One of the most frequent criticisms of Batman lore is: why do criminals keep operating in Gotham City if Batman is just going to shut them down? And while the first episode of The Penguin doesn’t address that directly, it does present a pretty solid case for why crime still operates in the city… It’s huge.
In the premiere, titled “After Hours,” it’s established right at the top that we’re opening right after the end of The Batman. Gotham City has been flooded due to the actions of The Riddler (Paul Dano) and his followers and left in an even more dire situation than ever before. We also see news reports explaining that “the Batman vigilante” was helping out at Gotham Square Garden, as he did at the end of the movie. So it’s not like Batman is a myth in this continuity. And Oswald Cobb (Colin Farrell) interacted with him in the flick, even getting tied up and left behind by Batman (Robert Pattinson) and Detective Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright).
But even with that info out there, Oswald acts with impunity in the episode. There’s no looming specter of Batman over him as he kills Alberto Falcone (Michael Zegen) in a fit of rage early on. Nor is he checking the skies for the shape of a bat as Oswald recruits his young ward, Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz), to help dispose of the body. And throughout the episode, Oswald checks in on his thriving drug trade. He drives out to the suburbs to visit the Falcones. There’s crime going on all over Gotham City, yet Batman is a total non-factor.
Part of that is by design, as Batman won’t show up in The Penguin. The overseer of the Batman Epic Crime Saga (as he’s calling it), Matt Reeves, has noted that Batman will be saved for the movies, versus the TV shows. Having everyone constantly worrying about Batman would put too much focus on a character who won’t appear on screen.
But that first episode also goes to show why Batman doesn’t matter, by showing the scope of Gotham City. Batman is, literally, one man. Meanwhile, Oswald travels to multiple neighborhoods, including outside the city itself where the Falcone crime family is based. Due to the scope and length of a movie, you usually have several central locations: the Batcave; Wayne Manor; the courthouse; the Iceberg Lounge; etc. On a TV show with eight hours of space to play with, you can expand the locales dramatically.
It’s actually pretty shocking when Oswald travels out of Gotham City proper with Victor to the Falcones’ house. It’s bright and sunny out. There’s grass. It’s clean and devoid of the constant clouds and rain of the city proper. The implication is clear, too, as Oswald constantly drives home to Victor that they come from a very different place. Late in the episode, Oswald gives a whole speech about how the Falcones don’t have a hunger to rise up the ranks, because they were born rich. They don’t need to prove themselves, while he and Victor do. Presenting the Falcones as rich criminals in the pristine suburbs of Gotham City is a large part of the point.
It also stands in stark contrast with Batman’s narration at the beginning of The Batman:
“Thursday, October 31st. The city streets are crowded for the holiday. Even with the rain. Hidden in the chaos is the element, waiting to strike like snakes. And I’m there too. Watching. Two years of nights have turned me into a nocturnal animal. I must choose my targets carefully. It’s a big city. I can’t be everywhere. But they don’t know where I am. We have a signal now, for when I’m needed. When that light hits the sky, it’s not just a call… It’s a warning. To them. Fear is a tool. They think I’m hiding in the shadows. But I AM the shadows.”
The whole point of that sequence in the movie is to show that the criminal element feels like he’s everywhere, even when he’s not. But in The Penguin… Well, he’s not everywhere. Or at least the element we’re dealing with — the criminals higher up on the food chain — aren’t scared of him yet. The thugs on the street are. And we’ve seen the crazies like The Riddler who idolize him. But Oswald, the Falcones, the Maronis… They don’t care about one man dressed as a bat who is helping people out after a flood.
That probably will be to their detriment in The Batman Part II, if the source material Reeves and company are pulling on is any indication. But as for The Penguin, right now all they have to worry about is each other. It’s a big city, after all. Batman can’t be everywhere.
Where To Watch The Penguin:
The Penguin Premiere Dates And Episode Guide:
The first episode of The Penguin premieres Thursday, September 19 at 9 pm ET on HBO and Max. There will be an encore airing on Sunday, September 22 at 9 pm ET, and then the show will move to its regular time slot of Sundays at 9 pm ET starting on September 29.
Here’s the full list of episodes in The Penguin, with premiere dates:
- Thursday, September 19, 2024: The Penguin, Episode 1: “After Hours”
- Sunday, September 29, 2024: The Penguin, Episode 2: “Inside Man”
- Sunday, October 6, 2024: The Penguin, Episode 3: “Bliss”
- Sunday, October 13, 2024: The Penguin, Episode 4: “Cent’Anni”
- Sunday, October 20, 2024: The Penguin, Episode 5: “Homecoming”
- Sunday, October 27, 2024: The Penguin, Episode 6: “Gold Summit”
- Sunday, November 3, 2024: The Penguin, Episode 7: “Top Hat”
- Sunday, November 10, 2024: The Penguin, Episode 8: “Great or Little Thing”