Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for The Penguin episode 4.HBO’sThe Penguinis a hit with fans and critics alike. The series follows a reimagined version of the villain of the same name, who was previously introduced in The Batman. Named Oz Cobb in this adaptation,the Penguin is trying to gain and cement power over Gotham’s criminal underworld.The show isless a superhero adaptation than it is a crime series akin toThe Sopranos. Its episodes have an average approval rate of 94% for critics and 91% for audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Episode 4 continues this trend, and it is the highest-rated of the series so far.
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S1.E8 - A God Walks into Abar
In fact,the latest installment ofThe Penguinis among the highest-rated episodes of any live-action DC Comics television adaptation to date.According to IMDB, the series has an impressive 9.5 rating. OnlyArrowseason 5, episode 23 andThe Flashseason 1, episode 15 beat it, with scores only higher by 0.1. For perspective, this meansThePenguin’sfourth episode is better received than the likes ofSmallville,Watchmen, Peacemaker,Gotham, and more. With such high praise, it’s important to look at why the latest episode ofThe Penguinstruck a chord with audiences.
The Penguin Episode 4 Is Its Highest Rated For Good Reason
Sofia Falcone’s Backstory Is Tragic
The Penguinepisode 4 serves as Sofia Falcone’s villain origin story. Her complicated history unfolds via flashback. With the help of a journalist, young Sofia discovers her father, Carmine Falcone, is actually a serial killer who targets women, and he is responsible for her mother’s death. Unfortunately, her driver, Oz Cobb, rats her out to Carmine. The elder Falcone takes out the journalist and frames Sofia for his murders. She is declared mentally unfit to stand trial and is sent to Arhkam,where she suffers inhumane treatment by both staff and fellow inmates for 10 years.
Her next target is undoubtedly Oz, as he is the one responsible for her incarceration, her brother’s murderer, and now her number one obstacle in taking control of the Falcone empire.
Even more tragic, her brother Alberto was the only family member who stood by her, but he was killed by Oz earlier in the series. The latter half of the episode seesSofia taking revenge on her family. Sofia only spares her young cousin Gia and Johnny Viti, an underboss she will likely need for strategic reasons.She gases the rest of the family, wiping them out.Her next target is undoubtedly Oz, as he is the one responsible for her incarceration, her brother’s murderer, and now her number one obstacle in taking control of the Falcone empire.
The Penguin Episode 4: Every Easter Egg & DC Connection
The Penguin episode 4 has several callbacks to DC Comics, including the introduction of a notorious villain.
Though episode 4 is unflinchingly brutal, it is also compelling. Cristin Milioti is a powerhouse as Sofia, andThe Penguinis at its best when she is on screen, something its IMDB ratings prove.
The Only 2 Episodes Of DC TV To Score Higher Than The Penguin
Even With Over 70 Years Of DC TV, The Penguin Ranks Among The Best
Interestingly,the episodes that outrankThe Penguinboth come from the highly popular Arrowverse.Arrowseason 5, episode 23 pits Oliver Queen in a battle against Adrian Chase to save his son. In the process, the hero must team up with adversaries Deathstroke, Captain Boomerang, Nyssa Al Ghul, and Malcolm Merlyn. It’s an exciting episode that makes use of the series' previous antagonists in a satisfying way.
While theArrowepisode builds on the foundation the series built over several seasons,The Flash’shighly-rated episode actually comes from its first season.It follows the same freak-of-the-week format that the rest of the season did, though it pushes the plot forward with reveals about the Reverse Flash and a crazy fake-out death. Both episodes are elevated by performance and audience connection, likeThe Penguinepisode 4 is.
The HBO series is tonally different from the Arrowverse, being much more dark and violent.Even so, the latter remains beloved by a subset of DC fans. IfThe Penguinis being held in such high regard this early in its run, these ratings may spell out its place among DC’s most well-regarded television shows.
The Penguin
Cast
Created by Lauren LeFranc, The Penguin is a crime-drama spin-off television series of 2022’s film The Batman. Set shortly after the events of The Batman, Oz Cobb, A.K.A. the Penguin, begins his rise in the underworld of Gotham City as he contends with the daughter of his late boss, Carmine Falcone, for control of the crime family’s empire.
