In Matt Reeves’ Batman saga, the first character to get a young sidekick is not Bruce Wayne/Batman (played by Robert Pattinson), but Oswald “Oz” Cobb (played by Colin Farrell), known as The Penguin.
In the first episode of Oz’s HBO spin-off series, he meets Victor “Vic” Aguilar (played by Rhenzy Feliz), a desperate teenager who turns to crime to survive.
Oz takes Vic under his wing as an apprentice of sorts. Although Vic helps Oz carry out his plans against the Falcone and Maroni crime families, the way Vic is introduced gives a gloomy hint about his future. This introduction also pays tribute to one of Batman’s most famous partners from DC Comics.
Vic’s Introduction Reflects Jason Todd’s Story
In the first episode of The Penguin, after impulsively killing Alberto Falcone (played by Michael Zegen), Oz is in a hurry to get rid of the body. He comes across a group of teenagers trying to steal the tires from his flashy sports car. Oz starts shooting wildly at the kids and, although he hits his own car, he catches Vic.
Oz takes Vic’s ID to blackmail him into helping cover up the murder. After they finish, Oz prepares to kill Vic. While begging for his life, Vic tells Oz that he has ambition and promises to assist him in climbing the Gotham City crime world if he spares him.
Oz seems impressed by Vic’s determination and agrees, but he warns Vic that he will still kill him if he is not satisfied with Vic’s work.
This robbery scene and their conversation create a chilling connection to Jason Todd, the second character to become Batman’s sidekick, Robin, in the main DC Universe. This link has dark implications for Vic’s future.
Jason Todd’s Origin Story
Created by Gerry Conway and Don Newton, Jason Todd first appeared in Batman #357 in 1983. He was initially portrayed similarly to the original Robin, Richard “Dick” Grayson, as the orphaned son of murdered circus performers.
This similarity helped maintain the familiar themes of Batman and Robin stories, even as Dick became more mature through his role in The New Teen Titans. After the original Crisis on Infinite Earths event rebooted the main DC comics continuity, Jason was redesigned as a more unique character.
Still from The Penguin (Credit: HBO)
This version of Jason is also an orphan, but he is a street kid whom Bruce first meets while Jason is trying to steal tires (sometimes just the hubcaps) from the Batmobile. This theft happens in Crime Alley, where Bruce’s parents were killed years earlier.
Bruce initially sends Jason to a school for troubled youths, only to later find out that the school is a cover for criminal activity. After Jason helps Bruce shut it down, Bruce decides to take Jason in and begins training him to be the new Robin. Many later versions of Jason Todd use parts of this origin story.
Jason’s Dark Path and the Iconic Storyline
Jason’s background gives him a personality that is quite different from Dick’s. Even though he deals with many tragedies, Dick is usually seen as optimistic and upbeat. He brings much-needed hope and light into Bruce’s life and crime-fighting.
Bruce and Jason share a close father/son relationship, but Jason has a more troubled character than either Bruce or Dick. As Robin, Jason is both ruthless and reckless. He often ignores Bruce’s orders and uses extreme force against criminals, even breaking the Bat Family’s well-known no-kill rule at least once.
These qualities make Jason an interesting character, but when he was first introduced as Robin, many readers disliked him. This led to the famous storyline “A Death in the Family,” where the Joker brutally attacks Jason and leaves him for dead in a warehouse that is set to explode.
After this shocking cliffhanger, readers were given the chance to vote on whether Jason should live or die. The option to kill him received more votes (though the legitimacy of the vote has been questioned), and Jason dies, making A Death in the Family a key story in both Batman’s and comic book history.
After appearing in stories through dreams and time travel, Jason returns to the main DC Universe in the “Under the Hood” story arc, where he becomes the anti-hero known as the Red Hood nearly twenty years later.
The Penguin’s Ominous Links to Jason
Vic’s group trying to steal Oz’s tires is the most direct reference to Jason, but the connection continues when Oz decides to spare Vic’s life. While threatening Vic, Oz holds a crowbar he used to open the trunk of another car to hide Alberto’s body.
In A Death in the Family, the Joker famously uses a crowbar to attack Jason before locking him in the warehouse. Those images are among DC’s most iconic and terrifying. After becoming the Red Hood, Jason uses the same weapon against the Joker and often includes a crowbar in his crime-fighting tools to regain control over his traumatic past.
Still from The Penguin (Credit: HBO)
Oz’s use of the crowbar is practical for the scene, but when seen alongside the attempted tire theft, it seems like a deliberate attempt to connect Vic’s character with Jason’s.
This link suggests that Vic might face a tragic end by the season’s conclusion, with Oz likely following through on his threats, regardless of any feelings he may develop for Vic.
The relationship between Oz and Vic shows that the idea of a teenage sidekick can fit even in the dark Gotham created by Reeves and his team. This means that Pattinson’s Bruce might take on one or more comic book partners, but they would likely have to be darker characters like Jason rather than lighter ones like Dick.
