“If this is a mafia show, why is the Penguin in it? If this is a Penguin show, why isn’t Batman in it?” Unless and until The Penguin provides a satisfactory answer to these questions — and no, Colin Farrell vanishing into prosthetics and Brooklynese is not sufficient — it’s going to remain a puzzling, even frustrating, show. But then, this is a franchise with a tendency to be embarrassed about what it is, as if changing the surnames of the Riddler and the Penguin from Nygma and Cobbleplot to Nashton and Cobb will make the idea of a billionaire who dresses up like a horror movie monster to beat up criminals any less whimsical at heart. Just be what you are!
But this is not to say some enjoyment can’t be had even on a show that feels the need to preemptively apologize for itself in that way. This week’s episode serves up a strong action sequence, a tense bit of murderous skullduggery, and a closer look at what kind of villain this version of the Penguin really is: A enjoyably awful one, as it turns out.
I reviewed this week’s episode of The Penguin for Decider.
Tags: decider, the penguin, TV, TV reviews