Erased
As noble as Satoru’s goals may be, there’s no erasing the inherent content issues—such as child abuse and murder—in Erased.
Gotham City is in shambles.
A terrorist attack—perpetrated by a masked madman known as The Riddler—destroyed the city’s seawalls, flooding half the city. Countless citizens have been displaced. Some are dead. Many more are missing. News stations recount the city’s plight. They use words such as tragedy, disaster, catastrophe.
Oz Cobb would choose a different word: opportunity.
Here’s the thing: The law-abiding citizens of Gotham weren’t the only ones affected by the Riddler’s machinations. Gotham’s criminal element has undergone a seismic shift, too. Carmine Falcone, Gotham’s criminal kingpin, is dead. Another victim of the Riddler.
Oz is—well, was—a heavy in Carmine’s employ. Now the big chair is empty, and Oz starts to think it would be a perfect place for him to roost. But it won’t be easy. There are obstacles on his way up the criminal ladder.
Alberto Falcone, for one. Carmine’s addict son is first in line to replace his father as head of the Falcone Crime Family.
Or Salvatore Maroni. Gotham’s former big boss is behind bars, but his criminal roots still run deep throughout the city.
And don’t forget about Sofia Falcone. Another of Carmine’s progeny—also known as the serial killer Hangman—she’s just been released from Arkham Asylum.
It seems everyone is angling to fill the power vacuum in the wake of Carmine’s death. But Oz is undeterred.
“The world wasn’t built for guys like us,” Oz tells his reluctant accomplice-turned-protégé, Vic. “That’s why we gotta take whatever we decide is ours.”
With nary a bat in sight, Oz plans to take Gotham City for his own—by whatever (often violent) means necessary.
Set in the same universe as 2022’s The Batman, I was curious to see how close The Penguin would hew to the PG-13 sensibilities of its progenitor. Unfortunately, the creators of The Penguin decided to lean into HBO Max’s often more R-rated tendencies.
Violence saturates The Penguin. People get shot, stabbed and strangled; splattering blood often accompanies these violent deeds. Since the spotlight of this show shines on Gotham’s seedy underbelly, nearly every character dwells under the specter of an untimely demise—and many meet that grim fate.
Drug trafficking is an integral part of the story, and it’s the main pathway Oz identifies to become Gotham’s next mob monarch. In fact, Oz is already in charge of a plant that develops a drug called “drops” (a liquid which users drop onto their eyes). There is mention of a new narcotic that could “revolutionize” the drug business.
Sexual content and nudity are also present. Oz interacts with several women who appear to be prostitutes. He also acquires some incriminating photos of a public figure having an affair.
In the first episode alone, we hear nearly 40 f-words and more than 15 s-words. Jesus’ name is abused seven times. God’s name is misused more 10 times, mostly paired with “d–n.” There are additional uses of “b—h,” “a–” and “a–hole,” “h—,” “pr–k,” tw-t,” and “p—y.” A man calls someone a “p-ss ant.” People use the term “frigging.”
(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at [email protected], or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)
In the wake of Carmine Falcone’s death, Oz Cobb (aka the Penguin) sees a chance to seize control of Gotham City’s criminal underworld. He travels to the Iceberg Lounge (one of Falcone’s old fronts) to collect some incriminating evidence and runs into Alberto, son of Carmine and heir apparent to the Falcone Crime Family.
Oz convinces Alberto, who’s reportedly an alcoholic, to drink and take drugs. Oz tells a story about an old-time gangster who used to protect his neighborhood and was loved by those who lived there. Alberto demeans Oz, and Oz impulsively shoots him dead.
Knowing that the Falcone family would kill him if they found out about Alberto, Oz goes about disposing of the body. He encounters Vic, a young street tough, trying to steal the rims off his car. He threatens Vic at gunpoint and forces the young man to help him get rid of Alberto’s corpse.
In need of an alibi, Oz and Vic visit a prostitute whom Oz is familiar with. We see scantily clad women outside the building. One woman flashes Vic with her breast.
After they hide Alberto’s body, Oz considers killing Vic. Vic begs for his life, agreeing to help Oz with whatever he needs. Oz tells Vic that he “owns” him and will “gut him like a fish” if Vic steps out of line.
Oz visits a drug plant that produces “drops.” We see gang members pack drugs and counterfeit money under Oz’s watchful eye. One gang member is brought in, bleeding from the stomach; we’re told he was shot by a rival gang.
Called to the Falcone estate, Oz meets with the leaders of the Falcone Crime Family, including Sofia Falcone, who has recently been released from her stint in Arkham Asylum. Sofia suspects that Oz killed Alberto and questions him. Oz lies, trying to cover his tracks, but Sofia seems unconvinced.
Concerned, Oz visits his mother, Francis. Oz wants to protect his mother, who is in the early stages of dementia. But she’s having none of it. In fact, she supports his violent, criminal tendencies—up to and including murder.
Oz gets chased by Sofia’s men, and he drives wildly through the crowded streets to avoid them. One thug catches up to him, and they scrap. Oz stabs the man, who stumbles into a street and is hit by a passing bus. Oz is still captured, however, and is brought to Sofia. She has him stripped naked and tied to a chair. (We don’t see anything critical.) Sofia has her bodyguard torture Oz with a garrote wire.
Before Sofia kills Oz, Vic arranges a car crash onto the Falcone estate. Alberto’s bloody body is in the trunk, with the implication that he was murdered on the orders of Salvatore Maroni, Gotham’s former crime kingpin and Carmine’s old rival.
With Sofia’s suspicion now elsewhere, Oz plans his next move to take control of Gotham’s criminal element.
Mention is made of “dropheads,” or addicts to the drug. People imbibe various alcoholic drinks. A woman sings a sultry song on TV. A man is beaten, and a gun barrel is put into his mouth. We hear about someone having a heart attack. A dead body lies in the street with a sheet over it. Oz crosses himself.
We hear about an incumbent mayor being murdered and see explosions along the city’s seawall (both things took place in The Batman).
Bret loves a good story—be it a movie, show, or video game—and enjoys geeking out about things like plot and story structure. He has a blast reading and writing fiction and has penned several short stories and screenplays. He and his wife love to kayak the many beautiful Colorado lakes with their dog.
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