Three years ago, the nights were dark, and the days were gloomy. Everyone was still stuck in Gotham after leaving the theater. Producer Matt Reeves’ movie “The Batman” received critical acclaim for its portrayal of Gotham, a grimy, crime-ridden city and its guardian, Batman.
In October, HBO returns to Gotham with the series “The Penguin”, which follows the current protagonist, Oswald Cobblepot, also known as Penguin. The show begins with the aftermath of flooding caused by The Riddler in “The Batman” film. Poverty has gotten worse in Gotham; the poor and middle class are the most affected by the flooding and destruction of the city, while the rich are untouched. According to Reeves, the Penguin series will be a bridge between “The Batman” and “The Batman II”, which is anticipated to come out in October of 2026.
Ultimately, I think this series is incredible. It’s a more refreshing and grounded take on the “superhero” genre. It poses this question: does everything really need immense comic relief and powers? The most appealing part of this show is that it could happen; some parts are exaggerated, however, we have seen some of the events of this show play out in our real world as well.
The actions of radical groups have both affected Gotham and America, and corruption is rampant in both Reeves’ world and ours. The world-building, the characters–everything is incredible and much needed in superhero cinema. The city of Gotham feels alive, it pulls you into it and despite how horrible it is, it makes you want to live there. The casting is incredible and the actors do an amazing job at portraying their characters.
One of the things I think the creators of this show got right was the casting for Sofia Falcone. Fans of “How I Met Your Mother” may recognize the actor of Tracy, Christine Militoli, portraying Sofia Falcone in “The Penguin.” Militoli is an amazing example of the theory that comedy actors excel at dramas because she absolutely steals every single scene she is in. She captivates the audience, you have to watch her every move because she just plays the character so brilliantly. When her casting was first announced, I was skeptical, but Reeves completely made the right choice in choosing her, because I doubt anyone else could do justice to Sofia in the range Militoli does. I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys “Narcos”, “The Batman”, or just crime media in general.
Oswald Cobblepott very rarely received true recognition throughout adaptations of Batman. More often than not Cobblepott is reduced to a comedic release: a joke, never taken as a threat. Reeves, however, had a different vision for the show as a producer. One of the most enticing features of the original film was its character depth: no one is just evil. Oswald, however, is not an example of this. He lacks a reason to do the horrible things that he does throughout the first episode other than just greed and selfishness.
In contrast, there is Sofia Falcone. An ex-socialite, framed by her own father and sent to Arkham Asylum under the pretense that she was “unwell”. Throughout the show we watch Sofia, ultimately an innocent in a world of men out to get her, committing atrocities. Sofia is an incredible example of someone who is forced to do bad things to survive. She is the last member of the Falcone family to bear the surname; she kills or else she will be killed. I say that Sofia is a better protagonist than Oswald; in truth the story is driven by her character and her actions, not Oswald’s.
The parallel between Oswald and Sofia is incredible, Oswald started off as a personal driver for Sofia, but turned Sofia in for speaking to a reporter about murders committed by her father, Carmine Falcone. This led to Carmine framing Sofia as the Hangman, sending her to Arkham Asylum. Oswald is promoted and rises through the ranks of the mob family, while Sofia rots. When Sofia is eventually released, she is almost powerless. She has no allies, she has no position other than to be ornamental, much like Oswald in the beginning. And like Oswald, she kills and betrays in order to gain power back.
The theme of this series is one that is rarely depicted in media, but prominent in real life. Men will throw women under the bus for one reason: power. Power is what everyone in this story craves. From Penguin’s minions to the Falcone cousins, everyone does what it takes to gain power in a city that lacks any to spare. Throughout episodes, it’s shown just how easy it is to accuse a woman of hysterics and strip her of her power, because in truth very rarely do men in power respect women with the same, if not more, power.
Many who attempt to execute this create a much more girlboss-esque tone; women who lack power all of a sudden receive all of the power, which is obviously unrealistic. No one can receive that much power all at once; that’s why Sofia Falcone’s story is beautiful. She takes what she can all the time; she’s always scheming and thinking of the future. Her actions reflect someone who has more power than her, and they push her to gain said power.
The destruction of democracy and the rise of the far right are very much prevalent in our current world and the show reflects it. Gotham City is almost a satirical version of our world; policies designed to affect those with privilege ultimately affect those with none. The use of marginalized groups retaking power is another big theme in the show. The underdogs always rise up to overtake their masters, who then become the underdogs again. The loss and gain of power is very much cyclical and it is shown in this series with the city being fought over by the same two families for decades. Sofia is a variable. She is not accounted for in this process, and when she makes moves it causes chaos.
HBO, the media conglomerate behind this show, did an amazing job. After the flop that was “House of The Dragon” season two, I think everyone needed a show that was truly fleshed out. The representation of a woman who is both a victim and an accomplice in the abuse of other women is amazing, especially for a show based on crime media. Sure, it is not the most progressive show of the century, but compared to other shows airing right now, it has the best, if not the only, true representation of a complex female character. Crime media in general has a habit of portraying the woman as either an insane monster or a helpless victim. Sofia Falcone is an incredible example of someone who is both at some point. She has been abused and exploited by men, and she has even been a defender of the same men who abuse other women.
I really do think this series is beautiful and I strongly recommend it to anyone who enjoys crime stories or just nitty-gritty dramas. I wholeheartedly believe this show will go on to win awards and finish off insanely strong. “The Penguin” is streaming on Max and has eight episodes, and if all goes well, it will receive a second season estimated for 2027. The last episode of the show is resting at a 9.6/10 on Nov. 13, one of the highest ratings for a television episode ever.
