The Best Quotes from The Penguin Premiere on HBO Max

Last night, HBO’s original series The Penguin premiered on Max. The Penguin stars a nearly unrecognizable Colin Farrell as the eponymous protagonist, reprising his role from The Batman (2022) directed by Matt Reeves. It’s a seriously solid season premiere. The tone and pacing are consistent with The Batman while also bringing something refreshing and modern to the DC dining table.

Ultimately, episode 1, titled “After Hours,” delivers on the comedic relief of a comic-based story without sacrificing the tension necessary for its crime drama genre. A lot of that is achieved through witty and well-written dialogue. Below, let’s look at 8 of the best quotes from The Penguin premiere.

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“Hey, Alberto, you’re here. Good. Saves me a trip.” – Oz

Oh, that was slick. After he was caught stealing Falcone family jewels by Alberto Falcone, Oz pivoted like a professional. He handed the jewels over without a fight and explained that he was grabbing them for safe keeping. The funny interaction was more than that, though. It illustrated how expertly Oz could talk his way out of a bad situation.

Plus, it highlighted the relationship he has with the Family. They’re all playing each other as they make a power grab. But the Falcones will always underestimate Oz as a petty thief when he is so, so much more.

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“Can you imagine? To be remembered like that?” – Oz

Legacy will definitely be a prevailing theme in The Penguin. This quote re-contextualized what kind of legacy Oz wants to leave. Before The Penguin, most fans assumed all Oz wanted was power and prestige, a purple car and a posh home. His monologue about a small time gangster revealed a deeper desire.

Oz yearns to be revered for helping people. He wants a community that feels like family. We’re intrigued to see how much blood he has to spill in the remaining seven episodes to create those bonds, though.

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“So what, a normal amount of pickles is one?” – Oz

The Penguin was not one-dimensional in The Batman, not by far. However, since he was neither the main villain nor the hero, we didn’t get to see all of his personality shine through. Oswald Cobb, as it turns out, is very serious about his slushies and sandwiches. While burning evidence of murdering Alberto Falcone, Oz complained about the deli skimping on his pickles.

The entire moment felt absurd in the best possible way. And for Oz, it was just another annoyance to pile onto Penguin’s no-good, horrible, very bad evening.

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“I got ambition.” – Vic

We loved to see Vic standing up for himself. Terrified out of his mind, Vic’s first impression of Oz was that of a weak coward. But Vic quickly proved himself by talking his way out of his own murder. Recalling an earlier conversation with the gangster, Vic pleaded that he had ambition. Then, he offered his services in exchange for his life.

Now, we didn’t expect a “gruff dad and adopted teen” dynamic in The Penguin. But we definitely aren’t complaining. Clearly, Oz is geared up to teach Vic the ropes. Vic is ready and able to learn, eager to put himself on a new, more lucrative path. Let’s see where such big thinking takes him.

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“Scan the code. See Gotham’s true face.” – Riddler Fanatic

Some television series hide QR codes and sneak in extra content. The Penguin put it right in our face. Dressed like The Riddler, a young masked man on the subway encouraged riders to scan a QR code with a familiar question mark in the center. Oz didn’t take the offer. But if you scan it, it takes you to gothamstrueface.com.

That website immediately redirects to rataalada.com, which for years has only read “<Goodbye.>” Now, the homepage gives some in-world details of what to expect from The Penguin premiere. We’re excited to see if it updates again next week.

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“Daddy is dead. And we are … untamed.” – Sofia Falcone

Undoubtedly, Cristin Milioti’s performance as Sofia Falcone stole the show. She was eerie, striking an awe-inspiring balance between controlled, calculating, and chaotic. We could all see the storm raging behind her eyes as she appraised her ally/enemy, Oswald Cobb.

Most importantly, she does not play a psychopathic killer without any emotion — indeed, the way she repressed her emotions contributed to her unsettling presence. And when she toasted to being untamed, we all felt the fear. After all, a villain without her ties to humanity and sanity (her father and brother) certainly spells danger.

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“You say a word to anybody…” – Oz

“You’ll gut me like a fish.” – Vic

Aw, we love father-figure and kidnapped-ward bonding. It’s just like the Bat-Family, right? Just kidding! In any case, this moment was actually pretty sweet. It followed Vic’s discovery that Oz likes to listen to Dolly Parton when he’s off the clock.

It’s also a callback to an earlier interaction when Oz’s threat felt … well, more threatening. Now it’s clear that the words are a bit of a reflex. Vic parrying them back shows both how he’s already grown up and grown closer to The Penguin.

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“That’s what you wanted, right? To have my reputation precede me?” – Sofia Falcone

The Hangman was unleashed in the final riveting moments of the first episode. After the Family captured him, Oz awoke disoriented and debased. Sofia Falcone stripped him and tortured him in an attempt to locate her brother Alberto. Then, she killed a teenager in cold blood while blaming Oz for the kid’s death. In a few brief moments, we got a full taste of the woman who was incarcerated at Arkham.

Her quote is also a bit of a meta nod to the audience, as well. Without her identity being a secret, what should we expect from The Hangman in The Penguin? As it turns out, we should expect all that … but we have a sneaking suspicion that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

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