Considering the premise and makeup of its title character, it’s understandable why some critics and fans compare The Penguin to another revered HBO crime drama, The Sopranos. However, the spinoff’s showrunner claims she doesn’t see the parallels between them.
Speaking at a New York City Comic Con roundtable, LeFranc addressed the notion that The Sopranos influenced The Penguin, given some cite it as a straight mob series rather than a DC show. Though LeFranc thinks it’s a “very nice thing” for The Penguin to garner comparisons to The Sopranos, her series has a clear identity and wasn’t inspired by the iconic show. “You know, weirdly, there was not a lot of influence [from] The Sopranos, but I understand the comparison. I mean, it’s a very nice thing overall to be compared to like one of the greatest shows on television. I feel like we’re very different in that we’re in Gotham City,” she said.
The comparison between The Penguin and The Sopranos is understandable, especially considering the protagonists, Colin Farrell’s Oz Cobb and the late James Gandolfini’s Tony Soprano. Both are top underworld figures who have associations with notable crime families. Additionally, both are gritty, street-smart series exploring nefarious and vulnerable aspects of their lead characters. However, LeFranc believes Oz and Tony are very different men, despite the similarities they share.
We’re kind of our own weird little thing.
“We’re a comic book show. We’re, you know, a grounded crime drama too. At the same time, Oz is a very different man. His relationship with his mother, which is a comparison, very different. And I think as the season goes on we unpack that more specifically. Again, it’s like, I don’t take that as a bad thing. But I do feel like we’re kind of our own weird little thing,” LeFranc said.
Though The Sopranos isn’t a fitting comparison for LeFranc, she believes the series’ story is more in sync with the legendary Scarface. She told Entertainment Weekly, “It’s a Scarface story. It’s a rise-to-power story of Oz before he really makes it to the top. Oz is a mover and a shaker. He can’t always be trusted. He’s very smart and very methodical, but he’s also extremely impulsive. You can’t predict what he’s going to do.”
The Penguin has a long way to go to emulate The Sopranos‘ success. However, The Batman spinoff is off to a great start, holding a 94% critical rating and 91% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The show has also been setting new viewership marks for HBO and prompting talk about a second season, with LeFranc open to the possibility. Any chance of the series returning depends on whether Farrell will reprise his role as Oz, having been candid about the difficulties of playing the character.
Colin Farrell Portrays the Titular Villain
Farrell stars in The Penguin alongside Cristin Milioti (Sofia Falcone), Rhenzy Feliz (Victor Aguilar), Deirdre O’Connell (Francis Cobb), Clancy Brown (Salvatore Maroni) and Carmen Ejogo (Eve Karlo). The show chronicles Oz’s quest for underworld supremacy following the death of his mentor, Carmine Falcone, with the show’s events beginning one week after The Batman.
Fans can stream The Penguin via Max. New episodes air each Sunday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO until the season finale on Nov. 10.
Source: GamesRadar+
