HBO’s The Penguin unfolds the mystery of Gotham’s criminal underworld, shedding light on Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot (played by Colin Farrell) and his ruthless rise to power. However, the central question isn’t just Oz’s rise to power—it’s how the path of this series intersects with The Batman.
Let’s take a look at the plot of The Penguin and connect its dots to the events in Matt Reeves’ The Batman universe.
How is Riddler’s Flood Connected to The Penguin?
The stage for The Penguin is set just one week after the masterful events of The Batman, suggesting that the show picks up in the aftermath of the chaos caused by the Riddler (played by Paul Dano).
In The Batman, the story culminates with a massive flood in Gotham City after the Riddler detonates bombs around the city’s sea wall. The movie ends on November 6, 2022, when Batman (played by Robert Pattinson) helps rescue survivors in Gotham Square Garden.
How does The Penguin connect to The Batman?
To connect the dots between The Penguin and The Batman timeline, we must look at the fallout from Carmine Falcone’s death. Falcone (played by John Turturro) is exposed as a high-level informant and is ultimately assassinated by the Riddler.
His death creates a power vacuum in Gotham’s organized crime, and The Penguin focuses on Oz Cobblepot’s ambition to fill that void.
Oz, who was Falcone’s right-hand man, sees Falcone’s death as a blessing in disguise—an opportunity to climb to the top of Gotham’s criminal empire.
As the show progresses, we witness Oz taking brutal, unacceptable measures to seize control of the city’s underworld. This marks the beginning of his transformation into the iconic “Penguin,” one of Batman’s most notorious foes.
What are the key events in The Penguin?
In the very first episode of The Penguin, Oz makes a bold move by killing Carmine Falcone’s son, Alberto Falcone (played by Michael Zegen).
This brutal act sets the tone for the series, signaling that Oz will stop at nothing to claim his place at the top of Gotham’s criminal empire.
Alberto’s funeral is an important marker in the timeline, taking place on November 13, 2022, just one week after the events of The Batman.
How does The Penguin explore Gotham’s criminal factions?
One of the key aspects of The Penguin is its exploration of the various criminal factions in Gotham. In The Batman, we see a corrupt city plagued by crime, with Carmine Falcone at the top.
Now that Falcone is gone, Gotham’s underworld is in disarray, and different factions are vying for control.
Final Thoughts
Summing it all up, The Penguin starts just a week after the events of The Batman have unfolded, all in a period that is very chaotic and destructive in Gotham city.
The power dynamics are changing, Carmine Falcone has passed away, Riddler has caused some massive destruction; it’s a city of transition, chaos, and crime.
The series stands as a direct uninterrupted continuation to The Batman, representing the power-hungry attitude of criminals like Oz, setting the stage perfectly just in time for The Batman 2 to fit in. Simultaneously, the Penguin’s empire is born, and the underworld witnesses yet another superpower.
With the dark and gritty representation of Gotham’s criminal atmosphere, The Penguin is sure to set off a storm in the DC Comics Universe.
About The Penguin
The Penguin is an American television miniseries created by Lauren LeFranc for HBO. Based on the DC Comics character Penguin, it is a spin-off from the film The Batman (2022) that explores the Penguin’s rise to power in Gotham City’s criminal underworld. LeFranc serves as the showrunner of the series, which is produced by DC Studios in association with Warner Bros. Television.
Colin Farrell stars as the Penguin, reprising his role from The Batman, alongside Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz, Deirdre O’Connell, Clancy Brown, Carmen Ejogo, Michael Zegen, Berto Colón, James Madio, Joshua Bitton, David H. Holmes, Daniel J. Watts, Ben Cook, Jayme Lawson, Michael Kelly and Mark Strong. Development was underway by September 2021, and HBO Max ordered it in March 2022, after The Batman was released. The film’s director, Matt Reeves, supervised the writing and was involved in hiring the creative team. Filming began in March 2023 in New York, but was halted in June by the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes. Production resumed in late November and concluded in February 2024. The series moved from HBO Max’s successor Max to HBO in July 2024. Craig Zobel directed the first three episodes.
The Penguin premiered in the United States on HBO on September 19, 2024, and is set to run for eight episodes until November 10.
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