If Sunday night's finale of "The Penguin" is a further indication of how the world created by Matt Reeves is going to be moving forward, then Batman is in very good hands. The Colin Farrell-led series ended with a bang, and sets the stage for what could be coming in "The Batman 2."
For those who have not yet seen the finale, look away, as the REST OF THIS ARTICLE WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR "The Penguin."
'The Penguin' Finale Explained
At long last, Gotham got to see the rise of Oswald "OZ" Cobb, otherwise known as "The Penguin." The well-known DC criminal took on a new persona and look in "The Batman," which then carried over into his own solo series. What made this version of the character far more sinister, is the world finally discovered that Oz has no redeeming qualities.
Initially, Matt Reeves' Batman world paints The Penguin as this downtrodden lackey for Carmine Falcone (John Turturro). Oz is the second-hand man to Falcone in "The Batman," but he sees an opportunity when Falcone is revealed to be an informant.
As soon as The Riddler (Paul Dano) enacts his plan to flood Gotham and exposes Falcone, "The Penguin" is born.
In the series, Oz uses Gotham's disarray to place himself in the highest seat of power. After brutally murdering Alberto Falcone (Michael Zegen), he twists the conflict between the Falcone and Maroni families into an all-out war, where he comes out on top. Oswald befriends Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) and uses her hatred of her own family to his advantage.
Though we see that Sofia is just another pawn to be used in Oz's final plan, being cast out and placed in Arkham is enough for her to kill her entire family herself. Oz didn't have much to do with that, but he certainly knew how to push Sofia's buttons enough to get her thinking.
Once the smooth-talking Oz finds a way to get rid of Salvatore Maroni in the tunnels of Crown Point, he only has one loose end left: Sofia.
This is where The Penguin truly emerges. He makes a deal with Councilman Hady to not only deliver him the person responsible for blowing up Crown Point but to place Hady in a higher position within the government to feed his own twisted ambition.
After several times that Oz should have been killed, he captures Sofia, and instead of killing her — he delivers her to the police. Sofia is locked in Arkham once again, where she will presumably spend the rest of her days.
The final moment that transforms Oz into the ruthless mob boss the DC world has known is when he gets rid of his only "weakness." As stated, The Penguin appears to be a "man of the people," but he is far from that.
In arguably the most emotional scene in the entire series, Oz is taking in his victory with his pseudo-son, Victor "Vic" Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz). While the world softened to the relationship that Oz and Vic shared, Oz chokes him to death to get rid of the final thing making him "soft."
In the final moments of the series, we see that Oz is now part of a higher society. He is in his comic-accurate get-up, complete with a nice suit and top hat. Though he does not wear the top hat, it's as close to the monocle-wearing villain that Batman fans know.
What is even more interesting is how the finale hints at two big storylines for Matt Reeves' upcoming sequel.
How 'The Penguin' Sets Up 'The Batman 2'
"The Penguin" ends with Oz on top, presumably now the leader of the street gangs that can do his bidding at the ground level, while he sips champagne with Gotham's elite. After the leaders of the gangs are killed en masse, The Penguin is now going to be the mob boss at the top with government connections.
Oz may not have been a problem for Batman (Robert Pattinson) in the beginning, but he is now going to be a huge problem in the sequel film. Reeves wanted to build The Penguin into a powerhouse, and that is exactly what he has become.
What is interesting about The Penguin being part of high society is the deal he made with Councilman Hady. Hady is an interesting character who could be part of the secret society that pulls the strings in Gotham. There have been rumors that the Court of Owls will be introduced in "The Batman 2," and Hady could be part of that.
With Hady's rise by way of a deal he struck with The Penguin, it wouldn't be the least bit shocking if he appears as part of the court that is secretly trying to bring down Batman.
One final setup for "The Batman 2" is a team-up that many people likely did not see coming. With Sofia locked in Arkham, she gets a letter from her half-sister, Selina Kyle. Both Selina and Sofia share a common father: Carmine.
Could "The Batman 2" feature a female team-up with the likes of Sofia and Selina banding together to stop The Penguin, but also make life tough for Batman?
Time will tell, but Reeves has certainly built a world that fans will keep wanting to come back to.
