Uhoh The Penguin is AMAZING

[@icedcapplord710]

Forever envious that Batman is like the one comic book character that attracts like all these prestige filmmakers and awards-worthy actors, and talent while I have to deal with X-Men directed by abusers and Sony thinking a Kraven movie is box office gold

[@AJ-xc4qe]

In addition, Batman is owned by a company that’s made a reputation for themselves by ruining anything they own no matter how popular the IP is. And is actively influencing other companies to be as awful as they are like making it impossible for projects to be legally available to watch! Btw, I personally don’t care about The Batman universe, at least not now.

[@liampugh]

Batman has a real world "groundedness" that nearly every other superhero lacks. I know that's not always the case from adaptation to adaptation, but I think it's pretty easy to see why filmmakers like burton, nolan, and reeves gravitate towards that instead of flying men fighting big purple aliens. Regardless, I'm pumped to see Gunn do the opposite after the reeves films are done.

[@hunterfogleman7443]

@@liampughI think Daredevil has captured this quite well though we haven’t seen much of the rogues gallery.

[@liampugh]

@@hunterfogleman7443 yeah he's definitely due for a more "prestige" adaptation. Off the top of my head, I think David Fincher could do an amazing job.

[@MelMelodyWerner]

a good Kraven movie could absolutely be box office gold. ditto with Morbius, in fact. the logic of, "we have all of these amazing villains, let's do their own stories starring them" is not unsound. it is easy to picture a good or great Morbius film that's a neo-Gothic tragedy; Dracula, but it's grounded in (a fictional understanding of) science. the problem is not the characters, it is that there is no interesting vision for them.

[@MisterPrince01]

I fully agree with you. He just feels "real." Like a real person. Not some caricature. And even tho he's a scumbag, he's strangely endearing and you want to see him succeed. It's really well done.

[@clanwaddell5628]

It's nature verse nurture. He came from a hard life, his mom seems to be a little nutty, he got into a life of crime. But his fantasy was helping the neighborhood and having a parade when he dies. He has different sides to himself, the music he listens to, what he likes, what he doesn't like. This is an amusing start to this show.

[@trescohen8232]

That line that alberto says in the beginning. About liking the penguin cause without a doubt he will always be him. Like yea hes a conniving, backstabbing, terrible scumbag. But through his actions and the way he talks hes always so obvious about it that its sort of endearing in a weird way. He really isnt beholden to social stigmas as much as the rest of us. Oz is consistently always himself and its really endearing because of it.

[@mattblom3990]

It's surreal. You know it's just a character but it feels like a real person. It's because Ferrall is all in. Non verbal acting, movements, the limp, it's all there and he never breaks character even when the camera is focused elsewhere.

[@NK-dt1kp]

Nah fck him. Watching Batman beat the shii outta him will give me pure undiluted euphoria 😢

[@dotapark]

Yes I feel like director added scenes like him breaking tied up chair to reminding us this is still comic book based show 😂

[@bensneb360]

Probably one of the best body prosthetics special effects I’ve ever seen, it’s so seamless

[@ANTIStraussian]

It better be he has to sit there for 5 hours like an actor becoming a Klingon or Cardassian.

[@vlaandhael]

one of the best prosthetics you noticed ;P

[@NamekJedi]

Episode 1 kinda floored me. Very locked in for the rest of the season.

[@ProdLucio]

Facts

[@Alpha23TV]

Same. It’s because they focus on characters… real people that are highly relatable… even if they are exaggerated. They still operate within the boundaries of standard motivation. What was Rey’s motivation in SW? Don’t worry I’ll wait… What was OSHA’s motivation in Acolyte? Again, I’ll wait. Penguin wants respect… simple. Who can’t relate to that?

[@jaylenjayden9305]

Same

[@rajimus]

@@Alpha23TV incel go 5 minutes without mentioning women from starwars challenge.

[@Alpha23TV]

@@rajimus LMAO… *Incel* calls me an incel because it’s the most recent thing anyone’s called “him/her”. I know this will be hard to process for you, *but* women and I have a physical and mental understanding which allows us to share ideas and bodily fluids freely, my channel will dispel ANY notions to the contrary. Now, childish insults aside (nice try tho), the point still holds. RoP & Acolyte had s**t characters. Enjoy the copium. I heard it goes great with a side of bitterness and a splash of cognitive dissonance…

[@KindlyCryptid]

The dialogue is what really stood out to me; the set is immaculate and the casting is perfect (so excited for more Sofia), but damn the writing really sings

[@derrickb27]

The dialog and writing is phenomenal, but I want you to go back and watch Colin Farrell's physical acting. His facial expressions under all that latex. That guy's deserves an Emmy and/or a Golden Globe just from that alone.

