When first we meet Oswald Cobb in Matt Reeves’ The Batman , he’s running a popular – albeit seedy – nightclub named The Iceberg Lounge. But it’s made clear almost immediately that Oz runs multiple rackets in Gotham, few (if any) being legal. He has dirt on almost everyone – something that is reflected in the first episode of the HBO original series The Penguin , as Oz is shown retrieving a folder of incriminating photos of Johnny Viti (Michael Kelly).
But there was a moment in the premiere episode of The Penguin that gave the creative team fits, as they knew it would go a long way toward establishing the type of person Oz Cobb is...
and the kind of show that The Penguin can be. Obviously, this will get into spoilers for Episode 1 of The Penguin , so go watch that first before you keep reading. The biggest moment in the series premiere, which will cast a shadow over the entire season, is Oz’s decision to shoot and kill Alberto Falcone (Michael Zegen), son of the late Carmine Falcone ( played by Mark Strong in the show ) who was murdered by The Riddler in The Batman .
For a moment, Alberto is the new boss, and Oz seems to be wrestling with a new plan to manipulate the kid. He gets him high on Drops, then shares an emotional story about Rex Calabrese, a gangster from Oz’s childhood whom he clearly admires. Only, Alberto makes the mistake of ridiculing Oz.
And the hot-tempered “soldier” does the unthinkable. He whacks the Boss. The Penguin director Craig Zobel.