‘The Penguin’ fans react to violent season finale: “Just psychotic!”

11 November, 2024

*Warning: spoilers ahead*

The eighth and final episode of The Penguin aired on HBO on Sunday (November 10) and many fans have been left reeling by its conclusion.

The series is set one week after the 2022 film The Batman and explores Penguin’s rise to power in Gotham City’s criminal underworld. It sees an unrecognisable Colin Farrell reprise his role as Oswald Cobb from the film, alongside Mark Strong, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz and Michael Kelly.

The show debuted on September 20 on Sky Atlantic in the UK and with the season now complete, fans have been sharing their strong reactions to its climactic moments on social media.

The final episode sees Oz decide that Victor (Feliz), the homeless teenager that has become his enforcer, has seen too much and he decides to brutally strangle him to death. The remorselessness of Farrell’s character has left some in shock, and has created narrative satisfaction for others.

“I was getting tired of sympathetic villains and villains we root for,” wrote one X user. “The Penguin had the guts to bring back spineless villains who we absolutely hate. No tragic backstory. Just psychotic!”

See other examples of fans trying to wrestle with their emotions after the finale here:

With the series now in the books, others have been hailing it as one of the best shows of its type that they have ever seen.

In a four-star review of the show, NME wrote: “As in The Batman, the soundtrack pops with choice cuts (Dinah Washington’s aching ‘Tears And Laughter’ is used to gorgeous effect), while [showrunner Lauren] LeFranc cleverly builds momentum through Cobb’s chess-like moves. In one scene, he’s promised the city is his for the taking, but asked: ‘What are you gonna do to get it?’

The ensuing journey from the gutter makes this show more compelling than it perhaps should be, and a heavily made-up Farrell is as astonishing as ever in the role. With a sequel to The Batman confirmed, though, Gotham is getting mighty crowded.”

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