The Penguin Finale Cemented It as One of the Best Comic Book Shows Ever

Now that it’s over, we can say this with some certainty. The Penguin was one of the best TV shows of the year. It’s also one of the best comic book-themed shows ever. A taut, intense, gripping tale of what it takes to be a supervillain, told in a realistic relatable way, it simultaneously elevated Matt Reeves’ The Batman and made us yearn for more in this Batman Epic Crime Saga.

The show’s final episode, “A Great or Little Thing,” cemented all of that by beautifully wrapping up all of the show’s stories, masterfully teasing what’s ahead, and also nailing the emotional payoff the show had been building to since its very first episode.

Let’s face it. We all knew Oz had to win in the end. That was the implication coming out of Reeves’ film and, with a star like Colin Farrell playing an iconic villain, he always had to end up on top. But seeing what he did to get there, and what he ultimately had to give up, was completely harrowing.

The biggest moment, of course, is what happens with Vic (Rhenzy Feliz). Throughout the entire series, Vic had been Oz’s go-to guy. Their relationship may have started a bit randomly, but since then the two developed a strong, trustworthy bond. I for one fully expected him to be by Oz’s side to the end. Oz’s victory was also his; he worked just as hard as Oz did to get to where they were. But, after weeks and weeks of revelations of just what Oz is willing to, and had already, given up to get to the top, the final reveal made sense. Oz kills Vic with his bare hands. It’s horrifying and heartbreaking but Oz knows, especially after how successfully Sal and Sofia were able to use his mother against him, that caring about anyone is only going to hurt him.

Plus Oz is a monster so, yeah, you get it.

Killing Vic is Oz’s final note in a symphony of total chaos. Oz has murdered, cheated, stolen, and betrayed to finally achieve his dreams—not just being the crime boss of Gotham City, but getting his mom that penthouse apartment he promised her as a child. He gets both things, even if the journey left his Mom as a barely living shell of herself. The only love left in Oz’s life is someone he pays to be there: a woman we know (but he doesn’t) has already betrayed him.

All of which made for a sad, but satisfying ending. The Penguin rules Gotham and there’s no one who can stop him. That is, until we see that Bat-signal in the sky at the very end of the show reminding us—finally—that Batman is still out there.

The finale’s other great reveal is the survival of Sofia and the letter she gets in the mail. It would have been understandable, but hugely disappointing, if the show had killed Sofia. But Oz decides death is too nice for her and, instead, frames her for the bomb and a few more murders. Back in Arkham, her literal hell, she gets a ray of sunshine in the form of a letter from her half-sister, none other than Selina Kyle. To me, that was the biggest surprise of the entire episode. Reeves’ movie previously revealed that Carmine Falcone was Selina’s dad but her connecting with Sofia never crossed my mind. It basically cements that we’ll see Sofia, somehow, in The Batman Part II.

And while The Penguin did tee up the events of the upcoming film, it did so in a way that still feels complete. The story works even without the knowledge there’s another movie on the way. This is merely the story of a man who gave up everything and everyone to have ultimate power, and it was fun and fascinating to watch from beginning to end.

All episodes of The Penguin are now streaming on Max. The Batman Part II, unfortunately, is still two years away. It’s currently scheduled for release October 2, 2026.

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