The Penguin was amazing!

Cafe Society
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21

I’m surprised to be unable to find a thread on this show.

My daughter is a passionate DC fan and especially Batman stuff so she and I have been watching “The Penguin” and my lord this show is shockingly good. I mean, we’re only three episodes in so they have a chance to screw it up yet, but so far it’s just outstanding. No Marvel series has ever been this good.

For the uninitiated (which may include one person) this is a followup to the “The Batman” movie, it’s that version of the universe, and begins basically days after that movie ends, so it’s Colin Farrell as The Penguin (he’s not a big deal yet, but people do insultingly call him that sometimes) trying to become, well, a major crime lord. No superheroes have appeared as of yet; it’s just him trying to get what he wants while working for the Falcone and Maroni crime familes.

Farrell is magnificent. Like, this is an Emmy-worthy performance all the way. The Penguin is both a murderous crime boss and also a guy with some degree of empathy and a relatable life. Also amazing is Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone, who is clearly kinda nuts and might or might not be a murderer. She’s playing a person on the edge of sanity, but in a way that’s not overdone or comical - you believe it all the way.

Both deserve awards. Just tremendous acting. It’s interesting to me how they act through their physicality - Farrell is buried in makeup and prosthetics but he emotes brilliantly. Milioti is a small, pretty woman, but she just fills in the frame with menace and unpredictability even when she’s being vulnerable. It’s some of the best acting I have ever seen in a TV show.

22

I too am first three episodes into “The Penguin,” I find myself quite captivated. Colin Farrell delivers a stellar performance, becoming utterly unrecognizable beneath the heavy prosthetics that transform him into the infamous crime boss. The show masterfully captures the gritty tone and dark atmosphere of Gotham City, immersing us in its shadowy underworld. Coupled with a compelling storyline this series is one I’m eager to continue watching.

23

there is another thread here

24

Is there some reason Batman doesn’t even appear in most Batman shows?

25

Yeah I’m completely hooked on this show.

Seeing The human side of penguin is quite captivating.

26

I will confess that I’ve been meaning to watch it, but I wasn’t really a fan of The Batman, so I’ve been pretty hesitant about diving into this show.

27

Tonally, it feels connected to the movie. But it’s still very much its own thing. It’s somehow both darker and funnier. Grim and light.

28

I may have to give it a go, then. I just thought The Batman was entirely too long, and that really pulled me out of the movie.

29

This isn’t a Batman show.

30

So he has to kill Vic before this is over right? It feels like that is what everything is leading to. He gives up what’s left of his humanity to end up on top.

31

But how does that lead to him wearing a tuxedo and saying “waah waah waah” a lot?

32

Yeah, poor Vic has/will sacrifice everything for Oz, and still wind up in a car trunk. And it’s probably his mother who will push him into doing it.

33

Okay, now hope for some other useful things!

34

She is absolutely magnificent. We got almost no Penguin this episode and you hardly even miss him.

35

Yeah, this is probably the episode Cristin Milioti is submitting to the Emmys next year.

36

She was absolutely fantastic in this episode. The Penguin was a tertiary character and I barely noticed.

It has been a long time since I read “The Long Halloween”, I am pretty sure that Sofia was the hangman in the comics.

37

I love this show and Ferrell is amazing.

38

Your spoiler is partially right. It was actually in the sequel to The Long Halloween called Dark Victory.

39

I own both books. I will have to reread them.

40

Just watched it last night. One of the best single episodes of any show I’ve ever seen.

But I have a question: How did she render everyone in the house unconscious? Or are they dead? And if they’re dead, why isn’t Johnny VIti dead?