Freakin' Epic
I've been a huge fan of this new universe from the start, especially Colin Farrell as Penguin. The Batman, even though it’s not even three years old, has already become a comfort movie for me, and I keep rewatching it (alongside the Nolan trilogy, Burton's two, etc.).
That said, I was cautiously optimistic until the series actually dropped. We’ve seen plenty of things around Batman start off promising only to crash and burn later on. The Penguin not only didn't disappoint but was incredible from start to finish.
Colin Farrell delivered (yet another) career-defining performance, and he didn't even need to “carry” the show. How consistently chilling were Cristin Milioti and Deirdre O’Connell's performances throughout the show? Forget about carrying the Penguin; they didn’t even need Batman! (Where the heck is that guy, by the way???)
Want atmosphere? Check, done to perfection!
Want strong writing? The plot kept me hooked and guessing constantly. I was often caught off-guard, genuinely unsure where things would lead next.
How about that Arkham episode? Without much fanfare or fancy sets, it managed to be the most nightmarish Arkham scene I’ve ever seen. Take that!
And the twisted relationship Oz has with his mother, and everything he did to earn her approval? Ripped our hearts right out.
The show was meaty, packed with character development for all the main roles, with perfect action-to-dialogue ratios, and just the right amount of humor, hitting exactly where it needed to.
There were only a couple of minor things I wish were different:
Rhenzy Feliz's (Vic) performance. Although he was likable, I wasn’t entirely convinced.
A few more nods to Batman after the first episode. I read that the writers purposely avoided mentioning him to keep the focus on other characters and prevent the audience from expecting an appearance. I get it, but come on, you can’t just pretend he doesn’t exist!
The audience is going to expect Batman to show up anyway. You're always hoping Batman will show up!
Heck, even watching My Style Rocks, you’re secretly hoping Batman will pop in! “Today, I’m a billionaire at a gala, hiding my double life as a masked vigilante.” (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)
Anyway, I loved it! More of this, please.
