'City of Angels' a disappointing followup to original 'Penny Dreadful' - The Lawton Constitution

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When creator John Logan announced he was resurrecting the “Penny Dreadful” branding for a new series set in pre-World War II Los Angeles, there was some concern — and rightfully so.

The original “Penny Dreadful” ran for three seasons before abruptly ending on a massive cliffhanger that left no one satisfied. Logan continued to assert that the ending, which left numerous plotlines unfulfilled, was his choice. Taking a page out of the Damon Lindelof book of ending shows like “Lost,” Logan maintained the story was done with the death of a main character, who was really the anchor of the story, rather than any of the numerous other elements and stories set up around her. It was a foreshadow of things to come.

Four years later, “Penny Dreadful: City of Angels” premiered, moving the setting from gothic Victorian England to sunny 1930s Los Angeles, Calif. The new show leans heavily into the Mexican-American culture and religious beliefs, focusing on a feud between Santa Muerte, the angel of death, and her sister, the demon Magda, played wonderfully by “Game of Thrones” alum Natalie Dormer. After a gripping and haunting opening, in which a migrant worker is burned alive in a field, only for his son to be protected by Santa Muerte for future events, the show shifts ahead 20 years. That son grows up to be Tiago Vega, the first Chicano detective on the LAPD.

The show never really reaches the heights of that opening scene, which sets this apocalyptic confrontation between the two sisters and establishes the game they are playing with the lives of everyone in Los Angeles. That competition takes a backseat to other characters and storylines in the show, which often feels too overstuffed with its web of plotlines and relationships. Logan attempted to create a tapestry of 1930s Los Angeles, touching on the contentious relationship between Mexican-Americans and whites and Jews, the buildup to World War II and the growing pains of what will be the largest city on the West Coast. The foundation — Vega’s relationship with his partner, Lewis Michener in a surprising turn by Nathan Lane, and his family, who are all connected to Santa Muerte and Magda — fractures under the weight of so much crammed into 10 episodes.

At the heart of the show is a murder investigation. Vega and Michener are on the case of wealthy white citizens who were butchered and made to look like it was a Mexican religious killing. Much of the setup feels straight out of “Chinatown,” straight up to the nihilistic view of corruption at all levels of society. The investigation is thread throughout the first season, and brings Vega and Michener into contact with everyone from Nazi agents, the criminal underworld and an evangelist church. It reeks of excess.

“Penny Dreadful: City of Angels” succeeds solely thanks to Dormer’s amazing performances. Yes, performances. Known for her role as Margaery Tyrell on “Game of Thrones,” a role that admittedly didn’t require much from her, Dormer’s turn as Magda in her many forms is career-making. She takes on three forms in addition to her natural appearance throughout the show — Alex, a middle-age assistant at Los Angeles City Hall; Elsa, a young German mother manipulating a German doctor; and Rio, a zoot suit-wearing agitator of the criminal underworld. Each is completely different from the other. And while her accents don’t always stick, Dormer becomes a chameleon in each role. She really gets to flex her acting muscles here in a way she’s never been able to do before.

“Penny Dreadful: City of Angels” never reaches the highs of its predecessor, which combined so many Victorian horror literature characters, such as Dr. Frankenstein, Dorian Gray and Dracula, into an amazing, complicated series. By comparison, a “Chinatown” influenced character study is the anthises of ambitious. It’s certainly good to see more representation for minorities that go beyond the stereotypes in which many are cast. But on its own, “Penny Dreadful: City of Angels” is only enjoyable when Dormer is on screen.

“Penny Dreadful: City of Angels” is available to stream now on Showtime.

Josh Rouse lives in Lawton.

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'City of Angels' a disappointing followup to original 'Penny Dreadful' - The Lawton Constitution
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