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Full spoilers follow for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power's first two seasons, up to – and including – season 2 episode 5.

The Rings of Power actor Owain Arthur has opened up on the incredibly personal memory he used to inform season 2's gut-wrenching scenes between his character Prince Durin and Peter Mullen's King Durin.

Speaking ahead of The Rings of Power season 2's launch on August 29, Arthur discussed the deeply private and moving story – one that, in his own words, he's "never shared before" – that super-charged emotional scenes between Khazad-dûm's ruler and his heir-apparent.

Sequences involving the pair have always been melodramatic, especially since they fell out in The Rings of Power season 1 episode 7 over the mining of Khazad-dûm's vast reserves of mithril. However, with the dwarven king and prince reconciling early on in the hit Prime Video show's second season, it seemed they'd repaired their relationship.

Initially, it seems King Durin's ring will solve Khazad-dûm's problems (Image credit: Prime Video)

Not so. Numerous problems, including the destruction of their sun shafts, have impacted the dwarven kingdom of Khazad-dûm since the highly-rated Amazon series returned. Understandably desperate for a solution, the dwarves – a suspicious Prince Durin notwithstanding – accepted Lord Celebrimbor and the mysterious Annatar's offer of help to prevent their realm falling into ruin. Cue the forging of seven of the titular rings for King Durin and his fellow dwarf lords.

Unfortunately, these rings are not like the elven ones that were crafted in The Rings of Power season 1 finale. As the series' creators told me prior to season 2's release, they're "more seductive and sinister"; a by-product of Annatar – the latest of Sauron's disguises – being more heavily involved in their creation.

Ahead of The Lord of the Rings prequel series' return, Princess Disa actor Sophia Nomvete also suggested "there has to be a cost" with the dwarven rings' creation – and "a cost" there most certainly is. Even though the dwarf lords' hard-headedness saves from being fully corrupted by Sauron's ring-based influence, the dark magic housed within has a manipulative effect on them. Indeed, it makes them greedy for gold and jewels, which is why we see King Durin become unexpectedly covetous for riches as season 2 episode 5, titled 'Halls of Stone', progresses.

The Rings for Dwarves are complete. Watch The Rings of Power Episode 5 now on Prime Video. pic.twitter.com/Z1J9EWmhGHSeptember 12, 2024

Knowing full well that his father has never been one for hoarding treasure, Prince Durin senses something has changed – and, clearly, not for the better. What fans have glimpsed in this season's fifth episode, especially in the gut-punching scene where Durin III deflects his son's concerns over the rings by officially reinstating him as the kingdom's heir to the throne, is the beginning of another downturn their father-son relationship. And, as Arthur exclusively told me, what happened during that sequence, as well as other emotionally impactful scenes to come in season 2's final three episodes, hit a little too close to home for him on a personally difficult level.

"King Durin is such a strong anchor for Khazad-dûm and his son, and he's always offering advice" Arthur said. "And, when he begins wearing the ring, there's a change in him. It's almost like he's got Alzheimer's [disease]. I've not said this to anyone before, but I've dealt with people who suffer from Alzheimer's and I couldn't escape that feeling of losing your father, even though he's right there in front of you.

"The ring is taking him away from Prince Durin and, though he tries, he can't tell his father, and his own king, not to wear the ring again, but it kills him inside to see his father changing before his eyes. So, that's the challenge that faces him and the big shift we see between them in season two."

Clearly, Annatar/Sauron has got a lot to answer for by driving yet another wedge between Durin III and Durin IV, but he's not drawn the most ire from viewers in The Rings of Power's latest episode. Indeed, in the wake of episode 5, fans have reacted with fury over events surrounding arguably season 2's slimiest individual. I won't spoil what's to come in one of the best Prime Video shows' final three installments, either, but rest assured: you're all in a much bleaker and explosive ride as season 2's endgame approaches.

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Whether you're looking for pilates, HIIT or weight training, our picks of the top workout YouTube channels will help you hit your fitness goals.

Water utilities across the country will have to comply with EPA limits on "forever chemicals" in drinking water by 2029. Orange County, Calif., got a head start.

(Image credit: Pien Huang)

Weinstein, 72, underwent emergency heart surgery Monday. The indictment will remain under seal until Weinstein's arraignment, which could happen as early as Sept. 18.

