Although "The Penguin" premiered on HBO and Max on September 19, HBO is changing 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. And after that season premiere, "The Penguin" looks like it will be earning a spot on our list of the best Max shows.
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 will premiere in a different slot.
Going forward, new episodes of "The Penguin" will instead air 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 - Thursday, September 19
- "The Penguin" episode 2 - Sunday, September 29
- "The Penguin" episode 3 - Sunday, October 6
- "The Penguin" episode 4 - Sunday, October 13
- "The Penguin" episode 5 - Sunday, October 20
- "The Penguin" episode 6 - Sunday, October 27
- "The Penguin" episode 7 - Sunday November 3
- "The Penguin" episode 8 - 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 limited, one-and-done series or not, as HBO hasn't made any sort of official statement on the show's future.
However, you can't have more of this particular incarnation of Oz Cobb without, well, the actor playing Oz Cobb, and going by recent comments, it's unclear whether Colin Farrell is keen to return because of how intense 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.
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.
At the time of writing, "The Penguin" has a 94% critics' rating and an 89% audience score 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'.
Need another opinion? Empirewriter 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".
