HBO's new series that expands the Batman universe

The Penguin is set a week after the events of Matt Reeves' 2022 film The Batman, but it would be simplistic to call it a villain origin story. Instead, HBO's miniseries, created by Lauren LeFranc, centers on the rise of Oz “the Penguin” Cobb (an unrecognizable Colin Farrell), whose obsession with power grows into something so grotesque that it becomes uncontrollable. The series is a masterful investigation into crime, twisted, disturbing and deeply compelling.

LeFranc's powerful narrative picks up after the Riddler's attack on Gotham in the film. The city's most vulnerable and poorest neighborhoods are destroyed and Oz's boss Carmine Falcone is dead. Oz decides this is the perfect time to strike. He quickly hatches a risky, ill-conceived plan and begins to seize control of the underworld as the Falcones rush to restructure Gotham and maintain their decades-long power. Though Oz thinks sinisterly and boasts a good eloquence, he overlooks two things as he works feverishly to catapult himself to the top. The first is an encounter with Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz), a teenager left homeless by the floods, whom Oz initially tries to scare but instead takes under his wing. The second is the return of Sofia Falcone (a fascinating Cristin Milioti), who drove Oz when he worked for Carmine. Not even Oz could have been prepared for Sofia's release from Arkham Asylum on the eve of her father's murder.

Despite having lost so much in the Riddler's attack, Vic is gentle and timid and stutters. But Oz senses in his new charge something that once simmered within him – a desire to belong somewhere. Oz uses Vic's vulnerability to build a bond with him. Over eight episodes, their father-son relationship shows who Oz could have been if Gotham and his mother Francis (a fantastic performance by Tony Award winner Deirdre O'Connell) hadn't toughened him up long before he reached manhood. Feliz shows Vic so much tenderness that, despite the heinous activities he takes part in, the viewer can easily forget how diabolical Oz's plans are.

Chronically underrated because of his looks, lack of social status and disability that leaves him with a limp, Farrell plays a man whose mind is spinning at a dizzying pace. Determined to seize the reins of the town at any cost, Oz manipulates everyone around him, including Vic, whose desire for a family cements his loyalty to his boss. The series is more than an exploration of Oz's mindset, which includes his obsession with status, plum-colored cars and Eve (Carmen Ejogo), a sex worker and his companion, it also shows what happens when the ills of society are not addressed.

The Penguin is not only Oz's story, but Sofia's too. Oz was shaped by desperation and hardship, but as his equal opponent, Sofia harbors deep anger and torment rooted in something else entirely. The Falcones have long ruled Gotham, and Sofia was born into privilege and wealth. But the drama shows that the upper and lower classes cannot exist without each other – and can exhibit the same perversities. Oz is quick-witted and chameleon-like, while Sofia's monstrosity is different. Although she first appears on screen in an angelic snow-white suit, Milioti's Sofia is a calculating, thoughtful woman who aims to be at the center of power. The juxtaposition of the pair over the course of the series – including flashbacks from their different childhoods and their reactions to losing or gaining dominance – is one of the most compelling aspects of The Penguin.

The city of Gotham is also a major character here. The Penguin shows how corruption, abuse and the accumulation of wealth can fester, driving the life out of some citizens while others rise up. By revealing the inner workings of Gotham, from the mayor's office to the underworld of Oz, the series exposes the villainy that manifests and thrives at every level.

As much structure as there is in Reeves and LeFranc's world, the work of makeup artist Michael Marino – who turns Farrell into a boss who is as pathetic as he is terrible – cannot be underestimated. The city and his chosen life have toughened Oz. He knows it's an acquired taste, but his narcissism allows him to use the sympathy of others to his advantage. And it allows him to keep going even when his back is against the wall.

Although The Penguin is about Oz's need for power and status, it is also about traumatic cycles. People like Oz and Sofia don't come from nowhere; their environments nurture them. Criminals must learn to adapt to survive those who are more unpredictable than they are. But resisting brutality forces change. After all, devils aren't born; they're created.

“The Penguin” will premiere on September 19 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and Max. The remaining episodes will air weekly on Thursdays at 9pm ET/PT from September 29th.