(Image credit: Julia Nikhinson)

New York's highest court on Thursday dismissed an appeal from former President Donald Trump to lift the remaining gag order in his hush money case.

(Image credit: Seth Wenig-Pool)

Here are the answers for the NYT Mini Crossword for Sept. 12.

I priced meal kits from three popular services; Blue Apron, HelloFresh and EveryPlate, against the cost of buying the same groceries to see which is the best value.

A US judge has overturned a moratorium that stopped gambling companies from letting people bet on election results.

More research has come to light confirming that VMware customers, unhappy with the Broadcom takeover, are looking to move elsewhere.

Analysis by cloud computing company Civo revealed that more than half (51.9%) of VMware customers are considering leaving the platform.

The news comes around 10 months after Broadcom acquired VMware in a deal worth $69 billion – a move that has left customers uncertain about changes to their licensing agreements and costs.

VMware customers still aren’t happy about the Broadcom takeover

Months of instability and drastic changes enacted by Broadcom have prompted customers to reevaluate their cloud strategies, with almost half (48.7%) actively exploring alternative providers.

Civo revealed growing interest in open-source alternatives to VMware. Customers are attracted to their simplicity and predictable pricing structures. In fact, the majority of those looking to move (44.9% of all respondents) are considering migrating to open-source alternatives.

However, these aren’t without their drawbacks – 28.6% are worried about security issues and 23.2% are apprehensive about the lack of support and service level agreements (SLA) that typically form part of a proprietary package.

Civo VP of Global Sales Henry Godwin commented: “We’ve heard from a lot of concerned VMware customers over the previous nine months. Ultimately, businesses want certainty. They cannot continue in a situation where prices are skyrocketing, without any parallel improvement in service.”

In the months that followed Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware, major changes were announced including the simplification of its portfolio and the termination of perpetual licenses.

Looking ahead, Godwin said that prospective open-source platforms should focus on delivering cost, security, support and service reliability in order to catch customers leaving VMware.

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It’s been a big week for Apple. The technology giant unveiled the iPhone 16 family – 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max – two pairs of AirPods, a brand new Apple Watch, and a fresh paint job for the Ultra 2. We’ve been unpacking, analyzing, and even going hands-on with everything Apple dropped at its special event titled “It’s Glowtime.”

In between going hands-on with the latest devices, Lance Ulanoff and I also took some time to visit the ultra-cool and ultra-sleek podcast studio within Apple Park. Two special guests joined us for the latest special edition of the TechRadar Podcast. 

Tech content creator and TikTok superstar Katarina Mogus and KTLA tech reporter and nationally syndicated radio host Rich DeMuro joined us for a wide-ranging discussion on all of Apple’s new devices. 

(Image credit: Future)

Do the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro offer enough changes for you to upgrade? Are we excited about the eventual rollout of Apple Intelligence, and are AirPods Pro 2 about to make hearing aids even more accessible?

We tackle all of this, plus the new Apple Watch Series 10 – and that gorgeous new display – and whether anything was missing from the special event that we were hoping to see. And considering both Katarina and Rich are experts at creating content, we got their respective takes on the all-new Camera Control button – though, is it a button?

You can watch the full podcast in video form below or click the links here to listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Of course, while you’re there, why not subscribe to hear future episodes?

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Trump has claimed that the only way he can lose on election day is if there’s voter fraud. New York Times reporter Nick Corasaniti explains the battle over the ballot box and post-election results.

The side-scrolling bird game, which is still a fixture in arcades, will be back soon in iOS.

FromSoftware has released a new update for Elden Ring which introduces a number of adjustments to Shadow of the Erdtree's final boss.

Promised Consort Radahn is generally considered to be the toughest foe in the expansion by players who have managed to come face-to-face with him, so some who have been having trouble with him will be glad to know that the final boss has now been considerably nerfed.

As detailed in the patch notes for version 1.14, FromSoftware has changed the action pattern of the boss when the battle first starts - which could mean he'll no longer dive headfirst towards you when you enter the arena - and some attack moves have also been adjusted, though it's not mentioned which ones.

Some of Radahn's attacks have also been reduced in damage and stamina, as well as the attack range of some non-weapon-based attacks, which could mean his phase three abilities, and the visibility of some attack effects have been improved.

Aside from the highlight of the patch, the update has also made adjustments to PvP equipment and skills, while a selection of base game equipment, incantations, and spells have received their usual tweaks.

