max’s new mob drama.

Yes, we said “mob drama.” Despite its connection to DC’s Batman franchise, Colin Farrell’s gangster antihero has more in common with Tony Soprano than the Joker.

And that’s not the only surprise for viewers who come into this show knowing little about its tone or premise.

In its first hour, The Penguin offered surprises with both its twisty storyline and its refreshing tone. (A “gritty” drama with a sense of humor! Our prayers have been answered!)

TV Fanatic staffers Whitney Evans, Thomas Godwin, Lisa Babick, and Tyler Johnson recently gathered to discuss the inaugural outing of this exciting new series.

Did you watch The Batman before checking out The Penguin? If so, did it contribute anything to your understanding or appreciation of the pilot? If you were recommending this show to a friend, would you urge them to watch the movie first?

Thomas: I did watch The Batman, and I would urge them to watch the movie first, at this point, because I’m not sure what’s coming later in the season.

While the first episode is perfectly fine as a standalone, there are certain things going on that The Batman gives deeper meaning to.

Such as the flooded downtown area. It both explains Batman’s absence and gives a reason for the current situation.

Lisa: I did watch The Batman before watching The Penguin. Even though it’s a long film, I think it’s important to check it out just to understand the connection, especially since this is a bridge between the first film and the upcoming 2026 one.

However, I don’t think watching the film is required to enjoy The Penguin.

It does well enough as a standalone that you’d be able to understand and “get into it” without all the backstory of that particular film.

Whitney: Okay, so I did not watch The Batman before checking this out. But I am a huge fan of the Tim Burton Batmans, with Batman Returns being in my top five favorite movies of all time.

So, it’s not as if I was headed in with absolutely no knowledge, but there were things I probably didn’t pick up on that I would have if I’d seen the film.

Having said all that, the pilot was so good that it made me want to watch the full movie despite that runtime.

Tyler: I saw The Batman in theaters when it came out, back in March of 2022. So I’d forgotten many of the plot details prior to checking out The Penguin.

I’m glad I watched the movie first, as I might’ve felt a little confused by all the flooded downtown/seawall terrorism talk, but I think The Penguin‘s writers did a good job of making the pilot accessible to newcomers. We’ll see if they keep that up as the season progresses.

I’d advise folks who are interested in watching The Penguin to check out The Batman first (if only because it’s of much higher quality than most recent superhero fare), but it’s certainly not a prerequisite.

How do you think DC fans will react to the fact that this is very much NOT a superhero show? (There’s zero mention of Batman in the pilot!)

Thomas: Given that the show’s title and focus preclude Batman, I don’t think so. I do think they’ll want at least a cameo appearance at some point. It would be neat if Batman becomes a sort of antagonist in his own universe.

Lisa: I really don’t think anyone thought it was going to be a superhero show, as it’s about one of Batman’s rogues.

In addition, the producers already made it clear that Batman wouldn’t appear, which I personally think is a good choice. The reason I say that is we all know Batman is in the background. His presence is there even if he’s not there physically.

I think it adds more to the drama and the inner workings of the underworld not to have Batman present.

It allows better development of the characters and their problems without the superhero interrupting whenever we might get to a juicy part – in other words, raining on Cobb’s parade.

And again, we all know Batman’s watching quietly in the shadows, so why spoil the fun now? That’ll happen in Batman 2, I’m sure.

Whitney: The Penguin not being a superhero show was precisely why I wanted to watch it. I was all in on a crime drama with a recognizable villain, set in a world I was already aware of.

And I imagine many people may have felt like me. I don’t hate superhero shows, but they really aren’t my cup of tea usually. Only a few have ever gotten me invested. Coincidentally, one of those starred Rhenzy Feliz!

On the other side, there are probably many people who tuned in expecting something different, even though the promotional campaign did an excellent job of highlighting what this show would be about.

Tyler: I agree with Whitney that the promo materials did a great job of conveying the show’s tone and focus.

That said, I would guess that a sizable portion of the audience is still expecting a Caped Crusader cameo at some point.

I doubt they’ll be disappointed when Battinson doesn’t materialize. After all, The Joker — though unrelated to this show’s universe — recently did a good job of establishing expectations in that regard: Modern viewers know that villains need not be defined solely by their relationship to their nemeses.

What surprised you most about the pilot? What are your big questions ahead of episode two?

Thomas: Penguin’s empathy and occasional shortsightedness.

He’s smart, but he’s creating his own problems to solve. He also felt bad for the would-be car thief and decided to let him live, which is just enough to make the fans root for a notorious villain.

Lisa: I’m surprised by how quickly Cobb let someone he didn’t know into his circle — Vic. Cobb is too trusting, and that could spell his doom.

But Cobb’s doing that also shows his desperation and yearning for acceptance. Vic is a good kid and likes hanging with someone as criminally knowledgeable as Cobb, but he’s easily influenced.

