Only 2 Episodes Of DC TV Have Ever Scored Higher Than The Penguin's Best One

Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for The Penguin episode 4.

The Penguin on HBO is popular with both reviewers and viewers. Originally created in The Batman, the series centers on a reinvented version of the same-named villain. The Penguin, who goes by Oz Cobb in this iteration, is attempting to consolidate and expand his control over Gotham's criminal underworld. The show is more of a crime series like The Sopranos than a superhero adaption. Rotten Tomatoes gives its episodes an average rating of 91% from viewers and 94% from critics. This pattern is maintained in Episode 4, which had the highest rating of the entire series.

The Penguin's most recent episode is actually one of the highest-rated live-action DC Comics television adaptations to date. The series has an excellent 9.5 rating on IMDB. It was only surpassed by Arrow season 5, episode 23, and The Flash season 1, episode 15, with scores that were only 0.1 higher. This indicates that, for comparison, the fourth episode of The Penguin is more well-received than episodes of Smallville, Watchmen, Peacemaker, Gotham, and other shows. Given the great reviews, it's critical to examine why viewers found the most recent episode of The Penguin so moving.

For good reason, The Penguin's fourth episode has the highest rating

The genesis of Sofia Falcone as a villain is told in The Penguin episode 4. Her complex past is shown through flashbacks. Young Sofia learns, with the assistance of a journalist, that her mother's death was caused by her father, Carmine Falcone, who is actually a serial killer who preys on women. Regretfully, Oz Cobb, her driver, betrays her to Carmine. The journalist is eliminated by the elder Falcone, who also accuses Sofia of killing him. She is taken to Arhkam after being deemed mentally unable to face trial, where she endures ten years of cruel abuse from both staff and other prisoners.

Tragically, the one family member who supported her was her brother Alberto, who was murdered by Oz earlier in the series. Sofia exacts retribution on her family in the second part of the show. Only Johnny Viti, an underboss she will probably need for tactical reasons, and her young cousin Gia are spared by Sofia. She eliminates the other members of the family by gassing them. Given that he is the one who imprisoned her, killed her brother, and is currently her biggest barrier to assuming control of the Falcone empire, Oz is definitely her next target.

Episode 4 is intriguing despite its unrelenting brutality. According to its IMDB ratings, The Penguin is at its best when Cristin Milioti plays Sofia. She is a formidable force on film.

The Two DC TV Episodes That Outperformed the Penguin

It's interesting that both of the episodes that rank higher than The Penguin originate from the wildly popular Arrowverse. Oliver Queen fights Adrian Chase in Arrow season 5, episode 23, in an attempt to save his son. The hero has to cooperate with enemies Deathstroke, Captain Boomerang, Nyssa Al Ghul, and Malcolm Merlyn during this process. It's a thrilling episode that effectively utilizes the series' past adversaries.

The Flash's highly acclaimed episode really originates from its first season, but the Arrow episode expands upon the framework the series established across multiple seasons. Although it advances the plot with revelations about the Reverse Flash and a bizarre fake-out death, episode adheres to the same freak-of-the-week structure as the rest of the season. Like episode 4 of The Penguin, both episodes are enhanced by the audience's connection with the performance.

Compared to the Arrowverse, the HBO series has a more darker and more violent tone. Nevertheless, some DC fans still adore the latter. These ratings might establish The Penguin's status as one of DC's most acclaimed television programs if it is already receiving such high praise at this early stage of its run.