Elden Ring - Version 1.14 Patch Notes:

Final Boss Adjustments

• Changed the action pattern when the battle starts
• Adjusted some attack moves
• Decreased the damage of some attacks
• Decreased stamina damage of some attacks
• Decreased the attack range of some non-weapon-based attacks
• Improved the visibility of some attack effects

PvP-exclusive balance adjustments

Equipment:

• Decreased the damage of Backhand Blades against other players (The Smithscript Cirque's throwing attacks are not affected by this change)
• Decreased the damage of Spears’ dual wield attacks against other players
• Decreased the damage of the Pata weapon against other players
• The “Spread Crossbow” weapon will no longer cause the headshot damage motion when hitting another player

Skill:

Scattershot Throw

• Decreased damage against other players
• This skill will no longer cause the headshot damage motion when hitting another player

Discus Hurl

• Decreased the damage animation value generated by this skill when hitting another player

Weed Cutter

• Decreased the poise value of follow-up attacks when using this skill against other players

General balance adjustments

Equipement:

• Increased the attack speed of the uncharged version of the first heavy attack for the following weapon types:
  Dagger / Throwing Blade / Straight Sword / Great Sword / Colossal Sword / Heavy Thrusting Sword / Curved Sword / Twinblade Sword / Katana / Great Katana / Axe / Flail / Great Spear(Except Serpent-Hunter) / Halberd / Reaper / Whip (Except Urumi) / Hand-to-Hand Arts / Beast Claw.
• After performing left handed attacks with weapons of the Great Katana category, cancelling into subsequent attacks using the right handed weapon will now take longer.

Hand-to-Hand Arts weapon type

• Increased damage
• Shortened the recovery time between some normal attacks and follow-up attacks

Colossal Sword weapon type

• Increased the move distance when attacking
• Increased the speed of the first normal attack

Backhand Blade weapon type

• Decreased the attack speed of normal attacks from a crouching position

Small Shield and Medium Shield weapon types

• Increased the damage negation of some shields when blocking physical attacks
• Increased the guard strength of some shields

• It will now take longer to be able to cancel into most actions after performing one-handed normal attacks with the Swift Spear.
• Extended the Smithscript Dagger’s throwing attacks range.
• Increased the attribute scaling of Rellana's Twinblade for lower Intelligence and Faith attributes.

Rellana’s Cameo Talisman

• Reduced the delay before the damage enhancement activates
• Increased damage enhancement

Weapon Arts

Light

• Increased attack speed

Darkness

• Increased attack speed

Dynastic Sickleplay

• Reduced stamina consumption
• Increased poise damage of follow-up heavy attacks
• Increased the movement distance of the first follow-up heavy attack
• Adjusted the damage animation recovery time when the second follow-up heavy attack hits another player

Shield Strike

• Cancelling other actions to perform this weapon art will now take longer

Moon-and-Fire Stance

• Increased the light wave range, poise damage, and attack speed of the stance’s normal attack
• Increased the poise damage from the stance’s heavy attack
• Adjusted the damage animation recovery time when a stance’s heavy attack hits another player

Devonia's Vortex

• Increased attack power
• Extended the attack range of the Great Hammer’s spin
• Increased poise value and poise generation speed
• Adjusted the damage animation recovery time when a charged attack hits another player

Spell

Rellana's Twin Moons

• Increased attack range for the first and second attacks
• Reduced the knockback distance of the second attack

Incantation

Aspects of the Crucible: Thorns

• Increased attack power
• Increased attack power, stamina attack power against guarding enemies
• The close-range hitbox now follows the movement of the player

Aspects of the Crucible: Bloom

• Increased attack speed, increased size of the hitbox
• Shortened recovery time between using this incantation and follow-up actions

Divine Bird Feathers

• Decreased the minimum delay between consecutive hits
• Increased range

Furious Blade of Ansbach

• Cancelling this incantation into rolls will now take less time
• Increased poise damage
• Increased enemy knockback distance

Midra's Flame of Frenzy

• Increased attack speed
• Increased Frenzy status buildup range against enemies
• Decreased Frenzy status buildup when using this skill

