HBO Max has launched 'The Penguin', a spin-off of Matt Reeves' 'The Batman', which immediately sets a high bar for quality.

Two and a half years after the release of Matt Reeves' film 'The Batman', we officially return to the crime-ridden streets of Gotham, but this time we'll be on the other side of the criminal world: 'Oz' Cobb, played by Colin Farrell, takes the lead role in the new HBO series 'The Penguin'. Let's discuss what the creators showed us in the debut episode.

This text contains spoilers for the film 'The Batman' and Episode 1 of 'The Penguin'

Oz Cobb vs. Falcone

In the third act of 'The Batman', the Riddler, aka Edward Nashton (Paul Dano), kills crime boss Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) during his arrest. Riddler's plan to plunge Gotham into chaos succeeds: the city's streets are flooded, but Batman helps rescue workers, trying to instill hope in the devastated citizens. The last time we see the Penguin, played by Colin Farrell, he is watching the streets from the Iceberg Lounge office, and it becomes clear that he is plotting to seize control of Gotham's underworld.

The first episode of 'The Penguin' starts right at that moment. Gotham City One news reports that Batman is helping with restoration efforts, and also shows footage of the newly elected mayor Bella Reál (Jayme Lawson), promising to rebuild Gotham.

Other news tells us that crime has skyrocketed after the flood, and gangs are dealing drugs. We also learn that the murder of Carmine Falcone has only worsened the situation, as the police find it much harder to restore order in the city. However, the most important news, at least for Oz, is that Carmine's son, Alberto Falcone (Michael Zegen), will take his father's place as the head of 'Gotham's most notorious family'.

Oz drives up to the ruined remains of the Iceberg Lounge, takes a sledgehammer from his truck, and goes inside. Using the hammer, he cracks open a safe in the office and takes photos of criminal Johnny Vitti (Michael Kelly) sleeping with an unknown woman. Just as Oz is examining the safe's contents, Alberto enters the office and points a gun at him.

Oz pretends, claiming he was going to bring him documents per Carmine's wishes. Farrell's character continues to talk his way out of the situation, trying to congratulate Al on his new position, and although the mobster's son doesn't believe him, he finally calms down when Oz offers him a drink.

The Penguin tries to pry information from the younger Falcone about his plans for drug trafficking, advising him to take advantage of the thriving 'drop' business in Gotham. Al tells him he wants to start selling a stronger, new drug that provides a new kind of high, but asks Oz not to tell anyone, especially Johnny. He also adds that both he and his father knew Oz was laundering money that was going away from the family, but he did it smartly, so Carmine didn't mind.

Oz starts to get more nervous, especially when Al starts flaunting his father's ring, which originally belonged to the boss of the rival Maroni crime family, Salvatore Maroni (Clancy Brown). When Al asks if he will be as good as his father, Oz tells him a story about a gangster who roamed his neighborhood when he was a kid: Rex Calabrese (a character familiar to comic book fans, who in some versions is Catwoman's biological father). Oz claims Rex helped the people in his neighborhood, knew everyone's names, and protected them. Rex died when Oz was 14, and the neighborhood threw a parade in his honor. Al sees through Oz's monologue and thinks he's trying to wrest power from him to gain similar respect and remembrance.

Al continues to mock Oz, but the Penguin gets fed up and kills Falcone, not fully realizing what he's done. In the next scene, he puts Al in a body bag and steals the mobster's phone. This is a defining moment for Oz, and Colin Farrell brilliantly portrays the character's unpredictable nature. Cobb desperately craves power, but he's not tough; he's still a coward.

Making his way to his car, Oz finds a gang of teenagers trying to rob him. While the other boys run away, the Penguin catches one of them, Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz), and holds him at gunpoint. Victor breaks down crying, causing Oz to lower the gun and take his wallet, forcing the young man to help him dispose of Al's body. Oz orders Victor to work for him as a driver for the night and says he will kill him and his family if he betrays his trust.

Oz destroys Al's phone while Victor drives him around Gotham, but he fails to note the date and time when Al mentioned the upcoming shipment of new drugs. Victor drops Oz off at the apartment of Eve Karlo (Carmen Ejogo), where Oz asks the sex worker if she can provide him with an alibi for the whole night.

Later, Cobb and Victor burn the evidence at a dump, and in the morning, they hide Al's body in a random car, after taking the Maroni ring from the dead man's finger. Oz tells the kid that Al was a member of the Falcone crime family, and now that he knows this information, the Penguin will have to shoot him. Victor, stuttering and begging, convinces Oz not to shoot him, offering to continue working with him. Oz refrains from pulling the trigger.

Sofia Falcone Enters the Fray

Oz drops Victor off at his apartment, where we learn that the Penguin's limp is due to a foot deformity, and then hides the Maroni ring for safekeeping.

Later, at one of the 'drop' warehouses, Oz gives some incriminating photos from Carmine's stash to one of his henchmen, ordering him to leave the evidence for a council member close to Mayor Bella Reál, and to make sure they know the information came from Oz Cobb.

