The premiere of the new HBO crime drama “The Penguin” had a special treat in store for attentive viewers: an Easter egg in the form of an interactive QR code.
The series is based on the DC Comics villain the Penguin and stars an unrecognizable Colin Farrell, reprising his role as Oswald “Oz” Cobb from the 2022 film “The Batman,” which starred Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne.
Oswald is, of course, the true identity of the Penguin, the latest villain seeking to rule over corrupt Gotham City.
“The Penguin,” which premiered on HBO and Max on September 19, picks up where “The Batman” left off in 2022: The scheming Oswald is ready to seize the opportunity presented by the Riddler’s devastating attack on Gotham City.
Oswald, once a lieutenant of the recently murdered mafia boss Carmine Falcone, is now ready to take charge himself. But first he must face Carmine’s son Alberto (Michael Zegen), the likely heir to the family’s criminal activities.
Just over 39 minutes into the action-packed premiere, Oswald and his new young buddy Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz) sit on a train leaving Gotham City.
A person wearing a mask walks through the train and distributes flyers with a QR code.
“Scan the code. See Gotham’s true face,” says the masked man.
After the episode was paused, viewers at home discovered that the code actually worked by scanning it themselves.
The code leads to a website called gothamstrueface.com, which quickly redirects to rataalada.com, a website that appeared months before “The Batman” premiered in March 2022, Collider reported at the time.
Back then, the site shared puzzles created by the devious Riddler, the main antagonist of The Batman, played by Paul Dano. Once users solved a series of puzzles, images and clues related to the film appeared on the screen.
What users saw on the site this week, however, was a cryptic message printed right before their eyes.
Entertainment lovers Culture Crave tweeted an image of the entire message. The message, written in an old-fashioned green computer font on a black background, read:
Cl0ckbreak3r: Once something is started, it cannot be stopped.
xxREIGNITINxx: Arkham is releasing patients and Blackgate is in chaos… no one is really a prisoner there. Not even our old buddy Sal Maroni.
HOLDTHELINE81: People say they want the truth, but they close their eyes to the light. DETERMINATOR: Let’s make sure they aren’t blind again to the corruption, the murders, Falcone’s rise to power…
HOLDTHELINE81: We’re starting on the road. Tonight at 9 p.m. Meet at the subway in front of Crown Point.
Cl0ckbreak3r: Done and done. The revolution is just beginning.
When users click on the phrase “Falcone’s Rise to Power” in the message, they are redirected to another web page that features an unflattering report on Alberto Falcone in the Gotham Gazette.
The report describes in detail how Alberto Falcone spends his time “casualting with his wealthy friends” instead of preparing to become the new head of the Falcone family.
While Alberto Falcone’s fate becomes clear at the end of the premiere of “The Penguin,” the rest of the QR code’s message remains a mystery.
Still, viewers liked the show’s idea of incorporating a barely perceptible interactive Easter egg, and many at X tried to figure out what the message meant.
“Watching the Penguin show and the Riddler QR code on the screen worked? I love when shows incorporate additional media like this,” one wrote.
“Hehe I scanned the code in the penguin episode tonight and I think it’s really cool that they do this!!!!!” added another.
Many noted the Rataalada site’s previous connection to the Riddler and the post’s mention of Arkham State Hospital, where the Riddler was imprisoned at the end of The Batman.
“They’re definitely planning to break out Riddler,” one predicted.
Another viewer believed that the Riddler was to escape Arkham, he would likely bring another patient with him. In one of the final scenes of the 2022 film, Dano’s Riddler encounters a shadowy, giggling figure played by Barry Keoghan.
“The Riddler/Joker team is coming,” the person wrote.
