It makes me kind of sad that there's no episode 9 of The Penguin, HBO's undeniable best new show, with episode 8 wrapping the first season – and which you can still catch on Max in the US and Sky/Now in the UK. The networks have had a great year – and the 2025 HBO showreel looks like a sizzler, too.
But I loved each and every one of The Penguin's 'limited series' run – and I'm certainly not the only one. Indeed, the show has achieved the rare accomplishment of every single episode scoring 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. It's critically acclaimed right across the board.
That's no surprise, though, with masterclass showings from Colin Farrell as the titular character, and Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone, a superbly pitched villain in the making. I won't throw in any spoilers, as other cast members have been stellar too – as you can see in snippets of their performances in the episode 8 trailer, above.
Before I watched the season finale, I was pondering why no season 2 of The Penguin had been announced. The answer is likely complicated, as director Matt Reeves is working on his next Batman movie project, The Batman: Part II – in which Oswald Cobb, AKA Penguin, will also appear as a bit-part.
Problem is – if it's fair to call it that – Farrell's character is now so complete and so fully feathered, that getting the balance right for both Reeve's next movie and the trajectory into a would-be season 2 of The Penguin is going to require a skilful touch.
I've no doubt it can be done, though, but it's likely going to take a very long time – rumour has it that The Penguin season 2 wouldn't happen until 2027, as Reeve's The Batman: Part II – in which Robert Pattinson reprises his role as The Dark Knight – isn't set to release until October of 2026. It's not even begun shooting just yet.
With release cadence typically being annual for series – which helps keep viewers connected with the characters and storylines – that seems like an unfortunate hiatus for Oswald Cobb in HBO's hugely successful format.
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The best streaming services certainly have enough to keep us entertained in the meantime, I just hope some season 2 clarity arrives sooner rather than later. Because The Penguin is a rare masterclass that everyone should see – Batman fan or otherwise – and its rare Rotten Tomatoes feat is only further proof of that.
Mike is T3's Tech Editor. He's been writing about consumer technology for 15 years and his beat covers phones – of which he's seen hundreds of handsets over the years – laptops, gaming, TV & audio, and more. There's little consumer tech he's not had a hand at trying, and with extensive commissioning and editing experience, he knows the industry inside out. As the former Reviews Editor at Pocket-lint for 10 years where he furthered his knowledge and expertise, whilst writing about literally thousands of products, he's also provided work for publications such as Wired, The Guardian, Metro, and more.
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