Premiering onHBOon September 29,2024,The Penguinhas received such widespread acclaim that it currently ranks #124 on IMDb’s Top 250 TV Shows. While it has a long way to go to catchThe Sopranos(ranked #9), both shows explore the personal and professional exploits of organized criminals and their extended families, the dangers of mixing business with pleasure, and feature stunning tour-de-force performances from its morally conflicted main characters. As such, every fan ofThe Sopranosmust watchThe Penguinto witness HBO’s 20-year crime series lineage.
The Penguin
What Is The Penguin About?
The Penguinis an American crime drama miniseries created by Lauren LeFranc for HBO. Conceived as a spin-off from Matt Reeves' bleak 2022 featureThe Batman,the HBO crime showhas the same dark tone, tenor, and austere temperament as its predecessor.Colin Farrell reprises his role from The Batman, playing Oswald “Oz” Cobb (shortened from Cobbelpot in the comics), a deformed high-ranking criminal associate of Carmine Falcone (Mark Strong), a deceased Italian-American mafioso ruling Gotham City with an iron fist.
As Oz climbs the ranks of Gotham’s seedy criminal underbelly and bolsters his power and influence, he becomes targeted by Carmine Falcone’s daughter, Sofia (Cristin Milioti), a volatile serial killer who moonlights under the alias The Hangman.Once The Hangman is released from Arkham Asylum, she seeks revenge on her father’s killer while aiming to dethrone The Penguin as Gotham’s new criminal leader.If fans ofThe Sopranosrecall the name Cristin Milioti, it’s because she played Johnny Sacrimoni’s daughter, Catherine, in three episodes between 2006 and 2007 during the show’s sixth and final season.
Beyond the casting parallel,The Penguinbecomes just as much about family as it does about organized crime, a key distinction that madeThe Sopranosspecial.The show picks up one week after Falcone’s death, prompting his son Alberto (Michael Zegen) and daughter Sofia to continue his criminal legacy by any means necessary, often resorting to brutal, unremitting carnage. Much like Tony Soprano’s nephew Christopher (Michael Imperioli), Alberto Falcone is addicted to drugs and alcohol.
Meanwhile, similar to Tony Soprano’s mother, Livia (Nancy Marchand), who required assisted living due to eroding mental acuity, Oz’s mother is diagnosed with early-onset dementia. The personal dilemmas make their immoral criminal behavior so compelling inboth HBO crime shows, where unflinching graphic violence rules the day.
What Classic Crime Stories Inspired The Penguin
Although it’s easy to think ofThe Sopranoswhen seeing the physical likeness between Oz Cobb and Tony Soprano, not to mention Milioti’s connective presence, the show was inspired by other crime classics. According to showrunner Lauren LeFranc,Brian De Palma’s 1983Scarfaceremake was the biggest cinematic influence onThe Penguin,tellingDeadline:
“Matt Reeves came up with theScarfacestory, a rise to power. I turned it into a psychological character study of this man. Mobsters historically are larger than life, so there is that slightly elevated quality to it, but he’s just a man. A very complicated man. This is what differentiates him from previous versions of the Penguin in the comics, where he comes from a wealthy, well-known family. Matt had already made him an underdog in that he was number two to Carmine Falcone in the film, but we didn’t know anything about his family. So it was important to me that he comes from nothing, and he’s really aching to get more status and be seen as more important.”
In turningThe Penguininto a “psychological character study,” the show becomes a perfect companion piece toThe Sopranos.Like Oz, Tony Soprano climbed the ranks of the criminal underworld after beginning life with next to nothing, building a blue-collar construction and waste management business before using them as fronts for his racketeering. Additionally, Colin Farrell plays Oz Cobb with the same “larger than life” persona and charming menace that made Tony Sopranos “a very complicated man.”
The Penguin Actors: Every Performance in Batman Movies, Shows, and Games, Ranked
Throughout cartoons, movies, and video games, the iconic Batman villain the Penguin has been portrayed by some great actors.
BeyondScarface, producer Matt Reeves has cited the 1980 British gangster filmThe Long Good Fridayas an influence onThe Penguin(according to Deadline), another dark and violent criminal origin story. Of course,Scarfacewas set in MiamiandThe Long Good Fridayin London, allowing LeFranc to combine locations withThe Sopranos' iconic New Jersey setting to overhaul Gotham City’s aesthetic. Indeed, the dark, dank, rain-drenched Gotham resembles Jersey more than Miami’s sunny shores.
Why Sopranos Fans Need to Watch The Penguin
Beyond the shared cast members, similar themes, and overt crime movie and TV show influences,The Sopranosfans must watchThe PenguinforColin Farrell’s villainous central performanceas a morally vexed criminal impresario. James Gandolfini gave one of the all-time best TV performances as Tony Soprano, a serial murderer, liar, cheater, womanizer, backstabber, and hot-tempered mobster on the brink of a nervous breakdown.With no redeemable qualities on paper, Gandolfini made viewers sympathize with and care for Tony Soprano despite the countless horrible acts he demonstrates on the show.
While it may not reach the same legendary status,Farrell gives a similar commanding and fully committed performance inThe Penguinthat Gandolfini did inThe Sopranosfor the same network 20 years prior. Farrell is completely unrecognizable beneath a fat suit, prosthetics, and mounds of makeup, giving DC the same dramatic legitimacy Gandolfini did for HBO during its TV infancy. Of course, those who watched the final season ofThe Sopranoswill get a kick out of seeing Catherine Sac (Milioti) all grown up 20 years later, once again entangled in a web of organized crime as Sofia Falcone inThe Penguin.
The Best Part of The Penguin Isn’t Colin Farrell’s Performance
Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone has stolen the show in The Penguin.
Farrell’s striking performance stands out when sharing scenes with the great Carmen Ejogo, who plays Oz’s girlfriend as sex worker Eve Karlo. Their romance calls to mind Tony sleeping with various strippers and escorts throughoutThe Sopranos, including two times with Miss Reykjavík (Tone Christensen) in Season 4.Physically speaking, Farrell bears a stark similarity to howGandolfini carried himself as Tony Soprano, using his entire body to give an unforgettable performance.To protect his home and criminal families, Oz is magnetic and repulsive at once, a hallmark that made Tony Soprano such a lasting TV icon.