So, I can see a time where Vic is going to turn on Cobb whether it’s because someone forces him to (like Sofia Falcone) or he sees the grass might be greener on the other side and jumps ship.

In episode 2, the big question I want answered is whether Sofia and Maroni are going to start working together after Cobb’s trick at the end of episode 1.

Sure, they hate each other, but they both probably hate Cobb more. And will Cobb realize that he wasn’t as clever as he thought he was?

Whitney: I’m going to agree with both Thomas and Lisa here. I was surprised by the empathy Penguin showed at certain times because I wasn’t expecting it.

Not that it’s a bad thing, especially in the age of making sure bad guys have a fleshed-out background so they’re not just cartoon villains.

But him extending that empathy to Vic and then bringing him felt a little foolish, as he did so with basically no questions asked. It felt rather abrupt and like something that would surely come back around to doom them both.

Tyler: I knew very little about this show going into it. And since I’m much more interested in mob-related crime dramas than superhero content, I was pleasantly surprised by the focus and tone.

And even though I’d seen Farrell’s portrayal of Cobb before, I was once again blown away by his transformation.

How about the casting? We’d already seen Colin Farrell in his role, but what did you think of the newcomers to the franchise? Were they able to hold their own in scenes with this living legend?

Thomas: You can tell that Rhenzy has the least experience and his act could use some polish. Hopefully, that will take care of itself in time. Sofia practically oozes danger and twisted, lunatic malevolence whenever she’s on screen.

Lisa: Everyone held their own. They all worked well together.

Whitney: Since I haven’t seen The Batman (yet), I feel compelled to applaud Colin Farrell in this role because not only is he unrecognizable, but his on-screen presence is incredible.

He commands every scene, and you can’t take your eyes off him, even if you really, really want to sometimes.

I’ve seen people sharing Thomas’s sentiment about Rhenzy Feliz, and maybe it’s because I loved Runaways with my whole heart, but I thought he fit in well. He and Farrell played off each other well.

He did a good job expressing Vic’s various emotions throughout the 24 hours his whole life changed.

Tyler: I was impressed by the entire cast. Everyone involved did a wonderful job of balancing the script’s comedic and dramatic demands.

I’ve enjoyed Michael Zegen’s work in the past, but, um … I don’t think he’ll be returning for episode two!

Spoiler alert! The pilot delivered a surprising twist in its first few minutes. How did you react when Oz shot Alberto Falcone? Are you hoping for more Game of Thrones-style unpredictability, or would you prefer to see the current leads survive the first season?

Thomas: There has to be a careful balance. The idea that Penguin has to outsmart himself is a unique one. I’m not so sure it’s the show’s desire to create an atmosphere of unpredictability or to establish that the Penguin is the architect of his own obstacles to power. Either way, we’ve seen what happens when shows and movies split away from established canon so that could become an issue later.

Lisa: Alberto Falcone deserved everything he got. If Cobb didn’t shoot him for being an arrogant, cocky, wanna-be gangster, somebody else would have. Cobb is the perfect guy to have done it, not only because the entire series is about his quest for the Gotham underworld throne but also because his impulsive nature will add unpredictability to the show.

But his unpredictability is much different than Sofia Falcone’s. She’s a straight-out psycho, so the two of them together on opposing sides of the spectrum is going to make for a wild ride.

I hope everyone in Cobb’s way gets the same treatment as Alberto Falcone. If Cobb is going to be the unhinged rogue, let him be unhinged.

Whitney: I love a little unpredictability when it makes sense. I saw Alberto’s death as clearly the catalyst for this season and potentially the only huge surprise we would be in for.

I could be wrong, but I think I’d much rather see how all these characters destroy one another without having to see people die left, right, and center for shock value.

Tyler: Yeah, I appreciated the shock of Alberto’s early death, but I hope it was more of an inciting incident for the main action of the season than an indication of what every individual episode will be like.

This show does a tremendous job of maintaining a sense of realism despite existing in a superhero universe. It would be tough to maintain that tone if the characters started dropping like flies every episode.

Plus, from Sofia Falcone to Vic to Oz’s mom, the memorable cast of characters might be this show’s greatest strength. It would be a shame if we were forced to say goodbye to any of them anytime soon.

Lastly, how would you sell The Penguin to a superhero hater who’s reluctant to check it out due to the Caped Crusader angle?

Thomas: I would tell them that it has a far more Sopranos vibe than it does Batman.

Lisa: Scarface on steroids.

Whitney: I’d tell them they don’t even mention Batman by name in the first episode, so just pretend he doesn’t exist!

Tyler: I’d simply relate my own experience: I’m not big on superhero stuff, but I was blown away by the first episode of The Penguin. Easily my favorite pilot of the fall, thus far.

Over to you, TV fanatics! What were your thoughts on the pilot episode of The Penguin? Hit the comments section below to share your thoughts!

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