Cinepals - THE PENGUIN Episode 4 Reaction & Review! | Max | DCU | Colin Farrell

Episode Date: October 14, 2024

Jaby and Cortney continue with the new HBO Max series set in the world of The Batman "The Penguin". The show follows the rise of Oswald Cobblepot, a ruthless and cunning criminal mastermind, as he navigates Gotham City's dangerous underworld to solidify his power and become one of its most feared crime lords. The Penguin stars Colin Farrell (In Bruges, The Batman, & The Lobster) as Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin. Other notable cast members include Cristin Milioti (Palm Springs, How I Met Your Mother, & The Wolf of Wall Street) as Sofia Falcone, and Rhenzy Feliz (Runaways, Encanto, & American Horror Stories) as Victor Aguilar Watch the cutdown reaction on YouTube at www.youtube.com/@cinepals or watch along with Jaby and Cortney on Patreon at www.cinejump.com SOCIAL MEDIA ~CINEPALS~  YouTube: @CinePals Insta: https://instagram.com/TheCinePals Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheCinePals ~CORTNEY WRIGHT~ Instagram: @CortneyScottWright

If you love chilling mysteries, unsolved cases, and a touch of mom-style humor, Moms and Mysteries is the podcast you've been searching for. Hey guys, I'm Mandy. And I'm Melissa. Join us every Tuesday for Moms and Mysteries, your gateway to gripping, well-researched true crime stories. Each week, we deep dive into a variety of mind-boggling cases as we shed light on everything from heist to who don't it. We're your go-to podcast for Mysteries with a motherly touch. Subscribe now to Moms and Mysteries wherever you get your podcast.

Sina. Pows. To new beginnings. I feel so short. I brought my chair down to match Courtney's height. Oh, my gosh. He's never going to let me live this down. LFG, let's go.

We need to talk. Don't end here. Don't end here. Wow, man. Oh, my God. That was amazing. That was so good. Like every single episode.

What a wonderful show. That was brilliant. Yeah. Usually most episodes have a slump. They have like, by the time you get to episode four or five, you have a basic filler episode. It's just a middle episode. It's neither here nor there. It just happens to you.

They have not had a slump. Not yet. This is absolutely incredible. Yeah. Her acting is so phenomenal. Oh, my gosh. Yeah, let's just get the ballots now. I'm ready to sign.

Well, she really is a, I mean, I really does feel like a Trojan horse in a way because, like, we showed up for Colin Farrell as the penguin, and now we're staying because of her. It's kind of what it feels like. Like, both of their performance is obviously amazing. But she is just, I don't know, man. Like, he was barely even in this episode. He was barely in this episode. You're going to have that sometimes. No, I know.

But I'm not complaining. I love him and I love his work, and I love what he's doing with this role. But I didn't miss him. Oh, because what they had was so captivating with her. It was so captivating. And, you know, and I know I mentioned this before, like I saw the cast at Comic Con, and the director said something. He was like the work that Christina Milotti, I think that's her last name, Maladi.

I think so. The work that she does is absolutely. Milliotti. Yeah. What she does is just phenomenal. And, you know, she really was kind of humble and just, like, really thanked him. But now I understand what he meant. Well, you don't know when you're at Comic On.

It's like he could just be fluffing it up for the sake of selling the show. Exactly. And I thought like, you know, like he's really like, you know, giving her her flowers, you know. I was assuming her character got killed like early on. And, oh, me. I did not know. One of the things you remarked about that I was enjoying along the show is the way it was shot and edited and all that stuff. Like the storytelling from, like if you just, if you, someone way back when.

and told me, like, try watching something without the audio and see how it affects you. And that's the real mark of good storytelling because it's a visual medium, right? Now, you know, it's setting aside stuff like Tarantino dialogue that you obviously can't get from, you know, watching something silent. You can watch this silent and you'll still know exactly what's going on.

It's visually very striking, very clear, you know, no pun intended, because of all the lack of clarity. Right, right, right. Yeah, like, it's all very clear what's going on from a visual perspective. So if you just mute it and watch it again, it's like, you'll understand it. And it'll hit you all the same. Obviously, the sound and all of the music and everything really enhances it.

But I love that just visually. It's so stimulating, like mentally and everything like that. It hits you hard and you feel so much empathy for this character because you realize, you know, when you met her, you were just like, oh, she's a bad bitch. And that's that. But then you go in deep and you realize, oh, that's not actually who she was. She was forced to be that person. She became, they literally, we literally watched her. They, Dr. Frankensteined her into this Igor.

into this, like, this character that she had, she never would have become before. Yeah. It's like to find the depths of that inside of her in order to survive. Yeah. And there were so many things, like little nuances. Even, like, the color dress that she chose, like the yellow. Like, yellow is traditionally, like, a friendship color. It's the color that, like, I come bearing gifts, you know?

