‘The Penguin’ Episode 1 Recap & Review: A New Era for Gotham City

Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Penguin Episode 1, “After Hours.”

It’s a new day for DC as James Gunn‘s DCU is set to kick off at the end of 2024 with Creature Commandos, and Matt Reeves‘ Elseworlds project, The Penguin, has finally arrived. The series picks up immediately following the conclusion of The Batman (three weeks to be exact), as Gotham City is in shambles following The Riddler’s (Paul Dano) destruction.

Colin Farrell is once again utterly unrecognizable in the role of Oz Cobb; the hair and makeup crew do an exceptional job helping transform the actor into the character. However, Farrell’s performance as the newly named Cobb is the skeleton key that opens the door to success in this series. Check out all the details from our The Penguin Episode 1, “After Hours,” recap below!

Oz Cobb Takes His Shot at the Falcone Crime Family in “After Hours”

With his father out of the picture, Alberto Falcone (Michael Zegen) is the new head of the Falcone crime family. He immediately catches Oz ruffling through a safe at the Iceberg Lounge as The Penguin Episode 1 begins with a blistering pace. Thankfully, Oz convinces the heir to the largest crime family in Gotham to calm down and trust him. Alberto opens up about the pressure of leading the family and opens up to Cobb about his secret new drug operation.

However, before their partnership can continue, Alberto makes fun of Oz’s dream to be a kingpin who is respected and loved throughout the community. In typical Penguin fashion, Oz loses his temper and murders Alberto Falcone, putting himself in a serious predicament — if anyone finds out, he’s a dead man.

The Gotham Gangster Takes Victor Aguilar Under His Wing

As Oswald is disposing of the body, he encounters a group of boys trying to steal the rims off of his gaudy purple Maserati and begins firing rounds at their feet (though not before sinking one in his trunk). He corners one of them and makes him his newest protégé, Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz), in The Penguin Episode 1. Although Aguilar is terrified, he follows Cobb’s orders and helps him dispose of the crime lord’s body.

Oz threatens to kill Victor multiple times throughout the episode, but it’s clear the mobster has an affinity for the kid. Victor wants to make a life for himself and is tired of being underestimated, a feeling Oz can relate to all too well. Unfortunately, they have no time to relax as they’re called in by Johnny Viti (Michael Kelly), one of the higher-ups in the Falcone crime family.

Cristin Milioti Shines as Sofia Falcone in ‘The Penguin’

One of the most subtly interesting parts of The Penguin Episode 1 is how all of Cobb’s business occurs during the daytime. He’s clearly still dealing with the PTSD of having to go toe-to-toe in the darkness with the masked vigilante in The Batman, so he’s taking a different approach to conducting his affairs. When he arrives at the Falcone mansion, Oz is surprised to see Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti), the sister of Alberto and daughter of Carmine (John Turturro in The Batman, Mark Strong in The Penguin), has returned from Arkham Asylum.

As Falcone’s men try to shut down Oz’s drug operation, he convinces them he has an idea for a new product — an idea he stole from Alberto. While his men have no idea the information is stolen or that Alberto is even dead, Sofia is aware of the new drug and begins her hunt for more information on her brother’s whereabouts. Oz and Sofia take turns being one step ahead of the other throughout The Penguin Episode 1, “After Hours,” and it’s a thrilling mystery to witness who comes out on top.

With his drug operation and main source of income being challenged, Oz visits another notorious Gotham City crime lord in prison, Salvatore Maroni (Clancy Brown). While Maroni doesn’t give Cobb the time of day, Oz still returns Maroni’s family ring that the Falcone family had stolen from him, taken right off Alberto’s finger before it had even gone cold.

‘The Penguin’ Episode 1 Review: Matt Reeves’ Gotham Is Brilliantly Expanded in Max’s Crime Thriller

Just as it seems all hope is lost for Oswald Cobb as Sofia Falcone has the upper hand, his newest underling Victor comes through in a major fashion. Cobb is in the midst of being stripped naked, beaten, and tortured by Sofia and her men as they suspect Oz is the cause of Alberto’s disappearance. However, a car with a brick on the gas charges into the estate, carrying the dead body of Alberto Falcone in the trunk with his missing pinky finger to represent where he once wore Salvatore Maroni’s ring.

With the Maroni family now the biggest suspect thanks to Victor’s car trick with Alberto’s body, Oz and Victor are now free to build their new drug empire; the Falcone and Maroni families engaging in a gang war takes Oz and his operation out of the crossfire. The Penguin seamlessly weaves into The Batman universe while standing on its own distinct tone, and after an eventful first episode, looks to be worthy of its predecessor’s name.

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