[@poisonharley]

Can’t wait for more Sofia Falcone. It wouldn’t surprise me if Cristin Milioti got some award noms for her performance as well because she’s killing it. It’s a quiet bubbling rage and insanity played with nuance and subtlety that we haven’t seen in a live action villain in some time

[@inqui5ition]

Seriously. She fucking carried tgis episode so hard for me

[@munohlow]

From what I’ve seen of Milioti and what was shown in trailers, I was still really caught off guard by how intense she is. I’m most excited to see where her character goes

[@LouisLitt369]

She's doing everything the award shows lol. I'd be surprised if she doesn't get nominated and win.

[@Alpha23TV]

The way she has that lazy eye and that 1000 yard stare is beyond dialog. She is *nailing* her role.

[@RickReasonnz]

Yeah... I would be doing anything to get away from those crazy eyes! Portrays a psycho killer that you really, REALLY do not want to mess with.

[@eastvandb]

Oh, and for me, as a non-New Yorker who sees Gotham as being it's own world, I had no problem with the rich/poor difference in the flooding. To me, it echoed post-Katrina New Orleans.

[@Tuaron]

Yeah, that was the parallel I was getting, trying to emphasize that "the rich usually come out on top and the poor suffer".

[@naeemdouglas_]

Gotham City is not an actual place or proxy for New York. The rich people live wherever the creators say and helps the story.

[@Robin0928]

Yeah, I feel like Penguin treats Gotham as geographically New York but architecturally/economically New Orleans, in terms of how the flooding worked at least

[@TheThunderbirdRising]

This is why I hate the whole "Gotham is in New Jersey" thing. If DC is gonna have Metropolis and Gotham and Central City and Star City and Bludhaven and all these other made up big cities, you've gotta divorce the whole thing from any kind of actual US geography. Or else you get into this whole thing of "well these cities are stand ins for actual cities, but also the actual cities still exist because you can't just not have NYC and San Francisco" and the entire thing just falls apart because now Metropolis and Gotham are sisters cities in New York and NJ that have to exist right next to NYC and Newark somehow, unless they *are* NYC and Newark in a way, and you see what I mean. Gotham is a city that exists somewhere in America, and there are low income neighborhoods that exist between the waterfront and the major central square, and trying to figure out anything beyond that is a fool's errand both for writers and for fans

[@eastvandb]

@@TheThunderbirdRising Yup.

[@IZA_Grey]

I'm from New York and they nailed the accents. The cast convincingly portrays people from the NY/NJ area.

[@mattrandazzo5491]

I agree but Do u think a fictional place like Gotham should just have accents straight from New York though

[@IZA_Grey]

@@mattrandazzo5491 I don't understand why you're asking me this

[@LouisLitt369]

They have Jersey accents as well as Gotham is inspired by both places​@@mattrandazzo5491

[@JohnMuhammad-mg5wp]

@@IZA_Greycause you said your from ny? He just wants your opinion it’s not that deep

[@IZA_Grey]

@@JohnMuhammad-mg5wp I'm just saying the accents are accurate

[@mydreaminorbit9297]

I love how Oz was playing everyone. From Alberto to Sophia to Sal. He isn't just some goof with a mean streak. I almost want to root for him yet I can't because of morals and what not. This show has started off very strong.

[@randallflagg3700]

I really got some big *Gotham* (especially season 1) vibes from that first episode indeed... Oswald Cobblepot, the ultimate underdog, going from lowly umbrella boy to... "something else", while trying to juggle with Carmine Falcone and Sal Maroni's crime families... In *Gotham* he did screw up here and there, because Falcone and Maroni (played perfectly by John Doman & David Zayas, who funnily enough already had a rivalry as totally different characters in the HBO show *"Oz"* back in the old days) are no fools and, well, trying not to spoil it too much in case some Batman fans who missed that show feel like binging it while waiting for more episodes of *"The Penguin"* to come out, but Colin Farrell's incarnation of Oswald has so much in common with Robin Lord Taylor's, who was the breakout star of the show alongside Cameron Monaghan as "Mr J"... His rise to power during the 5 seasons that *Gotham* lasted was far from a cakewalk, dude got taken down, got back up again, got taken down again, etc etc... and you never really knew for sure how much Penguin, much like Farrell's incarnation in this new universe, was letting himself get taken down on purpose (like with the Sofia Falcone torture in the first episode) until the resolution of the conflict. I also wanted to root for him in *Gotham* because of his circumstances, having to take care of his sick mother (something else that is similar in the new show) and knowing that most of the people Oz took down were also monsters in their own rights, plus RLT's Oswald also had "sidekicks" and in his discussions with them, you saw a different face than the one he shows in public. And it makes us feel like "well, organised crime isn't going anywhere, so might as well have someone like Penguin running it rather than even more disturbing individuals", but Oswald also comits various crimes that make it hard to root for the dude. Can't wait to see more, that's for sure... between this show, plus the 4th season of *"Superman & Lois"* and *"Joker 2: Folie à Deux"* coming out next month, it's a good time to be a DC fan ^^ (and that's just the live action stuff, we got plenty of very interesting animated movies/shows coming out soon)

