We’re only past the premier of both Agatha All Along and The Penguin and already each show is learning from their franchise counterparts. The Penguin is shaping up to be a slow-burn crime thriller set amidst the backdrop of The Batmans Gotham City. Agatha All Along is a genre show that acts as a direct sequel to Wandavision and delves deeper into the MCU’s history of witches.

Both shows are poised to be must-watch television but the lessons they’ve learned from their respective franchises both hinder and elevate the respective series. Agatha All Along learns all the right lessons while The Penguin looks to tread old material in search of prestige TV.

How The Penguin Fits Into DC’s Universe

DC Comics films have been playing catch up with the MCU since day one. There have been several starts and stops with the franchise and different creative forces behind its future. This lack of a unifying vision has both helped and hurt DC films. What has resulted from this haphazard series is several films utilizing high-profile characters but sharing no continuity with the franchise at large.

This worked tremendously well with Todd Phillip’s Joker and again with Matt Reeves’s The Batman. The Penguin continues this trend, existing outside DC film continuity, but also shares a universe with The Batman film. Collin Farrel revises his role as Oswald Cobblepot and the series begins immediately after the events of The Batman. In theory, this is an idea that can work but the execution has fallen victim to the same old DC film problems.

Do It Again, But With Batman Villians

Joker is a standalone film that doesn’t exist in any film continuity, except the upcoming sequel. Joaquin Phoenix received praise for his role and the film was ultimately a massive success. It retained the title of highest-grossing R-rated film up until the MCU stole that title away this summer. Watching Joker is a surreally familiar experience for any cinema lover. The movie takes iconic characters from the DC Universe but sheds them in a different light. It makes them a little darker, a little broodier, and has them look a whole lot like a Martin Scorsese movie.

Joker plays so much like Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy that the film at times feels like a remake of each. There is nothing wrong with paying homage to other films. Quentin Tarantino has made an incredible career out of it. But Joker, despite its highs, falls short of living up to these classic films it’s so desperately trying to emulate. Joker is a good film but it feels totally unnecessary in the lineage of Super Hero flicks. We’ve seen so many iterations of the Joker that it’s become a bit tired. Todd Phillips has done his best to breath new life into the character but if early reviews are any indication, audiences are starting to feel Joker fatigue. The Penguin, instead of learning from these lessons, doubles down and makes a show that feels outrageously close to The Sopranoes. Even down to the overbearing mother.

Crime Drama on HBO

HBO almost singlehandedly revolutionized what audiences would come to expect from Television. Rather than the serialized monster of the week stories or sitcoms, HBO delivered something different. It wasn’t TV, it was HBO. And the success of their TV programming is due in no small part to the success of everyone’s favorite dysfunctional New Jersey crime family.

The Penguin in its first episode looks shockingly close to an episode of The Sopranos. Much in the same way The Batman looked shockingly close to a David Fincher flick from the 90s. Like Joker, this isn’t inherently bad, but it does make us question its existence. Why do we need a Sopranoes with Batman villains when we can just watch the incredibly well-aged show? On the same streaming service no less. The Penguin so far has failed to justify its existence with the exception of a career-best performance from Cristin Milioti. The Penguin still has an entire season to turn itself around, but I would have preferred a more novel approach. One that the MCU has done right and continues with Agatha All Along

The Witches of Westview

Agatha All Along picks up right after the MCU’s best serialized show Wandavision. The show even begins with Agatha being stuck in a TV show that mirrors the procedural crime drama Mare of Easttown. Agatha is pulled back to reality in the first episode, allowing the series to start in earnest. A fun witch-filled family-friendly horror TV series.

The MCU is at its best when it takes tried and true genre flicks and gives them the Marvel treatment. Films like Black Widow and Shang Chi are great entries because they tell well-worn stories with a fresh coat of paint. Black Widow is little more than a generic spy thriller but its brightly lit scenes and a goofy cast of well-known characters make it a fun watch. Shang Chi conversely is an epic kung fu movie done in the style and direction of a Marvel movie. None of these movies are highlights of the respective genres, but they are highlights of the MCU. When it’s done right it works surprisingly well. Agatha All Along seems prime to do just that. The cast is excellent and the entire vibe feels like a perfect annual Fall rewatch. This series is not trying to redefine television or copy and paste the classics that came before. Agatha All Along is trying to tell a Marvel story while paying homage to the genre. The Penguin is trying to tell a prestige story with Batman villains.

DC, Marvel, And TV

Marvel has quickly rolled out so many TV series that it’s almost impossible to keep up with the MCU. Super Hero fatigue has become real and poor-quality shows like Secret Invasion have only exasperated the fact. Agatha All Along justifies its existence by being not just another Marvel show, but a Marvel show that fits neatly in a specific genre. It’s a fun Marvel show that exists inside all the trappings of a fun Halloween series.

The DC slate of media still hasn’t found their footing and that may be the issue with The Penguin. With no real continuity, a franchise reboot, and multiple films and shows taking place outside of the franchise, there is no cohesion to DC properties. The Penguin may justify its existence in the end but for now, it’s just a Sopranos ripoff. One with a high budget and fun characters, but not one that competes with the greats.