Diksha Sundriyal
HBO’s ‘The Penguin’ extends the story of ‘The Batman’ by focusing on the rise of Oz Cobb following the death of Carmine Falcone. The show brings some very compelling characters from the DC comic books and presents a gritty narrative that immediately reels you in. While crime and violence form the major parts of the story, there are a few scenes that give us a deeper insight into the character and his personal motivations, giving a more complicated turn to the character. In the first episode, locations like Irving Grove and Buddy’s Grocery become the grounds of the scenes that make Oz a more sympathetic character. SPOILERS AHEAD
The Fictional Irving Grove and Buddy’s Grocery Reveal Intimate Details of Oz Cobb’s Life
In bringing the turmoil of the criminal underworld in Gotham to life, the creators of ‘The Penguin’ turned towards New York as the primary location. While a lot of interior scenes were filmed on soundstages, the show also employed several exterior locales of the Big Apple to present a diverse, yet grounded, effect to the portrayal of Gotham City. The crew were spotted filming in areas of Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens, which were transformed to create made-up places like Irving Grove and Buddy’s Grocery.
Found in Whitestone, Queens on 14th Ave and 157th street @olv #thepenguin #TheBatman pic.twitter.com/7jNHwpGqIY
— Danny NYC (@dannygonz16) November 26, 2023
What makes Irving Grove an important location in the series is its association with a key character in the Penguin’s story. For the most part, he is presented as a cold, calculating criminal who is not beyond murder and other crimes to get what he wants. Still, a different side of him is presented to the audience when he goes to visit his mother in Irving Grove. He knows that having a loved one makes him vulnerable, which is why he goes to great lengths to keep it a secret from everyone else. In the show, a street in Irving Grove serves as the location of his mother’s house. In reality, it is the location in Whitestone, Queens that appears in the show. The show’s filming notice on 14th Avenue and 157th street was seen in late November, with the crew taking over the place to lens several scenes.
In the same vein, Buddy’s Grocery, though a minor presence in the first episode, turns out to be a rather significant location in terms of understanding the Penguin’s character, particularly his relationship with young Victor. The two meet under rather unusual circumstances, and considering the situation, Oz would have killed Victor if he hadn’t found the kid’s condition similar to his own. He ends up finding ways to connect with him, and this gives away things about him, especially as he talks about the things he used to do, liking mixing up flavors from the ice cream he’d get from Buddy’s. Later, he recreates that with Victor, showing his softer side while also consolidating the trust he has in the kid. Considering all this, both Irving Grove and Buddy’s establish themselves as critical locations to the story.
Read More: The Penguin: Is The Iceberg Lounge a Real Nightclub?