[@patkohler9695]

There has never been a bad live action penguin.

[@kadegetslaid634]

Yes there has 😭 Danny devito

[@AmusedCoffee-ym3gb]

​@@kadegetslaid634 DONT....YOU....DARE 😂

[@joebond545]

​@@kadegetslaid634 shut up

[@joebond545]

Robin Taylor is still the best as of now

[@Hugh_Jannis]

​@@kadegetslaid634shut the f*ck up. Danny Devito was the BEST Penguin

[@AntonVonUber]

To make "Cobblepot" make more sense, they should make it a Liberty Island immigration name change situation, like with his (Italian?) ancestors being named Capopazzo ("crazy head" in Italian) and changing it to "Cobblepot" to Americanize the sound.

[@AntonVonUber]

Also, as a side note, his younger friend's last name, Aguilar, relates to the word for "eagle" in Spanish, so we have penguins, eagles, and falcons (the Falcones). A flock of birds, versus the Bat.

[@randallflagg3700]

It was a bit like that in the show *Gotham* , in which Cobblepot was an americanized version of his real family name (from his mother's side), Kapelput.

[@Aereton]

that's usually just a German thing though, as German-Americans were heavily oppressed by the rest of their society after WW1

[@ethandanskin2993]

In my own head cannon for the show, I'm almost thinking maybe the family name was Cobblepot and they shortened it to Cobb to Americanize it.

[@crealiv]

Reeves, LeFranc and co absolutely cooked with this whole episode but there's one tiny detail that i LOVED: Right at the beginning, the newscaster voiceover mentions that Riddler's bombs pretty much decimated the city's lower class neighborhoods but left the wealthy suburbs relatively untouched. Riddler's whole ethos was his anger at being left behind by the system and the corrupt elite running Gotham, but in his desperate desire for *vengeance* all he did was hurt and ruin the lives of people just like him. People who were struggling to get by, people who the system left behind too. Pitch perfect tragic irony. Maybe i'm just "why are the curtains blue"-ing here, but I love that it's been 2 whole years since the movie dropped and we're STILL getting more thematic payoff of Batman and Riddler mirroring each other!! It was already pretty clear in the film (see the riddler goon's "im vengeance" moment in the climax) but the fact that the show keeps it involved makes it feel more connected to its parent film than most cinematic universe stuff we're getting nowadays.

[@akshayde]

The riddler was about to flood the whole city and he also doesn't like the poor people.. For him it's all filth. Cuz he isn't exactly from a neighborhood. He is an orphan from an abandoned orphanage so it's not like he is some Robinhood character looking out for his people. He has no people. Also I am sure the flooding killed a lot of rich folks too, especially those that were in the stadium. But yes everyone who lives uptop isn't affected. I think he just wanted to damage the city, it wasn't directed at specific places. Also it could be that the rich people could pay to have the water damage fixed quickly while the city is being beurocratic in their spending about cleaning up the poor neighborhoods

[@vassilyvodka2638]

You nailed the most important part of continuity, which is consequences of the last film carrying to the next piece

[@Permafrost1]

NoNo, your thoughts are extremely on point, I have noticed that too and you are the first person ive seen mention it too Incredible detail that I unfortunately lack the vocabulary to make it justice lol but im glad people notice it

[@lavender_angel8213]

Yesss! Awesome analysis! I love details like this!

[@willjackson5885]

I was surprised this week. I had no expectations for The Penguin or Agatha, but both seem great so far

[@liampugh]

Im waiting for Agatha to be atleast 4 or 5 episodes in before I give it a shot. I haven't forgotten how bad marvel burned us with episode 3 of Wanda Vision. Glad to hear people are liking it so far tho.

