Insane Parallels Between ‘The Penguin’ Episode 7 and South Park Will Have Your Jaw on the Floor
- The Penguin Episode 7 gave the viewers a look at a younger Oz.
- South Park and The Penguin share these parallels, thanks to Eric Cartman and Oz.
- Cartman and Oz's similarities are more obvious than one would think.
The penultimate episode of the critically acclaimed HBO series, The Penguin aired recently. Fans cannot wait to find out what’s next for Gotham’s criminal mastermind, Oswald Cobblepot (Oz), known for ruthlessly killing people who stand in his way of achieving what he wants.
Usually, villains have some kind of tragic backstory that makes them an anti-hero or at least has the audience sympathizing with them. That, however, does not seem to be the case for Oz as the audience witnessed in episode 7. This has led some fans to draw parallels between this show and the animated sitcom, South Park.
The Penguin and South Park Have These Surprising Parallels
The Penguin is a crime drama miniseries developed by Lauren LeFranc that expands Matt Reeves‘ Batman universe. This universe started with 2022’s The Batman and is doing phenomenally well, considering the new show’s impression on the fans. Colin Farrell reprised his movie character as the Penguin for this show.
South Park‘s Eric Cartman looks somewhat similar to the younger Oz in episode 7 of The Penguin. They both have a rotund build and round facial features that give them friendly yet serious expressions. A Redditor pointed this out in a post. Not to mention that they are actually far from friendly considering how awful both of them have been to some people.
On one hand, Oz is unlike most other villains that people have seen before. His villainy is not a product of being bullied or mistreated, nor is it a result of his past traumatic experiences. He is inherently bad and the viewers realize this upon seeing how a younger Oz intentionally locked up his brothers in an overflowing municipal drain. He did this just because he was jealous of them for receiving affection from their mother.
On the other hand, Eric Cartman seeks revenge on Scott Tenorman in the infamous episode Scott Tenorman Must Die in increasingly elaborate and dark ways. In the episode, Tenorman tricks Cartman into buying his pubic hair, which humiliates the latter. After failing in his numerous attempts to humiliate Tenorman, Cartman manages to get the ninth-grader’s parents killed, grinds them, and then feeds them to Tenorman at a chili cook-off.
Both Cartman and Oz lack remorse for their actions. While Cartman gleefully reveals his entire plan to Tenorman, Oz does not look back at the killing of his brothers at his own hands with any kind of remorse.
The Parallels Between South Park and The Penguin Are Quite Obvious
The similarities between the two shows might not be that obvious at first look, but they are also too obvious to ignore. For instance, the fact that both Oz and Cartman are motivated by grudges that lead them to hold onto power and control through ruthless means.
In a moment of vulnerability, Oz’s mother Francis had asked him to do everything in his power to give her the better life she deserved. He made that his life’s mission and did not hesitate in crossing any boundaries whatsoever. Similarly, Cartman was driven by his obsession with seeking revenge on Tenorman, willing to manipulate everyone around him to do so.
That said, the excitement for the last The Penguin episode is at an all-time high as fans wonder what Oz will do now, with no army of his own, even though he asked Vic to get him one. Sofia, on the other hand, is all too powerful and could easily annihilate the supervillain.