Bayle's Flame Lightning

• Increased attack power

Bug Fixes

• Black Pyreflies items will now correctly reappear when resting at a site of grace.
• Fixed a bug where performing a Light Greatsword heavy attack while jumping did not consume stamina.
• Fixed a bug where unintended Weapon Skills could be used when equipping the Ballista in the left hand.
• Fixed a bug that caused critical hit damage dealt to Taylew the Golem Smith when using certain weapons the be lower than intended.
• Fixed a bug that prevented the player from acquiring runes when an enemy was killed while holding a shield.
• Fixed a bug where casting the Inescapable Frenzy Incantation using the Staff of the Great Beyond would cause its hitbox to be generated incorrectly.
• Fixed a bug where whiffed backstabs with the Pata weapon had a smaller fist hitbox that intended.
• Fixed a bug where some attacks of the Lizard Greatsword weren’t registered as strike attacks.
• Fixed a bug where Euporia could increase the attack power of other weapons when its luster is restored.
• Fixed a bug where the restored luster effect of Euporia was sometimes displayed on different weapons.
• Fixed a bug where the power of some Weapon Skills of a right-handed Falx changed depending on the level of the weapon equipped in the left hand.
• Fixed a bug where the enchantment effects of certain skills were being applied to some attacks that did not use weapons.
• Fixed a bug that could cause incorrect player motions to be performed when using lock-on for the following Skills.
• Wild Strikes / Spinning Strikes / Unending Dance
• Fixed a bug that caused the Rolling Sparks Skill to go through some terrain.
• Fixed a bug where the Blades of Stone Spell did not hit targets at a different height level correctly.
• Fixed a bug where some attacks of the Bayle’s Tyranny Incantation did not hit multiple enemies.
• Fixed a bug that caused the attack of the Bayle’s Tyranny Incantation to go through certain terrain.
• Fixed a bug where Godfrey’s Icon Talisman did not apply to some Skills, Spells, and Incantations.
• Fixed a bug that prevented the player from becoming translucent when the Crepus’ Vial Talisman is equipped and the Unseen Form Spell is used.
• Fixed a bug where the hitboxes of some attacks of Rellana, Twin Moon Knight were different than intended.
• Fixed a bug where the “Leave” option could not be selected in the inventory menu for some equipment.
• Fixed a bug that made some Site of Graces difficult to touch under certain circumstances.
• Fixed a bug in some areas where the invasion spawn-in position was different than intended.
• Fixed a bug where the displayed name of certain areas was different than intended.
• Fixed a bug in which, under certain circumstances, the combat state was not released after defeating an invading NPC.
• Fixed a bug that prevented some effects from being displayed correctly.
• Fixed a bug where the Watchful Spirit Incantation’s attacks were sometimes invisible to other players in multiplayer.
• Fixed a bug where the effects of some tools and incantations were not correctly applied when trying to deflect or cancel.
• Several performance improvements and other bug fixes
• Corrected a descriptive error in the game’s credit that was incorrectly added in patch 1.12

Possible unstable performance fixes

• For the PS5 version of the game, unstable framerate may be improved by using the "Rebuild Database" option from the device’s safe mode. 
• In some PC versions, Ray Tracing may be unintentionally enabled and cause unstable performance. Please check the Ray Tracing setting in the "System" > "Graphics " > "Ray Tracing Quality" from the title screen or in-game menu.
• In the PC version, the message "Inappropriate activity detected" may appear without cheating. To fix this issue, please verify the integrity of the game's files before restarting the game.
• In the PC version, unstable framerate may be caused by third party applications that control mouse behavior.  Deactivating these third party applications may improve performance.

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You can't always get what you want, but with prices starting at just $40 / £35, you can probably afford at least one of The Rolling Stones' new Bluetooth speakers. 

Dartford's finest just announced a collaboration between their own fashion and lifestyle brand, RS No.9, and Californian audio brand Speaqua, to unveil a range of five bijou Bluetooth speakers. And there's no need to paint them black, as that would cover up the iconic tongue and lips logo on the front of the two different designs; The Cruiser ($40 / £35) and The Barnacle (from $75 / £60).  

The Cruiser design is the perfect pocket size for midnight ramblers, and even includes a bottle opener when in need of a cold drink – like mother's little helper. 

Can't you hear me knocking? Not with this speaker… 

(Image credit: RS No. 9 / Speaqua)

Start them up and these smaller speakers promise to give you satisfaction for five hours using their dual speaker pairing system. There's also a leash attachment to link to a backpack, belt loop or tent, because you don't want to mess it up. The Cruiser comes in white, red and a checker graphic.  

