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Watch Bologna vs. Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.

TL;DR: Live stream Bologna vs. Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League for free on Tabii. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The first round of Champions League fixtures has already produced some really entertaining games, and we’re expecting more of the same between Bologna and Shakhtar Donetsk. Sure, these aren’t the biggest teams competing in the competition, but these evenly-matched teams could produce something special.

If you want to watch Bologna vs. Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Bologna vs. Shakhtar Donetsk?

Bologna vs. Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League kicks off at 5:45 p.m. BST on Sept. 18. This fixture takes place at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara.

How to watch Bologna vs. Shakhtar Donetsk for free

Bologna vs. Shakhtar Donetsk is available to live stream for free on Tabii.

Tabii is offering free live streams of the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League for the next three seasons. Tabii is geo-restricted to Turkey, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Turkey, meaning you can unblock free live streams of the Champions League from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Bologna vs. Shakhtar Donetsk on Tabii by following these simple steps:

Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

Open up the app and connect to a server in Turkey

Sign in to Tabii

Watch Bologna vs. Shakhtar Donetsk for free from anywhere in the world

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Champions League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn’t a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Bologna vs. Shakhtar Donetsk (plus more Champions League fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Tabii?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Tabii, for a number of reasons:

Servers in 105 countries including Turkey

Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

Fast connection speeds free from throttling

Up to eight simultaneous connections

30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream Bologna vs. Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.

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Watch Club Brugge vs. Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.

TL;DR: Live stream Club Brugge vs. Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League for free on Tabii. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The new format of the Champions League will not be for everyone, but the fact is fans are getting more big games between the best sides. And we’re all for that.

Club Brugge and Borussia Dortmund are next up in an interesting first-round matchup. Both sides will believe they can secure three points and make a mark on the tournament.

If you want to watch Club Brugge vs. Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Club Brugge vs. Borussia Dortmund?

Club Brugge vs. Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League kicks off at 8 p.m. BST on Sept. 18. This fixture takes place at the Jan Breydel Stadium.

How to watch Club Brugge vs. Borussia Dortmund for free

Club Brugge vs. Borussia Dortmund is available to live stream for free on Tabii.

Tabii is offering free live streams of the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League for the next three seasons. Tabii is geo-restricted to Turkey, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Turkey, meaning you can unblock free live streams of the Champions League from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Club Brugge vs. Borussia Dortmund on Tabii by following these simple steps:

Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

Open up the app and connect to a server in Turkey

Sign in to Tabii

Watch Club Brugge vs. Borussia Dortmund for free from anywhere in the world

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Champions League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn’t a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Club Brugge vs. Borussia Dortmund (plus more Champions League fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Tabii?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Tabii, for a number of reasons:

Servers in 105 countries including Turkey

Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

Fast connection speeds free from throttling

Up to eight simultaneous connections

30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream Club Brugge vs. Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.

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Here’s the answer for “Wordle” #1187 on September 18, as well as a few hints, tips, and clues to help you solve it yourself.

Oh hey there! If you’re here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we’re serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today’s answer.

If you just want to be told today’s word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for September 18’s Wordle solution revealed. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What’s the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles used to be available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it. Unfortunately, it has since been taken down, with the website’s creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn’t any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle‘s Hard Mode if you’re after more of a challenge, though.

Here’s a subtle hint for today’s Wordle answer:

Completely or entirely.

Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?

There is one letter that appears twice.

Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…

Today’s Wordle starts with the letter F.

The Wordle answer today is…

Get your last guesses in now, because it’s your final chance to solve today’s Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today’s Wordle is…

FULLY.

Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Wordle.

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Connections is a New York Times word game that’s all about finding the “common threads between words.” How to solve the puzzle.

Connections is the latest New York Times word game that’s captured the public’s attention. The game is all about finding the “common threads between words.” And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we’ve served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today’s puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for September 18’s Connections solution. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

What is Connections?

The NYT‘s latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications’ Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Tweet may have been deleted

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there’s only one correct answer. If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Tweet may have been deleted

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

Here’s a hint for today’s Connections categories

Want a hit about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

Yellow: Places to have a small get-together

Green: Hot tip

Blue: Trailer

Purple: Misspelled cartoon dogs

Here are today’s Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:

Yellow: Gathering Spot Outside A Residence

Green: Lowdown

Blue: Kinds of Reels

Purple: Cartoon Dogs Minus “Y”

Looking for Wordle today? Here’s the answer to today’s Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today’s puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today’s Connections #465 is…

What is the answer to Connections today

Gathering Spot Outside A Residence: DECK, PORCH, STOOP, YARD

Lowdown: DISH, DOPE, INFO, SCOOP

Kinds of Reels: BLOOPER, DEMO, HIGHLIGHT, SIZZLE

Cartoon Dogs Minus “Y”: DROOP, GOOF, LAD, SNOOP

Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.

