Synopsis of the first episode of “The Penguin” and Easter eggs: Get out of the way Batman, a gang war is coming to Gotham

The Penguin, the highly anticipated spin-off of 2022’s hit The Batman, has finally arrived, centering on gangster Oz Cobb, played by Colin Farrell.

The initial response to the series has been overwhelmingly positive, with it earning a near-perfect rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Meanwhile, our review from The Penguin says it features one of the “greatest on-screen Batman performances ever,” referring to Cristin Milioti’s new character, Sofia Falcone.

He appears in the very first episode, clashing with Farrell’s Oz, who begins acting out to gain more power in Gotham.

There’s a lot to talk about in this first part, so we invite you to check out the first episode of The Penguin. Warning! The following features contain spoilers, so make sure you watch them before reading any further.

Oz puts his plan for power into action

(Photo source: HBO/Max)

The film picks up in the weeks immediately following the events of The Batman, with news reports providing a recap of the film’s ending. Looting and rioting are now the norm, while Gotham is in a power vacuum following the death of crime boss Carmine Falcone, who is now replaced by his son Alberto Falcone.

Oz arrives at the run-down Iceberg Lounge, breaks into a safe to retrieve blackmail documents that can be used against members of the government and the Falcone family. He also takes jewelry that he claims to have been bringing for Alberto when the young gangster interrupts him. Oz exploits Alberto’s drug and alcohol problems, and the latter soon begins “taking the drops,” catching up to Penguin.

Alberto tells Oz that he has discovered a “new kind of high” that will revolutionize the drug business. He also shows him the ring he wears, inherited from his father but originally belonging to rival crime boss Salvatore Maroni. In return, Oz tells Alberto about a gangster he knew since childhood, Rex Calabrese, who organized a parade in his honor after his death. Realizing that this is Oz’s dream, Alberto mocks him – Penguin reacts quite spontaneously, shooting him on the spot. As Oz himself says, “fuck it.”

As he walks away with the body, Oz shoots at the teenagers who try to steal his car. He recruits one of them, a boy named Victor, by threatening him, of course, but they strangely bond while driving to Oz’s “friend” Eve, who agrees to provide him with a cover story so he has an alibi. Traveling further out of town, Victor pleads for his life, and Oz says he’ll let him live as long as he helps.

They then visit Oz’s drug stash, where he asks one of his employees to blackmail the councilman. We learn that their “drops” were lost in a Riddler attack, but they work hard to get them back – helped by the fact that they are being attacked by people who want to steal those “drops”.

Oz is then called to Falcone’s house where he is told to close the factory in 48 hours with the police on their backs and some of it damaged by the flood. Penguin being Penguin offers to fix it, saying he has a shipment that could change the drug game – clearly stealing Alberto’s idea and claiming it as his own.

Arrival of Sofia Falcone

(Photo source: HBO)

Then Sofia Falcone, Carmine’s daughter, who was recently released from Arkham Asylum, enters the room. She questions Oz about Alberto’s disappearance, but he says he doesn’t know what happened to her brother. They then go to a restaurant, and over dinner, Sofia tells Oz that she’s been accused of being a serial killer named Kat.

She also tells him that Alberto said he was going to the Iceberg Lounge that night and they worked on this drug plan together, so she was surprised to hear about it from Oz. She replies that Alberto informed him of the idea and then went on a string. Oz offers to investigate the Iceberg Lounge with Sophia, but she turns him down.

Together with Victor, Oz goes to his mother’s house, where he gives her some jewelry and reveals that he shot Albert – she is very proud of him. After they leave, he gives a motivational speech to Victor, who agrees to continue helping Oz.

Oz visits rival crime boss Salvatore Maroni in prison, offering his services, although he is currently working for the Falcones. He reveals that the Falcone family plans to transfer part of their drug business and offers to help the Maronis with his heist. To help win over Salvatore, he shows the mob boss a ring he stole from Alberto’s body.

On the way back, Oz is kidnapped by Sofia’s men, who take him to Falcone’s house. They strip him naked, and she reveals that while investigating her brother’s death, they found one of the children Oz shot, who claims that Penguin was there the night Albert died. Oz calls the teenager a liar, so Sofia shoots him.

They are interrupted by a car crashing in front of the Falcone family home with Alberto’s body inside and the words “revenge” written on the trunk. One of his fingers has been cut off and his ring has been taken – apparently Victor has been tasked with sorting this out to make it look like the Maronis are at war. Oz is released and reunites with Victor, celebrating their victory. Oz says he wants to take over the city and wants Victor to be involved.

Easter eggs from episode 1 of “Penguin”

(Photo source: HBO)

Batman: Early in the episode, we hear various news reports that summarize the events of The Batman in 2022, so we’re up to speed before we dive into the series, which is why there are references to both the Caped Crusader himself, the Riddler, and Gotham Mayor Bella Reál.

King of Calabria: Oz tells Alberto about a gangster from his neighborhood, Rex Calabrese, who in the comics was a crime boss in Gotham that existed before Batman entered the world. In the comics, he was the father of Selina Kyle, known as Catwoman.

Corner: Sofia Falcone tells Oz over dinner that she has been accused of being a serial killer known as The Executioner. In the comics, she is indeed revealed to be that killer, working with none other than Harvey Dent, aka Two-Face.

The Penguin airs weekly on Sky/NOW in the UK and on HBO in the US. Stay up to date with our The Penguin premiere schedule.

For more information, check out our guide to upcoming DC movies and TV shows, as well as how to watch the DC movies in the right order.