The larger Barnacle design in 'Vibe' and 'Pro' comes with a GoPro mount, a built-in carabiner clip, and even suction cup. It can also store 2,000 songs, has an eight-hour battery life and is waterproof, so even if your outdoor gathering starts screaming 'Gimme shelter', your speaker will keep bringing sweet sounds of heaven. 

A quick summary of the models? Sure, time is on my side, after all. The largest Barnacle Vibe is $105 / £90 (sadly they aren't available in Australia at present), the Barnacle Pro is $75 / £60 and the smallest Cruiser is just $40 / £35.

Might they be joining the beggars banquet that is our best Bluetooth speakers roundup soon? We'll get the steel wheels in motion. My advice? Don't be waiting on a friend to buy you one… 

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The Nevada state employment department has revealed it will be utilizing Artificial Intelligence to help speed up its unemployment appeals process by analyzing transcripts from appeal hearings and issuing a recommendation decision.

The department reported it has been ‘buried’ in a backlog of claims since the start of the pandemic, and is desperately looking for ways to get back on track.

It has also confirmed it will not be training a new generative AI model for the system, but will instead use Google’s Vertex AI studio, which will reportedly cut the review process from hours down to just five minutes - in spite of new research which suggests AI models in general are worse than humans in ‘every way’ at summarizing documents, and often create additional work for workers.

Clearing the backlog

Experts have warned against the approach, not just because Large Language Models don’t understand text or reason logically and within a context the way that humans can, but also because it may not save the department much time.

"If someone is reviewing something thoroughly and properly, they’re really not saving that much time," noted Morgan Shah, Director of Community engagement for Nevada Legal Services. "At what point are you creating an environment where people are sort of being encouraged to take a shortcut?”

A lack of accuracy in the model concerns Nevada Legal Services lawyers, who cite AI ‘hallucinations’ as a worry, which is an industry term used to describe when an AI model produces factually incorrect or misleading responses.

Any AI decision will also be double checked and reviewed by a human referee before it is handed out - but if the human referee makes a decision based on the AI hallucination, a court may not be able to overturn the decision.

The infamous IBM quote springs to mind, ‘a computer can never be held accountable, therefore must never make a management decision’. Research has shown many of us are still very wary about AI, especially in high-risk products (like medical diagnoses and automated vehicles). The success of this experiment could have an impact on a wide range of government departments going forward.

Via Gizmodo

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Full spoilers follow for The Batman. Mild spoilers also follow for The Penguin.

I adored The Batman but, whether it was its near-three-hour runtime, the fact that the legendary vigilante received another big-screen reboot, or some other reason, I can understand why some people didn't. Still, as my review of The Batman and its high ratings on Rotten Tomatoes suggest, it had many great things, including numerous scene-stealing turns from Colin Farrell as Oz Cobb/The Penguin, going for it.

When The Penguin, a TV spin-off centered on Farrell's morally complicated and manipulative antagonist, was announced, then, I was excited albeit apprehensive. Crowd-pleasing as Cobb was in The Batman, aka one of the best Batman movies, his total screen time was a miserly eight minutes. Could this unhinged yet charismatic lowlife really make the step up from minor villain to full-blown protagonist and hold down an eight-part miniseries?

The answer is yes. Admittedly, I've only seen The Penguin's first two episodes but, if the other six are as absorbingly chaotic as its initial entries, HBO has another unmissable TV hit on its hands.

Hatching a plan

The Penguin's story begins one week after the events of The Batman (Image credit: Macall Polay/Max)

Beginning one week after The Batman's ending, which saw much of Gotham flooded as part of The Riddler's seawall-destroying plan to expose the city's level of corruption, The Penguin finds its lawless underworld in disarray. The death of crime kingpin Carmine Falcone has created a power vacuum in Gotham's underbelly and a full-blown gang war between the city's various crime syndicates is inevitable.

For the weaselly and calculating Cobb (Farrell), the demise of the Falcone family's patriarch is particularly advantageous. Not only does it present him with the opportunity to worm his way up the career ladder – he was one of the Falcone family's most loyal servants until Carmine's death, after all – but, once near the summit, potentially assume control and become Gotham's new, undisputed crime boss.

