The Penguin (aka Oswald Cobblepot) has bigger Fish to fry as the new king(pin) of Gotham City in season two of the action crime-drama, writes Debashine Thangevelo
HE was a low-level thug at the beck and call of Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith), a nightclub owner with ruthless ambitions to overthrow her boss, Don Falcone.
However, that boss-henchman relationship soured after Fish Mooney discovered that The Penguin (aka Oswald Cobblepot), played by Robin Lord Taylor, was a snitch – and she couldn’t have any of that.
Shortly thereafter, he was banished from the city – a punishment deemed kinder than death thanks to Detective James Gordon.
But that didn’t keep Penguin away. He stealthily made his way back into the city and managed to bag a lowly job at a restaurant run by the Maroni Crime Family. And so his cunning plan for revenge against Fish Mooney took root.
Right at the outset of Gotham season one, the writers hinted at Penguin’s crucial role in the unravelling story, which mostly centred on Gordon trying to get to the bottom of the murder of young Bruce Wayne’s parents.
As the investigation got under way, the criminal underbelly of Gotham City was revealed. And the by-the-book Gordon quickly learnt that the city operates on a different set of rules and that corruption is par for the course.
However, in saving Penguin’s life, Gordon also managed to make an unlikely ally out of him. Season two pushes the envelope with that alliance, forcing Gordon to sacrifice certain values for “the greater good”.
Lord Taylor is remarkable in this role. His malice is masked by his friendliness. But the underlying threat in his tone is unmistakable.
He wears his new power-wielding status with pride. It’s manifested in his mannerisms, especially when he is dismissive, as well as his wardrobe.
In the first episode, Catwoman has now joined forces with Penguin. But other well-known comic book characters start emerging, like The Joker. And viewers slowly see how the writers ingeniously ensure that their stories dovetail.
The city, of course, is a central character too – peppered with plenty of villains to make things really interesting. Meanwhile, young Bruce finds new purpose after discovering his father’s secret room.
With Penguin the only Don in town, he has mastered the art of bending certain politicians and influential people to his will.
But, first, Gordon will have to deal with the new big threat – Theo Galavan and his equally sinister sister, Tabitha. Aside from wanting to run Gotham City, they have set their sights on Bruce Wayne as revenge for an injury to ancestor Caleb Dumas.
Interestingly, it looks like Gordon’s threat will be Penguin’s, too.
Aside from the engaging characters and villains, Gotham 2 retains its mesmerising dark-hued backdrop and stylishness.
And the storylines stay true to the good versus evil theme of the franchise, keeping fans suitably impressed.
Gotham 2 airs M-Net Edge (DStv channel 102) on Thursdays at 7pm.