The Penguin Recap (up to Ep 4)

(SPOILERS AHEAD!)

“The Penguin” is DC’s latest tv show belonging to Robert Pattinson and Matt Reeves’ The Batman universe, and it has quickly become the talk of the town. Why? Because it’s undoubtedly one of the best tv shows DC has ever brought into life !!

Keep reading for a quick recap on this masterpiece…

So starting from scratch, The Penguin features Academy Award Nominee Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti and Rhenzy Feliz in lead roles. All of them deliver a stellar performance which elevates the show into a whole new level. Matt Reeves, director of the widely loved The Batman (2022) movie, supervised the writing and Lauren LeFranc serves as the showrunner. You quickly dissolve into the grounded, moody and noir atmosphere set up by the original movie and continued in this show, which is an outstanding work of cinematography and storytelling.

EPISODE 1

The series follows the events of The Batman, where a criminal mastermind named Edward Nashton a.k.a The Riddler, assassinated mob boss Carmine Falcone and blew up Gotham city’s seawalls which led to a huge flood, now major parts of the city is flooded and crime and looting is rampant. Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot (or Cobb as he is renamed in this universe), Falcone’s right hand, who was treated as a nobody by the mob takes this chance to take down the Falcone family and rise to power himself. He slowly plots the family’s doom right under their nose working for them. Alberto Falcone, Carmine Falcone’s son, mocks Oz’s ambitions, prompting Oz to shoot him in a fit of rage. With Victor, a troubled teen, hired as his accomplice, Oz disposes of the body. Meanwhile, Sofia Falcone, Carmine’s ruthless daughter, returns from Arkham Asylum, suspecting Oz of her brother’s disappearance. Desperate, Oz allies with Maroni, the former crime boss Carmine betrayed. Oz stages Alberto's body discovery to frame Maroni, tricking Sofia and setting a deadly game in motion.

EPISODE 2

Luca Falcone, Carmine’s younger brother is now head of the family. Oz betrays the Falcones by leaking a shipment plan to Maroni. The Falcones suspect a mole, and Sofia hires a retired detective to investigate, who captures Maroni’s henchman Ervad. Fearing exposure, Oz kills Ervad and frames Castillo, Sofia’s enforcer, as the mole and killer of Alberto. Castillo is shot dead by Luca. Sofia gets enraged that she didn’t get to kill him for his brother. Luca suggests Sofia to leave the family business, leading her to turn on her own family and ally with Oz to take them down.

EPISODE 3

We see a flashback of Victor who watched his family drown in the flood caused by The Riddler. This episode starts on a serious note with awesome plot and cinematography. In the present, Oz and Sofia introduce “Bliss,” a drug made from mushrooms, to the Triads. They blackmail Johnny Viti, the Falcone underboss for forced support, and the deal succeeds. Victor, torn between leaving Gotham with his girlfriend and staying loyal to Oz, decides to leave. However, when Maroni’s men capture Oz and Sofia suspecting double crossing, Victor returns to save Oz, leaving Sofia wounded.

EPISODE 4

This episode marks the beginning of Oz and Sofia’s enmity. Sofia learns the truth—Oz killed her brother Alberto. A flashback reveals her tragic past: Carmine Falcone framed his own daughter Sofia as a serial killer, “The Hangman,” to cover up his own crimes, including her mother’s death. Carmine sent her to Arkham, where she suffered brutal torture and breakdown, shaping her into the ruthless person she is today.

In the present, shattered by Oz’s betrayal, Sofia experiences a similar breakdown and takes matters into her own hands. She releases a deadly gas inside the Falcone mansion, killing the entire Falcone family, but sparing a young girl and Johnny Viti, hinting at future plans.

With gripping performances, deep character arcs, and stunning cinematography, The Penguin cements itself as one of DC’s finest shows, capturing Gotham’s dark and unforgiving nature perfectly.