El Pingüino

Absolutely nailed the tone and atmosphere. Gritty and grimy and dark, but Farrell is able to capture that glimmer of charm Gandolfini's Tony Soprano did.

There are similarities to the sopranos especially in tone. A lot of dark stuff goes down in this opening episode, but there's still comedic moments that match the tone and don't undermine it.

Where to start with Farrell. Amazing is the right word. Love to see talented star actors go all in on roles like this, and the makeup/cgi or whatever exactly they did with transforming him into the penguin physically not only passes the eye test, it looks incredible realistic. There is always the risk that if the make up job isn't good enough or is just a little off, it can completely distract. In the penguin, it adds to his performance and the overall quality of the show because it's such a damn good job. And Farrell as an actor is completely immersed in this role. I'm maybe a little biased because he is one of my favorite actors prior to this show, but I think this is going to get him well-deserved accolades.

I never really tune into new shows right away because I like to watch the episodes all at once, but I wanted to see how this one actually came out.

Didn't disappoint, in fact blew me away. Kudos to everyone involved with this project.

I thought Colin Farrell was great as Penguin in the Batman, but i have never understood casting a skinny good looking fit actor and putting him in massive prosthesis and a fat suit...especially when i kind of think he looks like some other famous actors who would also have been just as good. I also really didn't get why this spinoff was coming, and to be honest am just tired of Batman reboots. But after episode 1 i will confirm this show to be amazing (so far). I only watched it know it was a necessary to watch bridge between the first and second movies, and my surprise enjoyment of Farrell in the role in the first one. But i wasn't expecting to like it nearly this much. The acting is terrific, the writing is superb, and it surpised me with some quick twists. The biggest thing that i liked was the fact that there was so much more color in this than in the Batman. I noticed it almost immediately, as it was a huge complaint for me about the movie (it felt like watching it through a Zack Snyder lense). I hope this keeps being as good as it goes along because i genuinely cant wait until the next episode.

Colin Farrell has done for Penguin what Heath Ledger did for Joker......... GAMECHANGER ! MASTERFUL! ICONIC !!

I wouldn't have thought it for this role, but Colin Farrell has just turned in the.performance of his career with an incredible interpretation of Penguin. This will go down in history in the same way Heath Ledgers Joker changed that character.

If he doesn't clean up as Best Actor for the Golden Globes, SAG awards and everywhere else, there is no appreciation of how the producers, script writers and the incredible makeup team helped Colin Turin in this incredible performance that will be a hallmark of his career and the benchmark role of Penguin for the next 3 generations.

P. S. (I don't really write reviews ever. This performance has me typing because I am so impressed !

Wow. The Penguin is just terrific. Everyone knows what a great actor Colin Farrell is but he's unrecognizable here as The Penguin. I wouldn't be surprised to see him nominated for some awards for his role in this. The biggest surprise was Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone. I wasn't too sure when I heard she was named actress for this role, she's a good actress but didn't think this role was for her. I was wrong. She's as good as Farrell is in this and makes you believe Sofia Falcone is a true rival to The Penguin. I also wouldn't be surprised to see how nominated for some awards for her role in this. This isn't your typical DC or Marvel show, it's a full on gangster series. This series takes place in the underworld of a now semi destroyed Gotham City and is a great follow up to Matt Reeves' The Batman. This is how you do it DC.

So, the first episode is done and it was excellent. I've never seen Farell so invested in a character. I mean yes, he's wearing a fat suit but you'd never know it. His attitude, body language, voice all make you submerge into the character and only see Penguin. It has no relationship to any of the other live TV penguins, Burgess Meredith or Robin Lord Taylor. This a New York mobster, a wise guy. He's a Scorsese mobster but without the florid language.

The plot is simple, similar to Lord Taylors Penguin in the CW's Gotham. The Penguin is a middle man in a mob organization. Up until now he's been doing his time, slowly moving up in the mob and then, with the effects of the Riddler blowing up the city sea wall and the death of his boss in that movie, he sees a chance to move up in the world. Now begins the game of cross, double cross and, I suppose, triple cross. Highly entertaining and very much recommended.