Meet the brand new boss. Tonight’s finale of HBO’s The Penguin introduced with it some main establishment adjustments for the way forward for Matt Reeves’ Gotham Metropolis. The restricted sequence, set between The Batman and its impending sequel, and was conceived as a bridge between the 2 movies, organising 2026’s The Batman II whereas fleshing out the backstory of Colin Farrell’s Oz Cobb, the titular Penguin. And whereas the Penguin finale introduced the story to a detailed in a reasonably conclusive method, the sequence additionally leaves a couple of lingering plot threads for Reeves to discover in future movies.
Land of Oz
Essentially the most quick repercussion is that Cobb has now established himself as Gotham’s new king of crime—and has accomplished so in a method that enables him to function with near-total impunity. As tensions between Oz and Sofia (Cristin Milioti) escalate all through the finale, Oz meets with a corrupt councilman, and the 2 work out a deal. With mayor Bella Reál (Jayme Lawson) now trying to restore hope to Gotham within the wake of The Riddler’s assaults—as seen in The Batman—town is searching for somebody in charge for the sudden crime wave. And Oz has the right candidate.
After getting the higher hand in opposition to Sofia, Oz captures her and drives her right down to a quiet a part of Gotham, presumably to kill her. As a substitute, as she closes her eyes and waits for a bullet, she’s greeted by a highlight and the Gotham Metropolis police, who seize her and throw her again in Arkham. Sofia turns into the presumptive scapegoat for all of Gotham’s points. She’ll presumably go to trial or keep in jail, with the notion that Gotham is now crime-free.
Solely Oz is now in control of the whole lot. With the corrupt councilman in his pocket and the laundered look of being an upstanding citizen, Oz can safely start to conduct his organized crime. Right here stands a person who’s far totally different from the mid-level mobster we first meet in The Batman. The movie ended with Oz trying over the destruction of Gotham and seeing an opportunity to take it for himself, and over the course of this sequence he has, in a monstrous style that confirms him as a reliable menace in Gotham. Because the present reaches its closing moments, Oz and his girlfriend Eve (Carmen Ejogo) ballroom dance all through his swanky new penthouse, the place he talks about how there’s nothing left in his method. Because the digital camera pulls again and away from the 2 dancing figures, we see the Bat-signal gentle up Gotham’s skyline. Whereas the person himself isn’t seen all through The Penguin, it’s a well timed reminder that the 2 are on an inevitable collision course—presumably in The Batman: Half II.
A Catwoman Connection
However the World’s Best Detective isn’t the one determine from the broader Batman mythos referenced within the finale. Within the jailhouse, as Sofia sifts by means of fan mail and marriage proposals, she receives a notice from none aside from Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz), who’s writing to Sofia to inform her they’re half-sisters. Regardless of having left Gotham for Blüdhaven on the finish of The Batman, Selina’s additionally protecting tabs on what’s occurring and can hopefully have a drop-in together with her half-sister in some unspecified time in the future within the subsequent movie. Establishing their household connection can also be a savvy solution to maintain Milioti in play shifting ahead.
Pretty much as good as Farrell is all through the sequence—and he’s rattling good—Milioti is the deserved standout. Whereas she’s the sort of stalwart actor plenty of of us most likely already learn about, whether or not from How I Met Your Mom or her star flip in Palm Springs, The Penguin probably launched her to an entire new viewers with a barn-burning efficiency that’s the most effective of the 12 months. It’s refreshing to know that’s a card Matt Reeves can pull in The Batman: Half II ought to he so need. Milioti, very like Sofia, has made fairly a reputation for herself, and letting her work together with Selina is kind of a juicy tease that’s ready to be explored when The Batman: Half II hits theaters in October 2026.
