The Batman, truly a one of a kind experience wasn't it?
Even though I actively wrote a blog during that time and still didn't cover it on here, because I was still learning, so obviously I wasn't going to miss the chance to cover this, adjacent show.
That and its simple existence shot HBO into a sudden ratings high.
So what is so special about the Penguin anyways I mean bro was literally a side character in a much bigger investigation and also Basically an excuse for Batman to have a car chase and introduce his super cool bat-mobile and have his super cool trailer shot.
You know the one which was pretty much everywhere across social media and YouTube where Bat-Man looks like a fucking emissary from hell.
I mean that and the fact that the Penguin is somehow also Collin Farrell, and I do not believe that no matter how much Make up or wizardry they are doing on him, because that is what it is, fucking wizardry.
But so is a lot of things.
So what is it?
Well I'll tell you what it is, The Penguin is basically the first look we have got into this amazing world that Matt Reeves and others involved with the Movie have made, ever since after the Movie got over.
It basically picks up right after the ending where the City is flooded and crime Runs rampant.
And a news broadcast then tells us exactly what we thought would have happened.
The Rich neighborhoods are fine, but the poorer neighborhoods are struck with the worst of it, they are completely underwater.
And there is an unfortunate but very true to reality acknowledgement of the need of Mob bosses as a reporter says the line: "The Murder of Long time Mob Boss Carmine Falcone has Complicated efforts to restore order..."
Mob Bosses, Kingpins, while the source of all evil in a place, are also a source of Order as, they are the source of ALL evil, so you know where to turn if you need it down for a bit, while you may not like the deal you would have to make, at least you have a deal.
Otherwise there is no ordered way to control Lawlessness.
And who else to take the Mob bosses place but his Son Alberto Falcone... Oh wait...
Yeah see the first scene is masterful, and not for the most obvious reasons like most would consider, like idk, the penguin being underhanded, planning to get Alexande... no wait Alberto(see I already forgot his name.) high on purpose so he messes up or reveals something, or that Oswald Cobblepot (Penguin) planned to kill him because he had a gun stashed with him, Like I initially thought.
I mean maybe he did plan to kill him since after all Alberto is the reason he has a boot over his head. But Oswald would also never do that cause that isn't the kind of character he is.
No Oswald lays low, looks out for himself, and reaps the rewards, No he killed Alberto in a moment of Vulnerability because he laughed at him.
And then he spends the rest of the episode trying to wiggle his way out of the hole he dug for himself.
And also there is Victor.
Who's Victor?
Well Victor is a Genius move is what he is.
Victor is a car thief, trying to steal Oswald's car, he is young showing how even Gotham's youngest get themselves into crime.
He is someone for the Audience to root for as he proves his worth by...
...Decapitating a corpse! Well no he didn't Decapitate him, he was going to though, room to grow Victor, room to grow.
Victor is the Dr. Watson to Penguin's Sherlock.
It is through him that he is able to escape Sofia Falcone's plan to get back at him for killing her brother.
I mean if someone else drives the car to leave a message it can't possibly be the man I have tied up here can it?
The Penguin is basically the perfect blend of Likeable because he is flawed and ruthless as fuck which makes him a very good villain.
If either of these two traits was more than it is then he would have been unlikeable, but it so happens, that they found a balance.
And so it worked.
And on the contrary to Batman, who is always dark and brooding and we mostly see him in the night, and when we do see him in the day its still dark and gloomy, the Penguin actually goes out in the day.
We see a different side to this Dark Grimy and irredeemable city, which is still Dark Grimy and Irredeemable but in a different way.
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