And she comes to the dinner just totally neutral. Even, like, the shots, like, you know, I mentioned, like, her mom, like, the first thing we saw was her feet. And yet in the end, like, you see her walking, just the shots of her feet as she's just walking, like, gliding in a way, like, so free. And this is something that we've never seen this character in this way before. But, like, even, like, you called it when you were like, is she going to gas them? Because, like, she opened the window and left that one window open. And I was like, she's going to get the little girl or is that the little girl's room, you know? And who do we see coming down the stairs with some cake?

Yeah. Little Gigi. Yeah. You know, I saw an interview with Colin Farrell and her, not an interview, but like a reaction video. I didn't watch the whole thing, but just like part of it. It was a reaction video of them watching The Penguin, the scene from last week's episode towards the end when, like, when he was like, you know, having a one-on-one with her and getting emotional. And what was remarkable to me was seeing Colin Farrell without all that stuff on and like, that's the same dude. I was that the same guy, you know, because you watch him as him and then you see the Penguin character and their side.

by side with each other. And it's like, that's not the same person. And it's totally different people. That's not the same dude at all. Just like not even remotely in the same universe. It's crazy. Even, even to the extent like Colin Farrell, like, you know, he's a good looking dude. But he's like, I never imagine.

They make the penguin look so tall. Like they make him look so like larger than life in a way. And I love what they, you know, like how they're creating this shadow of him. he's literally this entity almost and just seeing who he was before like in those before moments I really do not think that he thought her father would send her away right I really I don't know how you would see that coming I mean I know he doesn't have kids that he knows of it this is I don't I mean I don't know he has kids but would you ever think that somebody would sacrifice their daughter like that no but I don't know the penguin sometimes because like you just don't

outside of his mom, I don't know who he actually protects, who he actually, you know, actually guards. Oh, he wasn't, you're right. You know what I mean? He was not guarding her. He was trying to get a leg up. I mean, you saw the change in suit. Like, she even acknowledged it.

Like, you're dressed differently. Like, you went from being my driver. Like, who are you now? What is happening here? And she knew, like, you called it. She knew the minute she walked in and he said, your father wants to see you. There was something in the way that he said that. Right.

That she knew that he had told her father that she saw the report. order. But I think he did that in order to make get a step up. The shots that they did there was perfect because like you got her looking back and then him looking and he's distant from the camera which represents her distance from just like everything because she's going to get more and more distant from everything because she's going to Arkham. This is my favorite episode so far and it's unfortunate that the penguin is in this the least because it's to me it's the best episode. It really is like even the music. It didn't need words. That last saying like it was beautiful with her and the little girl, like her protecting the little girl the way no one protected

her in the greenhouse, you know, and she talked to her at the little girl's level. Right. Where does that go, though? Because she murdered the little girl's bomb. Well, she's not going to tell the little girl that. Like, I mean, she's probably going to, she's going to tell what everybody else knows. There was a gas leak. Gotcha. It's a good thing I took you out to the greenhouse. Yeah. It's a good thing we stayed. Yeah, yeah. That's an 80-year-old woman.

in the deathbed confession. You know what I mean? I feel like they definitely borrowed some nuances from Requiem for that stuff. Or maybe I've only watched it the one time. Well, I only watched Requiem once as well. But I don't remember Clockwork all that well. I only watched it once. Clockwork orange?

Yeah, Clockwork Orange. I always saw it once too. But the music cues sounded like something straight out of Requiem. Just like the very violent violin strings and how it agitates you. You know, it's like it's very unsettling to listen to. It's like, it puts you in the driver's seat of the main character of this episode. Like, she's feeling that agitation, like, you know? All that time she spent in Arkham, all that, like, I, like, you, like, I had so much anxiety.

