Is this how Oz Cobb wins?

Crime is heating up in Gotham, spelling doom for one titular aquatic bird. Luckily for Oz Cobb, he doesn’t share anything with his namesake other than the character’s signature waddle. Colin Farrell plays the Penguin on the new Batman spin-off series, though you would never guess it if his name didn’t flash in the credits. The Banshees of Inisherin star is downright buried under a mountain of makeup and prosthetics on the HBO crime drama. Now that we’re nearing the end of the series, it’s safe to say it was well worth the hours it took to assemble Oz Cobb.

Farrell reprises his role from Matt Reeves’s The Batman (2022), which starred Robert Pattinson and Esquire’s September cover star, Zoë Kravitz. The series bridges the events of the first film with the upcoming sequel, as the Penguin seeks to climb up the ladder of Gotham’s criminal hierarchy. The Riddler flooded the city and damaged much of Gotham’s infrastructure at the end of the first film, instigating a state of emergency where crime can operate unchecked. At the same time, the death of Carmine Falcone (previously John Turturro but now played by Mark Strong in flashbacks) left a massive power vacuum ripe for exploitation.

Cristin Milioti (How I Met Your Mother) costars as Carmine’s daughter, Sofia, in what is easily one of the best performances of the year. She’s joined by Clancy Brown (John Wick: Chapter 4) as Mob boss Salvatore Maroni, Michael Kelly (Special Ops: Lioness) as Falcone underboss Johnny Vitti, and Rhenzy Feliz (Encanto) as a teenager named Victor, who becomes the Penguin’s driver.

This Sunday night marks The Penguin’s season finale. (If you’re wondering what might happen in Gotham then, we have you covered here.) After that, Farrell is reportedly on board to appear in The Batman Part II. Audiences will have to wait for more action from the Batman himself, however, as The Penguin is strictly a villainous affair.

HBO
Believe it or not, that’s Colin Farrell.

How Can I Watch The Penguin?

The Penguin airs on HBO and streams on Max simultaneously on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. There was a bit of a twist when the series premiered on September 19, but that’s all behind us. Now there is just one episode left: the season finale on November 10. See below for a detailed release schedule.

Episode 1: “After Hours” — September 19

Episode 2: “Inside Man” — September 29

Episode 3: “Bliss” — October 6

Episode 4: “Cent-Anni” — October 13

Episode 5: “Homecoming” — October 20

Episode 6: “Gold Summit” — October 27

Episode 7: “Top Hat” — November 3

Episode 8 (Finale): “Great or Little Thing” — November 10