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THE PENGUIN: Season 1 Episode 1

What You Need To Know:

THE PENGUIN is an HBO series that’s a continuation of the universe introduced in 2022's THE BATMAN. It focuses on Oz "The Penguin" Cobb, who works for the Falcone crime family. The first episode of THE PENGUIN follows Oz as he navigates Gotham in the aftermath of The Riddler's terrorist attack on the city, as seen in THE BATMAN, and the murder of crime boss Carmine Falcone. His son, Alberto, is poised to take over, but Oz eyes the position and will take it by any means necessary.

THE PENGUIN is incredibly well-made, featuring incredible performances from Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti. The series has beautiful cinematography, emphasizing the gritty, noir feel of the series and a storyline that will compel viewers. Batman and the noir crime genre fans will enjoy the first episode. The series contains objectionable content, specifically extreme violence and strong foul language. It features a slightly Paganistic worldview, as all the characters only act in their own interests and won’t hesitate to hurt and kill others if it serves their agenda. MOVIEGUIDE® advises extreme caution for all viewers.

Content:

(Pa, B, LLL, VVV, S, N, A, DD, MM):

Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements:
Pagan worldview, as all characters are acting in their own interests as they pursue whatever they want, even if that means hurting or killing others. There is a slight morally redemptive scene, as Oz decides to spare the life of Victor after he helps him hide a body. Oz is also seen showing compassion and respect for his mother, who suffers from hallucinations of his brothers, who are implied to have died as children;

Foul Language:
15 profanities and 58 obscenities, including 27 “f” words;

Violence:
Extreme violence; multiple scenes where people are shot, one where someone is shown following a violent attack (unclear if he was shot or stabbed), a man is stabbed in the eye and then immediately hit by a bus, Oz is tortured with a piece of wire cutting into his arm, dead body is shown with finger cut off;

Sex:
No sex scenes, but one scene shows photos taken at long-range of a couple in bed, with the implication that they are having a sexual affair, and another scene features prostitutes walking on the street;

Nudity:
One scene where Oz is completely nude, but his private parts and buttocks are not shown;

Alcohol Use:
Characters are shown drinking, ex. Oz and Alberto drinking together, Sophia drinking during her meal with Oz;

Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse:
Many references to drugs, as the Gotham crime world is built on selling drugs, Alberto is shown doing “drops,” the fictional drug created for the show, and Oz works as the head of a drug operation making and selling these “drops,” one scene shows Victor smoking a cigar; and,

Miscellaneous Immorality:
Many instances of lying, as Oz lies to Sophia multiple times about not knowing Alberto’s whereabouts and lies to Salvatore Maroni about wanting to help him relaunch his crime organization. Oz sends incriminating photos to someone as blackmail, Oz gets Victor to join him in a life of crime by encouraging him to be jealous of the Falcon family's’ wealth. Oz uses deceit to pin Alberto’s death on the Maroni crime family.

More Detail:

THE PENGUIN is a series streaming on HBO that’s a continuation of the universe introduced in 2022’s THE BATMAN. The series focuses on Oz “The Penguin” Cobb, who works for the Falcone crime family but aspires to become a leader in Gotham’s criminal community.

The first episode of THE PENGUIN follows Oz as he navigates Gotham in the aftermath of The Riddler’s terrorist attack on the city, as seen in THE BATMAN, and the murder of crime boss Carmine Falcone. Falcone’s death means his son Alberto is poised to take over.

Oz and Alberto inadvertently meet at the now-ruined Iceberg Lounge to drink together and discuss Alberto’s plans for the Falcone’s drug business and his concerns about taking over as leader. He shares his big plans for a new drug that could change the company and will arrive in Gotham in a few days. Alberto makes fun of Oz after he realizes he has dreams of being a crime boss, and, in a fit of rage, Oz shoots and kills him.

While removing the body from the club, Oz catches teenagers attempting to steal his car’s rims. He apprehends one named Victor, and forces him to help dispose of Alberto’s body. He plans to kill the teen after they hide the body but spares him after Victor promises to work for him.

The two head into the Falcone’s drug operation and are told that the Falcone family wants to see Oz at their estate. Once there, the family instructs him to shut the drug operation down. Sophia Falcone appears and asks Oz if he’s seen her brother, Alberto. He lies, and the two go out to eat, where Sophia alludes to her recent release from Arkham Asylum after killing someone. While she says she believes Oz doesn’t know where Alberto is, Oz knows she’s suspicious. He and Victor go to his mother’s house, where Oz tries to get her to leave town with him. She refuses and encourages him to fight for control of Gotham’s criminal underworld.

Later, Oz visits Salvatore Maroni, another Gotham mafioso, in prison and offers the drug operation to Maroni and his family. Maroni refuses. Oz gives him a ring he stole from Alberto, who received it from his father, who had stolen it from Maroni when he took over Gotham.

As he drives through Gotham, Oz realizes someone is following him and tries to get away, but members of the Falcone operation capture him. Sophia tortures him in hopes he’ll tell her where Alberto is. Still, she is interrupted when a car crashes into the Falcone mansion. There’s no driver, but Sophia discovers Alberto’s body in the trunk, with his ring finger cut off and “PAYBACK” scratched into the car.

Oz is released, as the Falcones now believe the Maroni family killed Alberto — a theory strengthened by the fact that Salvatore is wearing the ring taken from Alberto — and he and Victor celebrate their victory as if they’d planned the entire thing. Oz shares his plans to take over the mysterious drug operation Alberto planned to establish.

THE PENGUIN is incredibly well-made. It features incredible performances from the actors Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti. The series has beautiful cinematography, emphasizing the gritty, noir feel of the series and a storyline that will compel viewers. Some humorous moments even pay tribute to the series’ comic book roots. Batman and the noir crime genre fans will enjoy the first episode of THE PENGUIN.

Overall, THE PENGUIN has a negative Paganistic worldview. The first episode contains extreme violence and strong foul language. The characters are all involved in organized crime and have no sense of morals; all actions taken are based on what they want, whether money, power, or respect. MOVIEGUIDE® advises extreme caution to all viewers.