[@Tuaron]

@@liampugh Episode 3 of WandaVision was fine. It wasn't until near the end that it really messed up substantially.

[@mildhoof]

@@Tuaron It never messed up substantially, that's an exaggeration

[@liampugh]

@@Tuaron You're not wrong, it was ok. Not nearly as bad as the last episode. But they did ruin all the mystery and suspense set up in the first two episodes which were incredible and more similar to art house cinema then a superhero drama. My mistake was assuming the extremely high-quality level would continue throughout the series. But nah, Disney thinks very little of the audience and had to explain all the mystery away by introducing the two walking exposition dumps that were Darcy and Randall parks character.

[@KingRusso1990]

​@@mildhoofturning Quicksilver into a boner joke. Yea no, Wandavision ended up substantially bad after that, dumbest shit I've ever seen

[@eastsidereviews727]

Also that scene of Oz' messed up foot, genuinely made me sick, like bruh that was a lot 😂

[@AmusedCoffee-ym3gb]

😂 I saw a reaction channel today said his toes are throwing up gang signs. 😂 it gave me a good laugh

[@Alehigh4L]

It’s to show his hobble

[@CMWinter]

The best part about him seeming the "underdog" so early, is that Collin Farrell himself has said in interviews, just you wait until the end, you won't be rooting for him anymore.

[@kfactor20]

I guess that’s a good thing bc then we’ll want Batman to come in and beat his ass lol

[@godzillamaster34]

I have a strong feeling he’s going to throw all of his allies to the dogs to make it to the top.

[@TheMikeshow_]

Loved this first episode. The acting, writing, cinematography every last detail was perfect. Can’t wait to see how this story unfolds! DC IS BACK

[@rentless666]

Feels like a mix between the Sopranos, Scarface and Breaking Bad. And I can live with that.

[@mademedothis424]

Not enough people are calling out the Breaking Bad connection, but there are so many scenes here right out of their playbook. If all the tense implied violence doesn't tickle that spot, surely the compounding lies perpetuated by that dramatic resolution at the end does.

[@Dillydally1782]

This show could lead to a "realistic" bane? There's the talk of making the drops stronger/different. Perhaps this leads to the venom drug and subsequently bane

[@ProdLucio]

Cook🗣️🗣️🗣️

[@kadegetslaid634]

There's a difference between realistic and grounded, we don't need to be realistic we just need to ground the fantasy aspects, bane would work great

[@randallflagg3700]

We did get a "realistic" Bane in 2019, in the 5th season of the show *Gotham* played by Shane West... and since so far, "The Penguin" is super cool, but it also feels like *Gotham* season 1 all over again. The Falcone crime family vs the Maroni crime family, with Oswald Cobblepot's rise to power (played fantastically by Robin Lord Taylor, the break-out star of the show alongside Cameron Monaghan as that universe's "Mr J") from lowly umbrella boy to the biggest crime boss in Gotham City, get his own sidekicks, have a deep connection with his mother, partners up in a weird way with Sal Maroni (played to perfectly by my man David Zayas) and Sofia Falcone (played by Crystal Reed in *Gotham* ) shows up and become a thorne in his side... He also became Mayor of Gotham City at some point in *"Gotham"* and since I want this new badass show to have different plot points than what Penguin did in the previous one, I kinda hope for different stuff.

[@CaptainRockoBD]

@@randallflagg3700this feels nothing like Gotham. Gotham was insufferable…

[@RyanHaha101]

@@randallflagg3700I think Gotham had some elements that were solid, but I think what will set this too apart is the writing. No disrespect to the Gotham writers, but this writing feels very strong already and a bit of a hard left from Gotham’s fun, but sometimes tongue-in-cheek silliness. This feels more like an actual crime drama rather than a comic book show.

[@domesticmh4567]

THE PENGUIN SWEEEEEEEP

[@mattblom3990]

The best comment I heard about why Colin Ferrall works as the Penguin is Reeves and the showrunner say the suit and makeup don't limit him, they free him for his performance. He doesn't see himself in the mirror either, he sees Oz.

[@MrKyGuy]

11:24 I legit thought Michael wanted to be credited in this show as “Mick” to sound more gangster, then I went down a rabbit hole and realized it was his son! 😂

[@khylechristianderosales1894]

LMAOO

[@michaelpopely4408]

The Penguin AKA The Many Saints of Gotham

[@TheAntiburglar]

Having not seen this show yet and listening to you describe your nitpick about geography, and being a native Brooklyn-ite, I actually laughed out loud trying to imagine how that flood pattern could have possible worked out XD

[@MisterS.]

