As a seasoned gamer with a penchant for gritty crime dramas and a soft spot for dark humor, I found myself utterly captivated by the premiere of The Penguin. This series, much like a well-crafted video game side quest, manages to seamlessly blend elements of action, drama, and comedy in a way that’s both unexpected and refreshing.
Warning: Spoilers for The Penguin Episode 1
In simpler terms, Matt Reeves’ movie “The Batman” blended dark elements similar to David Fincher and John Carpenter with some humor, even though the overall tone was quite grim (the film is long too, at 3 hours). The character of The Penguin recognizes that they can’t completely abandon the comical aspects of this universe and instead embraces a more playful approach, even telling a few jokes. Right after Oz kills Alberto, he laughs, feeling empowered by his actions. However, he quickly realizes that what he did was short-sighted, leading to the first joke in the series. Oz has a moment of realization and exclaims “Aww, darn it” as the opening titles start.
As the title unfolds, the amusing and downright laugh-out-loud moments of ‘The Penguin’ escalate on screen. In an unconventional method to dispose of a corpse, Oz opts for a garbage bag, but soon abandons the idea of carrying it. Instead, he carelessly throws the body down the stairs where it lands in a pile. The absurdity persists even after Oz shoots at potential car thieves, with his humor further demonstrated when he enlists Victor’s aid to dispose of the corpse. They engage in light-hearted conversation about the air freshener in Oz’s vehicle or blending Slush Puppies for a flavor explosion. Oz also comically destroys Alberto Falcone’s phone, mimicking a toddler damaging a toy.
A major strength of The Penguin series is that the humor in the series isn’t just a means of providing some relief for the larger dramatic tension; it’s also character building. After Oz threatens Victor into working for him in the first episode, it becomes clear that he doesn’t even have any idea what he’s even doing. Though he has ambitions of being a major crime boss and having the seat at the head of the table, Oz is clueless. He knows that he needs to sell a violent promise to keep Victor on his side, dropping the half-hearted threat of “You’re gonna do whatever I say or else I’m, uh… gonna murder you and anyone you care about…” (“Murder” said with that thick Atlantic accent so that it comes out “moi-duh”.) The threat works, but his unenthusiastic delivery is like a slam dunk as both a joke and a building block of this version of the Penguin becoming a crime kingpin.
Despite successfully arranging an alibi and setting up plans for disposing of the body, The Penguin delivers one of the funniest lines of the series in an unexpected moment. As they were eating, Oz complained: “I asked for more pickles, but they gave me two? Are you kidding me? So, a normal amount of pickles is just one? It doesn’t add up at all.” When Victor attempted to make amends by offering some of his pickles from his sandwich, Oz fired back with a witty remark: “Do I want one of your pickles? The one that your mouth has soiled?” If this version of the Penguin can’t succeed in a life of crime, he could easily find success in comedy clubs.
As a devoted fan, I’d like to point out that The Penguin’s wit isn’t confined to his interactions with Victor. Even during intense scenes, like the rain-soaked chase between Oz and Sofia’s men, there’s still room for laughter. For instance, when it seems as if Oz has successfully evaded his pursuers by abandoning his car, The Penguin cleverly reveals that he hid in the trunk to mislead them. To make matters more amusing, during a struggle with one of Sofia’s goons, Oz manages to push him away. In doing so, the goon stumbles and is accidentally run over by a bus full of schoolchildren. With a wave, Oz playfully acknowledges the children as the unfortunate incident unfolds beneath the bus.
Despite maintaining a strong connection to its crime-drama origins throughout, “The Penguin” series effectively argues for its relevance by highlighting that these characters inhabit a wide range of personalities. It’s not just about their ability to flourish in a world dominated by violence and toughness among the powerful, but also about finding humor even in such a setting. If the upcoming seven episodes continue to be as humorous as the premiere, “The Penguin” could establish an unexpected benchmark for what a comic book series can achieve. By building upon its source material while skillfully blending various tones, it presents a harmonious blend of styles.
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2024-09-23 00:40