The Penguin Finale Cemented It as One of the Best Comic Book Shows Ever

Now that it’s over, we tin accidental this with immoderate certainty. The Penguin was one of the champion TV shows of the year. It’s besides 1 of the champion comic book-themed shows ever. A taut, intense, gripping communicative of what it takes to beryllium a supervillain, told successful a realistic relatable way, it simultaneously elevated Matt Reeves’ The Batman and made america yearn for much successful this Batman Epic Crime Saga.

The show’s last episode, “A Great oregon Little Thing,” cemented each of that by beautifully wrapping up each of the show’s stories, masterfully teasing what’s ahead, and besides nailing the affectional payoff the amusement had been gathering to since its precise archetypal episode.

Let’s look it. We each knew Oz had to triumph successful the end. That was the accusation coming retired of Reeves’ movie and, with a prima similar Colin Farrell playing an iconic villain, helium ever had to extremity up connected top. But seeing what helium did to get there, and what helium yet had to springiness up, was wholly harrowing.

The biggest moment, of course, is what happens with Vic (Rhenzy Feliz). Throughout the full series, Vic had been Oz’s go-to guy. Their narration whitethorn person started a spot randomly, but since past the 2 developed a strong, trustworthy bond. I for 1 afloat expected him to beryllium by Oz’s broadside to the end. Oz’s triumph was besides his; helium worked conscionable arsenic hard arsenic Oz did to get to wherever they were. But, aft weeks and weeks of revelations of conscionable what Oz is consenting to, and had already, fixed up to get to the top, the last uncover made sense. Oz kills Vic with his bare hands. It’s horrifying and heartbreaking but Oz knows, particularly aft however successfully Sal and Sofia were capable to usage his parent against him, that caring astir anyone is lone going to wounded him.

Plus Oz is simply a monster so, yeah, you get it.

Killing Vic is Oz’s last enactment successful a symphony of full chaos. Oz has murdered, cheated, stolen, and betrayed to yet execute his dreams—not conscionable being the transgression brag of Gotham City, but getting his ma that penthouse flat helium promised her arsenic a child. He gets some things, adjacent if the travel near his Mom arsenic a hardly surviving ammunition of herself. The lone emotion near successful Oz’s beingness is idiosyncratic helium pays to beryllium there: a pistillate we cognize (but helium doesn’t) has already betrayed him.

All of which made for a sad, but satisfying ending. The Penguin rules Gotham and there’s nary 1 who tin halt him. That is, until we spot that Bat-signal successful the entity astatine the precise extremity of the amusement reminding us—finally—that Batman is inactive retired there.

The finale’s different large uncover is the endurance of Sofia and the missive she gets successful the mail. It would person been understandable, but hugely disappointing, if the amusement had killed Sofia. But Oz decides decease is excessively bully for her and, instead, frames her for the weaponry and a fewer much murders. Back successful Arkham, her literal hell, she gets a ray of sunshine successful the signifier of a missive from her half-sister, nary different than Selina Kyle. To me, that was the biggest astonishment of the full episode. Reeves’ movie antecedently revealed that Carmine Falcone was Selina’s dada but her connecting with Sofia ne'er crossed my mind. It fundamentally cements that we’ll spot Sofia, somehow, successful The Batman Part II.

And portion The Penguin did tee up the events of the upcoming film, it did truthful successful a mode that inactive feels complete. The communicative works adjacent without the cognition there’s different movie connected the way. This is simply the communicative of a antheral who gave up everything and everyone to person eventual power, and it was amusive and fascinating to ticker from opening to end.

All episodes of The Penguin are present streaming connected Max. The Batman Part II, unfortunately, is inactive 2 years away. It’s presently scheduled for merchandise October 2, 2026.

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