I clapped when he penguined

[@ttm77777]

michael giacchino also directed marvels werewolf by night!

[@ProdLucio]

Amazing film

[@eastvandb]

This one totally won me over, and I was another one who didn't like the idea of another massive prosthetic/padding role. But, no, they've got something strong going on, and an interesting class struggle angle.

[@Hobodeluxe007]

good review. agreed with all your points. I felt it was a little like a "Penguin finding his Robin" story.

[@michaelwoodby5261]

I love that there are two big budget live action DC shows on HBO that so clearly are set in different universes, but they're both great. Kind of makes me want to see Peacemaker's Penguin.

[@mikehall7189]

It’s the most perfect hour of television I have ever seen in my life. Period.

[@tristanlee8495]

Strangely enough my favourite part of the episode was the way Victor was so utterly terrified that he was basically unable to speak properly. It felt so raw and unique compared to how TV normally shows that kind of thing.

[@danielwright3929]

He clearly has a speech impediment. That is why Oz didn’t kill him.

[@IHamilton9320]

I wasn’t entirely sold on their partnership but he did a great job in that scene. Was surprised to see people saying he has a speech impediment, wasn’t he just afraid? Maybe I didn’t notice in other lines

[@tristanlee8495]

@@IHamilton9320 Maybe it was a speech impediment but it seemed to go away after Oz decided not to shoot him so I definitely got fear not speech impediment.

[@IHamilton9320]

@@tristanlee8495 thank youuuuu I’m glad I’m not the only one. Just seemed like really good acting to me. I think the show is only going to get better as it goes

[@Day-ZDuke]

@@tristanlee8495oftentimes a minor speech impediment will only be exhibited when the person is distressed. And I believe it was intended as a speech impediment as a means for Penguin to relate / empathize with the kid and leads to him sparing his life

[@Whatneeds2bsaid]

On the flooding: I don't think this Gotham is modeled after NYC today. I think it's more NYC of the 70s/80s during the subway graffiti era and the crack epidemic. Parts of Manhattan have always been rich, but back then there were definitely some seedy spots. (Like when Times Square used to have p*rn theaters)

[@kazumahazeuzumaki]

Times Square hasn't been the same since we lost the stag shops. Such a shame.

[@JdeMolay]

Yeah I miss those

[@cartoonsandcannabis]

Yeah before the Disneyficafion of Times Square it used to be wild glad I got to soak up its seediness coming in from LI

[@GuineaPigEveryday]

In behind the scenes snippets they said this directly they were going for the dilapidated 70s nyc look

[@vfxforge]

Lets face it, Collin is amazing, he is owning the screen in every scene.

[@masterzombie161]

I love how Oz’s monologue is incorporated into his actions in this show. Rex died with no regrets and was loved by everyone. Falcone and Maroni only ruled based on fear and now died with regrets or in prison. Oz wants to use Rex’s way to get what he wants and he already planted the seeds to grow. I cannot wait to see how it all plays out.

[@sangera]

I thought Nando was going to say, "I want to have sympathy for these people, but they're rich."

[@wraith1117]

This show is going to win a whole load of Emmys. Obviously the makeup, but the acting, the story, cinimatography, and a long list of others. I've been turning this onto people, even my mother who is not into anything superhero, But I was all just try it once, it plays more like the Sopranos. And now I'm getting replies from all of them, Yeah, you were right, this is really good. jmho

[@Willbot978]

its important to remember Gotham is not New York, it is a different city with a different layout and wealth typically don't live in in the densely populated areas.

[@vishalvenkat6]

This is the first time I've reallt felt that a TV show for a super hero movie universe is warranted and is done well to expand our understanding of Gotham. Other shows, reference events from movies and don't delve too much into the repercussions of certain events but this show is so connected to the Batman, I love it. This is what I always wanted TV shows to be in a comic book universe.

[@blumpth]

Listen I watch anything and everything Batman related whether I enjoy it or not, but finishing that first episode I went: oh this is something I can actually recommend to my friends.

[@tylerbrown5526]

I love how this show still feels like it's part of The Batman universe but firmly from Oz's perspective. The soundtrack of music Oz listens to goes a long way too.

[@iluvdrakeandjosh]

For Cobblepot i think thats saying that in universe Cobblepot is an old money name. I think by the end hes gonna take on that last name as a kind of facade.

