How does The Penguin end? Batman sequel explained
FANS of Batman have not be left disappointed by the spin-off show, The Penguin.
The explosive series has come to a disturbing end. Here we explain what happened and how it sets up The Batman: Part II.
WARNING: Contains spoilers from the season finale of The Penguin
The smash hit series follows Colin Farrell as crime lord Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot – aka The Penguin.
It kicked off on September 19, 2024, and marked the how he rose to power in Gotham.
The show is also set just one week after the events of 2022’s The Batman.
After many twists and turns, The Penguin came to a gruesome end on November 10, 2024.
The Penguin ending explained
By the end of the episode, Oz has successfully got to the top of Gotham’s criminal underworld.
To fans’ delight, he even was seen dressed in his signature top hat and suit.
It come after Oz emerged victorious from his conflict with his rivals Sofia and the Maronis.
The Penguin’s much-hated mother is also now in the hospital, in a vegetative state, much to his delight.
In the final scenes, Oz was seen sat with his accomplice Vic by the river where they discussed their victory in taking power of the city.
As the two of them talk, Vic made the mistake of confessing that he felt like the two were “family”.
This cost him his life, as Oz then brutally murdered him by strangling him to death.
In a further act of cruelty to Vic he was seen throwing his ID in the river and stealing his wallet.
Why Oz killed Vic
Oz took the murderous action because he sees love as sign of weakness, and Vic was showing him affection.
This is because he comes from a history of family hatred and murder.
Fans even saw in previous flashback how Oz left his brothers, Jack and Benny, to drown in the same underground tunnels where he and Vic set up their own operation.
So rather than become any closer to Vic, he decided the best option was to kill him.
Oz also wants to embrace the “monster” within – something the Penguin creator Lauren LeFranc talked about when she discussed why Oz killed Vic.
Speaking to Deadline: “It’s not because of anything Victor did wrong.”
“I think Oz, in that moment, really chose to kill his own heart and embrace the monster that he is.
“It is a terrible tragedy, and I’ve always viewed our show as a tragedy.”
The Batman: Part II
The show’s ending has been done in a way to set up The Batman: II, as the series is a prequel to the next movie.
As The Penguin came to a conclusion, with Oz thinking he was now the boss of Gotham, a shadow in the shape of the bat signal was seen projected into the skies.
This is to set up Matt Reeves’s next Batman installment, which is set for release in 2026.
Colin’s verdict on the ending
Actor Colin Farrell has also given his own verdict on the ending, and the brutal character he plays.
Speaking to Collider, the Irish star said: “I mean, part of me didn’t want to do it, you know? I knew that the general sentiment was that, by the end, they kind of wanted to, in a way, kill the Oz that we met in the film.
“I felt that there was a sense of creative responsibility that leaned towards, ‘We cannot have this man as a likable character.'”