The Penguin as the anti-hero (or the anti-villain?)

['William Gualtiere', 'More William Gualtiere', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow', 'Class', 'Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus', 'Display Inline', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Where Img', 'Height Auto Max-Width', 'Vertical-Align Bottom .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar'] America Magazine 2025-09-12 00:00:00

However, none of these other characters are quite the same as Oz Cobb, also known by his criminal alias, the Penguin. In the new TV show “The Penguin,” however, Oz Cobb feels less like a supervillain and more like a typical Hollywood mobster. Like Oz, Vic does not have anyone and is stuck looking for a path forward. His relationship with Vic makes Oz feel more human. In the end, the audience, like the characters, is left stuck in a cycle, forced to check its own expectations of criminal characters.