Oz is summoned to the Falcone family, where he meets with Vitti and Falcone's enforcer, Milos Grapa (James Madio). Grapa tells Oz that the family plans to shut down the 'drop' warehouses in Gotham and move production to Robbinsville.

Oz is upset, insisting that such a move would bring in much less money, but Vitti reminds Oz that he still works for the family, adding that too much of their product was damaged after the flood and the Gotham police are now on their trail. Oz argues that the Maroni family is using this to their advantage, but Vitti counters, saying 'the last thing they need is another gang war'. While Oz tries to convince everyone to continue the trade, claiming he has a new batch that will allow the family to expand the business, Falcone's daughter, Sofia (clearly a star-making role for Cristin Milioti), enters the room.

It turns out Sofia has recently been released from Arkham Asylum, but Oz doesn't fully believe in her rehabilitation. Against Vitti and Grapa's wishes, Sofia asks Oz if he's heard anything about Alberto, since her brother never came home after leaving the previous evening. The Penguin lies, claiming that now that Al is the head of the family, he's probably busy with business.

Sofia doesn't believe this answer and orders him to have dinner with her. At the restaurant, Oz uncomfortably watches as Falcone's daughter eats greedily, forgoing a fork and knife and shoving food into her mouth with her hands. At this moment, we learn about Sofia's past as a killer nicknamed 'The Hangman', and it becomes clear that other restaurant patrons feel uneasy in her presence.

The girl tells Oz that Alberto informed her of his intention to visit the Iceberg Lounge the previous evening, and adds that her brother had already told her about his plans to revolutionize the drug business, the same thing she overheard when Oz was talking to Vitti and Grapa. She asks him how he found out about Al's plan and why he presented it to the family as his own.

Oz lies again, telling Sofia that he was aware of the new business development all along. He also suggests that Al might be on another bender, so he decided to take matters into his own hands, while also mentioning the fake alibi with the prostitute. As they part ways, Sofia tells Oz that although others don't believe in him, she has always seen his potential and believed he is capable of more.

With this single scene, Cristin Milioti convinced that perhaps not even the Penguin himself will be the most interesting character in Craig Zobel's series.

Oz Makes Maroni an Offer He Can't Refuse

Knowing that Sofia is on his trail, Oz and Victor drive across a bridge out of Gotham, get into a less flashy car, and immediately Dolly Parton's song '9 to 5' starts playing. Victor tries not to laugh while a flustered Oz takes the disc out of the player. Oz takes the kid to his mother's house, Francis Cobb (Deirdre O'Connell). The Penguin gives Francis one of the pieces of jewelry he previously stole from Falcone's safe and tells his mother that he's taking her on a 'vacation'.

Oz notices that his mother isn't taking her medication. In turn, Francis is surprised by Victor's appearance, but her son calms her down, claiming that he's coming with them to help her. However, Francis sees that her offspring is not himself, and he confesses that he shot Alberto Falcone, putting her in serious danger.

As Oz tries to explain to his mother that shooting Al was an impulsive decision, Francis tells her son that he killed a man only because he wanted power, just like his father, and adds: 'This city should be yours.' A real mother, indeed.

The next day, Oz goes to Blackgate Prison to meet with Salvatore Maroni. Oz tells the mob boss that he's done dealing with the Falcones and is ready to work with him, informing him of the plans to move drug operations to another part of Gotham, which will give the Maroni family a chance to seize power with his help. Maroni initially refuses Oz's offer, reminding him of all the times he stabbed him in the back, but Oz returns the ring to him, saying: 'Maybe I'm more important than you think.'

As Oz drives back to his apartment, he sees Sofia and her bodyguards waiting at his front door, and he speeds off, trying to lose them at a fair. One of Sofia's men catches up to him, but Oz stabs him, causing him to stagger back in shock and get hit by a school bus.

The Penguin is knocked out by one of Sofia's other henchmen. When Oz comes to, he is stripped naked and tied to a chair in the Falcone greenhouse. Sofia tells him that she kidnapped one of the teenagers who, along with Victor, tried to steal the Penguin's car, and he is ready to tell what he saw the night her brother disappeared.

Cobb claims that her so-called informant is lying, and she shoots the young man. When Sofia orders the henchman to torture Oz, a car crashes into the fountain on the lawn in front of the house. Falcone finds Alberto's body in the trunk, with his little finger cut off and the word 'Payback' written.

The episode ends with Oz meeting Victor, during which it turns out they had planned everything in advance. Oz congratulates Victor on executing the plan, which ultimately allowed them to frame Maroni for Alberto's murder.

It's worth noting that the series doesn't just try to replicate what Matt Reeves did with 'The Batman', and the debut episode already proves that 'The Penguin' is a self-contained gangster story where character development, personalities, histories, and interactions play a crucial role. It's especially intriguing to watch the chemistry between Farrell's and Milioti's characters. They are both bad people, but who is worse? They are both volatile and unpredictable, but Sofia now seems driven solely by revenge, while Oz craves power. Who will prevail?

Teaser for Episode 2:

P.S. The next episode will air on HBO only on September 29, and the series will subsequently air in the US on Sundays.