The original post: /r/television by /u/DrSatan420247 on 2024-09-20 14:42:14.
The first episode of The Penguin was great. I spotted some Donnie Brasco baked into it.
When Oswald basically deputizes the kid out of nowhere and all of a sudden he’s his driver and his right hand man, I really started getting Donnie Brasco vibes. The Penguin is taking the kid around, just like Lefty does with Donnie, without really getting the kid’s approval.
Then when Oswald gets sent for, and Oswald is explaining what it means to get sent for to the kid while they’re riding in the car, that’s Lefty explaining to Donnie that he thinks he’s about to get whacked when he gets sent for and they’re riding in the car.
Virtually all films contain a common abstraction that renders every inch of them an abstract copy of something from another television show or movie. That’s why the Donnie Brasco stuff is in there. This show is packed full of this stuff, and looking for it and finding it is the ultimate scavenger hunt. It’s the most intellectually stimulating thing I’ve ever experienced, by far. I highly encourage all of you to give it a try.