If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Connections.

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Netflix has released a look at its animated “The Witcher:Sirens of the Deep” series, with voice actor Doug Cockle reprising the role.

Netflix has released a look at its animated “The Witcher:Sirens of the Deep” series, with voice actor Doug Cockle reprising the role.

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Save up to 80% on Audible audiobooks at Amazon.

If you’re a fan of audiobooks, Amazon has a great sale happening that’ll save you up to 80% on some excellent listens. Here are a few highlights of the sale:

Officially, autumn begins in just a few days. That means we’ll take up debating about if candy corn is good or pretty awful. Following that, the sun will set at what feels like 2 p.m. If you’re looking for a great way to pass some time during the darker nights of fall and winter, Amazon has a pretty great sale happening today. As of Sept. 17, hundreds of Audible audiobooks are up to 80% off at Amazon. Here are some of our top picks.

Best overall audiobook deal

Why we like it

In case you missed the 2019 bestseller, you can grab the audiobook version of The Dutch House: A Novel by Ann Patchett today for just $6.99 at Amazon. That works out to a 71% discount off the normal price of $24.29.

Not only is this consistently considered one of the best books of 2019, the audiobook is performed by the iconic Tom Hanks, making this listening experience all the more enjoyable. At almost 10 hours in length, today’s deal means you’ll be spending less than $1 per hour to listen in on this well-written novel.

Best romantacy audiobook deal

Why we like it

If you’ve become a fan of romantacy lately, you’re likely familiar with Sarah J. Maas. For just $7.99, you can listen in on the first part of Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood by best-selling romatacy author Mass for a 71% discount off the typical price of $27.51.

Romance and fantasy take hold during the saga of Bryce Quinlan who’s half-human and half-Fae. Life seems be going well until a her close friend is murdered and Bryce feels obliged to seek revenge.

Different from many audiobooks, Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood is a graphic audiobook, with a full cast of actors, sound effects, and cinematic music, which makes this particular listening experience incredibly enjoyable and immersive.

Best history audiobook deal

Why we like it

Audiobooks can be a great way of diving into history lessons. If you’re interested in learning more about the years before WWII, you might find a great match with Our Man in Tokyo: An American Ambassador and the Countdown to Pearl Harbor by Steve Kemper. On sale at Amazon, the Audible audiobook version is just $7.99, marked down from the list price of $25.19.

Follow along with American ambassador to Japan Joseph C. Grew from 1932 when Japan began to fall into a crisis. Taking cues from Grew’s diary of his time in Tokyo and correspondence from the U.S. embassy, Our Man in Tokyo sheds insight into the events and mindset that led to massive turning points in our world’s history.

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Indie puzzle adventure game ‘The Plucky Squire’ is a wholesome, simple nine-hour game packed full of familiar minigames. Review.

The older we get, the more complicated life becomes. Books shed their illustrations, puzzles grow from 10 pieces to 10,000, and everything in the world seems to demand so much more from us. As such, it’s refreshing to see forms of simple childhood positivity that can still engage adults.

The Plucky Squire is an utterly charming puzzle adventure game targeted at all ages, and which revels in the wholesome power of friendship and picture books. Developed by indie studio All Possible Futures, it isn’t out to issue a challenge, or frustrate you with searching for strategy guides or climbing leaderboards. It’s just here to offer simple, straightforward fun — albeit with a metatextual twist.

The Plucky Squire tells a tale of adventure and art

The Plucky Squire follows the titular squire Jot as he embarks on a quest to defend the land of Mojo from the evil wizard Humgrump. Guided by DJ/sorcerer Moonbeard, Jot is also accompanied by his two childhood friends: artist/trainee witch Violet and drummer/mountain troll Thrash.

It seems like a relatively standard children’s story. That is, until Humgrump discovers that they’re all characters in a picture book, one whose narrative dictates that he will always lose. Thus, in order to break free from his story, the sorcerer breaks out of the book, spilling his minions onto the messy desk of creative 10-year-old boy Sam.

Jot’s fight to defeat Humgrump isn’t merely a matter of protecting Mojo though. It’s also about saving the eponymous book The Plucky Squire, so that its pages can continue to inspire the young child who owns it.

Simple, straightforward Squire swordplay

Like many good adventure games, much of The Plucky Squire‘s gameplay involves running around and whacking things with your sword, whether they be enemies or foliage. Doing so yields light bulbs you can use to purchase new attacks, weapon upgrades, and development art to fill out your gallery.