The first episode of The Penguin is now available to stream on Max. New episodes are released every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.
As the first Golden Bachelor, all attention was on Gerry Turner as he searched for love on this special edition of The Bachelor for senior citizens. The show began in September 2023, and from the start, Turner seemed like the ideal gentleman.
Fans adored the 72-year-old retired restaurant owner, who wanted to find love again after the death of his wife, Toni Turner, in 2017. The Golden Bachelor quickly became one of the most discussed spin-offs of the Bachelor franchise.
Gerry Turner impressed viewers by treating all the women on the show with kindness and respect. So, it was no surprise that the show ended with him finding happiness with Theresa Nist. After a heartfelt proposal, they got married in a televised ceremony and began their new life together.
However, their happy beginning did not last long, as the couple announced their separation after just three months. As soon as news of their divorce surfaced, Turner’s controversial past started to emerge. After everything that came out about him, it seemed that he might not be so golden after all.
He Pretended to Be a Grieving Widower for the Cameras
Gerry Turner touched viewers’ hearts by appearing heartbroken over the loss of his first wife. He shared their love story during the show and in interviews before the first season.
Toni Turner was his high school sweetheart, and they married in 1947. They were together for 43 years and had two daughters and two granddaughters. Turner told the producers and the audience that he had remained single since his wife passed away.
In the first episode, he spoke about his wife with tears in his eyes, explaining how she died one month after they moved into their dream retirement home. The fact that Turner had not dated for over 45 years made him very appealing to the women on the show.
However, once filming finished, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that much of what Turner said on the show was not true. In reality, he had been in a serious relationship with another woman for ten months.
Additionally, Turner had dated other women in the years after his wife’s death. A friend of Turner’s disclosed that he had dated several women before being on the show. These were not casual relationships; he had been with these women for months.
While it is not wrong for Turner to date after his wife’s death, it is misleading for him and the producers to clean up his story to make him seem more appealing than he really is. Since Turner was not the person he claimed to be on the show, the fame he gained has largely been based on lies.
Turner Lied About His Career Too
Turner was also not honest about his career. His ex shared with The Hollywood Reporter that his story of being a retired restaurant owner was another way for the producers to show him as the perfect man. In truth, Turner had sold his diner years before appearing on the show and was actually working as a maintenance person.
After this information was revealed, Turner explained that he does maintenance work for a charity. However, the fact that he sold his restaurant before presenting himself as a restaurateur still stands.
Still from The Golden Bachelor (Credit: Hulu)
These discrepancies have raised many questions about the screening process for the Bachelor franchise. During a podcast called Life Is Short with Justin Long, Turner mentioned that he underwent an extensive psychological evaluation before being selected as the Golden Bachelor.
He said, “I had to send my fingerprints to the FBI, there were numerous background tests. There was a psychological evaluation that was like 360 questions and then another hour of interview.” Despite all of this, the producers failed to uncover the lies he told about his personal life.
Either they overlooked his shady past, or they kept it hidden so that viewers and the women on the show would like him right away. Either way, it does not reflect well on them.
He Seemingly Cared About Fame More Than Theresa Nist
After his divorce, Turner spoke to TMZ about receiving many messages from women who wanted to marry him. Fans found this comment in poor taste and disrespectful to Nist, who was still dealing with their divorce. Turner’s actions seemed to show that he was trying to make his ex-wife jealous or keep himself in the spotlight.
This disrespect did not begin after the divorce. Although the show highlighted the chemistry between Turner and Nist, they never talked about how they would handle their long-distance relationship. This made fans think that Turner was never serious about their marriage.
In many ways, Turner’s proposal and marriage to Nist felt rushed. He seemed to have stronger connections with contestants Leslie Fhima and Faith Martin. In fact, Turner initially told runner-up Leslie Fhima that she was “the one,” but then he chose Nist.
It appeared that Turner misled Fhima for dramatic reasons, ensuring that choosing Nist would surprise everyone during The Golden Bachelor finale.
Still from The Golden Bachelor (Credit: Hulu)
After all this, it is questionable whether Gerry even deserved to be the first Golden Bachelor, having so many lovely women competing for his affection. From what it looks like, Turner did not genuinely want to find love on The Golden Bachelor.
Turner Is Desperate to Stay Relevant Now That People See Through His Act
During the June 6, 2024, episode of Hulu’s The Kardashians, Kendall Jenner revealed that Gerry Turner had dinner with her mother, Kris Jenner. According to Kendall, Turner was very flirtatious, complimenting Kris on her eyes, smile, and energy. She said the interaction felt awkward, and she wanted to leave.
At the time of filming, Turner was married to Nist, which raises doubts about whether his marriage was ever real. His recent behavior has led Bachelor Nation fans to question if he truly is the kind, down-to-earth man that The Golden Bachelor showed him to be or if he is just another reality TV personality caught up in drama.