[@carlosdavila3442]

lol, so the nerdy NYer in me needed to clarify. For me it actually made perfect sense how it was portrayed. For example, 34th street could be flooded, but everything above Central Park [upper west and east side, Harlem, Bronx, etc ] would be fine, as would most of Brooklyn lol

[@Splorguss]

The train scene got a laugh out of me, it seemed so real

[@SoundChristianMusic]

He already deserves an Emmy.

[@ryanlovelock3024]

Regarding your nitpick, I think this is a time where it's important to distinguish Gotham from Manhattan. As you said, Gotham is jersey, not Manhattan. In Gotham, the poor people live in the cramped downtown area, while the Rich live in their mansions outside of the city. I believe the show said the mansions were spared from the flooding not that the flooding have been repaired if I'm not mistaken.

[@joshschaeffer6062]

Nando commentary, batman, and Jersey geography... a perfect video

[@BonzaiBomber]

My favorite take on the Penguin was from the Arkham games. He was a salty and gritty gangster, with a huge chip on his shoulder because of his prestigious heritage. Yet at heart he is a petty thug with preventions of grandeur. That being said, this is my solid second favorite Penguin. He is Tony Soprano, recast as the Penguin, that steals from the most brilliant part of Gotham (the limp and suit that imitates a penguin waddle). It works, amazingly so. Combined with Sophia's great performance it makes a compelling show. I do agree that shying away from the Cobblepot name is kind of arbitrary. Again, there is a whole aspect there that I hope they mine.

[@beantownbrandon302]

Phenomenal Television. HBO first foray into mainstream blockbuster IP territory and it's sensational. One id the best premiers I've watched and i rewatched it many times. It's so well done. Bravo HBO and DC Studios for Quality entertainment

[@mrhoneycutter]

I genuinely have to remind myself that the penguin is Colin Farrell, he’s completely immersed himself and the audience in the character. Genuinely one of the best “comic villain” performances we’ve seen since Heath Ledger’s joker.

[@bluesdjben]

Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti are both fantastic in everything I've seen them in.

[@cable7152]

Have you seen Colin in the Lobster? He is one of these generations' greatest actors. This performance has solidified that as well.

[@dive107]

The Penguin and Agatha All Along feel kind of like Andor. Why are we making this when we have Boba Fett and Obi Wan Kenobi? Because it's fantastic, that's why.

[@Alpha23TV]

I said the same thing… the focus on *characters* is the thing that all of these have in common. Not some world ending event… just… people

[@amandadeloff4278]

The show is clearly a lock for a makeup emmy. Wouldnt be surprised if they won the hairstyle emmy. Maybe costume? Is a full-body fat suit considered a costume or makeup?

[@Alpha23TV]

Makeup

[@wltchflnder-general]

Great review

[@ZachCook1397]

I saw a video about episode one that mentioned changing the name to Cobb could be part of making him working class instead of an aristocrat. Since you could see "in universe" Oz's grandparents/great grandparents immigrating and changing the name to Cobb to better fit in or having the name changed for them on Ellis Island. Don't know how much I agree with it but an interesting take.

[@theshysamurai]

The news displays a map of gotham and the explosion sites in the opening of the show

[@slackstarfish8133]

This is THE best comic book universe portrayal and it’s not even close. Everything feels so real. Everytime any of these characters on screen whether it’s Batman or the penguin, you’re just captivated.

[@SummonersOfficial]

I've had such a good time watching the show with my Mum and not telling her who is playing the Penguin, as I was interested to see whether she guessed he was covered in prosthetics. She hasn't guessed yet and I can't wait to surprise her at the end!

[@akshayde]

Nando: I wish I could remember a character with glasses in pop culture Me: Clark..... Kent?

[@jthomas6080]

I believe Nando was being sarcastic.

[@akshayde]

@@jthomas6080 I thought so too.. But the sarcasm didn't land clearly or maybe if just slipped his brain.

[@rosecity_chris]

Gotta be real, love what reeves elseworld is doing over the joker films. It still leaves room for the dcu to do the more fantastical batman stuff.

[@Nojintt]

Weird that we got two new TV show spin offs, based on comic book villains, who love the color purple, and have a "kid"/teenager following them around.

[@antipop1717]

you forgot that gotham is a fictional place

[@elijahjagne6462]

Also loved the first episode. Really interested to see where else it goes. I saw IGN gave it a 5 which was shocking, wondering if somehow it goes off a cliff. Fingers crossed that it stays consistent.

