I saw the Penguin (A Reflection of Season 1)

 

Matt Reeves' HBO/Max, eight-part miniseries, The Penguin, delivered the dark, virile goods, sharing its Faustian testosterone not only among its men, but its women. It did this surrounding a Dickens/Oliver Twist-esque pact, establishing a fascinating relationship between mobster and teen. 

Colin Farrell's Oswald Cobblepot, aka Os/z Cobb, was even more spellbinding than in Reeves' excellent The Batman, because, of course, extra exploration was invested into the character's seedy, Yojimbo progression, and thanks to a bone-chilling, Eastside flashback, we see it bud from a telling boyhood.  

The Penguin's relationship with Rhenzy Feliz's Victor Aguilar, a victim of the Riddler's explosive purge, emerged as pure, melodramatic dynamite. With careful, callous precision, the burgeoning bond shows how a by-chance encounter can change everything, as a confused boy bucks his fear to shake hands with the Devil and in the end, pays a dear price for it. 

Clancy Brown's Salvatore Maroni proved a real treat, too, as a tough-as-steel, jail bird, lamenting his lost command. The same can be said of Mark (Shazam!) Strong as the flashbacked Carmine Falcone, who holds a creepy, murderous secret, making him more vile than believed. I also enjoyed Deirdre O'Connell's Francis, Pengy's mom, shrewd and cautious, even if dented by dementia, and then there's Falcone's son, Michael Zegen's Anthony, arrogant and entitled in his heir-apparent intro, but when his past is uncovered, not such a bad bloke, after all. 

The big, tour-de-force character, however, became Cristin Milioti's Sophia Falcone/Gigante, a nuanced lady said to be the Hangman, a killer of women, confined to Arkham and tortured into revenge. We see her fooled by everyone yet no one, acting as both Cobb's confidant and foe, and once the dust clears, the greatest of all Gotham's unexpected kingpins. 

I found this series to be euphoric and fulfilling in its two-fisted gist: a DC, Sopranos variant, for certain. Because it exceeded my expectations, I want--no, demand!--more, and the sooner, the better. 

Testosterone TV: Penguin & Tulsa King

HBO Max's The Penguin, a sequel series to Matt Reeves' DC/Elseworlds hit, The Batman, is on the cusp of premiering. Colin Farrell reprises his provocative role of Oswald Cobblepot, aka Oz Cobb (along with all that heavy-duty makeup), in what looks to be more of a Sopranos variant than a comic-book salute.

That's cool by me. I've grown an ardent penchant for modern, mob fables. I hold the The Sopranos in high regard and appreciate every pulpy speck of its Faustian strand, and the same goes for The Godfather saga, Goodfellas, Casino and the contemptuous catalyst behind them all, Wallace Worsley/Morris Gouverneur's The Penalty, with good ol' Lon Chaney Sr.  Ah, men selling their souls to find virtue (or all-encompassing conquest) through bad means is fascinating as hell to me. 

The Penguin should be no exception to the rule, and like the aforementioned titles, it'll no doubt overflow with abundant testosterone. That, in itself, will draw complaints from some, but then why would they even bother tasting the ingredients when they know what's on the menu? 

Speaking of testosterone, Paramount+'s Tulsa King: Season 2 is also nearing release. This fish-out-of-water series won me over, due in no small part to Sylvester Stallone's portrayal of self-educated, paid-his-dues Dwight Manfredi. The show also holds that pugnacious, Sopranos charm, and like the latter is solidified by a callous core, where its leads aren't afraid to make two-fisted decisions. 

Interestingly enough, the filming-start of Tulsa King's new season was met by controversy, when an extra griped about by being replaced by a cowgirl in a background scene, along with overhearing some unpleasant words that may or may not have been directed at him. I hope the poor guy has gotten over the matter and maybe has even found a cozy, behind-the-scenes gig on RuPaul's Drag Race or better yet, a role as adviser on one of those watered-down, Disney Junior thingamabobs. (Hey, whatever suits your fancy, I say, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. In fact, I'll slug it out with anybody who says otherwise, but all the same, it's better not to bite the hand that feeds you. Just because your skin is thin is no excuse to whine about something that's trite and vague. To rephrase, don't rain on my parade when it comes to my kind of escapism.)  

Anyway, that both shows commence in September makes the month a big win-win. So, bring on that dark, dirty virility, and bring it on strong! 

The Penguin starts September 19th, and Tulsa King #2, September 15th.