The Penguin’s Finale Includes an Audio Easter Egg From The Batman

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for The Penguin Episode 8, “A Great or Little Thing.”

Did you clock The Penguin finale’s audio Easter egg tie-in to its big screen predecessor, The Batman? If not, read on to find out which scene it’s in!

The Penguin Episode 8’s Audio Easter Egg Explained

The Batman audio Easter egg arrives late in The Penguin Episode 8, “A Great or Little Thing,” during the scene that wraps up Sofia Falcone’s arc in the series. Here, Sofia receives a visit from her therapist turned lover Julian Rush in Arkham State Hospital. Rush hands Sofia a letter he insists is worth her time, as it’s from her half-sister, Selina Kyle – otherwise known as Catwoman!

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Where does the Easter egg come into it? Listen closely as Sofia reads Selina’s letter; the score that plays isn’t one of composer Mick Giacchino’s themes, but rather one composed by his father, Michael, for The Batman. Specifically, it’s the musical motif associated with Selina Kyle/Catwoman in the 2022 blockbuster, so its inclusion here makes sense.

Giacchino sampling The Batman‘s soundtrack isn’t The Penguin Episode 8’s only major nod to Bat-Verse canon, either. The series finale’s closing shot depicts the Bat-Signal shining above the Gotham City skyline. As in most Bat-media, the modified searchlight serves as Jim Gordon’s way of contacting the Dark Knight in The Batman. That said, Robert Pattinson’s Batman doesn’t show up in-person – a choice showrunner Lauren LeFranc defended when The Penguin first dropped.

Related: The Batman Actor Turned Down Appearing in The Penguin Because of Its Subject Matter

“I understand why people’s desire would be to have Batman, or to think that unless Batman’s in a show or a film then it doesn’t have the same punch,” LeFranc told SFX. “To me I think it packs a different punch. Matt [Reeves’] films are through the lens of the Batman, so you’re high up, looking down on the city. It’s a different perspective. With Oz, you’re in the city streets, you’re in the grit and the muck and the grime.”

All eight episodes of The Penguin are streaming now on HBO and Max.