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The Penguin poster

Shows that feel likeThe Penguin (2024)

With the city in peril following the seawall's collapse, Oswald "Oz" Cobb seeks to fill the power vacuum left by the death of Carmine Falcone and finally give his mother Francis the life he's always promised. But first, Oz must confront his enemies and his own demoralizing reputation as "the Penguin."

If you loved The Penguin, the closest series we have are MobLand (2025), Mayans M.C. (2018) and La Reina del Sur (2011). All three share The Penguin's contemplative and gritty feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Godfather of Harlem (2019).

★ 8.6 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗1 season · HBOcreated by Lauren LeFranccontemplativegritty
12 of 12 streaming nowNetflix · HBO Max · Hulu
Stream it:HBO Max ↗

If The Penguin hit the spot, these will too

MobLand poster
MobLand
2025– · 2 seasons · Paramount+
★ 8.3crime · dramaParamount+

The same two preoccupations: drug trafficking, and gangster

Two mob families clash in a war that threatens to topple empires and lives.

Mayans M.C. poster
Mayans M.C.
2018–2023 · 5 seasons · FX
★ 7.5crime · dramaHulu

Common ground in both: organized crime and spin off

Set in the aftermath of Jax Teller’s death, Ezekiel "EZ" Reyes is fresh out of prison and a prospect in the Mayans M.C. charter on the Cali/Mexi border. Now, EZ must carve out his new identity in a town where he was once the golden boy with the American Dream in his grasp.

La Reina del Sur poster
La Reina del Sur
2011– · 3 seasons · Telemundo
★ 7.8drama · crimeNetflix

Common ground: drug trafficking

After years of blood, sweat and tears, a woman of humble origin ends up becoming a drug trafficking legend, with all that that means...

Power poster
Power
2014–2020 · 6 seasons · STARZ
★ 8.1crime · dramaHuluStarz

One thread runs through both: gangster

A successful New York entrepreneur lives a double life as the head of a drug empire that serves only the rich and influential, all while wanting to escape the underworld and keep his family safe.

Godfather of Harlem poster
Godfather of Harlem
2019–2025 · 4 seasons · Epix
★ 8.1drama · crimeHulu

Both keep coming back to the same thing: crime boss

Loosely based on infamous crime boss Bumpy Johnson, who in the early 1960s returned from ten years in prison to find the neighborhood he once ruled in shambles. With the streets controlled by the Italian mob, Bumpy attempts to regain his piece of Harlem.

Sons of Anarchy poster
Sons of Anarchy
2008–2014 · 7 seasons · FX
★ 8.5crime · dramaHulu

Both are built on the same subject: criminal

The Sons of Anarchy (SOA) are an outlaw motorcycle club with many charters in the United States and overseas. The show focused on the original and founding charter, Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, Redwood Original, often referred to by the acronym SAMCRO, Sam Crow, or simply Redwood Charter. The charter operates both legal and illegal businesses in the small town of Charming, California. They combine gun-running and a garage, and involvement in porn film industry. Clay, the charter president, likes it old school and violent; while Jax, his stepson and the club's VP, has thoughts about changing the way things are done. Their conflict has effects on both the club and their personal relationship, especially when Jax goes on a personal quest to cleanse the SAMCRO name and image.

American Crime Story poster
American Crime Story
2016–2021 · 3 seasons · FX
★ 8.4crime · dramaHulu

The same preoccupation in both: criminal

An anthology series centered around some of history's most famous criminal investigations.

Banshee poster
Banshee
2013–2016 · 4 seasons · Cinemax
★ 8.4crime · dramaMax

One thread runs through both: crime boss

Banshee is an American drama television series set in a small town in Pennsylvania Amish country and features an enigmatic ex-con posing as a murdered sheriff who imposes his own brand of justice while also cooking up plans that serve his own interests.

Black Bird poster
Black Bird
2022 · 1 season · Apple TV
★ 8.1drama · crimeApple TV+

Both keep coming back to the same thing: miniseries

As Jimmy Keene begins a 10-year prison sentence, he gets an incredible offer: If he can elicit a confession from suspected killer Larry Hall, Jimmy will be freed. Completing this mission becomes the challenge of a lifetime.

Unbelievable poster
Unbelievable
2019 · 1 season · Netflix
★ 8.3drama · crimeNetflix

The same preoccupation in both: miniseries

After a young woman is accused of lying about a rape, two female detectives investigate a spate of eerily similar attacks.

Adolescence poster
Adolescence
2025 · 1 season · Netflix
★ 8.1drama · crimeNetflix

Both land stillness and grit at once

When a 13-year-old is accused of the murder of a classmate, his family, the psychological expert and the detective in charge are all left asking: what really happened?

Dexter: New Blood poster
Dexter: New Blood
2021–2022 · 1 season · Showtime
★ 8drama · crimeParamount+

Both lean on stillness more than on drama

10 years after Dexter went missing in the eye of Hurricane Laura, we find him living under an assumed name in the small town of Iron Lake, New York. Dexter may be embracing his new life, but in the wake of unexpected events in this close-knit community, his Dark Passenger beckons.

In the mood for more contemplative?

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The best-reviewed series that share The Penguin’s defining feeling.