The Penguin's first pair of episodes have only scratched the surface of this multidimensional individual

Doing so won't be easy, however, especially with Carmine's children – the alcohol-dependent, impetuous Alberto (Michael Zegen) and cold-blooded, psychotic Sofia (Cristin Milioti) – expected to replace their father. The vindictive Cobb, then, will have to employ every ounce of his cunning to achieve his goal as he embarks on the criminal warpath.

And, thanks to Farrell's scintillating return as Cobb, scheming and revenge-fuelled he most certainly is. I'm not being hyperbolic when I say Farrell delivers one of the finest TV performances of the year as Cobb, either. The Irish actor's powerhouse display builds on his all-too-brief showing in The Batman to anchor The Penguin with an Emmy-worthy, character-driven act.

The Penguin slowly teases out the backstories of its main cast, including Sofia Falcone (pictured) (Image credit: HBO)

The emotional intensity that Farrell imbues Cobb with is nothing short of terrific. Indeed, the unpredictability that Farrell weaves through his take on the famous Batman villain means you don't know which version of Cobb you're going to get. Farrell's ability to switch between Cobb's brutish, brooding, callous, darkly comedic, and wily personas from scene to scene – and even within the same scene – with immeasurable ease speaks to the Oscar-nominated star's natural talents and full commitment to a role that, as he told me during a chat about The Penguin's story beats and runtime, he was "excited" to sink his teeth into.

Farrell delivers one of the finest TV performances of the year

Speaking of "natural talents", Cobb has an intrinsic ability to talk anyone's ear off. Sure, there are rare occasions where The Penguin's lead character sits pensively to plot his next move, or stews in anger over a recent development, such as the bombshell revelation that his 'drophead' drugs operation is being shut down. A serial talker by trade, though, Cobb regularly floods the air with wisecracks, bizarre rants, and rhetorical conversational beats that provide a riveting insight into the inner workings of this tragic villain.

Oz Cobb (right) uses his cunning to make Salvatore Maroni (left) and his family go to war with the Falcones (Image credit: Max)

Such a skill helps, of course, when you're trying to play Gotham's two biggest crime syndicates – the aforementioned Falcones and their arch-rivals in the Maroni crime cartel – against one another. It's a perilous plan, not least because of his contrasting loyalties to each family, and when his plans are hindered by unforeseen events or fail entirely, the metaphorical noose slowly and continually tightens around Cobb's neck with each passing moment. But, ever the quick-thinking, clever, and crafty guy, he performs a Houdini-like escape that allows him to fight another day. I feel like The Penguin's first pair of episodes have only scratched the surface of this multidimensional individual, and I can't wait to learn more about him.

Family feuds

Victor Aguilar becomes Oz Cobb's hired goon after an unfortunate run-in with the Gotham gangster (Image credit: HBO)

And learn more I will, not least through Cobb's tense interactions with The Penguin's roster of compelling and equally morally complex supporting characters.

Chief among those individuals is Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Felix), a young criminal who reluctantly becomes Cobb's main lackey after an ill-fated run-in with The Iceberg Lounge's owner. A dynamic filled with tense drama and awkward humor, the felonious mentor-student partnership – if it can be labeled as such, given the verbal and psychological abuse Cobb occasionally inflicts on Aguilar – that develops is surprisingly potent and occasionally endearing in its makeup. Farrell and Felix are a wild but likable double act whenever they share the screen, and Aguilar's positioning as the audience's point-of-view character, particularly in episode one, lends itself well to contextualizing Cobb's motivations, fears, and trauma that inform the toxic yet ambitious survivalist he's become.

Cobb and Sofia's dynamic... drives The Penguin's melodramatic and blood-soaked story

There are other relationships that are ripe for exploration – and may take on greater prominence in later episodes – that tentatively provide glimpses into different aspects of Cobb's life. Interactions with Eve Karlo (Carmen Ejogo), Cobb's escort lover, have a sultry yet slightly dishonest quality, while the close bond Cobb shares with his mentally ill mom Francis (Deidre O'Connell) is simultaneously saccharine and incendiary.

Francis Cobb keeps Oz focused on his plan to become Gotham's new criminal kingpin (Image credit: HBO)

However, it's the twisty-turny nature of Cobb and Sofia's dynamic that drives The Penguin's melodramatic and blood-soaked story. Initially, given her understated introduction midway through its premiere, I expected Milioti's Sofia to lurk in the shadows for a while before taking on a greater role as the plot progressed.

