In 'The Penguin' a C-list villain gets an A-list series

By Aisha Harris,

Glen Weldon, Andrew Limbong, Roxana Hadadi, Mike Katzif, Jessica Reedy, Hafsa Fathima, Liz Metzger

Published November 4, 2024 at 9:09 AM EST

Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobb in The Penguin. — Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobb in *The Penguin*.

In the HBO new series The Penguin, an unrecognizable Colin Farrell reprises his role as Oswald Cobb from The Batman. This time though, the caped crusader is nowhere to be found. Instead, we've got an unexpectedly fresh take on Gotham, and a crackling turf war involving the vengeful daughter of a crime boss, played by Cristin Milioti.

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Aisha Harris

Aisha Harris is a host of Pop Culture Happy Hour.

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Glen Weldon

Glen Weldon is a host of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast. He reviews books, movies, comics and more for the NPR Arts Desk.

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Andrew Limbong

Andrew Limbong is a reporter for NPR's Arts Desk, where he does pieces on anything remotely related to arts or culture, from streamers looking for mental health on Twitch to Britney Spears' fight over her conservatorship. He's also covered the near collapse of the live music industry during the coronavirus pandemic. He's the host of NPR's Book of the Day podcast and a frequent host on Life Kit.

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Roxana Hadadi

Mike Katzif

Jessica Reedy

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Hafsa Fathima

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Liz Metzger