Over the years, the Penguin has taken on many forms—from the quirky, cartoonish version played by Burgess Meredith in the 1960s Batman TV series, to Danny DeVito’s grotesque mutant in Batman Returns, and Robin Lord Taylor’s sinister mob boss in Gotham. However, none have captured the chilling intensity of Colin Farrell’s portrayal of Oswald “Oz” Cobb in HBO’s The Penguin.
Introduced in Matt Reeves’ 2022 film The Batman, Oz is the underdog of Gotham’s criminal underworld. Deformed and dismissed by his peers, he’s mockingly referred to as “Penguin,” a nickname that reflects how little respect he commands. But this disdain proves to be a fatal miscalculation by those around him. While characters like the Joker have dominated the big screen and won Oscars for their portrayals, Oz finds himself fighting for recognition, relegated to the smaller screen—but not without making his mark.
Across eight dark and brooding episodes, we witness Oz’s ascent to power in a Gotham City still recovering from the devastation caused by the Riddler’s flood. In the power vacuum left by the death of crime boss Carmine Falcone (played in flashbacks by Mark Strong), Oz seizes the opportunity to rise. Farrell, hidden beneath heavy prosthetics and a fat suit, brings an intensity to the role that evokes shades of De Niro, portraying a complex figure with deep-rooted ambition and unsettling mother issues—reminiscent of Tony Soprano.
The series is steeped in tragedy and high-stakes drama, yet it remains thrilling and visceral throughout. Oz’s most formidable adversary is Sofia Falcone, played by Cristin Milioti. As the wronged daughter of Falcone, Sofia is equally ruthless, with ambitions that rival Oz’s own. Milioti’s performance, particularly through her expressive eyes, captures both the trauma of her time in Arkham Asylum and her fierce determination to claim power.
Amid the chaos and action, Oz reveals a softer side when mentoring his protégé, Victor Aguilar (played by Rhenzy Feliz), a young man who lost everything in the catastrophic flood that hit Crown Point. It’s in this crime-ridden neighborhood that Oz builds his empire, but even this budding mentor-student relationship can’t distract from the darker aspects of his life. His greatest vulnerability is his relationship with his domineering mother, Francis, portrayed with biting venom by Tony winner Deirdre O’Connell. Echoing the manipulative dynamics of Livia Soprano or Lady Macbeth, Francis controls Oz with her brutal expectations, constantly pushing him toward greater cruelty and ambition.
Driven by a need for respect and power, Oz ignites a series of violent confrontations—a mob war, a gang war, and even a class war—to seize control of Gotham. Like the tragic heroes before him, Oz’s pursuit of the top comes with devastating consequences, recalling the price of ambition in classic crime stories like White Heat.