Editor’s Note: The below contains spoilers for the season finale of The Penguin.We’re finally at the end of The Penguin, and as we close the book on Oz Cobb (Colin Farrell), the HBO series gives us a crumb of a connection to The Batman Part II. Although it’s still unclear how large of a connection Oz and Sofia (Cristin Milioti) could have to the movies by the time the credits roll, their impact on Gotham is undeniable. By the end of The Penguin, both the Maroni and Falcone families have effectively been wiped out and Oz Cobb is at the top of the criminal empire. Just as we’re about to close the book on The Penguin, we get a glimpse of two of The Batman‘s characters — or, rather, we get an update on their status in this universe.
Where Does ‘The Batman’ Leave Off Before ‘The Penguin’?
The final act of The Batman does a lot to set the stage for the Gotham of The Penguin, especially after Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz) reveals to Batman (Robert Pattinson) that Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) is her father. When she confronts Falcone at his club, the two get into a physical fight where Carmine almost chokes Selina to death, and Selina nearly kills him. Just when Batman and Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) arrive to arrest Carmine, he is shot by the Riddler (Paul Dano).
The Riddler then sets off a series of bombs that destroy the seawall around Gotham and flood the city — the same flood that killed Victor’s (Rhenzy Feliz) family. After Batman and Selina save the day and the life of Bella Reál (Jayme Lawson), Selina decides to leave for Blüdhaven. Meanwhile, the Riddler meets a new inmate who is very clearly the Joker (Barry Keoghan). Finally, at the end of The Batman, even though Batman (Robert Pattinson) becomes a sort of figure of hope for Gotham, it’s not clear where he is by the time of The Penguin.
Sofia Receives a Letter From Her Half-Sister Selina Kyle in Arkham
When Sofia winds up back in Arkham after being set up by Oz, she’s in a dazed state. We saw throughout the season that Sofia experienced a lot of trauma at Arkham, including severe electric shock treatment and mental abuse. Her only saving grace was that her brother, Alberto (Michael Zegen), was always by her side. It’s why she became so vengeful when she found out he was dead. So, when Dr. Julian Rush (Theo Rossi) brings mail to Sofia, she finally reacts to the news that she’s received a letter from her half-sister.
As The Batman reveals, Selina was the daughter of Maria Kyle, a waitress who used to work at the Iceberg Lounge. After giving birth to Carmine’s daughter, Maria would continue to bring Selina with her to the club when she worked and Selina would see Carmine at the club. When Maria was strangled to death by Carmine, Selina was taken away and Carmine never sought her out. Although we don’t know what the contents of the letter are, the camera pushes in on a smiling Sofia. Unlike Oz, Sofia did love the family members who cared about her, like her brother. And perhaps knowing there’s a half-sister out there waiting for her — one who knows exactly how nasty Carmine can be — will give her enough motivation to push forward.
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The Bat Signal Appears in Gotham After Oz’s Victory
While Sofia rots in Arkham, Oz is on top of the world. He returns to his penthouse dressed to the nines in a tux and with a top hat. After visiting his mother (Deirdre O’Connell), who is trapped in a vegetative state in a hospital bed, he is greeted by Eve (Carmen Ejogo). She’s wearing the same sequin dress and the same makeup as Francis, and when she starts dancing with Oz, he asks her to praise him before calling her “Ma.” It seems that without Francis’ presence, Oz has to fill the void with someone else, unable to recover from the fact that he never heard his own mother say she’s proud of him. When Eve tells Oz, “Nothing’s standing in your way now,” and Oz replies, “Goddamn right,” we pan out to the Gotham skyline. In the distance, a light turns on — not just any light, but the Bat Signal. But how much of the truth does Bruce know about Oz’s rise?
It’s unknown whether Sofia or Oz will appear in The Batman Part II, especially with the first movie teasing the Joker and hinting at the Court of Owls, there’s a lot of ground to cover. But it seems like a missed opportunity not to get a Selina and Sofia team-up or the Batman facing off against an Oz at the top of his game.
The full season of The Penguin is now available to stream on Max.
It follows the transformation of Oswald Cobblepot from a disfigured nobody to a noted Gotham gangster.
- Release Date
- September 19, 2024
- Cast
- Colin Farrell , Cristin Milioti , Rhenzy Feliz , Michael Kelly , Shohreh Aghdashloo , Deirdre O’Connell , Clancy Brown , James Madio , Scott Cohen , Michael Zegen , Carmen Ejogo , Theo Rossi
- Seasons
- 1
- Showrunner
- Lauren LeFranc
Watch on Max
