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Everything about the final episode ofThe Penguinwas perfection. There aren’t many spin-off series that give fans exactly what they’re asking for and more. This episode was beautifully chaotic, with Oz Cobb (Colin Farrell) embracing the Penguin and giving in to his villainous ways. The war between Oz and Sofia Gigante (Cristin Milioti) comes to an end with Sofia receiving a fate worse than death, returning to Arkham Asylum, Oz killing his “weakness” Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz), and settling his mother in his penthouse while in a coma-like state. By the end of the episode, Oz has burned every possible bridge that could’ve pulled him back from the darkness, but his ambition for power has repressed anything good in his life.
The first indication of Batman’s presence was at the very end of the episode, with the Bat Signal illuminating across Gotham City, inciting fear in criminals. This was the only thing about the series that left fans frustrated, as there wasn’t any single mention of the Caped Crusader and his crime-fighting. How Matt Reeves' sequel toThe Batmanwill address the gang wars remains to be revealed, but the Penguin will surely come face-to-face with the Bat again. The finale left audiences excited about the next phase of Reeves' Batman universe, and it set up what could very likely be the main antagonist in The Dark Knight’s never-ending fight for justice inThe Batman: Part II.
The Penguin
The Court of Owls in ‘The Penguin’
This is an Easter eggno one saw coming. In a last attempt to win the war against Sofia, Oz turns to a government official for help. He pays a surprise visit to Councilmen Sebastian Hady, a Gotham politician, whom he had manipulated earlier in the series to restore electricity in Crown’s Point.As Oz enters the town hall, the audience also gets a glimpse of the chamber and can immediately see that the curtains hanging in the courtroom are in the shape of owls. Die-hard fans know that owls symbolize the criminal organization and secret society that controls Gotham City from the shadows. Fans are speculating that the Court of Owls will be the main antagonist inThe Batman: Part II.
The antagonistic role that the secret society could play is yet to be revealed, but theories are beginning to circulate among fans. The court aims to control Gotham, and Batman learning of their existence could uncover the sinister machinations that connect with the corruption in Gotham. They pull the strings, after all. The court may not be chaos incarnate like the Joker, and their plans for Gotham are much deeper than the Riddler’s, but that doesn’t make them any less of a threat. In fact, it makes them even more dangerous than the aforementioned villains.Their power lies in politics,and there’s nothing more threatening than people in politics who prioritize their own agenda and wield influence to serve their personal interests. Batman will be taking on a society of people whose influence spans generations;he’ll have the fight of his life.
The Penguin Entered the Lion’s Den
By enlisting the help of Hady, Oz unknowingly and unwillingly sells his soul to the devil. He believes that he is manipulating another average politician who seeks power and glory, and little does Oz know that he has become the puppet on the string. One of the many fascinating things about Farrell’s performance was seeing Oz discreetly win the criminal underworld over and how he weaves honesty and deception in his favor. He managed todestroy two of Gotham’s biggest crime families, andclaiming the throne for himself would undoubtedly put him on the court’s radar.
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Like the other big players, the court might think of Oz as an inconsequential nobody who doesn’t have the willpower to bend the criminal underworld to his whim. However, now that Penguin has allied himself with Hady, the court could see him as a threat and attempt to remove him from the equation or operate through him, though fanswho know the Penguinknow that he’s not interested in working for anyone anymore. Either way, this relationship will be interesting to see unfold as Oz is backed into a corner.
How Will This Set up ‘The Batman: Part II?’
The first film ends with Batman helping clean up the city following Riddler’s attempt to destroy it and committing himself to save the city from criminals who threaten to terrorize it.In the second film, fans will most likely see a Bruce Wayne who has embraced the role of the billionaire playboy to secure his identity as Batmanas opposed to the recluse they saw in the first movie. As far as Batman, he’ll be more experienced, andcriminals wreaking havoc on the citywill have more fear where The Dark Knight is concerned.
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Fans can expect the World’s Greatest Detective to look further into the Riddler, address the events thatoccurred inThe Penguin,and discover an underlying entity that ties everything together. Whether they’ll see Oz as an ally to the Court of Owls remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt he’ll make an appearance in the second film. All of this remains a theory as the premise for the film hasn’t been revealed, but fans are thrilled to see where the story goes next.The Penguinis streaming onMax.