[@thephony1651]

It’s best to ignore IGN most times

[@eastsidereviews727]

Colin Farrell kills this role ans this version of Oz/Penguin. Guy steals every scene he's in the movie and was the best part of the movie and man if this series lives up to this first episode we will have a modern classic. Not just for DC media but potentially for HBO ad well and that is high praise!

[@chanceycakes]

If you like Penguin you should watch Barry. Anthony Carrigan absolutely dominates that show 😂

[@phattiger1506]

It was everything i hoped it would be so far, other than the really immersion breaking car chase cgi.

[@eraeclectic1525]

For the map of Gotham, there’s one in The Art of The Batman, and there’s some pictures of that floating around on Google / Reddit (I don’t think I can post a link) but it shows the design of Gotham in the movie was less Manhattan and more a series of 3-4 islands making up the urban area, with just the downtown one that would have flooded from a sea wall breach I think it’s a really cool movie urban design

[@noone-qu5ec]

Subscribed! I like the way you review this. It felt genuine. Felt like the old Chris.

[@jollyrayda]

Vic doesn't talk his way out of being killed in that first encounter - Oz sees something in him, and I don't think it's a reflection of himself. Oz isn't an only child (and I'm dying to learn more about _that_ family history), but the brothers he talks about aren't around - I think he saw one of them at that moment. And it never occurred to me that Oz could be lonely, or that it would be inherently sad - Vic is a lackey in training, a mentee, _company_ ... Oz needs a friend.

[@tayhonorable7421]

That was the best Episode 1 I’ve seen in QUITE a while.

[@zenquantum1246]

Up until “The Dark Knight Rises” in 2012 Gotham in both comics and movies always appeared to me to be a stand-in for Chicago (sometimes blended with Detroit). Making Penguin so very Jersey is great, though

[@ezshottah3732]

I like the kid victor! What a fantastic character and actor and also cristin milioti is menacing

[@geniosityfilms]

The "Battinson Universe" is called "The Batman Epic Crime Saga" Which is great because now we can make a simple distinction between "Batman ECS" and "Batman DCU"

[@TheMegaDudeBroski]

I haven’t watched this first episode yet, but I literally just got done watching The Batman for the fourth time and saw a Nando video about the universe and had to check it out. As for the whole thing with a map of the flooding, to me Gotham has always and will always be its own thing that doesn’t have the same geography as a real life city. Like for The Batman, Gotham is mostly London and Chicago melded together with a couple New York landmarks sewn in (ie The Garden and Times Square). It’s also 99% of the time in New Jersey, typically closer to Delaware than New York state (at least if your doing the whole Metropolis and Gotham City being nearby since Metropolis is usually just NYC and Cleveland combined together if you transplanted them into Delaware). That is all to say, it could feasibly be assumed that the way Gotham is set up as a city could have suburbs and slums close enough to its sea wall to get severely flooded, especially given how tall those walls were and the nature of it being quite a few bombs all going off at once to destroy the entire infrastructure of the walls.

[@colleenross8752]

If Penguin was in the Nolan Trilogy, he would look just like this

[@stevencooper564]

Wooooo! Woodbury boy here, absolutely love seeing even a little bit of Jersey representation. Had no clue that Cristin Miloti was from Cherry Hill, I used to go to the mall there all the time. Edit: After finishing it, I'm very curious to see if they turn Victor into Zsasz. His origin is tied to Penguin in the comics, and Victor definitely showed some knowledge of anatomy and some level of disturbance when talking about how best to carve up Alberto.

[@kirandarai8534]

Definitely picked up on the inspiration from the Sopranos, having seen the entire series I'd say you are totally right to make that connection and if you'd seen the whole show the similarities are more striking than you realize

[@bobojo6447]

I would love to see his new drug shipment be intervened by the Batman. Portray him as just this force of nature who couldn’t be stopped and set the mob back

[@maxmanly3122]

Vic is obviously meant to be our eyes into the world but its also important for Oz. He says he's running the drops operation but everyone there is a Falcone man. Vic is Oz's man.

[@kramersolinsky5841]

We need another vid after that fourth episode.

[@therandomguyonyoutube6415]

I’d actually love to hear Nando’s thoughts on Gotham. Such a truly goofy show with some really cool ideas and excellent portrayals of characters

[@crannogman6289]

Agreed. Gotham had excellent versions of Penguin and Sophia Falcone

[@BrendanCescon]

Mr. Diamond Sparkle would be a helluva villain

[@jadenbodden35]

Scarface and the Sopranos are great examples but I definitely saw Goodfellas too, especially with the story of the friendly gangster

[@iopohable]

yeah it weird how much more interesting than the joker every batman villain is.