Like, I was so uncomfortable, worried for her. Like, the devastation, the atrocities that happened to her. Even in just that, like, you know, that opening, the sequence, the sequence when she goes in there. And the things that they were just aggressively doing. And I, you know, like, I've never been to a minimum. institution or you know what I mean like but like look at him he's about to sign me up listen but I'm just saying like it was new that that was new for me like to see that was very jarring all that stuff it was put together so well because of like the sharp editing the the shots of what they were

focused on her acting and the music it's like that edgy music all of it together is like you're feeling exactly what she's feeling it feels like you're going through it too Yeah, you know, and you see the tools and what they're doing, and it's like, while they're not showing all of it to you, you still feel all of it. It's very effective. Like, I really appreciated where they decided what to show you and what not to show you. And it was both were effective. You know, they both made you feel things. Yeah, like the girl in the fork. Yeah, exactly. The whole scenario of like being in that mess hall and you're seeing all the doctors and the cops and she's got the fork in her hand. It's like, we all kind of know where it's going and what's about to happen. I didn't see it coming that the girl would be like, please, like, just... Like, just set me free. Yeah, just set me free. I didn't see that coming at all. I didn't either.

Yeah, because I thought that girl was sort of the prison who, the prisoner who's in control of the situation. Yeah, but like, that wasn't the situation. She was put into that situation by the powers that be. And she saw that as her exit. And I'm sure she, you know, like, we don't even know how long, who that was, how long she had been there. Right. And, like, everything in that, that Arkham, because it was a different side of Arkham. Because you really only see, like, certain cells.

And, excuse me, whenever they show Arkham, it's usually like either Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, or the Joker or somebody. And it's like quick shots, and then it's... Quick shits. I knew. I didn't even want to let that go. Quick shots, quick shots. I can speak. But it's like usually the outside and it's always so dark and edgy.

But this, even the mess hall, the light that was coming in, it was almost like seeing her hope. You know what I mean? And then watching it turn when she realized Magpie was like... have been singing like a canary telling on her to get the candy to get the candy and I knew she was getting a trade of the face the the like I apologize for all of the references and stuff like the candy immediately reminded me of um one floor with the cuckoo's nest so I was trying to connect whatever dots there might be that inspired the filmmaker in the writing of this episode the only thing I've ever seen with that kind of visceral torture was requiem with uh Ellen Bernstein is that her

name um the the main woman from that movie she they torture her in that movie and it's like it feels like you're being tortured um if you haven't seen rec room for dream i recommend watching it once and only once and you'll never forget it yeah i think my brain shut down on that yeah i literally slept through because i don't know how you sleep through that jesus because whenever my brain gets overstimulated like it literally just like nope you're done you're going to sleep now yeah it's ellen bernstein yeah uh she's she was phenomenal in that she's phenomenal in everything It was just so powerful. That's the word I'm looking for.

It was a powerful episode that hit you and it's like, and it didn't pull its punches. Like, yeah. Like, I was, we were literally riveted the entire episode. Like, that's, that's not it. That's not it, right? I didn't want it to end, obviously. They left you at a good cliffhanger. It was perfect.

Yeah, because now I want to know what's coming for us. That's a great question. This is, they did something here that I do see in TV shows a lot where it's like, it's got this momentum going. And they're like, it's got you on this cliffhanger. It's like, hold on for another episode. We're going to go back. And now we're going to explain some stuff. So I was initially a bit frustrated because I was like, I want to know what's going to happen with these characters.

But like learning all of her backstory was worth the weight of that plot. You know what I mean? We all wanted to know. Like, how did you get that name? And it's like it's not even her name. She didn't do all that shit. Yeah. That's just crazy.

I didn't even think we were going to get all that. I really just thought they were going to explain. like who actually was the hangman. They peeled it like layers, like an onion. You know what I mean? Like because like you said, like they introduced her and you just know her is this like incredible. Beautiful anonymous changes each week.

It defies genres and expectations. For example, our most recent episode, I talked to a woman who survived a murder attempt by her own son. But just the week before that, we just talked to the whole time about Star Trek. We've had other recent episodes about sexting in languages that are not your first language. or what it's like to get weight loss surgery.

It's unpredictable. It's real. It's honest. It's raw. Get beautiful anonymous wherever you listen to podcasts. Powerful, like, dynamic character that you're like, wow, there is so much going on underneath her eyes and, like, her mannerisms and the things that she's not saying. There's so much going on there. And then to see who she was before and understand who she is now.

Right. And honestly, there was almost a third transition because even before, like, when she got out, she was just kind of like trying to figure out who I am. What am I going to do? How am I going to make my mark? I don't think she transitioned into wanting to even become like the hangman, like her father, until she realized what actually happened. The eyes turned on her a second time. Like, I almost did it again. Yeah.

I almost trusted somebody else who almost got me killed. Like literally. Yeah. No, we ain't going, I'm not going out like that. Yeah. Everybody had to go. I really thought she was going to kill the doctor. Mark Strong was amazing.

