Although we still have over two and a half years to go until the release of The Batman: Part II, it wasn’t too long ago that the shared universe known as the Batman Epic Crime Saga expanded with The Penguin. Airing on HBO and streaming with a Max subscription, the series saw Colin Farrell reprising Oz Cobb following his debut in The Batman and the actor collected a lot of accolades for his performance, including a Golden Globe win. In fact, the show as a whole was so successful that there’s been talk about if The Penguin Season 2 will happen, but Farrell feels ambivalent about this happening, and I agree with where he’s coming from.
At the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday, where he won the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series category for The Penguin, Colin Farrell told Variety that although he’s not 100% against the idea of working on a second season, he’s also not particularly eager to do it either. In his words:
I don’t want it. I don’t not want it. We all left it in the ring in those eight hours. I would hate to, just because of a quote-unquote success, have to go again and for it to be a diluted version of what people seem to feel it is, majoritively. So I’m in no rush. I have no deep desire to do it. … Sure, if they think of something that works in conjunction as a parallel to Matt Reeves’ cinematic universe and it’s a good idea, I’m open it. But it’s not something concerning me.
He’s not wrong. How do you top near perfection? Ok, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but there’s no question that The Penguin was a critical success. Ranking at a 95% Tomatometer and 88% Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes, this show’s detractors are few and far between, and Cristin Milioti’s performance as Sofia Falcone was also acclaimed, amongst other talent. Why risk making Season 2 if the quality isn’t guaranteed to be just as good as Season 1’s, if not better?
Even ignoring the great reviews, it could be argued that The Penguin doesn’t need to continue narratively. Oz Cobb gained the power he so desperately craved, and all after he arranged for Sofia Falcone to be arrested, murdered his right-hand man Victor and left his mother, Francis, in a vegetative state. Talk about an ending that sticks with you, as uncomfortable as it was. Sure, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested in Cristin Milioti’s idea of following along with Sofia breaking out of Arkham and exacting revenge, but I don’t know if that’s enough to warrant eight more episodes being ordered.
Besides, we already know that Colin Farrell will be back for The Batman: Part II on October 1, 2027, so it’s not like we’re never going to see Oz Cobb again. But hey, maybe the right idea handled by the right writers and helmed by the right director could come along that would make The Penguin Season 2 a worthwhile endeavor. If that happens, I’ll tune in week after week to see how it turns out.
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