[@Joenah5]

I can't wait to start it. I feel like you should watch Gotham, because there's a lot there that reminds me of that Penguin (who's one of the main characters of the show). Obviously, I haven't seen this show yet, so I'm sure it's very different in some areas, but there are some other things you said that almost feel inspired by Gotham

[@Blynat]

He feels like he could be a character from the Sopranos. This batman world feels much more real than many other renditions.

[@carlcoetzee5678]

As a New Yorker my personal take on it was that the Riddler flooded multiple areas of Gotham, not just the "Manhattan" equivalent. Because Victor's apartment in episode 3 felt pretty heavily Brooklyn-coded, especially with the river, and the reference to richer areas when looking across it (this and the buildings implies they are looking at Manhattan.) Since we pretty much directly afterwards see the entire neighborhood get flooded, the only possible scenario is that there were multiple bombs, some near the Manhattan sea walls and some near sea walls in Brooklyn? (not that this works out topographically but I'm giving some leeway since this is technically "Gotham" not NYC and geography/topography in the city is left a bit vague outside of key landmarks/areas)

[@imdiyu]

9:48 Clark Kent/Superman 😅

[@maxmanly3122]

Hearing all the comic youtubers being incredulous about The Penguin series has me very surprised. I love Colin Farrell so I had my bias but even coming off the back of The Batman had me very excited to spend more time in this world. Colin Farrell really elevates this show. all the acting is great, i think. Everyone is showing up and taking it seriously. Its a pleasure to watch everyone bringing their best

[@360.Tapestry]

colin farrell is playing the kind of antihero people want to watch that tom hardy thought he was getting with venom

[@kadegetslaid634]

Penguin isn't an anti hero tho? He's just a straight up villian, he wants power

[@The_Phantasm]

Colin Farrell really loses himself in the role and while it's still a bit too "Italian mafia" inspired for me, I think this has potential to be my second favourite live-action Penguin. Even though I prefer the more modern shady businessman Penguin in terms of writing, when it comes to performance and mannerisms I will always think of Burgess Meredith. Sorry Tim Burton fans, but sewer dwelling deformed monstrous Penguin will never be for me.

[@sundrelstriker7513]

I mean..........the families are largely italian and Irish crime families......sooo

[@jamescanning3008]

Your opinion sucks man

[@Futurefather18]

09:25 I think the kid is meant to be our ( us the audience) eyes into the penguin's world which is cool and reminds me of Sunspots from X-Men 97 ep1

[@leeball4]

Gotham is in Jersey, but South not North. It's just west of Cape May across Delaware Bay from Metropolis (real world Dover, DE). Not far from where Bruce Willis is from. And there were a fair bit of Italian mobsters back in the day in South Jersey. But, yeah, I totally get where you're coming from.

[@johnnievseverybody]

Feels much less like Tony Soprano and more like Pacinos portrayal of Lefty Reggerio in Donny Brasco also loved the nod to Madsens Mr Blonde in Reservoir Dogs stopping to get food with someone in the trunk! -- First episode was spectacular!

[@craigd7333]

Love Paul Giamatti but no way his Penguin would’ve be this good

[@daveythesearcher]

It was awesome & I'm glad you made a video on it.

[@shadowanderson2004]

I think they took inspiration from No Man’s Land and basically just went “All of Gotham has flooded” instead of specific areas. Riddlers goal wasn’t to specifically hit the politicians it was to destroy the city and everyone in it so that it could be rebuilt by him and his people

[@danielhenderson3753]

The Penguin in the Gotham show was great, and had a lot of empire building in Season 1. Penguin is one of the best elements of that show, and the first season was largely about him.

[@hellfish2309]

I showed up for Cristin Millioti too, who is spectacular

[@justthinkingoutloud2538]

The first 15 minutes did so much to brilliantly set up his character. 1 First we see him willing to take a risk and get his hands dirty, 2 then we see him improvising and smooth talking his way out of a potentially incriminating situation when he gets caught, 3 his monologue gives us a great insight into his whole motivation and ambition, 4 we see his impulsive, violent, and vengeful side when we shoots Alberto for insulting him with no hesitation, laughing afterwards, 5 and finally we get a laugh from him as he realizes what a massive mess he's just put himself in, a comedic streak he carries throughout. A brilliant start to a brilliant show.

[@vfxforge]

I think the Kid's story line will be a big twist, the way the show is going I can't see him just as a stray pet.