In a post on ScreenCraft, Jo Light identifies three writing lessons from the first episode of HBO’s The Penguin. A comic-book Sopranos, the show picks up the character’s story immediately after the events of The Batman, from which it spins off. Light shares three stand-out elements:
- The pacing. Because the story launches from events in The Batman, the first episode beings in medias res, with Oz Cobb entering the Iceberg Lounge, a bar owned by a former crime boss. What happens next ignites the episode, as well as the season’s story arc. “Each scene leads into the next at a fast clip, giving us just enough information to keep us engaged,” Light writes. “There are no unnecessary arrivals or set-ups, and beats do not go on longer than they need to.”
- Characterization. The opening scene serves as the inciting incident, but also sets up Oz as a empathetic protagonist, even though he’s a villain. The writers use dialogue to share a moment of backstory that reveals both Oz’s motivation and his goal, as well as how he views his own potential.
- Theme. The script examines crime as opportunity for desperate characters, the perception of wealth, and family. “Whether it be the pains of mommy issues or the danger of the draw of wealth, remember to have a theme built into the foundation of your story,” Light says. “It’s what will lend weight to your screenplay and give audiences something deeper to connect to.”
