Sept. 22, 2024

The Penguin Episode 1 - Colin Farrell's Gotham Takeover

Show Notes
Transcript

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Calarogus Shark Media. Welcome back to TV in the Basement,

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where we dive deep into the hottest shows on television.

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I'm your host, Journey Joe Mitchell, and today we're waddling

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into the gritty streets of Gotham with HBO's new series,

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The Penguin. Folks. Buckle up because we're in for one

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hell of a ride. Now, before we dive in, let's

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set the stage. The Penguin picks up right where Matt

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Reeves the Batman left off. Gotham City is underwater, literally

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and figuratively, in the aftermath of the Riddler's devastating attack.

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But while Batman is busy playing lifeguard, our boy Oz

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Cobblepot sees an opportunity to climb the criminal ladder, and

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let me tell you, he's not about to let it

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slip through his flippers. But here's the thing that sets

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The Penguin apart. It's not just another superhero spinoff. Oh no,

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this is a full blown mob drama that just happens

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to be set in the world's most crime ridden city.

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It's like the Sopranos took a wrong turn and ended

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up in Gotham. And I am here for it. Now,

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let's talk about the man of the hour, Colin Ferrell

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as Oswald Cobblepot aka the Penguin Folks. I've seen some

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transformative performances in my day, but Farrell in this show,

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it's like he's been possessed by the spirit of every

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mob boss whoever lived. And get this, he's doing it

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all under pounds of prosthetics that make him look like

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he's been through a ringer and lost a fight with

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a makeup kit. But here's the kicker. Farrell doesn't just

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disappear into the role physically. He brings a depth to

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Oz that'll have you feeling sympathetic one minute and terrified

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the next. It's a tightrope walk of a performance, and

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Farrell is doing it in a pair of flippers. The

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episode kicks off with Oz breaking into the Iceberg Lounge,

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his old stomping ground. He's looking for leverage, something to

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give him an edge in the power vacuum left by

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Carmine Falcone's death. But faster than you can say fish

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out of water, he's caught by Alberto, the new head

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of the crime family. Now this is where Farrell's performance

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really shines. Watching Oz talk his way out of trouble

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is like watching a master class in acting. He's all

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smiles and congrats on the surface, but you can see

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the wheels turning behind those prosthetic heavy eyes. And when

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Alberto starts spilling details about a new drug operation, the

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look on Oz's face is priceless. It's like watching a

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penguin discover and all you can eat fish buffet. But

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our penguin isn't satisfied with just swimming along. In a

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moment that had me clutching my popcorn, Oz puts a

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bullet in Alberto faster than you can say wah wah wah.

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It's a shocking moment, folks, and Farrell plays it perfectly.

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You can see the calculation, the desperation, and yeah, a

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little bit of satisfaction, all warring on Oz's face. What

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follows is a master class in criminal improvisation. He ropes

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in a young kid named Victor to help him cover

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up the murder, and let me tell you, this odd

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couple dynamic is pure gold. Farrell plays Oz as a reluctant,

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alternating between threats and almost fatherly advice. It's like watching

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a master criminal trying to train a very reluctant apprentice,

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and it's as hilarious as it is tense. But the

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show doesn't stop there. We're introduced to Sophia Falcone, played

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by the incredible Kristin Miliote, fresh out of Arkham Asylum.

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Sofia is like a ticking time bomb wrapped in designer clothes.

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The lunch scene between her and Oz is electric. It's

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like watching two sharks circle each other, each waiting for

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the other to show a moment of weakness. And Farrell

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he's matching Miliatti beat for beat, quip for quip. It's

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the kind of scene that'll have you rewinding just to

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catch all the subtle expressions and unspoken threats. Now, I

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know some of you out there might be feeling a

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bit of superhero fatigue. You're probably thinking, Joe, do we

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really need another dark and gritty take on a Batman villain?

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And to that, I say, when it's this good, absolutely,

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This isn't just another cash grab riding on the cape

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tails of the bat. The penguin is carving out its

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own identity faster than Oz can carve up his enemies.

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But it's not all smooth sailing in Gotham Harbor. Some

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critics are grumbling that the show is too bleak, that

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it sucked all the fun out of the Batman universe.

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To them, I say, have you seen Gotham lately? This

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city makes the DMV look like Disneyland. The grit and

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grime are part of the package. Folks. It's like complaining

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that your sushi is too fishy. That being said, I

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can see where they're coming from. This isn't a show

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for the faint of heart. It's violent, it's morally ambiguous,

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and it's about as warm and fuzzy as a penguin's

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backside in the Arctic. But that's what makes it so compelling.

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This isn't a black and white world of heroes and villains.

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It's a world of shades of gray where everyone's just

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trying to survive and maybe grab a little power along

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the way. And at the center of it all is

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Colin Ferrell's Oz. Folks. I can't stress enough how good

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Farrell is in this role. He's taking a character that

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could have easily been a caricature and turning him into

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a fully realized, three dimensional person. And see the wheels

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turning behind Oz's eyes in every scene weighing his options,

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calculating his next move. It's a performance that's equal parts

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menacing and vulnerable, and it's absolutely riveting. One of the

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things I love about Farrell's portrayal is how he shows

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Oz's desperation for respect. This isn't just a power grab

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for him. It's a quest for validation. You can see

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it in the way he bristles at every slight, the

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way he puffs up when he thinks he's got the

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upper hand. It's like watching a penguin trying to convince

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the world it's an eagle, And somehow Farrell makes you

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root for him even as you're horrified by his actions.

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The episode ends with a bang, or should I say

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a crash. Oz manages to frame the Maroni's for Alberto's murder.

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It's a clever move that sets up what promises to

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be a season full of twists, turns, and probably a

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few more bodies in Gotham Harbor. And the look on

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Farrell's face in that final scene it's a perfect mix

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of triumph, relief, and just a hint of what have

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I gotten myself self into. It's the kind of nuanced

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performance that deserves all the Awards, folks. Now, let's talk

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about how the Penguin fits into the larger Batman universe.

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While the Caped Crusader himself is mia probably still fishing

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people out of flooded buildings, his presence is felt throughout

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the show. The chaos left in the wake of the

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Riddler's attack from the Batman is the perfect backdrop for

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Oz's rise to power. It's like watching the aftermath of

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a natural disaster, if that natural disaster wore green spandex

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and left riddles everywhere. But here's the thing. The Penguin

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doesn't rely on its Batman connection to work. Sure, it's

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set in Gotham, and yeah, there are references to the

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wider DC universe, but at its core, this is a

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character study of a man clawing his way to the

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top of the criminal underworld. It just happens to be

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set in a world where guys dress up as bats

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to fight crime. So what's the verdict. Well, if you're

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looking for a light hearted romp through Gotham, you might

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want to swim in a different direction. But if you're

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in the mood for a gritty, complex mob drama with

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a side of supervillain origin story, the penguin might just

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be your catch of the day, and if nothing else,

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it's worth watching for Colin Ferrell's performance alone. Trust me, folks,

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this is the kind of role that careers are defined by.

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Until next time, keep your umbrellas handy and your fish

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on ice. This is journey. Joe Mitchell signing off.