I'm glad that wasn't the case. From the moment she takes Cobb out to dinner for a seemingly innocent catch-up, Milioti's Sofia is an unsettling presence whose mild-mannered exterior conceals her animalistic and ultraviolent tendencies. The discomforting and ice-cold aura she exudes, coupled with her mental instability, makes Sofia an incredibly dangerous individual that even Cobb has to walk on eggshells around. Indeed, sequences built around the pair play out with nail-biting brilliance that gives the untamed dynamic of The Penguin's Machiavellian-inspired leads plenty of room to shine amid the criminal underworld's wider power struggle, and their own inter- and intrapersonal issues. 

Sofia Falcone and Oz Cobb's relationship tos and fros throughout The Penguin (Image credit: Max)

The most absorbing aspect I noticed about this relationship is how much it shifted in the two episodes I've seen. From close associates to adversaries, and then frenemies with a common goal when Sofia is effectively displaced within the male-dominated Falcone crime family, there's a real Killing Eve and True Detective season 1 tonality to their bond. I fully expect the paradigm to change time and again, too, but it's nonetheless intriguing to see the duo ally themselves with the other – and likely use each other for their own nefarious means – as they aspire to become Gotham's new crime lord.

Fresh, yet faithful

Colin Farrell's transformation into Oz Cobb is nothing short of spectacular (Image credit: HBO)

Shocking no one, there's also a clear synergistic energy between The Penguin's gritty, downtrodden-flavored aesthetic and vibe and that of The Batman. Considering both projects exist in Matt Reeves' Bat-Verse – now known as The Batman Epic Crime Saga – that's to be expected, as is the big-budget, cinematic, prestige television feel that many HBO shows carry these days. Oh, and there's the odd intriguing reference to wider Batman lore that long-time fans of the Dark Knight should keep their eyes out for because, trust me, there are a couple mentioned in The Penguin that may set up some tantalizing things to come in The Batman Part II and beyond.

The Penguin is another crime epic home run for HBO

What I wasn't anticipating was how hard The Penguin goes in the violence stakes. The Batman wasn't a wholly family-friendly flick, in fact – the Tim Burton-directed Batman movies aside (read more about them in our Batman movies in order guide) – I'd argue The Batman is the iconic DC superhero's least kid-friendly movie due to its adult-leaning material, and stark commentary of societal oppression and marginalization. Even so, it toed the line of what passes for a PG-13 film, so I was pleased to see that The Penguin didn't overlook the more vicious elements of the Batman universe alongside its bleak overtures.

If I had one complaint about this TV spin-off – and it's an incredibly minor one – it's that The Penguin's first two episodes feel a little long. Yes, it's an HBO drama production, so episodic runtimes exceeding 50 minutes are par for the course. But, while I'm not asking for the bizarrely inconsistent nature of Marvel TV shows that air on Disney Plus, there were a couple of instances where I thought it was unnecessary for certain subplots to be dragged out. Let's see if I still hold that opinion further down the line.

My verdict

Bound by its morally complicated and love-to-hate characters, engaging and thematically dense plot, and equally fresh and faithful take on the Batman franchise, The Penguin is another crime epic home run for HBO. Its engrossing deconstruction of what it means to be a villain – one viewed through the prism of the seduction of power and opportunism – means, even just two episodes in, I already believe that it deserves to sit alongside The Sopranos, True Detective, The Wire, and more in the studio's crime drama pantheon.

I picked out The Penguin as one of 14 shows I'm excited for in late 2024 and, after seeing what it has to offer, I feel justified in doing so. With many powderkeg revelations to come amid its overarching cat-and-mouse narrative that's sure to contain reams of interfamilial discord, I simply can't wait to immerse myself in the rest of Oz Cobb's story. It'll have plenty of competition on the TV front around its launch date – Marvel's Agatha All Along and Netflix's Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story to name just two – but don't be surprised if The Penguin is eventually labeled one of the best Max shows of all-time.

The Penguin launches on HBO and Max (US) on Thursday, September 19. It'll debut on Sky and Now TV (UK), plus Binge (Australia), on Friday, September 20.

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(Image credit: John Locher)