by Conan Simmons – August 10, 2020 – 7:32 pm
Finale is uplifting counterpoint to grimness of season.
The strangest part of ‘The Alienist: Angel of Darkness’ is the way the alienist (Daniel Bruehl) of the title is regulated to a mostly supporting role. The main story barely involves him at all. Instead his companions Sara Howard (Dakota Fanning) and John Moore (Luke Evans) take center stage. As their romance intensifies it threatens the impending marriage of John Moore to the daughter of William Randolph Hearst. The only real story involving the alienist Dr. Laszlo Kreizler is that of a blossoming romance with another alienist that is complicated by the suicide of a patient and an invitation by Dr. Sigmund Freud.
Dakota Fanning is the real star of this season. As Sara Howard, we find her having opened her own all female detective agency. When the consular of Spain and his wife discover their baby daughter has been kidnapped they enlist Howard’s agency to find her. Sara Howard is much more aggressive this time around which gives the impression that something happened since the last time we saw her. The series never bothers to address this noticeable change.
The consulate is fearful of the negative press that may be received due to the oncoming Spanish-American War that is about to break out. This plot device is used primarily to introduce William Randolph Hearst as the notable historical figure our heroes encounter. Afterwards the plot device is thrown away never to be of importance again.
Lots of grimness and predictable turns bogged down this season. The last two episodes did provide some reprieve as we finally see more character motivation from series foil Police Chief Thomas Byrnes (Ted Levine). The opening up of his character gives the season a much needed boost of intrigue. Happening in the penultimate episode it doesn’t give much time to really explore this angle but at least it adds an extra dimension that wasn’t there before.
Flawed as this season was I still liked it. The production design is the main reason to watch and the charismatic cast certainly helps keep interest where the writing and directing falters. The show is yet to be renewed for a third season but if it is I’ll be tuning in.