Phenomenal work in this episode, man. Yeah. He does such a good job of like control of making you feel things without doing too much. I've always loved that about him. You probably saw him in Shazam, the first Sajam. He was in the, but like I think the first time I ever saw him was he did a role that you probably can't do anymore. Like, you can't get away with it because he's white. I think he was playing an Arab, if I'm not mistaken.

But I was convinced. I was really convinced. It was a movie with Russell Crow and Leonardo DiCaprio. The wrong names were popping in my head, but it was directed by Ridley Scott. I can't remember the name, but I love that movie. And I love it. I really, really enjoyed that movie because love is a strong word. Body of Lies.

It's a fun, fun movie. It's a spy film. And so Leonard de Capri does a great job in it. And Mark Strong does a great job. I feel like that's how I learned about him. Every time he showed up, I would get excited. So he does such a phenomenal job. And like here, he did not disappoint at.

all like he does this thing where he's just like looking at her and you see so much going on like damn it like now i got to put you in arkham and he didn't say that but you can see it well because he knows that she's his equal right she's the only one that he was willing to trust with the family she's the smartest of them all right she was he was about to break tradition for her and give her the keys to the kingdom for me his performance was all about his stillness exactly his i mean it's just intimidating when someone doesn't move. Yeah. And they're not even reactive.

Like there's nothing happening on his face, but you can see everything turning. Exactly. And the reason, you know, I talked about the sunglasses. Like the, it's literally him playing a constant game of poker. Like him not wanting anybody to see what's going on behind his, like, glasses or in what he's thinking. Yeah. So even as the little girl, when she pulled his glasses down to, like, really see him and see, like, what she had, you know, just witnessed.

with her mom like it made you wonder like he just came in nonchalantly but like was surprised was he surprised at he or there did he want the little girl to find a mom like that like what do we think oh gosh i haven't thought i didn't i was wondering about that while watching it i'm you said like four different things all at once so sorry um yeah i i don't know if he if he intended that he must have because he no he must have intended that like he because the girl finds it it's part of the alibi no he intended that okay yeah Yeah. Like, everybody, like.

But I think the stillness thing you're talking about is absolutely what I love about him. He's just so, he's very strong in his performances. Like, he's definitely on my short list. If I ever, you know, get my choice of actors I get to direct, you know, someday he was definitely on the list of like, yo, here, you just, I'll just put the camera at you. You do it. Go. Let's see it.

You know what I mean? I do. And it's just like, I think the best part about this series is that every single episode has me thinking. Yeah. Thinking and like recreate, like remembering what I saw and what happened. And it's like, it's literally like fireworks are going off in my head because I'm so excited. Like, it's been a really long time.

The show has made me really like invested and thinking like about every single nuance that the, you know, like the filmmaker wanted us to either receive or I could totally be reading into a bunch of stuff that, you know. Here's what crazy Is I am enjoying this more than the Batman Me too That's crazy I'm enjoying it more than the thing it was spawned off of That's nuts Because we didn't have her

Yeah I really enjoyed the Batman a lot And I'm enjoying this even more It's like it's crazy that it's able to elevate beyond And I'm very curious to see how If this just sort of stays as its own separate thing Or if they somehow kind of like Ties in the next Batman installment But you know who knows

like I want to know what is her villain name I want to know if she's going to become like you know what I mean like because this is a better backstory than any villain I think we've really been given and I don't even necessarily know that I call her a villain I really think she might be an anti hero but like in anti hero no I think you're right I think you're right she's an anti hero if even still like she has the best backstory of anybody in the DC universe right now you're what I'm saying like Harley Quinn has a great story in the comics, but it's never really been told properly, and I didn't see The Joker, too. I found myself rooting for her, and I'm still rooting for her, and she better live, because I need her character to, like, take over. Yeah, this is fascinating to me, and I hope whatever this universe is goes far, because D.C. needs it. It really does. Like, I didn't see it coming that the Batman, Robert Pattinson, Batman, I didn't see it coming that, like, maybe that would be able to expand into something greater that we can continue.

to enjoy through many different iterations and spin-offs and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, as a long-running franchise. Didn't see that coming. I think that maybe I was still coming off of like the Zach Snyder-verse thing, you know, and all that and seeing where that was going. And then now we got James Guns. We have yet to see where that really goes. But I'm definitely excited about this and the future of it thus far.

So you guys, thanks so much for hanging out. I'm Jabby Kauai. This is Courtney Scott Wright. Peace out.