I ended up with a surplus of light bulbs before the game’s end, having maxed out all of Jot’s attack skills by brutally assaulting every bush I saw. Even so, I only really used half of these skills, either throwing my sword or delivering a good old-fashioned blow to the cute rotund goblins that wished me harm.

Dispatching enemies in The Plucky Squire is a straightforward affair, requiring little skill or tenacity regardless of whether you’re in the book’s top-down 2D world or have ventured out to the 3D environment that is Sam’s desk. I barely had to turn my mind to factors such as attack patterns or dodging, as swinging my sword with reckless abandon was effective enough. 

This will undoubtedly be a boon to tired office workers who just want to feel like they’re making decent progress in their limited gaming time. 

Though the game has two difficulty options, I found its hardest setting still incredibly easy, and it never felt as though I was in any danger. Even when I took damage, I’d inevitably find a health-replenishing heart within seconds by whacking some bushes or a few more enemies.

There are no real consequences if you die either. If you’re in the book, you’ll be shown a page about Jot picking himself up to try again before you’re returned to the fight (often with the enemy still missing whatever health you chipped off them). If you’re outside of the book, you’ll be placed back before the obstacle that killed you so you can have another run at it.

This keeps the game casual and stress-free, placing the real focus on The Plucky Squire‘s puzzles rather than its swordplay.

The Plucky Squire revels in minigames

The Plucky Squire crams in a veritable smorgasbord of gameplay ideas into its short, nine-hour runtime, yet they never feel overwhelming or out of place. Instead they lure players along with the promise of new discoveries, maintaining a delightfully playful atmosphere.

The game does of course involve platforming, with Jot having to navigate both side-scrolling environments in Mojo and wooden block constructions on Sam’s desk. You’ll have to sneak around at times to avoid enemies as well. However, some of The Plucky Squire‘s most interesting puzzles involved word games within the storybook’s writing. 

Similarly to 2019 game Baba Is You, The Plucky Squire allows you to reshape Jot’s world and solve puzzles by literally swapping out words on the page. Creatures may change from tiny to huge or obstacles from metal to wood depending on how you alter the sentences describing them, allowing you to surmount impediments and continue on Jot’s journey.

Jot eventually gains the ability to manipulate the book from the outside as well, turning pages, tilting it, and otherwise influencing the land of Mojo like an extradimensional god. This not only lets you move objects, but also pilfer nouns and adjectives from entirely different pages (though you’re unable to stray from your current chapter). 

I could have happily spent most of my time just jumping between pages and playing with words. Yet The Plucky Squire is further filled out with a plethora of minigames. From boxing to rhythm games to side-scrolling shooters, The Plucky Squire is like a sampler plate of all the arcade-style games you know and love. The game constantly introduces new minigames and mechanics even during its later chapters, with some only used two or three times before they’re shelved in favour of the next shiny gameplay trinket.

These minigames do assume some knowledge. You’re provided with no instructions before being flung into a bubble-matching game for example, with The Plucky Squire trusting you to identify the game’s style and know what to do. Even so, failure is forgiving enough that it’s fine if you take a moment to figure it out. The Plucky Squire has also put notable effort into making itself accessible, with minigames entirely skippable via a prominent option in the game’s menu.

Each minigame is uncomplicated enough that the fun few minutes you spend with each should be enough to leave you satisfied. Even so, I would still have liked the ability to revisit the minigames from the main menu. The aforementioned element-themed bubble game was a shot straight at my Neopets Faerie Bubbles nostalgia.

The Plucky Squire breaks out of its story yet stays within it

In addition to The Plucky Squire playing with its storybook setting via word puzzles, the game’s premise is thoroughly sold by its art style. The world of Mojo is drawn in thick lines and bold, bright colours which evoke children’s book illustrations, a distinctive look which contrasts with the more realistic and lineless art styles used for elements outside Jot’s book. This in-universe discord is made even more apparent when said elements make their way into the book while still retaining their clashing art style.

The Plucky Squire has fun with its metatextual themes, even briefly nodding to the fact that it’s a game at points. However unlike horror titles such as Doki Doki Literature Club or Inscryption, The Plucky Squire never gets truly unsettling or digs around in your game files, retaining its innocuous child-friendly spirit throughout. 

The awareness of the nature of their universe doesn’t daunt Jot and his companions either, who largely take it in their stride that the plucky hero can jump into a different dimension and manipulate their world from outside it. Issues of existentialism, fate, and the meaning of life do hover in the periphery, as the story’s characters acknowledge that they are in fact characters — and most of them merely side ones at that. 

