The Penguin Review: Colin Farrell’s Gotham Crime Drama

The Penguin isn’t just a spin-off — it’s one of the most complete crime stories in recent television

Gotham was never the story — the people inside it were

There’s a tendency to think of The Penguin as an extension of The Batman. A character piece. A side story meant to expand a world we already know.

But that assumption fades quickly. Because this series doesn’t behave like a supplement — it behaves like a fully realized crime drama that happens to exist inside Gotham.

What it builds is not just continuity. It builds its own identity.

Character-name note: In the comics, the Penguin is traditionally Oswald Cobblepot. In Matt Reeves’ The Batman universe, Colin Farrell’s character is called Oz Cobb. This is the name used in DC’s official series information.

📊 Quick View

A rise built on instability

The series picks up in a Gotham still recovering from chaos. The city isn’t rebuilding — it’s shifting. Power structures are unstable, alliances are fragile, and every gap in control becomes an opportunity.

That’s where Oz Cobb operates best.

Not as a dominant force, but as someone who understands the cracks in the system and knows how to move through them.

Colin Farrell disappears into the role

At the center of everything is Colin Farrell, delivering a performance that doesn’t rely on transformation alone.

The physical work is impressive, but what truly stands out is the control behind it. The way Oz speaks, observes, waits — everything feels calculated.

This isn’t a character chasing power recklessly. It’s someone building it piece by piece.

Not a villain story — a survival story

One of the most interesting aspects of The Penguin is how it reframes its main character.

This isn’t about good versus evil. It’s about survival within a system where morality is irrelevant.

Every decision is strategic. Every move is reactive. And every relationship carries a cost.

Gotham as a living system

The show portrays Gotham not as a backdrop, but as an ecosystem.

Crime families, political pressure, street-level players — everything is interconnected. And when one part moves, everything else adjusts.

This gives the series a constant sense of tension. Not explosive, but persistent.

Slow, deliberate, and controlled

The pacing might not be for everyone. It doesn’t rush. It doesn’t rely on spectacle.

Instead, it builds pressure gradually. Scene by scene, conversation by conversation.

And when things finally shift, they feel earned.

Expanding the universe the right way

What makes The Penguin work so well within The Batman universe is its independence.

It doesn’t depend on references or appearances to stay relevant. It stands on its own narrative strength.

And that’s what allows it to expand the world instead of just revisiting it.

Final verdict: a crime drama first, a superhero series second

The Penguin succeeds because it doesn’t try to be anything other than what it is: a grounded, character-driven crime story.

The connection to Gotham is important — but it’s not what carries the show.

What carries it is its focus, its performances, and its understanding of how power actually works.

And that’s what makes it one of the most compelling series to come out of the superhero genre in years.

We also examine the series on its own terms in our review of The Penguin as a crime drama set in Gotham.

Our take on The Penguin is also available in Spanish, with more on how the series expands Gotham.

If you enjoy crime dramas built around rival families and the struggle for power, you may also like our review of MobLand.

You can also read my original Spanish review of El Pingüino, covering Colin Farrell and the series’ Gotham underworld.