Although the brand new HBO Max sequence The Penguin is clearly a hyper-gritty tackle DC’s Batman universe set in a world created by Matt Reeves, I can’t cease laughing at it.
Not as a result of it’s dangerous (it’s superb), however as a result of there are such a lot of disarmingly hilarious moments on this present that occur so quick you would possibly miss them, fired off just like the bang snaps a child slams on the sidewalk that then explode with a pointy crack. Most of those are led by Colin Farrell, who’s unrecognizable in his function as Oz Cobb aka The Penguin, they usually add the briefest moments of levity to an in any other case heavy crime drama.
The latest episode begins with a tragedy: The flooding of Gotham by the Riddler, first seen in 2022’s The Batman. We see the way it impacts Oz’s reluctant new henchman, Vic (Rhenzy Feliz), who over the course of the episode slowly settles into his function, discovering he would possibly truly like being so flush with money he can repay cops. It’s additionally the beginning of Oz’s partnership with the deliciously unhinged Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti), who appears to be perpetually on the precipice of killing somebody in her line of sight, like a coiled cobra within the grass. However regardless of all the strain simmering by means of episode three, I couldn’t cease laughing.
At one level, Sofia brings Oz to the manufacturing facility the place her workforce is difficult at work on a brand new psychoactive drug that she smuggled out of Arkham. As an eccentric chemist explains the drug, cultivated from some freaky-looking mushrooms, in more and more extra scientific methods, he throws a number of Latin phrases on the market. Oz instantly snaps, “what the fuck you say to me?” like Tony Soprano together with his hand on the butt of a gun. I guffawed.
Moments earlier than that, Sofia reveals up at Oz’s condo, the place a terrified Vic is compelled to play the gracious host. She strikes across the room, clearly disgusted by Oz’s inside adorning decisions, choosing up a distant prefer it’s lined in poisonous waste. Vic goes to inform her what it’s for, however earlier than he can end, she clicks it and an enormous electrical hearth kicks on. “Cheesy,” she mumbles.
She’s not right here to hang around although, they’ve an errand to run. Oz instructs Vic to stay in his condo as a substitute of tagging alongside. “Keep put,” he says, closing the door behind him. He opens it once more instantly after and hisses, “When you do something silly, I’ll sense it.” It’s a grasp class, guys.
Although the remainder of the episode is fairly high-stakes, there are constant dashes of humor sprinkled all through that constantly startle a peal of laughter out of me: Oz responding to a rival gang chief asking in the event that they’re staring a coup with “What are you, studying books or somethin’?”, Vic splitting a gunman practically in half with Oz’s plum-colored Maserati (it’s not purple, as he reminds us in episode one) simply if you assume our Penguin is finished for, and Oz responding “fuck it, depart her,” when Vic asks what they need to do about Sofia, who was additionally within the line of fireside. They velocity away within the destroyed Maserati whereas “Me And The Satan” performs.
Each single episode of The Penguin up to now has been like this—terribly tense mobster moments that Oz will get out of by the pores and skin of his one gold tooth, punctuated by surprisingly riotous riffs. It’s the most effective present on TV proper now, and surprisingly one of many funniest. The fourth episode of The Penguin airs on Max on Sunday, October 13.