In this respect, Humgrump’s refusal to succumb to his written role could easily be interpreted as inspirational if he were a more pleasant individual.

Still, The Plucky Squire sticks to a simple script of clear good against evil, briefly acknowledging deeper issues but making clear that existentialist matters aren’t the focus. This is a fun, lighthearted game about storybook characters escaping their book, and we aren’t going to look too closely at the less sunny implications.

Recalling childhood wonder

The Plucky Squire isn’t a particularly challenging game, or one that entices players to spend hours diving into its lore. You don’t need to be a skilled gamer, or a Myst-level puzzle solver either. 

What you do need is a willingness to simply enjoy wholesome, childlike pleasures. The Plucky Squire is a clear appeal to adults who wistfully recall their days of crayons and cardboard, before the world seemed to get so dark and complicated. References to childhood classics such as Doctor Who and The Lord of the Rings sit alongside cheeky nods to the capitalist mechanisms underpinning children’s media, finding joy in the same way Jot’s friends continue to despite knowing the true nature of their world.

Not only are parents unlikely to mind their kids playing The Plucky Squire, they’ll likely be the first to pick it up themselves for a dose of undemanding positivity after a long, hard day. The puzzles and combat may be relatively simple, but sometimes simple is exactly what’s needed. And with a runtime of just nine hours, it’ll only take a few after work sessions to play through to the end.

The Plucky Squire is out today on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

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Prime members can sign up for 4 months of free access to Amazon Music Unlimited, a deal that’s part of Amazon’s early Prime Big Deal Days offerings.

SAVE $39.96: Prime members are eligible to sign up for 4 months of free access to Amazon Music Unlimited, which typically costs $9.99 per month, for an overall savings of $39.96. Non-Prime members can sign up for 3 months of free access.

Amazon knows how to host a sale. In addition to the annual Prime Day sale in mid-summer, the retailer has been treating us to an October deals events, too. We just got confirmation that Prime Big Deal Days will happen again on Oct. 8 and 9 this year. But you don’t have to wait that long to get some great deals, especially if you’re looking to crank up the tunes.

As of Sept. 17, Prime members can sign up for four months of free access to Amazon Music Unlimited, which usually costs $9.99 per month, for a total savings of $39.96. If you’re not a Prime member, you can snag three months of free access, saving $29.97 total. In either case, you’ll need to be a new subscriber to cash in on the deal.

If you’re looking for ad-free music streaming, Amazon Music Unlimited can be a perfect option. New subscribers are usually entitled to trying out the service at no cost for one month, but thanks to the early Big Deal Days sale, Amazon is offering Prime members the option to try it out for free for four months. Once your free trial is over, you’ll automatically be billed the usual $9.99 per month rate — but you’re free to cancel at any time.

Prime Music Unlimited offers on-demand music with zero ads. That means your party playlist will no longer have an awkward ad-break. You can also get access to plenty of ad-free podcasts with Music Unlimited. Download songs to your heart’s content and listen in while offline, like while en route to your childhood home for the holidays. Signing up now means you’ll be able to stream all of your holiday favorites for free this year.

If you’re not a Prime member, you can still get a nice deal here with three months of free access. However, after the trial, you’ll be on the hook for a $10.99 fee per month. Now’s a good time to look into the benefits of a Prime membership, since we’re likely to see (more) Prime-exclusive deals drop during the lead up and main event of the Big Deal Days sale. An annual membership comes in at $139, while a monthly membership will cost you $14.99. Amazon Prime offers some nice benefits like speedy shipping, deals on ordering from Grubhub, free Kindle books, Amazon Prime streaming, and more.

If you’re a Prime member and you’ve yet to try out Amazon Music Unlimited, you’re eligible to sign up for a free four-month trial today. With a price of $0, there’s really no reason to not take Amazon up on this offer, which’ll have you enjoying ad-free tunes into 2025.

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Watch the trailer for Netflix’s “Heartstopper” Season 3 starring Joe Locke, Kit Connor, and a cameo from Jonathan Bailey.

Watch the trailer for Netflix’s “Heartstopper” Season 3 starring Joe Locke, Kit Connor, and a cameo from Jonathan Bailey.

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HBO’s continuation of “The Batman” is an enjoyable, if derivative, gangster series, with Milioti’s Sofia as the MVP. TV review.

Right from the get-go, The Penguin finds itself in a sticky situation.

The new series from HBO serves as a sequel of sorts to Matt Reeves’s The Batman, but it can’t risk changing the paradigm in Gotham City too much. After all, Reeves has The Batman Part II to prep for, so The Penguin needs to keep the playing field relatively similar to the end of the first movie in order to ensure continuity between the films. That leaves showrunner Lauren LeFranc with a seemingly small amount of wiggle room to work with.

