The Penguin’s major player deserved better, and it's not Vic
Contains spoilers for 'The Penguin'
If you ask us to state one reason why we loved 'The Penguin', we'd say that it's the finely curated characters that hooked us till the very end. The spin-off to Matt Reeves's 'The Batman' served us some darkest villains of Gotham as it delved deeper into their psyche and the lengths they are willing to go to for their ambition.
While Colin Farrell as Oz Cobb and Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone remained in the center of the narrative, other cast members too had a major role to play in the show's success. Be it Victor's tragic past and newfound loyalty towards Oz or Francis Cobb's pain of losing her two sons- every character served a purpose in pushing the narrative. However, 'The Penguin' failed to do justice to one character and it is Salvatore Maroni.
Salvatore Maroni deserved better portrayal in 'The Penguin'
Salvatore Maroni, played by Clancy Brown, was killed off in Episode 7 of 'The Penguin' and honestly, it left us with a hollow feeling. If you are familiar with Gotham's history, you would know that he isn't just a small-time mobster. He has been around since Batman’s early comic days, even making waves in the beloved 'The Long Halloween' storyline, where he scars Harvey Dent, setting the stage for Dent’s transformation into Two-Face.
For such a big player in Batman lore, the treatment of his character robbed the show of a richer connection to Gotham's iconic crime world. While Salvatore had a face-off with Oz, he suddenly suffered a heart attack and died. The way he dies doesn't leave a lasting impression as we expected more of a power struggle when we had someone of Maroni’s stature in the picture. 'The Penguin' treated his character like he was meant to be forgotten.
Clancy Brown could have offered more to 'The Penguin'
Clancy Brown, 65, is best known for villainous and authoritative roles. Having such a powerhouse actor and not using him enough is nothing but a shame. In whatever limited role he had in 'The Penguin', we loved him for bringing a rugged, gritty Maroni to life. But if only 'The Penguin' had tapped into Maroni’s legacy enough, it would have been pure joy to see Brown shine. It's a missed opportunity for the show, but the saga has ended and we can only look forward to what more Matt Reeves's 'Batman' franchise has in store for us.
'The Penguin' is available to stream on Max
