Although "The Penguin" premiered on HBO and Max on September 19, HBO has switched things up for the rest of the season.
"The Penguin" takes us back to Matt Reeves' version of Gotham City to tell a new story set within the city's criminal underworld. Robert Pattinson's is nowhere to be seen, though; you'll have to wait for "The Batman 2" to see our latest live-action Dark Knight back in action.
Instead, this epic crime saga is all about Oz Cobb (Colin Farrell). Set in the weeks following the events of "The Batman", this spin-off series explores the rise to power of one of Bruce Wayne's many foes (though Cristin Milioti's Sofia Falcone threatens to overshadow Oz in his very own show!). After that season premiere alone, we were already convinced that "The Penguin" would be earning a spot on our list of the best Max shows, and it's only gotten better since.
If you're desperate to see what Oz Cobb's next move will be, here's the full "The Penguin" episode release schedule so you know when the rest of the series will land.
'The Penguin' release schedule
Although the very first episode aired last Thursday (September 19) and was repeated over the weekend — here's how to watch "The Penguin" if you missed it — new episodes are
Going forward, new episodes of "The Penguin" are instead airing on HBO and Max on Sunday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT; here's the full release schedule so you know when each new chapter drops:
- "The Penguin" episode 1, "After Hours" - Thursday, September 19
- "The Penguin" episode 2, "Inside Man" - Sunday, September 29
- "The Penguin" episode 3, "Bliss" - Sunday, October 6
- "The Penguin" episode 4, "Cent'Anni" - Sunday, October 13
- "The Penguin" episode 5, "Homecoming" - Sunday, October 20
- "The Penguin" episode 6, "Gold Summit" - Sunday, October 27
- "The Penguin" episode 7, "Top Hat" - Sunday November 3
- "The Penguin" episode 8, "Great or Little Thing" - Sunday, November 10
Will we get 'The Penguin' season 2?
At the time of writing, we don't know whether "The Penguin" will stay as a one-and-done limited series or not, as HBO hasn't made any sort of official statement on the show's future.
However, that's not to say there's been no discussion of "The Batman" season 2 whatsoever. Speaking to TheWrap about the show's origins, Matt Reeves has admitted that he'd be interested in revisiting the character.
"I can tell you this: we would love to be able to do more. But I can also say that we are already talking to HBO about [more]."
From the sounds of things, it sounds like more shows centered on Batman's rogues' gallery could be on the cards.
Reeves adds: "The opportunity of being able to then on HBO, go and explore characters that wouldn’t be able to have that kind of real estate creatively, as we were able to do with Oz, that is something that we are talking to HBO about.
They're very excited about that idea. That's something that we really, really hope we're going to be able to do. We've got "The Batman". We've got "The Penguin". And who knows what's next".
That said, you can't have more of this particular incarnation of Oz Cobb without, well, the actor playing Oz Cobb, and going by what he said not long ago, it's unclear whether Colin Farrell is keen to return because of how intense shooting the show has been.
Speaking to Total Film, Farrell was asked if he was prepared to don the prosthetics and get back in Oz Cobb's headspace all over again. While he said playing the role was "a powerful experience", he didn't sound too enthusiastic about a comeback: "I don't know, man", he said. "Don't get me wrong — I loved it — but it got on me a little bit.
"Lauren [LeFranc, "The Penguin" showrunner] said, 'Look, if I could find a way that makes sense, would you talk about it?' And I said, 'Absolutely.' And maybe in a year, I would. But when I finished I was like, 'I never want to put that ****ing suit and that ****ing head on again'", Farrell added.
Initially, Farrell's comments made it sound like a second installment was unlikely. But after Matt Reeves has voiced an interest in doing more, who knows, maybe he could be tempted to return as Oz Cobb once again...
Should you stream 'The Penguin'?
In a word, yes. Critically, the series is performing very well indeed: my colleague Malcolm McMillan described "The Penguin" as a must-watch Max show and called it 'one of the best shows of the year so far'... and the show's drawn tons of praise from other viewers, too.
As of our latest update, "The Penguin" has earned an impressive 94% critics' rating (from over 100 reviews), and an 88% audience score from over 500 ratings on the review aggregate site, Rotten Tomatoes, with the site's critical consensus reading: "Depicting Gotham through bone-breaking punches rather than popping onomatopoeia, "The Penguin is a grounded crime saga given gravitas by Colin Farrell and a scene-stealing Cristin Milioti".
Need a quick snapshot of what those positive reviews say? Well, The Guardian's Lucy Mangan gave the show a perfect 5-star rating, calling it 'a slick and powerful beast' and a series packed 'with enough action and heart to capture existing fans and create many more'.
Likewise, Empire writer Amon Warmann gave the series a 4-star score, claiming that "The Penguin is a ' spin-off that makes this return to Gotham feel both necessary and earned, with excellent performances from Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti".
Elsewhere, RogerEbert.com's Clint Worthington wrote: ""The Penguin” offers an intriguing push and pull between the grotesque and the grounded, a street-level crime drama nonetheless full of cartoonish mob stereotypes and over-the-top characters with elaborate axes to grind."