Luckily, LeFranc and The Penguin are able to do quite a lot with that minimal space, conjuring up a grounded (if somewhat derivative) crime drama that examines how Batman villain Oswald “Oz” Cobb (Colin Farrell) became the monster he is today.

What’s The Penguin about?

The Penguin picks up in the aftermath of The Batman, with Gotham in total disarray following the Riddler’s flooding of the city. Adding to the chaos is the death of mob boss Carmine Falcone. His demise has left a power vacuum in Gotham’s criminal underworld, and Oz, tired of playing second fiddle to wealthy mobsters, plans to fill that vacuum himself.

Of course, that’s easier said than done. Sure, Oz manages to dispatch of Carmine’s son and heir Alberto Falcone (Michael Zegen) fairly quickly. But that only stirs up more trouble with the Falcone family — particularly with Carmine’s dangerous daughter Sofia (Cristin Milioti), a reformed serial killer known as “The Hangman” who’s just been released from Arkham State Hospital.

Colin Farrell goes full Sopranos mode in The Penguin

As Oz navigates a web of crime and lies — mostly of his own making — on his way to the top, The Penguin pays healthy tribute to the crime dramas that preceded it. Most notable among them is HBO’s own The Sopranos, with Oz taking on the role of a scarred Tony Soprano, complete with some mommy issues of his own. This constant crime pastiche can be both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, it allows us to get down and dirty for some street-level Gotham action, with production designer Kalina Ivanov reveling in grimy alleyways and hideouts. On the other, it risks sending The Penguin into generic gangster territory.

The Penguin mostly steers clear of any Batman-related fun. (The Caped Crusader himself is absent, although not particularly missed or needed here.) So without even a hint of the more ridiculous elements of earlier iterations of Oz — my kingdom for some kind of umbrella gun! — the series can feel unmoored from its source material. Why does this story have to center on the Penguin? What separates it from other crime dramas before it?

One answer? Farrell’s performance, which soars with the help of some impressive prosthetics that render the Oscar nominee near-unrecognizable. As Oz, Farrell is a snarling force to be reckoned with, all ambitious drive with a hint of fun lurking beneath the surface. Several details from The Penguin help tease out this fun side a little more. Take, for example, his affinity for Dolly Parton, or his diva-esque demands that all cilantro be picked from his food. Nothing quite hits the heights of his meme-worthy, “Holy God, what are you showing me?” from The Batman, but Farrell still makes a meal of Oz’s every reaction.

In theory, these comedic details soften Oz. They’re not the only story elements to do so. Oz often waxes poetic about mobster Rex Calabrese, whom he views as a kind of benevolent overlord in his neighborhood growing up. Rex’s role in the community earned him a parade when he died, and Oz hopes to leave a similar legacy. Look, he’s already caring for his ailing mother Francis (Deirdre O’Connell) and taking teenager Victor (Rhenzy Felix) under his tuxedoed wing. What a nice guy!

But of course, those surface-level observations don’t account for the fact that Oz almost murdered Victor before roping him into his schemes, or that Francis sometimes refers to her own son as a devil. The Penguin takes great pleasure in hinting that Oz might actually have some good in him, only to turn around and remind us how bad he is. That pattern can feel repetitive in the show’s middle stretch, but The Penguin‘s final two episodes deliver some earth-shattering revelations that recontextualize quite a bit of what we’ve seen, deepening Oz beyond just some “bargain basement hustler,” as one character calls him.

Cristin Milioti steals The Penguin as Sofia Falcone

Speaking of earth-shattering, let’s talk about the character who quickly becomes the star of The Penguin: Sofia Falcone. From the moment she appears behind Oz, it’s clear this mobster heiress is the one to watch. Milioti starts her run on the show playing Sofia as part sinister, part tragic figure who might be more than the villain others label her to be. Yet as the show goes on, she transforms into a more confident threat — and The Penguin is all the better for it.

The Penguin‘s earlier episodes can drag a tad, loaded down with gangster worldbuilding it feels like we’ve seen a thousand times before. But it really kicks it into high gear in its fourth episode, which focuses on how Sofia wound up at Arkham and would be broken by the facility’s cruelty. Milioti is equally vulnerable and ferocious throughout, and when we finally catch up to her in the present day, she all but runs away with the show. It feels like we’ve been treated to a bait and switch: Oz and Farrell are good fun and all, but Sofia is the heart of The Penguin — and the reason I kept tuning back in.

The Penguin premieres Sept. 19 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.

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