Penguin Episode 5 Features Cameo From Unused Batman Character

This article contains Spoilers In the last episode of “Penguin”.

As “The Penguin” continues, the sense that showrunner Lauren LeFrank wants to differentiate her show from Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” becomes increasingly clear. That's not to say that the HBO series doesn't care at all about the broader universe Reeves established with his 2022 effort. After all, “The Penguin” episode 4 still made the biggest connection to “The Batman” . But while LeFrank ties Oz Cope's story to the events of the film, he wants to make sure the show stands apart not just from the film, but from the broader Batman story.

For one thing, the Easter eggs in “Penguin,” while numerous, are not as obvious as one might expect. When Cristian Miliotti's Sofia Falcone committed to Arkham Asylum in Episode 4, many fans were hoping to see some teasing of Batman's big villains, setting up a future showdown between them and Pattinson's vigilante in the next film. “Batman: Part II.” Instead, what we got was a deep DC villain in the form of Magpie (who didn't even make it out of the episode alive).

Stuff like this is meant to allow Lefranc to arbitrarily ground his character study of Colin Farrell's up-and-coming crime boss. The showrunner put it this way to SFX magazine: “I think Gotham is an interesting city and deserves more doors to be opened and for us to be able to walk through it and see what we think.” The most obvious representation of that spirit is the fact that Robert Pattinson's Batman never appeared in “The Penguin.” The show was rumored to feature that cameo.

All in all, LeFranc's series manages to strike a balance between sticking to Reeves' verse and not relying too much on it to justify its own existence. So far, it has worked well for the program. But fans of Reeves' film are sure to feel a surge of excitement as the series takes the time to remember that “The Penguin” is part of a larger whole. Now, the show has done so by bringing in a character from “The Batman” who wasn't used much in the movie but will hopefully play a bigger role in the future.

In episode 5 of “The Penguin,” we see the consequences of Sofia Falcone's plan to take control of the crime family headed by her father Carmine. After the Falcone mansion is gassed and nearly destroys her entire family, Sofia shows emotional devastation as the police pile up property, count bodies, and investigate what is presented as a freak accident. As part of the investigation, Gotham Police Chief Mackenzie Bogue (Conn O'Neill) visits the crime scene and questions Sophia about the death. He seems suspicious, which offends Sofia, who confronts him about the rampant corruption in the Gotham City Police Department and implies that Bog is taking bribes.

The entire conversation lasts only a few minutes and Bok is not seen again for the rest of the episode. But even though it's only a brief cameo from Conn O'Neill, it helps add to the sense that the events of “The Penguin” aren't happening in a vacuum and that the series is headed toward something bigger. Beyond that, if Matt Reeves chooses to go that route, it's nice to see the show using the O'Neal character, who has been used a lot in “The Batman.”

“The Batman” not only portrays boss Mackenzie Bock as corrupt, but also strongly opposes Robert Pattinson's Batman and his one-man fight against crime. In a tense scene following the death of District Attorney Gil Coulson (Peter Sarsgaard), Batman is taken to police headquarters, where he finds himself surrounded by Gotham's finest. Batman's actions indirectly lead to Coulson's death, and he asks Jeffrey Wright's Jim Gordon, “Are you protecting this guy, Jim?” Intervened in an active hostage situation. He has Coulson's blood on his hands,” Bach fumes.

This sets up an interesting dynamic between Gordon and Pock, whereby the former protects Batman from the police who are eager to end his crusade, but ends up at odds with the police chief as a result. Gordon felt that more could have been done, as Gordon had to constantly clash with his superiors to protect Pattinson's vigilante from arrest, and in that sense, Bogg was somewhat underutilized. Of course, Reeves is limited in what he can do in a movie, which is why “Penguin” seems like a worthwhile endeavor. The show explores elements of Gotham in more detail, like when “The Batman” episode 3 showed the true human cost of the Riddler's plan.

Simply put, even though “The Batman” is three hours long, Reeves can't explore all of the character dynamics, so it's nice to see “The Penguin” utilize this trend. We don't get to see the police chief, but it's good to know he's still a part of this world. Bock is definitely one of the characters we want to see more of in “The Batman Part II,” especially now that the tension between him and Jim Gordon reaches a fever pitch.

New episodes of “The Penguin” on Sundays on HBO and Max.